Crispy, tender, spicy, sweet, and addictive are just a few of the adjectives that describe these amazing Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cilantro & Peanuts.
Last May, Mr B and I had tickets to see Marc Cohn at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, so we decided to make a night of it. We started out with a light meal at Southpark Seafood (our current Portland happy hour spot!) before the concert. With a relaxed-chic vibe, this northwest Portland eatery features sustainable seafood and farm-fresh ingredients, and while their happy hour drink menu is just average ($6 house wines and sangria, $5 local brews), Southpark Happy Hour Eats are outstanding in every way.
For our meal, Mr B ordered six Oysters on the Half Shell [$6/3] for himself (I don’t do raw oysters) while I opted for the Spicy Shrimp & Grits [$10]. We also shared a Caesar salad [$6] and an order of their signature Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cilantro & Peanuts [$7], and finished with a board of their amazing Maple Cream Puffs (with maple pastry cream, maple frosting, AND candied pecans) [$5]. The entire four-course meal for two was less than $40… in Portland!!! (Excluding beverages and tip, of course). AND, everything was delicious!
We especially enjoyed the Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts – they were literally the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever eaten! Crispy, tender, spicy, sweet, and addictive are just a few of the adjectives to describe these amazing oven-roasted sprouts.
I immediately put it on my list of recipes to figure out and blog about (as in, I opened Evernote right there at the restaurant and typed myself a quick reminder). I’ve heard that Southpark will just give you the recipe if you ask, but I was interested in learning more about its mysterious new-to-me ingredient, Gochujang paste, so I decided to take it as a challenge.
Gochujang Paste, or Korean Red Chili Paste, I’ve since learned, is a savory, sweet, spicy fermented condiment made from chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soy bean powder, and salt. It gets its sweetness from the glutinous rice and has about the same consistency as a thick hoisin sauce or tomato paste, but is much stickier. You can find Gochujang paste at almost any Asian market. If you’re at all worried that the Gochujang paste will make the sprouts too spicy, don’t be. The end result is a savory, sweet, almost mapley Brussels sprout with a subtle but respectable hint of heat.
Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cilantro & Peanuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Gochujang paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Chopped cilantro plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts plus extra whole peanuts for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°. Line a heavy sheet pan with a Silpat mat (or with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray) and set aside.
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With a paring knife, remove the base off of each Brussels sprout and cut down the middle from stem end to flower.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey and Gochujang paste. Add in Brussels sprouts and toss to coat.
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Spread prepared Brussels sprouts evenly on prepared sheet pan. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
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Roast Brussels sprouts in preheated oven 25-30 minutes (depending on how large your sprouts are), or until the sprouts are dark golden. (See note.)
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Remove from oven. Sprinkle peanuts and cilantro evenly over roasted sprouts and then transfer everything to serving dish. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and peanuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
When spreading Brussels sprouts on the pan to put in the oven, I like to start them all with their cut side down, flipping them with a spatula halfway thru the cooking process.
The sauce in the recipe here (olive oil, vinegar, honey, and paste) has a multitude of uses beyond Brussels sprouts, from chicken marinade to kale chip dressing. In any event, I’m not sure how close this is to the Southpark Seafood recipe, but it sure tastes spot-on. I hope you enjoy these Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cilantro & Peanuts as much as we do!
Additional recipe credit: While the inspiration for this post came from Southpark Seafood, the actual recipe shared here is an adaptation of this recipe by The Garlic Pad.
I love Gochujang and brussels sprouts – must try this!!
I have yet to purchase gochujang but I’ve been hearing and seeing it everywhere. You’ve inspired me to finally go out and find it so I can make this amazing dish!
This is such a fascinating combo – especially the cilantro! I’ll bet it’s such a great contrast to the spice (which I’ve never had before, and now must seek out!).
These must be the most flavorful brussels sprouts EVER!
They are definitely the best I’ve ever had!
I’ve been on a serious brussels sprouts kick lately and these look amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I’ve never tried this seasoning—I’m intrigued! Thanks for the recipe.
Wow looks delicious. I’ve never heard of Gochujang paste but I’ll check it out. So cool that you figure out recipes after trying them in restaurants. I do love Brussel Sprouts!! Xo
Oh I LOVE Brussels! My husband HATES them! Can’t wait to try this and see if he likes the change in taste. Either way, a new recipe gives me an excuse to make them!
If anything is going to change his mind, these are it! I couldn’t stand Brussels sprouts until about five years ago, so there’s always hope!
Hmmm.. This is an interesting recipe. I love peanuts and this gojuchang sauce sounds like an interesting sauce to smother my Brussel sprouts with. Will let you know how it goes when I do give it a try. Pinning for later. Thanks.
This looks so good! I am going to pin this to try
Let me know how it turns out!
I just recently discovered brussels sprouts (I know, I”m way behind). Adding this flavor to them is so fun! I’ll have to try it.
We love brussel sprouts but usually just toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper. This sounds way yummier! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
It’s super fast and easy, too. It only takes about five minutes to mix up the sauce and toss them before you roast them.
These look delicious! I love roasted brussel sprouts. I’ve never tried this seasoning, so I’ll definitely give it a try!
Sounds delicious! I love roasted brussels sprouts and that extra flavor sounds great!
These look amazing! I have been roasting other veggies in gochujang lately but will certainly add sprouts to my list!
Would you believe I have never had Brussel sprouts in my life?
Well thanks to you, I am going to surprise my taste buds with this amazing new recipe! Absolutely making the roasted Brussel sprouts with extra gochujang as I love the spiciness and the savory flavor that it gives!
So glad to have inspired you! Be sure to stop back and let us know how they turned out!