This is the Brussels sprouts recipe that will convert skeptics into believers, haters into lovers , naysayers into evangelists. Roasted at high heat until charred at the edges, then tossed with a simple pomegranate butter, these Brussels sprouts are completely addictive.
For many people, memories of boiled, mushy Brussels sprouts conjure mostly horror. For me, having only discovered them in my 20s, when chefs had figured out how to capitalize on their inherent sweetness, it is only a story of love.
My first crush came from Alta , a restaurant in the West Village, where they emerge crispy and tangled with apples, crème fraîche, and pistachios . The second came from Ina , who roasts them with pancetta, then drizzles them with syrupy balsamic; and the third from a local spot, Next Door Kitchen , which tosses them with brown butter, cider-miso mustard, shaved apple, and crispy shallots.
What do these dishes all have in common? Acid. Specifically, a very sharp, bright dressing.
This recipe, from Eden Grinshpan’s Tahini Baby , is no exception. After the sprouts are roasted at high heat, they are tossed with a pomegranate butter, made from a mix of barely browned butter, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. The mixture is not unlike the syrupy balsamic Ina uses in her recipe , and the effect is the same, providing that acidic counterpoint Brussels sprouts so badly need.
Eden’s sprouts get an additional hit of acid from pomegranate arils, which not only look visually stunning but also provide pops of textural contrast: scattered over the sprouts just before serving, the arils release sweet-tart juices in every bite.
Friends, should you find yourself cooking for any Brussels sprouts skeptic, I have no doubt this dish will make them a believer. I find them completely addictive, and I hope you do, too.
Crispy Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Butter, Step by Step
First, gather 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts.
Trim the ends, halve them, and season them with salt and olive oil.
Toss to coat.
Then transfer them, reserving the bowl, to a sheet pan that’s been heating in the oven as you chop. Shake the pan to distribute the sprouts.
Meanwhile, gather the ingredients for the pomegranate butter: garlic or garlic powder, Aleppo pepper (or Silk chili, as I’m using here, or crushed red pepper flakes to taste), pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and butter.
Place the butter and olive oil in a small skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown a little bit…
… add the pomegranate molasses, garlic, and chili. Cook for just 1 minute.
When the Brussels sprouts are done…
… transfer them to the reserved bowl and toss with the pomegranate butter:
To finish, you’ll need about 1/3 cup of pomegranate arils. Here’s an easy way to extract the arils:
Description
This is the Brussels sprouts recipe that will convert skeptics into believers, haters into lovers , naysayers into evangelists. Roasted at high heat until charred at the edges, then tossed with a simple pomegranate butter, these Brussels sprouts are completely addictive.
From Eden Grinshpan’s Tahini Baby. The only change I’ve made to the recipe is to omit the cilantro. I’ve made it with and without cilantro, and I prefer it without.
Notes:
- Salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton or fine sea salt, use half as much. I find 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts to be perfect, but if you are sensitive to salt, start with 1 or 1.5 teaspoons and adjust with more to taste at the end.
- Garlic: The original recipe calls for fresh garlic, which I have used and loved. For simplicity, I love using Burlap and Barrel’s garlic powder . If you use other garlic powder, be sure it is not salted; otherwise the dish will taste too salty.
- Chili powder: You can find Aleppo pepper at many grocery stores now — search Instacart to find where you might find it locally — or you can order it online . I love Burlap and Barrel’s Silk Chili , which is the Turkish variety of Aleppo. If you are sensitive to heat, use no more than 1teaspoon of Aleppo or Silk Chili.
- Sheet pan : I prefer using my X-Large sheet pan for this one — I find it gives the sprouts ample space/breathing room, which helps them brown more evenly.
For the Brussels Sprouts
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above
For the Pomegranate Butter
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, see notes above
- 1 to 3 teaspoons of Aleppo pepper, Silk chili or red chile flakes, optional, see notes above
For Serving
- 1⁄3 cup pomegranate seeds
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (convection roast if possible). Place a baking sheet on the middle rack to preheat while the oven heats. (This will help the sprouts crisp up.)
- Trim and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts, and then slice them in half. In a large bowl, toss them with the olive oil and salt (see notes above). Carefully transfer the Brussels sprouts, reserving the bowl, to the hot baking sheet and shake the pan to distribute the sprouts evenly.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sprouts are evenly golden, with lots of caramelized surfaces and some nicely charred edges — I find this takes the full 20 minutes, and I give the sprouts a toss after 15 minutes. Transfer the sprouts to the reserved bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown a little, add the pomegranate molasses, garlic or garlic powder, and Aleppo (or other chili). Swirl to combine and cook until the garlic softens and is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Drizzle the pomegranate butter over the roasted Brussels sprouts and toss to coat well. Transfer them to a serving plate and scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top. Taste. Adjust with more salt if necessary.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: oven, stovetop
Description
This is the Brussels sprouts recipe that will convert skeptics into believers, haters into lovers , naysayers into evangelists. Roasted at high heat until charred at the edges, then tossed with a simple pomegranate butter, these Brussels sprouts are completely addictive.
