Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
6 bacon strips
¼ cup duck fat (if you have it), or use coconut oil, bacon grease or lard
2 pounds (907 g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a large skillet or frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the bacon to a large plate, allow it to cool and cut it into small pieces. Set aside. Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- To the skillet in which the bacon was cooked, add the duck fat and increase the heat to medium-high. Carefully add the Brussels sprouts (take caution, as the fat may splatter) and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to crisp up, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer
the Brussels sprouts to a large bowl. - Toss the hot Brussels sprouts with the reserved bacon, sherry vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper. Serve hot!
EQUIPMENT NOTE: For an even faster cooking time, shred the raw Brussels sprouts with the slicing blade of your food processor.
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Sautéed Brussels sprouts get a serious flavor upgrade from bacon drippings, duck fat, and a splash of sherry vinegar. The sprouts go into blazing-hot fat and come out crisp-edged and nutty, then get tossed with crumbled bacon and fresh rosemary. This is the vegetable dish that converts sworn Brussels sprout skeptics at the dinner table.
Pro Tips
- Cook the bacon first and keep its drippings in the skillet — that rendered fat does the heavy lifting on flavor, with duck fat as the premium upgrade if you have it.
- Don't crowd the sprouts: give them room to actually fry rather than steam, and leave them undisturbed for a minute or two at a time so they develop real crisp edges.
- For an even faster cook, shred the raw sprouts in a food processor with the slicing blade and treat them like a quick hash.
- The sherry vinegar goes on while the sprouts are hot so it deglazes the pan and clings to every piece — regular red wine vinegar works in a pinch.
- Serve these immediately; they lose their signature crunch within about ten minutes of coming off the heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without bacon?
Yes — use coconut oil or lard and add a pinch of smoked paprika to mimic the smokiness you lose from the bacon. The duck fat route is equally good and fully pork-free if you use rendered duck fat alone.
How do I keep Brussels sprouts from getting soggy?
High heat, a wide pan, and dry sprouts are the three keys. Moisture and crowding lead to steaming, so pat them dry after washing and resist stirring constantly.
Can I roast them instead of sautéing?
Definitely — toss halved sprouts in the bacon drippings and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes, then finish with the vinegar, rosemary, and crumbled bacon.
Do leftovers keep?
They'll keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, though the texture softens. Re-crisp them in a hot skillet rather than the microwave to bring back some of the bite.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large skillet or frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy.
- Remove the bacon to a large plate, allow it to cool and cut it into small pieces.
- Set aside.
- Reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Toss the hot Brussels sprouts with the reserved bacon, sherry vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Serve hot!
