Spicy Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Remember these beautiful crispy, herby, golden brown Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes I shared last month? If you love them as much as I do, get ready for their veggie twin that’s equally as cheesy and baked to golden perfection, but with a kick of irresistible heat.

These spicy roasted brussels sprouts are baked up with the same parmesan cheese technique as those potatoes, but I jazzed them up with everyone’s favorite chili crisp and served them with a cool, creamy tahini yogurt garlic sauce (it’s new, too!) Such a great side dish that feels unique and fancy, but is SO easy to make.

Serve these up for Thanksgiving as a fun new veggie side — everyone will be asking you for the recipe!

FREE Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide (+ printable checklist!)

Whether you’re hosting or just attending, this Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide email series is for everyone. Enter your email below to get all of my best recipes, tips, and a FREE printable checklist for all of your Thanksgiving needs.

Ingredients you’ll need to make these spicy roasted brussels sprouts

This brussels sprouts side dish seriously couldn’t be easier to make, and the sprouts themselves require just a handful of ingredients:

Chili crisp: I used store-bought chili crisp, and you’ll need both the chili oil from the jar for greasing the pan, plus the chili crisp for tossing and drizzling the sprouts. This is the ingredient that adds a delicious kick of heat!
Olive oil: you’ll also need a little olive oil to help grease your baking dish.
Parmesan cheese: we’re adding a savory, cheesy layer to the brussels sprouts by pressing pre-grated, store-bought parmesan cheese into the bottom of the pan. See more on this below!
Brussels sprouts: the star of the show! I suggest getting larger sprouts if possible.
Seasonings: you’ll just need a little garlic powder and salt to season the sprouts.
For the sauce: I love pairing spicy food with cooling, creamy sauce, and this tahini garlic yogurt sauce is just the thing. It’s made with whole milk (or 2%) plain greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and zest, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
For serving: garnish your beautiful side dish with extra chili crisp and fresh parsley.

Can I use a different cheese?

I haven’t tested this recipe using another type of cheese, so I’m not sure how crispy the brussels sprouts will get without using parmesan. I’m afraid that a softer cheese like cheddar would have too much oil and would cause the brussels sprouts to stay soft.

It’s important to use the pre-grated, store-bought parmesan cheese from the refrigerator section of your grocery store so that it crisps up well!

Can I reduce the spice?

These parmesan brussels sprouts definitely have a kick of heat from the chili crisp, so if you’d like to make them mild simply omit the chili oil and crisp and use olive oil instead! They’ll still be delicious on their own and with the yogurt sauce.

More sauces you’ll love

The creamy tahini garlic yogurt sauce is perfect with these sprouts, but you can really have fun with your sauces! Here are more that I can recommend:

Get all of my amazing homemade dips & sauces here!

How to make these spicy parmesan brussels sprouts

Prep your pan. Brush olive oil and the chili oil from your jar of chili crisp onto the bottom of a baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the oil, being careful not to spread it.
Season the brussels sprouts. Add your halved sprouts to a large bowl and toss with chili crisp and seasonings.
Roast the sprouts. Firmly press each brussels sprout half cut-side down onto the parmesan cheese layer in your pan, then bake them up to crispy cheesy perfection.
Make the sauce. While the brussels are roasting, blend all of your sauce ingredients until they’re nice and smooth.
Serve & devour. You can either serve the sauce on the side for dipping, OR spread the sauce out on a platter, flip the parmesan brussels sprouts on top, garnish, and serve. So good!

Prep these spicy roasted brussels sprouts ahead of time

Feel free to prep this dish 1 day ahead of serving if you’d like to save time:

Follow all of the steps up until you place the halved brussels sprouts on top of the parmesan cheese layer in your pan.
Cover the pan with tinfoil and store it in the refrigerator for 1 day.
When you’re ready to eat, simply roast them as directed!

Storing & reheating tips

These spicy roasted brussels are best eaten the day of to maintain their crispy texture. If you do have leftovers, here’s how I suggest storing and reheating them:

To store: store any leftover brussels sprouts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
To reheat: reheat the sprouts in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend reheating them in the microwave as they’ll lose their crispiness.

More side dishes you’ll love

Get all of my side dishes here, and my Thanksgiving recipes here!

I hope you love these spicy roasted brussels sprouts! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan & Chili Crisp

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Serves6 servings

Crispy, spicy roasted brussels sprouts baked to golden perfection with chili oil and savory parmesan cheese. These incredible brussels sprouts are made extra special by serving them with a creamy tahini garlic yogurt sauce and a drizzle of chili crisp! A crowd-pleasing recipe for the holidays or any time you need a fun, easy side dish.

Ingredients

For the roasting pan:
1 tablespoon chili oil skimmed from a jar of chili crisp
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (2 ounces) pre-grated store-bought Parmesan cheese (from the refrigerated section; do not grate yourself)
For the Brussels sprouts:
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts (get larger sprouts if possible), stem end trimmed, loose outer leaves removed, and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon chili crisp (a mix of the oil + crunchy bits)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the tahini garlic yogurt sauce:
1 cup whole-milk or 2% plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
Zest from one lemon
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
Drizzle of chili crisp
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
In a 9×13 inch baking dish, add the chili oil and olive oil and use a pastry brush or silicone brush to evenly spread it over the bottom of the pan. Next, evenly sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the chili oil; do not attempt to spread it, simply do your best to sprinkle over evenly. (Note: It is important to use store-bought grated cheese for the best browning and crispiness!)
In a large bowl, add the halved Brussels sprouts, chili crisp, garlic powder, and salt. Gently toss the Brussels with clean hands until well coated. Place Brussels sprouts cut-side down firmly onto the cheese in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until Brussels sprouts are fork-tender and the Parmesan cheese is very golden brown.
While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, make the sauce: To a blender, add the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, and salt. Blend until well-combined, adding water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Keep sauce in the fridge until ready to use. (This sauce can be made a day or two ahead of time.)
You can serve the Brussels sprouts in the roasting pan garnished with parsley and chili crisp, with garlic yogurt sauce in a bowl on the side as a dip, or serve them on a platter: Spread about 1 cup of the garlic yogurt sauce on the bottom of a platter, then use a flexible turner to scoop up the Brussels sprouts out of the roasting pan, and flip them upside down onto the sauce. Immediately garnish with parsley and chili crisp.

Recipe Notes