Microwave Brussel Sprouts
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Let me introduce you to the most delicious and fastest way to cook brussel sprouts without compromising on flavour. Microwave Brussel Sprouts are fast to prep, can be made ahead and reheat perfectly in the microwave.
I will also show you how to cook microwave brussel sprouts without a steamer basket.
Table of Contents
Brussel Sprouts In Microwave
Last month we had great fun on Recipe This having a month dedicated to the microwave and introducing you to a lot of microwave vegetables.
We showed you how to cook microwave broccoli, microwave carrots, microwave beets, microwave cauliflower, microwave zucchini and many, many, others.
But one question I got asked was where are the microwave brussel sprouts?
Well, there were just so many different vegetables that taste delicious cooked in the microwave that I ran out of days.
But I did vow to come back throughout the year and introduce you to more and more vegetables that you can cook in the microwave and today is the turn of microwave sprouts.
A very simple vegetable for the microwave, one that you can make ahead and then reheat and one that is easy to season before microwaving.
Can You Microwave Brussel Sprouts?
Yes, you can. The brussel sprouts microwave method will change the way you cook brussel sprouts because they are delicious, easy, and even if you are not good at cooking, you will find the microwave method very simple to follow.
Brussel sprouts in the microwave are like when you steam sprouts using a professional steamer, but of course for the microwave you don’t need the steamer.
Can You Pre Cook Brussel Sprouts?
Yes, you can, and I recommend doing so. There is often a lot of stress when getting a full roast dinner on the dinner table and by doing the sprouts early, you can reduce the stress.
At Christmas, I always want to enjoy a lot of different side dishes and will prep most of them (if not all) the day before.
I will prepare the air fryer pigs in blankets, the air fryer roast potatoes, the veggie bake, instant pot no drain mashed potatoes, microwave sprouts, and the air fryer stuffing balls. Then on the day all I need to do is reheat everything and cook the roast turkey.
Best Way To Cook Brussel Sprouts?
There are some different ways to cook sprouts and I have found the best way to cook brussel sprouts is to steam them first and then cook them in the air fryer. In our air fryer frozen brussel sprouts recipe we steam them in the instant pot pressure cooker first, then load them into the air fryer with extra virgin olive oil and seasoning.
You can do the same or use the microwave as your steamer, like we will be showing you today.
Then refer to our air fryer recipe to crisp up your brussel sprouts and it will be a much quicker method for doing so.
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Microwave Brussel Sprouts Recipe Ingredients
Sprouts – I recommend for your first time steaming sprouts in the microwave that you do one single packet of brussel sprouts and then you get confident with the microwave before doing a bigger batch.
Water – To steam brussel sprouts in the microwave you will need a tablespoon of water into the bottom of your steamer basket.
Seasoning – Then for seasoning your sprouts I recommend you keep it simple with salt, pepper, parsley, and basil.
Optional – I love cooking brussel sprouts in the microwave with a little butter or margarine. It gives a lovely texture and really gives them the wow factor. You can also keep this low calorie by using a light margarine such as I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter Light.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this microwave sprouts recipe it has just been our Panasonic Microwave Oven. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of microwave recipes.
As well as your microwave you will need a good steamer basket that will fit in your microwave. We recommend this one.
How To Cook Brussel Sprouts In Microwave?
- Liquid. Start by adding a tablespoon of water to the bottom of your steamer basket. This is so that you can perfectly steam your sprouts.
- Prep. Using a vegetable knife chop the ends off your sprouts and do a cross in the top of them to help them cook better. Then load into your steamer basket and season with salt and pepper, parsley, and basil.
- Microwave. Then place the lid on your steamer and then load your steamer basket into the microwave. Microwave your brussel sprouts for 5 minutes. Though check from 4 minutes as your microwave might be more powerful than mine.
And I am sure you can see now how easy it is to cook brussel sprouts in the microwave and why it is a firm favourite of mine for a quick veggie side dish for dinner.
How To Steam Brussel Sprouts Without A Steamer?
You will notice above that I mentioned using a steamer bowl that you can buy for your microwave, but what if you don’t have one?
Well, when you steam brussel sprouts in the microwave all you need to do is keep the sprouts contained with a small amount of water.
You can do the same by using a Ziploc bag or by using an airtight microwave container. Though my favourite plan B will always be the Ziploc bag and you can see how it is done in our microwave corn on the cob recipe.
How Long To Microwave Brussel Sprouts?
The microwave Brussel sprouts time is JUST 5 minutes. This is for perfect fork tender Brussel Sprouts that are ready to serve straight away.
However, if you would like to finish them in the air fryer, I would recommend reducing the cook time to 4 minutes otherwise they might go too mushy in the air fryer.
Your microwave brussel sprouts recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.
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Microwave Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
Kitchen Gadgets
Instructions
- Place one tablespoon of water in the bottom of your steamer basket.
- Using a vegetable knife chop the ends off your brussel sprouts and put a cross in them. Then give them a wash and add to the steamer basket.
- Add your seasonings and mix with your hands for an even coating. Add a layer of margarine/butter over your sprouts.
- Place the lid on the steamer and then place in the microwave.
- Microwave for 5 minutes. Though check on it at 4 minutes and then when it beeps, do a fork text and then do it for another 2 minutes depending on your microwave wattage.
- Then check they are done by doing a fork test. If not soft enough add a couple of extra minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I love that these turned out so good. I am used to over cooking them but these tasted amazing were still green and could not believe how easy it was to do this using the microwave steamer basket.