From Eden Grinshpan’s Tahini Baby. The only change I’ve made to the recipe is to omit the cilantro. I’ve made it with and without cilantro, and I prefer it without.
Notes:
- Salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton or fine sea salt, use half as much. I find 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts to be perfect, but if you are sensitive to salt, start with 1 or 1.5 teaspoons and adjust with more to taste at the end.
- Garlic: The original recipe calls for fresh garlic, which I have used and loved. For simplicity, I love using Burlap and Barrel’s garlic powder . If you use other garlic powder, be sure it is not salted; otherwise the dish will taste too salty.
- Chili powder: You can find Aleppo pepper at many grocery stores now — search Instacart to find where you might find it locally — or you can order it online . I love Burlap and Barrel’s Silk Chili , which is the Turkish variety of Aleppo. If you are sensitive to heat, use no more than 1teaspoon of Aleppo or Silk Chili.
- Sheet pan : I prefer using my X-Large sheet pan for this one — I find it gives the sprouts ample space/breathing room, which helps them brown more evenly.
For the Brussels Sprouts
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above
For the Pomegranate Butter
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, see notes above
- 1 to 3 teaspoons of Aleppo pepper, Silk chili or red chile flakes, optional, see notes above
For Serving
- 1⁄3 cup pomegranate seeds
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (convection roast if possible). Place a baking sheet on the middle rack to preheat while the oven heats. (This will help the sprouts crisp up.)
- Trim and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts, and then slice them in half. In a large bowl, toss them with the olive oil and salt (see notes above). Carefully transfer the Brussels sprouts, reserving the bowl, to the hot baking sheet and shake the pan to distribute the sprouts evenly.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sprouts are evenly golden, with lots of caramelized surfaces and some nicely charred edges — I find this takes the full 20 minutes, and I give the sprouts a toss after 15 minutes. Transfer the sprouts to the reserved bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown a little, add the pomegranate molasses, garlic or garlic powder, and Aleppo (or other chili). Swirl to combine and cook until the garlic softens and is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Drizzle the pomegranate butter over the roasted Brussels sprouts and toss to coat well. Transfer them to a serving plate and scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top. Taste. Adjust with more salt if necessary.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: oven, stovetop
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2025/10/25/crispy-charred-brussels-sprouts-with-pomegranate-butter/
Below you will find all of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving. There are printable timelines at the very bottom. Good luck. Gobble Gobble.
- What to drink? Punch, of course.
- Holiday Bread No-knead, no excuse.
- Classic Bread Stuffing My favorite part of the meal every year.
- Potatoes Five Ways
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- ALL the Sauces Make-ahead gravy, cranberry, mustard, and more.
- Simple Salad Palate cleanser.
- Other Sides If you’re up for it.
- Dessert Pie Pie Pie Pie Pie Pie Pie Pie.
- Vegetarian Entrée? This one steals the show.
- Turkey Dry-brined.
- Schedule + Shopping Get organized!
PS: 25+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Philadelphia Fish House Punch
If you’ve never made a “house” punch, I highly recommend it, and I highly recommend this one: Philadelphia Fish House Punch , a mix of brandy, cognac, rum, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup.
Since discovering this recipe eight years ago, there has not been a Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, or Easter for which I have not made it. Its reception, without fail, is wild, and for this, I look forward to making it more than just about anything during the holiday season.
Punch bowl!
Holiday Bread
Popovers 🎉
Rolls 🎉
Biscuits 👏
Bread 🎉
If making rolls is a page-turner for you, you could make a batch of this no-fuss focaccia . The beauty of this recipe is that it’s best made the day before and tucked in the fridge — on Thanksgiving morning, you would just let it rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. You can bake it when the turkey is out of the oven.
Favorite Stuffing
This kale and caramelized onion stuffing is a variation of the one in my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs . After 45 minutes in the oven, it emerges with a crisp golden exterior and a creamy center, flavorful enough to eat on its own, but welcoming to many a relish, sauce, gravy, or anything else the Thanksgiving plate has to offer.
Know you can customize the seasonings and add-ins to your liking. Also: you can make it ahead and freeze it. See instructions in the post for how to freeze it .
I love the kale and caramelized onion version, but if you’re looking for a very classic stuffing , made with onions and celery, seasoned with Bell’s Seasoning, find that here :
This stuffing freezes well!
Potatoes
Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
This is my Great Aunt Phyllis’s recipe for sweet potato casserole: creamy, orange-scented, brandy-spiked, and unapologetic in its use of butter and sugar.
4 Holiday Sauces
All of the sauces below can be made in advance. Bring cranberry sauces and mustard sauce to room temperature several hours before serving, and bring the gravy to a gentle simmer before serving.
CranberrySauces
On the left: Sally Schneider’s Red Wine Cranberry Sauce (an old favorite, also delicious when made with Port). On the right : No-Cook Cranberry Relish (sweet, tart, orange-scented, and delicious).
