Deep Fried Brussel Sprouts Recipe

Deep fried brussel sprouts with balsamic and garlic cloves is delicious to serve with dinner all year long. Tender like our Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts with Bacon but crispy on the outside this will quickly become a new family favorite.

Let’s talk about brussels and garlic shall we? It is the perfect duo when you are looking for a cheap easy side dish to make for your family. If you are looking to eat more greens and haven’t learned to love these yet, this adds a lot of crunch and flavor. (affiliate links present)

How Long to Fry Brussels Sprouts

This depends on whether you are deep frying whole or cut in half. I suggest the latter to get more of a crisp and still allow the center to stay a bit tender. Another factor is how hot your oil is. You only want to add them when it is hot, hot, hot for best results. Halved at 380 degrees F takes about 3 minutes or so in that case.

Most of the time you will do this with fresh produce from rock hard to crunchy with a balsamic glaze but you could soften first which would mean that the cook time would be very quick, closer to 1-2 minutes. We talk about How Long to Boil Brussel Sprouts first here if you’d rather. I recommend this if left whole.

Do you need to blanch brussel sprouts before frying?

No, this isn’t necessary. The only time I would say this should happen would be if you wanted to leave them whole and super tender in the middle. If you skipped this step and chose not to halve them, the center would stay a bit firm as the timing wouldn’t allow for the heat to permeate all the way thru each one.

Should you blanch brussel sprouts in half or whole?

You could do it either way if you wanted a very tender center and you just wanted a light crisp on the outside layer(s). You can do this in a pot of boiling salted water in 1-3 minutes, faster if sliced of course. We also share How to Microwave Brussel Sprouts with a bit of water, covered, which is faster and safer for kids to do.

Above shows us frying garlic cloves first to flavor the oil and be able to serve them alongside each other for an added pop. This is optional but definitely worth trying because it is wonderful. I will do this when making our Deep Fried Salmon in the same oil too for a pop of yum.

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic

If you read our article about How Long to Cook Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer, this is a similar outcome (but with a bit more calories). With either one there are tons of options to top them with when done. From melted butter and bacon bits to tossed with a great balsamic it is a way to get the haters to love these green bites.

Ingredients

• Fresh brussel sprouts with ends removed and cut in half is recommended
  • we have other directions on How to Cook Frozen Brussel Sprouts if that is all you have
• I like to add a bit of garlic salt
• Some vegetable oil to fill 1/3 of the pot
• A thermometer is handy to test oil temperature, you want to heat the oil to between 375 degrees – 400F.

Variations

1. Melted butter is a must for us unless we are tossing with a sauce.
2. You could add some cheese on the top too like our Parmesan Crusted Brussel Sprouts.
3. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top of those fried outer leaves when done if you’d like.
4. I like adding some bacon bits but that is optional.
5. Other toppings that work well are dried cranberries and/or nuts.

What to serve with deep fried sprouts?

If you do not want to waste the oil, I agree, I hate waste as well. You can make a batch of Fried Chicken Cutlets with Flour before or after these are done, then serve together. You can do this same thing with pretty much any protein, breaded lightly and crisped in just a few minutes.