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Fried Brussels sprouts are crispy little bites with a panko and Parmesan crust, fried golden and served with a quick sriracha aioli for dipping. It’s a pub-style appetizer you can make at home in about 30 minutes, and the sprouts stay tender in the middle.
Table of Contents
Brussels sprouts are at their best in fall and early winter. Cool fall weather improves their flavor, so the sprouts at the farmers market in November taste sweeter and milder than summer ones. If you grow your own, there are tips for a sweeter harvest in my guide to growing Brussels sprouts.
Frying them is the quickest way to get that sweetness and a crunchy outside at the same time. Each sprout gets a three-bowl coating of flour, egg, and panko mixed with Parmesan and smoked paprika. A few minutes in hot oil turns the coating golden while the inside goes tender.
For an easy roasted side, try roasted Brussels sprouts on the stalk. And if you have a whole bag to use up, there are more ideas in my 50+ Brussels sprouts recipes, from salads to holiday sides.
Notes from My Kitchen
These fried Brussels sprouts started on the appetizer menu at our local pub, where they come with a sriracha aioli for dipping. They’re my comfort food after a hard day, and I spent months trying to get them right at home.
The batch that finally worked came after a hectic day. My 1-year-old got stung by a bee, and as I carried the baby toward the garage to find my husband, a young bear walked out about 10 feet in front of me. Everyone was fine, and once the kids were in bed, I found Brussels sprouts in the fridge, tried again with my heart still pounding, and this time I got them right.
Ingredients for Fried Brussels Sprouts
Panko is the one swap readers ask about. Plain dry bread crumbs work too, and one reader used homemade bread crumbs and said they still came out well.
- Brussels sprouts: Pick small to medium sprouts that feel firm and tight, with no yellow leaves. Cut the large ones into quarters and the small ones in half so they all cook in the same time.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the egg something to hold on to. Shake off the extra, because loose flour falls into the oil and burns.
- Eggs: Beaten eggs glue the crumb coating to the flour.
- Panko crumbs: Panko is a Japanese-style bread crumb that’s lighter and crunchier than regular bread crumbs. Plain dry or homemade bread crumbs work in a pinch.
- Parmesan cheese: Use fresh Parmesan grated fine on a microplane grater, so it mixes into the panko and sticks. Shredded Parmesan falls off in the pan.
- Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a little smoky flavor and a lot of color. Sweet paprika works too.
- Frying oil: Canola oil or another neutral oil that handles high heat, like peanut or vegetable oil. For a richer flavor, fry them in rendered duck fat, the way I serve them with duck confit.
- Mayonnaise and sriracha: That’s the whole aioli, at 3 parts mayo to 1 part sriracha. Add more sriracha if you like it hotter.
- Salt (optional): The Parmesan is already salty, but a pinch of salt on the sprouts right out of the oil brings out the flavor.
Yield Notes
Half a pound of Brussels sprouts makes a plate for 2 as an appetizer. The recipe doubles easily, as long as you fry in more batches instead of crowding the pan.
One cup of oil gives you about 1/4 inch in a 10-inch skillet. That’s enough for shallow frying, with a turn partway through.
How to Make Fried Brussels Sprouts
Once you set up the breading station, this recipe goes quickly. Plan on about 15 minutes to trim and bread the sprouts, and another 15 to fry them in batches.
Fried sprouts are best hot, so mix the aioli and set out a plate for draining before the first batch goes into the oil.
Trim and Cut the Sprouts
Trim off the dry stem ends and pull off any loose or yellow outer leaves. Cut large sprouts into quarters and smaller ones in half.
Cut straight down from the top through the stem. The bit of stem holds the leaves together, so the pieces don’t fall apart in the oil. If you rinsed them, pat them dry with a towel.
Mix the Sriracha Aioli
Stir the mayonnaise and sriracha together in a small bowl. Taste it, and add more sriracha if you want more heat.
Set it in the fridge while you fry, so it’s cold and ready when the first batch comes out.
Set Up the Breading Station
Set out three shallow mixing bowls. Put the flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the panko, Parmesan, and paprika mixed together in the third.
Line a plate with paper towels, or set a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet, for draining the sprouts after they fry.
Bread the Sprouts
Work with a handful at a time. Toss the sprouts in the flour and shake off the extra, dip them in the egg and let the extra drip off, then roll them in the panko mixture until the crumbs coat them well.
Use one hand for the flour and crumbs and the other for the egg. That way your fingers don’t end up caked in breading.
Heat the Oil
Pour the oil into a heavy skillet, like a cast iron skillet, and heat it over medium-high until it reaches about 350°F on an instant-read thermometer. The oil should shimmer, and a few crumbs dropped in should sizzle right away.