Gravy & Mustard Sauce
On the left: Simple, Make-Ahead Gravy . What is especially nice about having gravy made before the bird is even roasted is the mental assurance that as soon as the bird is done, you can (after it rests) serve it without too much of a last-minute scramble. On the right : My Grandmother’s Mustard Sauce: We rarely make a ham for Thanksgiving, but if we do, we make my grandmother’s mustard sauce, affectionately known as the ham sauce !
Also, do yourself a favor and make a batch of this delicious roasted turkey stock before Thanksgiving… it will make the best gravy, and you will need it for your stuffings and potatoes, too:
Simple Salad
Other Sides
Thanksgiving Desserts
One of the best ways you can get a jump start on your Thanksgiving preparations is to make your pie dough in advance. The recipe in the video below and in the recipe here, which includes instructions on how to parbake your pie dough yields two rounds. If you want to double it, I recommend measuring all of the ingredients and making two consecutive batches (no need to clean the food processor in between) as opposed to trying to make a double batch all at once. I use this recipe for all of my pies, tarts, galettes, etc.
Every Thanksgiving I make Ronnie Hollingsworth’s Most Excellent Squash Pie , which comes from Kristin Kimball’s, The Dirty Life , in which she writes: “Pumpkin shmumpkin, winter squash has more flavor and better texture.”
I couldn’t agree more. I also always make David Lebovitz’s no corn syrup bourbon pecan pie and some sort of apple tart, either this apple frangipane galette or this French apple tart . Sister Pie’s salted maple pie has become a recent favorite.
Foolproof, Food Processor Pie Dough
Vegetarian Thanksgiving?
Butternut Squash Lasagna
One snowy Thanksgiving in Vermont , this butternut squash lasagna, brought to the feast by a vegetarian friend of my aunt’s, stole the show. This is the kind of dish you will want to make all winter long, one you’ll want stashed in your freezer, ready to take to a friend in need, the crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll turn to for your next holiday party, one proven to please both carnivores and vegetarians alike.
The recipe comes from Gourme t magazine: Butternut Squash Lasagna
.
And last but not least… the turkey!
Here is the simple method I use for dry-brining a turkey: I use salt alone (as opposed to salt and sugar) and I use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound. Rub the turkey all over with the salt, place it in a giant plastic turkey bag, and transfer it to the fridge for 48 hours.
On Thanksgiving morning, pat the turkey dry, set it on a rack in a roasting pan, brush it with melted butter, season all over with salt (lightly), and pepper; then transfer the pan to the oven and roast it till it looks done, which will vary depending on the size of your bird.
If you’re not feeling turkey, you could make a ham ! Don’t forget the ham sauce .
How To Dry Brine and Roast A Turkey
Simple Baked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Glaze
Countdown to Thanksgiving Schedule
Here’s a relatively detailed Countdown to Thanksgiving timeline. If you’d prefer to create your own, here it is in a Google Doc — you can create a copy of it, which you can edit/add notes to. And here’s a rough shopping list , which you can also edit.
Anytime between now and Thanksgiving, you could make and freeze the following:
- peasant bread (for the stuffing)
- pie dough
- Turkey stock
- stuffing
One Week Before Thanksgiving (November 20th)
- Remove turkey from the freezer and transfer to the fridge to thaw
Sunday, November 23rd:
- Make a double-batch of peasant bread (4 loaves, 2 of which will go into a double batch of stuffing ).
- Make large-batch shallot vinaigrette .
Monday, November 24th:
- Make a double batch of stuffing through the step at which you cover the pan with foil; freeze each pan.
- If you froze your pie dough, remove it from the freezer to thaw.
Tuesday, November 25th:
- Brine the turkey .
- Make a double batch of pie dough , stash in the fridge.
- Freeze the ice ring (for the punch )
- Juice the lemons (for the punch )
- Make the simple syrup (for the punch )
- Make the cranberry sauce .
- Roast the squash for the butternut squash pie .
- Measure and mix the fillings for each of the pies ( pecan , butternut , salted maple , apple )
Wednesday, November 26th:
- Make the buttermilk pull-apart rolls through step 5; cover the pan and stick it in the fridge overnight. Or…
- … make the dough for the thyme dinner rolls , stick it in the fridge to rise overnight.
- Make the gravy.
- Make the potatoes 3/4 of the way — remove the pan from the oven after 35 minutes — just as the potatoes are starting to brown and the liquid is thickening. Or if you’re making mashed potatoes, make them through the end of step 2.
- Make (salted) whipped cream for the pies.
- Roll out the pies and parbake them.
Thursday, November 27th:
- Rise early and bake off the 4 pies.
- Bring the turkey to room temperature, and prepare it for roasting.
- Prepare the salad — toss it at the last minute.
- Finish baking the potatoes. If you made mashed potatoes, you can re-warm them using a double boiler or in a crock pot or Instant pot on the warm setting.
- Assemble the punch.
- Bake the stuffings.
- Roast the turkey.
- Bake the rolls — while the turkey rests and is carved, there should be plenty of time to bake off the rolls, which means they’ll be piping hot when you gather around the table.
