Easy Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta
Easy Brussels sprouts recipe with Kimchi?? What?? I know.. it kinda sounds strange but trust me – it is good. And it’s also gluten free.
Now, first things first. Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are celebrating it and if you are not, I still hope you have a warm and happy week.
Thanksgiving is not a traditional Korean holiday so as a Korean food blogger, I never know what to post around Thanksgiving. But having lived in the US for so many years and having grown up in a family that loved the American Thanksgiving tradition of turkey and the usual trimmings, Thanksgiving always has a special place in my heart.
During the first few years of our marriage, my husband could not understand why I would want to go to all the trouble of making a special Thanksgiving meal. I would have to tell him that cooking turkey and making all the proper trimmings are NOT just because I wanted to eat it (which I have to say is partly true..haha..because I love turkey and I probably LOVE turkey sandwiches and soup afterwards even more) but it was because I wanted my daughter to grow up with memories of having a happy and heartwarming thanksgiving. There is just something so comforting, so warm and so happy about Thanksgiving time. When you are able to go back home and take a break from all the stress your work or school brings you and you can enjoy that special dinner with your loved ones while sharing what you are all thankful for, it really does lift you up in so many different ways.
In recent years, I have been wanting to add some Korean flavor to our Thanksgiving dinner and I didn’t know what would be good. But today, I had a brilliant idea!!
Kimchi Brussels Sprouts!!!
Earlier this year, I got to taste Kimchi Brussels Sprouts in Hawaii at a restaurant and it was really amazing. So I decided to make this Easy Brussels Sprouts recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta for you first and then I will be making another batch for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Servings: 3-4 Cooking Time: 25 minutes Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb brussels sprouts
- 3 oz pancetta, cubed
- 1/2 cup napa cabbage kimchi, chopped
- 1 tsp gochujang
- 1 Tbs + 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper
- sesame seeds
Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta
- Heat oven to 400°F. Cut brussels sprouts in 1/2 if they are big. If brussels sprouts are small, you can use them whole. Chop kimchi and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil in an ovenproof pan on medium high heat on the stove. Sauté pancetta in oil for short time, about 1 minute.
Pancetta in pan for brussels sprouts - Add brussels sprouts to pan with pancetta -with cut side down. Season with salt and pepper. Because pancetta and kimchi are both salty, season lightly with salt (a little less than 1/8 tsp).
Brussels Sprouts in oil - Put pan with brussels sprouts and pancetta in oven and roast for 5 minutes.
- In the mean time, in a small frying pan add 1 tsp vegetable oil and sauté kimchi and gochujang for 2-3 minutes.
Sauteeing Kimchi for Brussels Sprouts Recipe - After roasting brussels sprouts for 5 minutes (from step 4), take out pan from oven and add sauteed kimchi from 5 and toss everything together, coating brussels sprouts with oil. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar and mix again.
Adding Kimchi to Brussels Sprouts - Put everything back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. This will produce soft brussel sprouts. For crunchier sprouts, reduce roasting time. Check doneness after 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve!!
Easy Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta
Tips
- I bought cubed pancetta from Trader Joe’s. Substitute bacon for pancetta but reduce amount of oil if you do.
- If you don’t want to or have kimchi, you can try using sauerkraut + garlic powder + red chili powder + little bit of fish sauce.
- This easy brussels sprouts recipe tastes great even when it is no longer warm.
Easy Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta
Easy Brussel Sprouts Recipe with Kimchi and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
- 3 oz pancetta , cubed
- 1/2 cup napa cabbage kimchi , chopped
- 1 tsp gochujang
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Cut brussel sprouts in 1/2 if they are big. If brussel sprouts are small, you can use them whole. Chop kimchi and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil in an ovenproof pan on medium high heat on stove. Saute pancetta in oil for short time about 1 minute.
- Add brussel sprouts to pan with pancetta -with the cut side down. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Put pan with brussel sprouts and pancetta in oven and roast for 5 minutes.
- In the mean time, in a small frying pan add 1 tsp vegetable oil and sauté kimchi and gochujang for 2-3 minutes.
- After roasting brussel sprouts for 5 minutes (from step 4), take out pan from oven and add sauteed kimchi from 5 and toss everything together, coating brussel sprouts with oil. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar and mix again.
- Put everything back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. This will produce soft brussel sprouts. For crunchier sprouts, reduce roasting time. Check doneness after 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve!!
Tips & Notes:
Substitute bacon for pancetta if you'd like but reduce oil if using bacon.
Nutrition Information:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
And I’m so thankful to all my followers for being there for me and for all your encouragements along the way. Thank you always for being positive and encouraging.
God bless,
JinJoo
This was excellent
Very happy to hear that. Thank you!
Won’t have access to oven when cooking. Can it just be stir fried?
It can be – won’t be the same. You won’t have that crispy burnt leaves but the taste will be similar. Good luck.
Hi JinJoo,
Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out. I was wondering what this dish could be paired with? I think it would be a great side dish to have with something, but haven’t figured out what main dish to eat it with??? Thanks for any advice you can offer.
This was originally made for Thanksgiving so it goes great with Turkey and other fixings. You can also do roast chicken. If you were thinking of a Korean dish – I think it would go well with a main that’s kind of mild like my chicken bulgogi or miso pork belly. You can find recipes for those here – https://kimchimari.com/korean-bbq-marinades-easy-recipes/ Enjoy!!
Good timing! I just bought some lovely Brussels sprouts – wish I had thought of the pancetta while at TJ’s. Typical that this Italian girl would have all the Korean ingredients – and not the Italian one! 😉 Have a lovely Thanksgiving!
Yay!! So good to hear from you and to also hear that you got Brussels Sprouts also!! You can always substitute bacon or even make it without and it should still be good. Kimchi and gochujang makes everything taste better! Haha you are too funny – Italian girl with no Pancetta.. You have a wonderful Thanksgiving too! Take care.