Learn how to make the Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts Oil-free with just 5 ingredients! These are a game changer, so full of flavor, sweet, salty, moist, tender with a crispy edge and absolutely to die for!
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BEST ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS OIL-FREE
Easily one of the best side dishes I have ever created. These are restaurant-worthy Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts and they are oil-free! I know most recipes typically call for the same thing…olive oil, salt and pepper. However, I wanted to make something a little bit more exciting than that and of course you know what I figured out? Oil is 100% NOT needed! These roasted brussels sprouts turned out incredible. I love teaching how you don’t need oil to cook incredible food.
These roasted brussels sprouts are sweet, salty, moist, tender with a crispy edge and absolutely to die for! I created these last week on a whim because my husband recently went out of town and came home raving about these sweet and salty brussels sprouts he had at a restaurant. He wanted me to create something like them so bad that he actually went out and bought the brussels sprouts himself, lol.
I got to work immediately. This 4 ingredient sauce I whipped up is perfection.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS EVER
For these amazing oil-free roasted brussels sprouts recipe, you will only need 5 ingredients:
- low-sodium soy sauce
- maple syrup
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- brussels sprouts
First, trim the bottoms of each brussels sprout and pull off any of the outer leaves that are gross looking or too brown or spotty. I buy the 12 oz bags that are already prewashed and trimmed, but still found several leaves that needed removing and trimmed all the bottoms so they were as fresh as possible. Cut them in half.
If you don’t buy yours prewashed in a bag, then you will need to rinse them and make sure to really pat them dry before making.
Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, maple syrup, chili powder and garlic powder in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
Add the brussels sprouts to a large ziplock bag and pour the sauce over them. Seal the bag and shake vigorously and massage the bag to ensure all of the brussels sprouts are well coated and absorb every bit of that sauce.
Spread out the brussels sprouts evenly so they are not overlapping. Sprinkle salt over the top (1/4-1/2 teaspoon). I found this extra bit of salt made them perfect after baking. Do not worry about it tasting too salty before baking, as the brussels sprouts really absorb the flavors.
Bake 15-20 minutes until just charred and fork tender. The smell while these best roasted brussels sprouts are baking is absolutely DIVINE! I kept putting my nose by the oven and sniffing like a mad woman. Just wait, you’ll see!
Serve alongside my Low-fat Unfried Rice! The two go beautifully together because they both have soy sauce!
I mean, look at how gorgeous these babies are. These Best Roasted Brussels Sprout were definitely one of my favorite things ever to photograph!
I really hope you love these oil-free roasted brussels sprouts as much as my hubby and I did! Guaranteed, I think you will!
MORE OIL-FREE ROASTED VEGGIE RECIPES
- Miso-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Oil-free Zucchini Fritters
- Chunky Potato & Zucchini Soup
MORE VEGAN SIDE DISHES
- Vegan Oil-free Zucchini Fritters
- Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Skillet BBQ Baked Beans
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Oil-free!)
Ingredients
- TWO 12 oz bags brussels sprouts (weigh 573 grams AFTER you trim them)
- 4 teaspoons (20g) low-sodium soy sauce (see NOTE)
- 1 tablespoon (20g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Trim the bottoms of each brussels sprout and pull off any of the outer leaves that are gross looking or too brown or spotty. I buy the 12 oz bags that are already pre-washed and trimmed, but still found several leaves that needed removing and trimmed all the bottoms so they were as fresh as possible.
- If you don't buy yours pre-washed in a bag, then you will need to rinse them and make sure to really pat them dry before making.
- After you have trimmed and discarded any outer leaves, cut them in half. THIS is when you will weigh the 573 grams and the sauce will be the perfect amount to soak fully into the brussels sprouts. Keep rotating the bag until they absorb all the sauce.
- Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, maple syrup, chili powder and garlic powder in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Add the trimmed brussels sprouts to a large ziplock bag and pour the sauce over them. I like how they coat well in a bag, but use a bowl if you prefer, just make sure to coat them well. Seal the bag and shake vigorously and massage the bag to ensure all of the brussels sprouts are well coated and absorb every bit of that sauce. If you accurately weighed your brussels sprouts, there should not be ANY residual sauce.
