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Brussels sprout lovers, you are in for a treat.
Spanish chorizo, a wonderfully spiced smoked pork sausage, gets sautéed just enough to brown it a bit and release its oils, then fresh bread crumbs are sautéed in the same pan and set aside to become a flavorful and delightfully textured topping for sautéed and flash-braised Brussels sprouts, combined with the browned chorizo.
The result is a side dish that will threaten to steal center stage.
Spanish chorizo is a dry and cured sausage, seasoned heavily with smoked paprika, as well as garlic and other seasonings, and sold where you will find all kinds of other salumi (cured and dried meats). It’s almost always made from pork, and encased in an edible casing. That’s the version you are looking for for this recipe.
Don’t buy Mexican chorizo for this. Mexican chorizo is uncooked spicy pork sausage, usually sold in bulk or sometimes in sausage casings. It is a wonderful ingredient, great mixed into soups and stews or sauces, as a topping for nachoes or folded into quesadillas. But doesn’t have the right texture for what you’re after here.
If you like the idea, but need a vegetarian dish, yes, you can skip the chorizo altogether. If I were doing that, I might add a nice bit pinch of smoked paprika to the sauteing bread crumbs along with the garlic.
This dish is particularly great because it’s delicious hot, warm, or even room temperature, a boon to busy cooks getting a big holiday meal on the table. Try this bread crumb technique with other vegetables as well – they would be great atop roasted broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus.
More Recipes for Brussels Sprouts Lovers:
- Warm Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mustard Vinaigrette
- Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
- Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo and Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Brussels Sprouts Three Ways
- Pickled Brussels Sprouts
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette
Also see How to Cook Brussels Sprouts!
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo and Toasted Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage diced (about ½ cup)
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- ⅔ cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic divided
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and sauté for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until it starts to brown and release some of its oils. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil to the pan with any oil left from sautéing the chorizo and heat over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and toast, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook and stir for one more minute, until you can smell the garlic. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the toasted crumbs to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out the skillet and return to the heat.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, and heat over medium high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and sauté until the Brussels sprouts are beginning to become tender, and getting browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining half of the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, until you can smell the garlic. Add the broth, cover the pan, and cook for another 4 minutes until the Brussels sprouts are tender (but not soft!). Uncover the pan, sauté for one more minute until most of the liquid is evaporated, stir in the chorizo, then turn into a serving dish.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and serve hot or warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
