These Smashed Brussels Sprouts are flattened so that they become extra crispy when roasted in the oven. Drizzled with the most amazing lemon tahini dipping sauce!
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I’ve long been obsessed with my crispy smashed potatoes. They remind me a little bit of latkes, without all the work. All you need to do is – boil, smash, bake. Then you’re left with perfectly crispy potatoes that are perfect for topping with your favorite sauce. I love them with my mojo sauce, but they’d also be so great topped with this yumm sauce.
So, today I thought it was time to change things up a bit with these Smashed Brussel Sprouts.
I’m taking that same concept of boiling the brussels sprouts until they’re just tender, then flattening them and baking them in the oven until they’re perfectly golden and crispy. And, just like with my smashed potatoes, I’m making a sauce to drizzle over these roasted brussels sprouts – lemon tahini.
Ingredients needed
- Brussels Sprouts
- Olive Oil
- Cumin
- Salt & Pepper
- Sesame Seeds – For sprinkling at the end.
Tahini sauce ingredients:
- Tahini
- Basil
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
How do you smash brussels sprouts?
- Trim just a little bit off the root end. A few leaves will fall of, but that’s ok. You can save them to make brussels sprouts chips.
- Boil for 10-15 minutes until tender. This will depend on how big your brussels sprouts are.
- Drain and cool in an ice bath.
- Flatten the brussels sprouts to 1/2″ thickness using a clean dish towel.I like to sandwich my sprouts between the towel and press down on the kitchen counter. This helps to ensure that any excess liquid is removed, ensuring that your brussels sprouts will roast up extra crispy and golden.
- Roast in a 450-degree oven for 30 minutes.
How do you get crispy smashed brussels sprouts?
- Roasting them at a high temperature ensures that they are crispy. I prefer to roast them at 450-degrees.
These Smashed Brussels Sprouts are delicious served on their own, sprinkled with a bit of flaky sea salt. But, to take things over the top, I like to drizzle on a lemon tahini sauce that’s laced with basil and garlic. So super yummy!
How to make the lemon tahini sauce
- All you do is add the ingredients to a food processor or blender, and then process until smooth! Easy peasy.
The lemon tahini sauce is actually a variation of this basil tahini sauce that I used in this Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Basil Tahini Sauce recipe. I also used a similar tahini dressing in this Farro Salad. I just can’t get enough of it. I hope you’ll love it too!!!
What to serve with them
- Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Ham
- Easy Roasted Chicken
- Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Sous Vide Ribeye Steak
More vegetable side dish recipes
- Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Basil Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Bacon & Garlicky Creme Fraiche
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Sauce
- Glazed Carrots
- Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Cranberries
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Mustard & Parmesan
More brussels sprouts recipes
- Cheesy Brussel Sprout Pasta with Grainy Mustard
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples & Pecans
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard & Parmesan
- Southwest Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon
- The BEST Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
- More → 15+ AMAZING Brussel Sprout Recipes
More tahini recipes
- Yogurt Tahini Sauce
- Roasted Squash Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
- Farro Salad Recipe with Basil Lemon Tahini
- Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush
- Cauliflower Chickpea Salad with Quinoa
- MORE → 35+ Recipes that Use Tahini
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Smashed Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Sesame seeds (for sprinkling )
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/3 cup basil loosely packed
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Trim the root ends of the brussels sprouts and discard any loose leaves (or save them to make brussels sprouts chips).
- Once water is boiling, add brussels sprouts and cook 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and add to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain.
- Using a clean dish towel, flatten the cooled brussels sprouts to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast until crisp and deep brown around the edges, about 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make the lemon tahini sauce.
Lemon Tahini Sauce
- In a high powered blender, combine all ingredients.
- Blend on high until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Add up to ¼ cup more water (blending again to incorporate) until you get the thickness you like. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2023 to add new content. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
I love Brussels sprouts when they’re cooked in creative ways! I never thought to put tahini with them, but it’s genius! I’m definitely going to try this recipe!
The lemon tahini sauce is so yummy!
Why do people that haven’t tried the recipe think, anyone cares 2 cents wants to read the reviews of people that aren’t reviewing! It’s rude and wastes people time that are looking for constructive feedback.
This looks like a yummy new way to eat Brussels sprouts. It also looks easy enough that this noncook could make them.
Thanks Holly!
Yes to all of this. Oven roasted Brussels sprouts are the best and boiling and smashing them first is the best way to take advantage of all of those beautiful crispy edges. This lemon tahini sauce also sound extra scrumptious on top!
I LOVE this idea! We’re huge brussels sprouts fans in my house, and I can imagine that little char on out outside would be a hit with everyone. And that sauce sounds absolutely delicious!
Brussel sprouts get such a bad rap. Really, they just need to be roasted to just before charred, and the lemon tahini dressing sounds like it’d add the perfect tang. Yum!
Well isn’t this clever?!?! I already love brussels and the thought of smashing them down to make them extra crispy sounds amazing. Thanks so much for sharing.
Ooh, what a great idea to smash brussels sprouts! And that lemon tahini sauce sounds incredible. Thanks for sharing, Erin. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
I’ve never thought to smash brussels sprouts- genius! Pinning to try!
I hope you enjoy Kelsey!
Terrible recipe. Soggy on the inside and burnt on the outside. Next time I will steam the brussels instead of boiling them and see if that works. Only giving two stars because the tahini sauce is good.
I thought it would be soggy as well, I was thinking a better way of doing this is to steam it in the instant pot, but just enough to be smashed and then pop in the air fryer.
I cooked this tonight and everyone loved it! Delicious dressing and I’d never precooked my Brussel Sprouts before roasting and was a game changer