- If you have any residual sauce, then scoop out the brussels sprouts and place them on the lined pan. You DON'T want to pour any extra sauce onto the pan, as the puddle of sauce will burn. Your pan should look like my photo before baking. Since these are oil-free, that will make the extra sauce burn on the pan. They bake up perfectly soaked onto the brussels sprouts though.
- Spread out the brussels sprouts evenly so they are not overlapping, doesn't matter which way they are facing up, I did about half and half and they all baked perfectly. Sprinkle salt over the top (1/4-1/2 teaspoon). I found this extra bit of salt made them perfect after baking. Do not worry about it tasting too salty before baking, as the brussels sprouts really absorb the flavors.
- Bake 15-20 minutes until just charred and fork tender. These cook FASTER than those made with oil. NOW, here's the thing, depending on the size of your brussels sprouts, that will affect how long they take to cook and be tender. Mine were rather big, 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Mine were perfectly fork tender with gorgeous just charred bottoms, as you can see in the photos, at about 20 minutes. If yours are small, yours may only take 15 minutes. Set the time for 15 minutes and then check a couple of them with a fork. If the fork easily goes in and is tender, they are done. If they still feel a bit stiff, let them go a couple more minutes. Be careful about overbaking them, as since these are oil-free, they can go from done to burnt.
- Remove and scarf them down! I've made these twice now and have served them with pot pies and also with my Low-Fat Unfried Rice. It went amazing with the rice since they both have the Asian flavor from the soy sauce.
I’ve been searching for good recipes for roasting vegetables without oil and this is great. I love the brussel sprouts, but I’m going to try it with other veggies as well. Thanks!
Oh my!! These are wonderful and so tasty!! My husband couldn’t believe there was no oil used. I’m just starting my oil-free journey and so excited to have tried this recipe. It is DEFINITELY a repeat!! Thank you!!
I’m not a huge fan of brussel sprouts but this recipe is so, so good. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. You have made this vegan lifestyle so much easier and I am 64 so a lifetime of eating meat.
These were fantastic! So simple and so tasty. My meat eater parents loved them as well. We live near a popular Fish Grill that serves Roasted Brussel Sprouts that everyone loves. I love them too but after 3 or 4 they are warmly too sweet and after eating oil free for over a year they just seem to be to dripping in oil. Turns out they are! 1 4 oz serving is 450 calories and 26 grams of fat. OUCH! I figured that your entire recipe is about 356 cal and 0 grams of fat. Thank you, thank you not just for an alternative but for something so superior in nutrition and taste. Will make these often! And Brussel Sprouts are one of my least fav veggies!!!
Sorry I missed this comment Patti! So happy to hear how superior these were for you, yay!!
I am always looking for new oil free recipes and so excited to try this as Brussels sprouts are my favorite! The smell was incredible and the taste of the marinade was fantastic- however my sprouts same out really dry and not very caramelized. I followed the recipes exactly so not sure where I went wrong. I saw another person comment how they used broccoli for this recipe and maybe I’ll try that next. Or steam my sprouts a but beforehand. Anyhow thank you for the great ideas! =)
Hi Jaci! Hmm, that’s very odd because the marinade is what makes these so juicy yet crispy edges. I’ve not heard anybody else have that experience so maybe enough marinade didn’t soak into your brussels sprouts??
Easey, delicius, guilt-free, heart healthy!
Awesome!
Hi, I’ve never been a lover of brussel sprouts but this recipe I have to try. I live in a small community in Newfoundland, Canada & not always easy to buy fresh. Could frozen be used? Thank you
Hi! Sorry I missed this. No, I do not recommend using frozen, as they will turn out more soft/soggy and not crispy.
I loved it! I went whole food plant-based oil free and haven’t been able to make Brussels sprouts without oil. This recipe was perfect!! Thank you!!
So awesome to hear!
Really delicious and so much better than plain steamed sprouts like I usually make!
My new go to sprouts recipe! Thank you!! I added Piri Piri pepper powder for some added spice. They pair perfectly with my mashed potatoes!!
That is so wonderful to hear Karen!
These were so yummy! I’ll be making them again for sure
Yay!!
Fantastic!