These kung pao brussels sprouts are a bold and flavorful twist on a classic Chinese dish. Elevate your vegetable game with this easy-to-follow and delicious recipe that's perfect for any occasion.
Love kung pao chicken, but looking to up incorporate more vegetables into your meals? These crispy bites of goodness are not only a flavor explosion but also incredibly easy to make. Whether you're a veggie enthusiast or just looking to spice up your side dish game, this kung pao brussels sprouts recipe is a winner.
Looking for more recipes to up your vegetable side dishes? Try my Chinese Stir-Fry Green Bean recipe or my Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce recipe.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts
- Olive oil
- Chinese black vinegar: Chinese black vinegar is a rich, dark, and aged vinegar with a complex flavor profile, often used in Asian cuisine to add depth and tanginess to dishes.
- Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce is the typical soy sauce found at grocery stores. To control sodium levels, use the low sodium version.
- Shaoxing wine: Shaoxing wine is a traditional Chinese rice wine with a distinctive nutty and aromatic flavor, commonly used in cooking to enhance the taste of various dishes.
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- White sesame seeds
- Chili flakes: Use either Chinese chili flakes or Korean chili flakes, both should be relatively mild in spice. Alternatively, sub chili flakes for paprika.
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sichuan peppercorn: Sichuan peppercorn is a unique spice with a citrusy and numbing sensation, widely used in Sichuan cuisine to add both heat and a tingling flavor to dishes. If you aren't used to these, this can be omitted!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Cut the stems and halve brussels sprouts. Coat with olive oil and bake at 400 F for 30 mins. At the 15 min mark, toss the brussels sprouts a bit to ensure they cook evenly.
- Mix Chinese black vinegar, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, granulated sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. Beat so the cornstarch is mixed in evenly.
- In a deep saucepan or wok, add vegetable oil, white sesame seeds and Chinese chili flakes. Fry until the chili flakes brown a bit (but not black). Should take around 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
- Add garlic, ginger, and ground Sichuan peppercorn. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, should be enough to release the fragrance.
- Add the vinegar mixture that you had set aside and set heat to medium-low. Stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon. It’ll thicken further as it cools.
- Take brussels sprouts out of the oven and add them to the wok with the sauce. Toss until evenly coated.
Substitutions
Gluten-free: To make gluten-free, substitute soy sauce for tamari sauce. Chinese black vinegar has gluten, however, you can make a gluten-free substitute using a 1:1 mixture of balsamic vinegar and unseasoned rice vinegar.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. These brussels sprouts will stay good for up to 3 days. Reheat on a pan or in an air fryer!
FAQ
If you don't have Chinese black vinegar, a blend of balsamic vinegar and rice vinegar in equal parts makes a great substitute.
Yes, you can substitute Shaoxing wine with dry sherry or mirin for a similar depth of flavor in your kung pao brussels sprouts.
The spice level can be adjusted to your preference. Increase or decrease the amount of chili flakes in the kung pao sauce to achieve the desired level of spiciness. Additionally, you can omit the Sichuan peppercorn.
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📖 Recipe
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Vinegar Mixture
- ¼ cup Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Kung Pao Sauce Base
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn ground
Instructions
- Cut the stems and halve brussels sprouts. Coat with olive oil and bake at 400 °F for 30 mins. At the 15 min mark, gently toss the brussels sprouts so they all bake evenly.
- Mix Chinese black vinegar, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, granulated sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk so the cornstarch is mixed in evenly.
- In a deep saucepan or wok, add vegetable oil, white sesame seeds and Chinese chili flakes. Fry on medium heat until the chili flakes brown a bit (but not black). This should take 1-2 minutes. If the oil starts to bubble, briefly take the wok off the heat.
- Add minced garlic, minced ginger, and ground Sichuan peppercorn to the wok. If you have whole Sichuan peppercorn, ground with a mortar and pestle. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the vinegar mixture that you had set aside and set heat to medium-low. Stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon. It’ll thicken further as it cools.
- Remove brussels sprouts out of the oven and add them to the wok with the sauce. Toss until brussels sprouts are evenly coated.
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