My most-cooked recipe on NYT Cooking is my Chickpea Fried Eggs, and I get it – they are delicious!! But in the fall I want to be eating all the fall vegetables, so I thought it would be fun to do a riff on that recipe, this time with brussels sprouts. Brussels Sprout Fried Eggs are a revelation, especially when you inject them with a bit of fried lemon, toasty sage and rosemary. It’s the peak of fall simplicity. and I love that it comes together in under 30 minutes.
My favorite elements of these brussels sprout fried eggs
A recipe can really do a lot when you add a few intentional ingredients, and then my favorite ingredient: time. Here are the main reasons why this recipe is so special:
- The brussels sprouts fry in caramelized lemon and fried herbs – I ask you to chop up half a lemon (yes, pulp and all!) and fry it alongside rosemary and sage before the brussels sprouts go in. It may sound unorthodox, but the slightly charred lemon balanced with the crispy herbs creates a solid base of flavors for the brussels sprouts to cook into.
- With a long cooking time, the brussels sprouts get nicely crispy and frizzly – the sprouts hang out in the pan for what feels like too long, nearly 10 minutes, before we add the eggs. This is what lets them cook out their moisture, and start to get all browned in a fried-brussels-sprout kind of way. It’s what takes these vegetables from “meh” to exceptional.
- When the eggs hit the brussels sprouts, their bottoms get unbelievably golden and crispy – we can call it magic. Eggs have protein compounds that solidify across the brussels sprouts, making it so that they easily attach to the charred brussels and create a golden crispy bottom that you can scoop right off the pan.
Ingredients you will need to make brussels sprout eggs
For as little as you need, this recipe really hits a lot of notes. Here is all you’ll need:
- 8 ounces brussels sprouts
- 1 lemon, halved
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 5 sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ounce parmesan , for topping
A few tips for cooking your eggs
It’s easy to overcook the eggs in this recipe. I’d err on the side of checking them often, instead of letting them go a minute too long and getting a really hard yolk (which might be your thing, but I don’t recommend it).
Your eggs don’t need to touch the bottom of the pan completely to cook well, just make the divets in the sprouts deep enough that they have a place to land. As they cook they will naturally connect across the surface, but you should be able to easily scoop them off the pan and ease them apart with a spatula.
If you don’t have a lid for your pan, feel free to give your eggs a flip to help them finish cooking. It may get a bit messy with the brussels sprouts, but the flavor will still be delicious.
And not a fan of fried eggs? You can scramble them in for the same flavor but a very different texture.
Ingredient substitutions
While I love the fall flavors of this dish, it’s easy to sub them to make this a bit more customizable. Here’s what I recommend:
- Brussels sprouts – sub for cabbage or kale 🙂
- Lemon – you can skip the lemon and just season the brussels sprouts with 1-2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar of sherry vinegar
- Rosemary – can be subbed for 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, or fresh thyme
- Sage – can be subbed for 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, or fresh thyme, or fennel seed
- Olive oil – can be subbed for any cooking oil you prefer
- Red pepper flakes – sub for Aleppo pepper, gochugaru, or omit!
- Parmesan – can be swapped for pecorino, manchego, or any grateable cheese you may have
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are few brussels sprouts meals that I always have on rotation:
Baked Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Honey Mustard, Apple and Cheddar
Creamy Lime Brussels Sprout Salad
Brussel Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas
And that’s it for these Brussels Sprouts Fried Eggs!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1 lemon, halved
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 5 sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ounce parmesan , for topping
Instructions
- Thinly slice 8 ounces of brussels sprouts (around 2 cups). Halve the lemon. Cut one half into wedges and set aside. Peel the other half and finely chop up the pulp, removing any seeds.
- Finely chop the leaves of 3 sprigs of rosemary and 5 sage leaves.
- Put a large sauté pan with a tight fitted lid over medium heat. Add in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the chopped lemon, herbs, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until you start to see the lemon lightly char and the herbs crisp up. Add in the brussels sprouts.
- Cook the sprouts, stirring occasionally, for what feels like too long, 10-12 minutes or until the brussels sprouts are about half the size and beginning to get some browning.
- Make four small "divets" in the brussels sprouts and crack an egg into each one. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cover and let the eggs cook for 4-5 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Scoop two eggs onto each plate, taking the sprouts along with them. Grate on some parmesan and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.
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