These crispy Brussels sprouts taste more in-line with a healthier version of potato chips than your traditional roasted Brussels sprouts, which we typically cook at home. They still have a flavorful hint of Brussels sprouts, but the extra crispiness from the deep frying feels sinful.
There is definitely a reason why these deep fried sprouts are trending in restaurants all over the country. This recipe features a slight Asian twist to deep fried Brussels sprouts because of the seasoning.
The prep for these Brussels sprouts are fairly quick and easy. When you are at the grocery store, make sure to choose small sized Brussels sprouts as they are better in flavor and less chewy. At home, you should peel the outer leaves and trim the bottom part of the stem off since this is a bit harder to chew.
Cut them in half and rinse them in the sink. I like to also place them in a water bowl to soak for five minutes to get rid of extra dirt. Tip: if you want a REALLY crispy bite, you can cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters.
Place the cleaned Brussels sprouts on a dish towel on your counter and allow them to dry fully. The dry, room temperature Brussels sprouts allow for better crispiness. You also don’t want to deep fry anything with too much water on it because it might splatter on you!
Set-up your deep frying station by pouring about 1 ½ inch of neutral cooking oil into a heavy-bottomed pot. For oil, you will need to choose one with a high smoke point since we will be deep-frying at about 350-375 °F. I like using vegetable oil because it’s easy to find, it has a high smoke point of 400 °F and it’s cheap.
Once you heat the oil to the right temperature, slowly lower the Brussels sprouts into the oil. Watch over the Brussels sprouts and turn them over so they can fry on both sides.
After the edges and the outer leaves are browned and almost blackened, and the Brussels sprouts have shrunk in size, you want to remove them from the oil and lay them on towels to remove excess oil.
While the Brussels sprouts are frying, you can make the seasoning. In a bowl, add the fish sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and sugar. Squeeze in the lime and mix altogether.
I like to use an airtight Tupperware so that I can close the lid and vigorously shake and completely blend in the sugar granules. There’s nothing more annoying than having all your sugar separate in the bottom of the bowl.
Taste the sauce, it should be a bit on the salty and sweet side. You can modify this sauce by adjusting the fish sauce for saltiness, lime for acidity, and sugar for sweetness. This is a modified version of my fish sauce recipe, which you can use directly as well.
The combination of this tangy and sweet seasoning is the perfect blend for the crispiness of the fried Brussels sprouts. I topped some fried shallots because why not?
