Crispy Tahini Brussel Sprouts (Restaurant-quality!)

How to become a brussel sprouts lover

Let’s face it, brussel sprouts aren’t everyone’s favorite vegetable, but I’m hoping that if you’re a hater I can change your mind with these crisp, lightly sweet and nutty Mediterranean style brussel sprouts with tahini.

I’ve also written a post all about the amazing lemon tahini dressing that you’ll drizzle all over the brussel sprouts. It has such an interesting slightly earthy, sesame flavor. It’s brightened up with lemon juice and pairs so well with the crisp roasted brussel sprouts.

The icing on the cake is a generous sprinkle of toasted slivered almonds over the top. The combination is magical. It’s a lot harder to hate brussels sprouts when you eat them this way!

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

• Brussel sprouts: Look for fresh ones with tightly-packed bright green leaves without holes in them. Then cut the ends off, remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves and wash well.
• Olive oil: This is for roasting the brussel sprouts. I prefer an extra virgin olive oil, but any type will be fine.
• Tahini: Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, so you can think of it as the sesame seed equivalent of peanut butter. I actually love it spread on toast with jelly (jam)! You’ll usually find it in the same aisle as peanut butter, although it’s sometimes stocked in the health food aisle. Depending on where you live, you may find two types: hulled and unhulled. If you have a choice, I recommend hulled tahini for a smoother texture and milder flavor.
• Lemon juice: Lemon in the tahini dressing adds a nice zesty contrast to the slight bitterness of the tahini. You’ll need the juice of 1 average sized lemon.
• Garlic: You’ll only need 1 small crushed clove to add to the dressing. Since the dressing is uncooked, you don’t want the garlic to overpower the other flavors.
• Cumin: Just a large pinch of earthy cumin adds extra Mediterranean flair to the dish. If you don’t have any, you can easily substitute it with ground coriander, curry powder, smoked paprika, or even chili powder.
• Flaked almonds: You’ll lightly toast the almonds in a dry frying pan to add delicious crunch, so feel free to buy ready-toasted flake almonds for convenience if available.

How to make tahini brussel sprouts

You’ll start by roasting the brussel sprouts in olive oil. Just scatter the prepared brussels over a lined baking sheet or baking dish, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast for around 30 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.

While your brussels are doing their magic in the oven, you can prepare the 5-minute tahini dressing and lightly toast your almonds in a dry frying pan or cast iron pan.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Then toast the almonds.

Drizzle the tahini sauce generously over the crispy brussels sprouts. Scatter with the toasted almonds and serve immediately.

Serving ideas

• These crispy vegetables would work really well as a side dish to any kind of roasted meat or fish. Try them with air fryer chicken meatballs!
• I can also imagine these impressing family and friends on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table!
• They’re also great served as part of a ‘mezze’ or sharing style meal if you want to stick to the Mediterranean theme. How about adding Greek baked chicken wings? Or halloumi fries, zucchini fries, and baked Greek eggplant for a delicious vegetarian meal?