A sticky, spicy, sweet, Kung Pao sauce without the gluten and sugar? You'd better believe it. Charred sprouts pair with this classic Chinese sauce to create the ultimate in at-home take-out. Just in case you weren't already excited, this dish is low carb too!
Best Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts Recipe - Keto, Low Carb, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, LCHF, Dairy-free
When I was in college, I took a six credit Chinese class. Looking back, I genuinely cannot give you a reason as to why. It sounded glamorous? I really like Chinese food? Needless to say, after meeting nine times a week (yeah, you do the math) for a discussion section in only Mandarin, and attempting to understand numerous lengthy lectures on the origin of certain Chinese characters, I dropped out.
These days, I stick to just appreciating their cuisine. Which was, unfortunately, cut short last year when I found that I started having reactions after eating out at my favorite Asian restaurants, mainly those of Chinese persuasion. My hands get puffy, splotchy, and sometimes itch. This is, of course, in addition to all the sugar that is hidden in Chinese food.
This low carb, keto-friendly version of Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts features a gluten-free and sugar-free hoisin sauce which you can easily make yourself. Sticky, slightly sweet charred brussels sprouts are slathered in a spicy kung pao sauce and then topped with green onion, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts. You'll never miss take out again with this recipe!
How to Make Keto Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Ingredient Notes
Coconut aminos. This low carb kung pao brussels sprouts recipe calls for coconut aminos, but you could substitute soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free) if you cannot find it. What are coconut aminos, you might ask? It's a fermented syrup made from coconut palm and sea salt. Found frequently in paleo cooking, coconut aminos are a good substitute for those that cannot tolerate soy and are looking for a low sodium, low-glycemic alternative.
Sambal Oelek. I'm sorry, come again? Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chili paste. It's simple: crushed chiles, vinegar, and salt. It's fairly widely available in grocery stores now. I can find it in the Asian foods section.
Hoisin sauce. Hoisin is a staple sauce in Chinese cooking. It has a distinct flavor and aroma. Not to be confused with oyster sauce, hoisin is often full of sugar and other ingredients that would not be suitable for a low carb, low sugar diet. Make your own sugar-free, gluten-free hoisin sauce. It's super simple.
Directions
To make this keto kung pao brussels sprouts recipe,
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Cut the off stem, remove outer leaves, and halve Brussels sprouts. Spread out sprouts on a sheet pan. Drizzle sprouts with oil. Salt and pepper to your liking. Mix to coat.
Place in the oven to cook. Approximately 10 minutes. Sprouts should start browning/crisping, but do not overcook.
While sprouts cook, make the sauce. Mix coconut aminos, rice vinegar, erythritol, hoisin, and sambal oelek in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat sesame oil in a small sauce pan. Add crushed garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture to sauce pan. Reduce heat, and bring to a boil until sauce thickens. Set aside.
Once sprouts are crispy/brown, pull out of the oven. Drizzle with sauce. Return to the oven to let sauce caramelize or pop into the broiler for a few minutes. Spoon into serving bowl. Garnish of toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and crushed peanuts.
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
Soggy sprouts can become a real reality. Make sure you really have given these keto brussels sprouts some time in the oven to crisp up and brown. Also, be discerning with the oil. A heavy hand will just encourage the issue. One last thing, don't go crazy with the sauce. You are better off adding a bit more once this is on your plate then oversaucing and putting back in a hot oven. Wilt, wilt, wilt. Yuck.
Garnishes are such a necessity. I know sometimes I read these and think, "I don't have time for decorative nonsense." This is not the case here. The peanuts add wonderful texture. The sesame seeds compliment the oil in the sauce, and the green onions are just a yummy, fresh pop of brightness.
These are not a good left-over item. I've tried. This still tastes delicious, but the texture doesn't get better with time. This kung pao brussels sprout recipe is best out of the oven.
The serving size on the recipe card is debatable. We easily devour this between the two of us with a bit left over for my work lunch. My son thinks anything green is not worth his time.
How to Serve and Store
After broiling these kung pao brussels sprouts, spoon into serving bowl. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and crushed peanuts before serving.
This recipe is delicious on its own as a side dish or a main meal. Serve it with plain cauliflower rice, or this Filipino-style Garlic Fried Cauliflower Rice to round it out.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but as I mentioned in the FAQ section, this keto kung pao brussels sprout recipe is really best directly out of the oven. If you do choose to reheat, I would advise putting these under the broiler for a minute or two. Make sure to watch as the sauce can easily burn.
Other Keto Low Carb Asian Take-out Recipes You'll Love
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Crispy, blistered Brussels sprouts drizzled with a gluten-free, sugar-free kung pao sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Kung Pao Sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp granular sweetener
- 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp sambal oelek
Garnish
- toasted sesame seeds
- 2-3 stalks green onions, sliced
- crushed peanuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Cut the off stem, remove outer leaves, and halve Brussels sprouts. Spread out sprouts on a sheet pan. Drizzle sprouts with oil. Salt and pepper to your liking. Mix to coat.
Place in the oven to cook. Approximately 10 minutes. Sprouts should start browning/crisping, but do not overcook.
While sprouts cook, make the sauce. Mix coconut aminos, rice vinegar, erythritol, hoisin, and sambal oelek in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat sesame oil in a small sauce pan. Add crushed garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture to sauce pan. Reduce heat, and bring to a boil until sauce thickens. Set aside.
Once sprouts are crispy/brown, pull out of the oven. Drizzle with sauce. Return to the oven to let sauce caramelize or pop into the broiler for a few minutes. Spoon into serving bowl. Garnish of toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and crushed peanuts.
Notes
Use my Healthier Hoisin Sauce to ensure that you have no gluten or sugar in this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
4 peopleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 12gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and calculated to the best of my ability using online databases. It is suggested that you perform your own check to ensure that a recipe fits within the scope of your dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and make sure to join the @noshinandnumnums community on instagram or facebook and tag me in your cooking pictures!
Want more recipes? Join my mailing list or subscribe by RSS to keep up with new posts. You can also find me and my collection on Pinterest.
Leave a Reply