Don’t let it smoke. Oil that’s too hot browns the crumbs before the sprouts are tender, and oil that’s too cool soaks into the coating.
Fry in Batches
Add the sprouts in a single layer with a little room between them. In shallow oil, turn them partway through so every side browns. Each batch takes about 3 to 4 minutes, until the coating is deep golden.
Don’t crowd the pan. Too many sprouts at once cool the oil, and the breading comes out greasy instead of crisp. Give the oil a minute to come back up to temperature between batches.
Drain and Serve
Lift the sprouts out with a slotted spoon and drain them on the paper towels or rack. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt while they’re hot, if you like.
Serve them right away with the sriracha aioli for dipping.
Tips for the Best Fried Brussels Sprouts
Dry the sprouts well. Water under the flour turns to steam in the hot oil, and the coating slides right off. Pat them dry with a towel before you bread them.
Grate the Parmesan fine. One reader suggested grated rather than shredded Parmesan, and it’s good advice. Fine Parmesan mixes into the panko and stays on the sprout.
Pick your oil depth. In a skillet with shallow oil, you’ll need to turn the sprouts so each side browns. If you’d rather skip the turning, use a smaller, deeper pot with about 2 inches of oil, filled no more than halfway, and they’ll fry evenly without flipping.
Fry right before serving. The coating is crunchiest in the first few minutes out of the oil. Bread the sprouts ahead if you need to, but fry them when everyone’s ready to eat.
Serving Fried Brussels Sprouts
Serve these as an appetizer with the sriracha aioli, the way the pub does. They’re good for game day, too, next to tallow fries or fried shrimp.
They also make a fun side for a holiday dinner. I’ve served them fried in duck fat alongside duck confit, and they’d be just as good beside a roast goose with braised red cabbage and Danish browned potatoes.
Fried Brussels sprouts are best eaten right away, while the coating is crisp. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes to bring back some of the crunch, since the microwave turns the coating soft.
If your garden gives you more sprouts than you can fry, pickled Brussels sprouts are a good way to put up the rest.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I didn’t have panko crumbs, so instead I substituted homemade bread crumbs, and it still worked very well.
Fried Brussels Sprouts FAQs
Readers ask most about the panko and about frying in shallow oil.
Yes. Plain dry bread crumbs work, and one reader used homemade bread crumbs with good results. Panko comes out a little lighter and crunchier.
No. A heavy skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil works fine, as long as you turn the sprouts so every side browns. To fry without turning, use a heavy pot with about 2 inches of oil, filled no more than halfway.
Usually the sprouts were wet, or the flour went on too thick. Pat the sprouts dry, shake off the extra flour, and let the extra egg drip off before the panko. Finely grated Parmesan sticks better than shredded.
They’re best fresh. You can trim the sprouts and mix the aioli a day ahead, then bread and fry them right before serving. Leftovers reheat best in a hot oven, not the microwave, until they reach 165°F.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
More ways to cook Brussels sprouts, plus a classic holiday side.
If you tried this Fried Brussels Sprouts recipe, or any other recipe on Adamant Kitchen, leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know what you think in the 📝 comments below!
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Fried Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Panko
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Microplane Grater
Ingredients
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- ½ cup flour, all-purpose
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, fresh, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
- 1 cup canola oil, or other frying oil
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- salt, optional, to taste
Instructions
- Trim the Brussels sprouts and pull off any loose or yellow leaves. Cut large sprouts into quarters and small ones in half, cutting down through the stem so the leaves hold together, and pat them dry.
- Stir the mayonnaise and sriracha together and refrigerate the sriracha aioli until serving.
- Set out three shallow bowls: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and the panko, Parmesan, and paprika mixed together in the third.
- Toss the sprouts in the flour a handful at a time and shake off the extra, dip them in the egg, then roll them in the panko mixture.
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F, until it shimmers but isn’t smoking.
- Fry the sprouts in batches in a single layer, turning them partway through, until deep golden on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
- Drain on paper towels or a wire rack, sprinkle with salt if you like, and serve hot with the sriracha aioli.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Side Dishes
More easy sides for dinner.
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Hated this recipe. I didn’t want deep oil so with a shallow oil it turned into a putsy exercise in turning and turning.
If I were to do it again I would skip the flour. It just burnt in the oil. Didn’t adhere well. I would finely roll the panko and use grated not shredded Parmesan.
Salt and pepper freely.
Sorry you didn’t like this recipe, Larry!
I absolutely loved this recipe!!! I didn’t have Panko crumbs so instead I substituted homemade bread crumbs and it still worked very well. Would love to try it with Panko breadcrumbs. Overall, fabulous recipe and a new favorite!!