The best ways to cook sprouts, according to top chefs

Pairing sprouts with the right ingredients is key to enhancing their charms

It’s hard to think of a vegetable more moaned about than Brussels sprouts. Bitter, wind-inducing and odiferous are just some of the complaints levelled against the grandfather of brassicas. And yet, they appear on our festive tables each year, as much a part of a British Christmas as crackers and carols.

Their reputation is anchored in history. According to food historian Pen Vogler in her book Scoff, we’ve been munching Brussels sprouts since the 15th century largely because, like potatoes, they thrive in the British climate. Over the years they became a staple and eventually “familiarity bred contempt”, writes Vogler.

But flavour is their biggest crime. “They have an earthy bitterness to them, as well as a sulphurous smell when being boiled, that likely contributes to their lack of broad appeal,” explains Alexina Anatole, author of the cookbook Bitter. And the historic tendency to boil vegetables to mush exacerbates these traits. (There’s a joke that the British way of cooking sprouts is “until they are uncountable”.)

Here are 11 serving suggestions from chefs and food writers to convince sprout naysayers to change their minds. Delicious not just for Christmas but at any time of the year.

1. Orecchiette with Brussels sprouts, brown butter and walnuts

Anatole’s pasta dish (featured in Bitter), contains punchy flavours including toasty brown butter, which mellow out the bitterness of the sprouts beautifully. Plus, there’s umami from the pecorino, further toasty bitter notes from the walnuts and aniseed freshness from basil. “The flavour is a knockout and perfect for the autumn/winter season,” she says.

2. Butterscotch Brussels sprouts

“I’m willing to bet you’ve never thought of this before, but serving this classic veggie side coated with a spiced butterscotch glaze really works,” says Nisha Katona, founder of the Mowgli chain of Indian restaurants. “The sweetness offsets any bitterness in the Brussels, and we all know how well bacon takes to the sweet treatment.”

3. Grilled sprouts with walnut ketchup

Bedfordshire has a long history of growing Brussels sprouts, so they’re often on the menu at The Sun Inn, in Felmersham. “Our sprouts are locally grown in the next village and served in a variety of ways,” says head chef Pete Pestell. This recipe is a favourite: sprouts are grilled and served with bacon from the pub’s own 350-acre Wild Berry Farm, and enjoyed dipped into walnut ketchup.

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4. Sprouts with wind-dried bacon and chestnuts

Amy Poon, restaurateur and founder of Poon’s London deli, gives sprouts a Chinese twist by pairing them with her house-made bacon, which is cured in soya sauce, Chinese wine and spices, then air-dried.

Put 200g wind-dried bacon on a plate in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes. Reserve the juices and cut into 3mm slices. Roast 1kg halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil for 25-30 minutes until tender and charred. After 15 minutes roasting, add 180g cooked chestnuts – some crumbled, some whole – to the tray with the sprouts. About 5 minutes before the end, add the bacon and juices to the tray and roast for another 5 minutes.

5. Sprouts with crispy kale, hot honey and pecans

Simon Hulstone, chef owner of the Michelin-starred The Elephant restaurant in Torquay, has an admission: he’s generally not a big fan of sprouts. However, he loves them in this dish which featured on the menu in December 2024. “I wanted to make the dish approachable and also a talking point,” he says. “The sweetness of the honey adds a different taste note and then the heat from the chilli comes through and brings a new dimension.” There’s a delicious crunch, too, from the crispy kale and pecans.

6. Sprout tacos

“Our sprout taco is a true celebration of bold flavours and textures,” says Ben Boeynaems, executive head chef at ABC Kitchens at The Emory Hotel in London. Sprouts are sautéed until caramelised and tender. “To bring it all together, we add roasted peanuts and fresh mint, which lend a nutty crunch and a burst of vibrant aroma,” he says. At the restaurant, he serves the sprouts inside corn tortillas with tomatillo salsa and salsa matcha, a smoky crunchy Mexican condiment. Home cooks can buy authentic salsas and tortillas online from Cool Chile. You can expect to see these featured on the menu again this year.

Sprout tacos, starring the vegetable sautéed until caramelised, as served at ABC Kitchens - ABC Kitchens

7. Brussels sprouts and onion tarte Tatin

“In this savoury tart, the Brussels sprouts counterbalance the sweetness of the onion and caramel, creating that classic and delicious combination of sweet, sour, bitter and texture,” explains Jan Bretschneider, chef owner of Restaurant Roots in Southbourne. Crucially for sprouts avoiders, the brassicas don’t overwhelm, as there are other delicious ingredients – truffle! – to enjoy. “The sprouts are part of the flavour, not the whole flavour,” Bretschneider says.

8. Chargrilled Brussels sprouts with cashew mole

Brussels sprouts aren’t typical in Mexican cooking but Yahir Gonzalez, chef at Zapote restaurant in London, says they pair beautifully with the bold, complex spices and smoky flavours of the cuisine. “They’re especially good cooked over an open flame, as they retain their texture and flavour,” he says. He suggests serving charred sprouts with cashew mole. It’s made by blitzing together roasted and charred Mexican chillis (Morita and Chili de árbol), onions, and garlic. Extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, fresh tomatoes and chardonnay vinegar are then added. “The sprouts are served on the mole with fresh toasted cashews and deep fried tortilla strips,” Gonzalez says.

The smoky flavours of Mexican cuisine inspired this dish of chargrilled Brussels sprouts with cashew mole at Zapote - Juste McKeown

9. Roasted sprouts with ssamjang butter

Kyu Jeong Jeon, chef owner of Dongnae and Bokman, Korean restaurants in Bristol, loves all kinds of cabbage. “When I first moved to the UK and discovered these ‘mini cabbages’ I loved them instantly and couldn’t work out where all the hate was coming from,” she says. She loves to serve roasted sprouts with butter made with ssamjang, a spicy Korean condiment. Mix together 50g salted butter, 15g ssamjang and ½ teaspoon fish sauce. Spoon the butter over 500g roasted sprouts and finish with a sprinkle of toasted seeds and a squeeze of lemon. “The ssamjang counters the bitterness in the sprouts and brings out their inherent sweetness,” she says.

10. Salad of blue cheese, sprouts and artichokes

This beautiful salad by food writer Mark Diacono tackles all the different characteristics of sprouts to create a delicious whole. “One of the things I love best about sprouts is that they are complicated characters,” he says. “The olive oil emphasises their bitterness, the artichokes call to the sweetness and earthiness, while the walnuts add to the nuttiness. But I think it’s the contrasting sourness of the blue cheese that really sets this off.”

11. Christmas panzanella with panettone croutons

Ravinder Bhogal’s creative and sustaining festive salad is a perfect post-Christmas meal as it uses up any glut of vegetables or panettone you might have lurking. “It could sway sprouts naysayers,” says the chef-owner of London restaurant Jikoni, “because the sprouts are beautifully charred and their cruciferous flavour balances so well with the sweet panettone croutons.”

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