This recipe for Vietnamese brussels sprouts is something so addicting it has quickly become a favorite in this household. In fact, it is all down to the amazing Vietnamese dressing which really makes this dish; when you look at the ingredients you’re going to be shocked at how much one ingredient is used.

This brussels sprouts recipe is your basic roasted vegetable dish, with a sauce that is to die for. When I learned how to make this classic Vietnamese dressing I will admit I was put off by how much one funky ingredient was used, but I quickly fell in love with it. What is that ingredient you might ask? None other than the Vietnamese staple: Fish Sauce. Now this is quite different than one of my other popular brussels sprouts recipes: Sauteed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Shallot, but if you are into Asian cuisine and flavors than you’ll love this Vietnamese inspired version.
If you are a connoisseur of Vietnamese cuisine then you might recognize this sauce as nuoc cham – although I do alter the ingredients slightly from the more traditional recipe. In my version I basically turn this into a green sauce due to the massive amount of cilantro added.
These Vietnamese style brussels sprouts are a fun and funky side dish that is sure to have your guests begging for the recipe.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes To Love
- Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
- Honey Garlic Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Miso Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Indian Spiced Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
How To Make These Delectable Vietnamese Brussels Sprouts

This recipe is super simple and is pretty much all about the fabulous Vietnamese dressing. The best thing about these roasted brussels sprouts is that you can make the prep everything far beforehand and simply toss everything together when ready to serve. Plus there are so many creative additions you can add; I’ve gathered some garnishing options further down this page.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Nuoc Cham Ingredients
- 500 grams Brussels Sprouts – Cleaned of loose leaves and cut in half. You can double the amount of sprouts you cook as there is more than enough sauce.
- Oil – As needed
- 50 ml Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed.
- 50 ml Fish Sauce – This seems like an extreme amount, and it does make the entire jar stink, but the flavor is amazing. Plus you aren’t using all of the dressing at once, so it’s more like a condiment you can determine how much you want. Normally I would recommend Nam Ngu which is one of the best mass produced fish sauces I’ve had. It comes from a little island in Vietnam called Phu Quoc and the island as a whole has a great fish sauce reputation. Unfortunately these days I am out so I used Squid Brand which is a very good Thai fish sauce for general purpose use.
- 50 grams Sugar – Regular white sugar works well in this nuoc cham recipe, although palm/brown or other sugars can also work. Basically feel free to substitute as you wish.
- 50 grams Cilantro – Yes this is a lot, but you need a lot to balance the fish sauce. I don’t even remove the leaves from the stems, just toss it all in there.
- 2 large Yellow Onions – Sliced into thick rings
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 cm Ginger – A more accurate measurement is about a tablespoon of finely grated or microplaned ginger but since I use a stick blender I just hack off a couple cm and toss it in. If you like ginger use more and if you are not the biggest fan you can reduce it.
- 1 Hot Green Chili Pepper – You can use any pepper you like, it does not need to be specifically Vietnamese. I use a regular old serrano pepper which is also what I use in Muối Ớt Xanh (another Vietnamese green sauce mostly used on seafood). If you aren’t a fan of spicy foods you can deseed it, but all I do is chop off the stem and drop the entire pepper into the jar.
- 1/4 tsp MSG
- Crushed Peanuts – Optional, for garnish
- Green Onions – Optional, chopped, for garnish
Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Nuoc Cham Recipe Instructions

I like to make the sauce far beforehand as it holds well in the fridge. And the best thing about it is that it is barely any work at all. Just add everything but the sprouts, onion, oil, and garnishes to a bowl or jar.

I do this all in a jar so I can blend easily with my immersion blender. In fact, the jar actually came with my Kitchenaid cordless stick blender so it is already a perfect fit. Just blend everything together until you have a mostly homogenized sauce.

The rest of this tasty Vietnamese brussels sprouts recipe is super easy. Add the halved sprouts to a large bowl along with the thickly sliced onions. Drizzle a bit of oil and toss everything to coat.

Preheat your oven to 175C or 350F. Spread out the brussels sprouts on a baking tray. You can do cut side up or down. I personally just lay them out and jostle the pan when needed.

Roast the brussels sprouts and onion until they are nicely browned and caramelized. This can take different times depending on your oven. For my oven it was about 20 minutes. But I also opened the oven after about 10 minutes to shake the pan up.

To turn this from a simple roasted brussels sprouts recipe to a fabulously tasty Vietnamese brussels sprouts recipe you got to combine the sprouts with the nuoc cham sauce. Add everything but the sauce to a large bowl. Then start with two tablespoons of sauce. Toss to coat and mix and taste a sprout. If you feel you need to add more sauce go for it.

I also like to add some more ripped cilantro and red chili flakes as an extra garnish, but it is entirely up to you. I feel the peanuts and green onion work well for most Vietnamese recipes but I also wanted to add some red chili flakes for a pop of color as this is a very, VERY green dish.
In my opinion this is one of the best brussels sprouts recipes out there, and even people who aren’t a fan might enjoy this. It is strong, overpowering even, but ultimately addictingly delicious.
What To Do With Leftover Nuoc Cham Sauce
While a traditional nuoc cham is a pure dipping sauce, used on things like grilled meats and fish, you can use this cilantro packed version as a marinade as well. I love to marinade a bunch of pork loin or butt in the sauce and then grill it over an open flame. The sugar in the sauce caramelizes a bit, but the fish sauce retains its funky flavor for an out of this world dish.
You can also use the leftover sauce on other roasted vegetables like carrots or broccoli. It really gets quite addicting trying to find new and creative ways to use this tasty dressing.
More Side Dishes You’ll Love
- Parmesan Crusted New Potatoes
- Papa a la Huancaina
- Mango Coconut Ceviche
- Korean Corn Cheese
- Daikon Fries
- Japanese Potato Salad
- Melting Beets

Vietnamese Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 500 grams Brussels Sprouts Cleaned of loose leaves and cut in half. You can double the amount of sprouts you cook as there is more than enough sauce.
- 2 large Yellow Onions Sliced into thick rings
- Oil As needed
- 50 ml Lime Juice Freshly squeezed.
- 50 ml Fish Sauce This seems like an extreme amount and it does make the entire jar stink, but the flavor is amazing. Plus you aren't using all of the dressing at once, so it's more like a condiment you can determine how much you want.
- 50 grams Sugar Regular white sugar works well in this nuoc cham recipe although palm/brown or other sugars can also work. Basically feel free to substitute as you wish.
- 50 grams Cilantro Yes this is a lot but you need a lot to balance the fish sauce. I don't even remove the leaves from the stems, just toss it all in there.
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 cm Ginger A more accurate measurement is about a tablespoon of finely grated or microplaned ginger but since I use a stick blender I just hack off a couple cm and toss it in. If you like ginger use more and if you are not the biggest fan you can reduce it.
- 1 Hot Green Chili Pepper You can use any pepper you like it does not need to be specifically Vietnamese. I use a regular old serrano pepper which is also what I use in Muối Ớt Xanh (another Vietnamese green sauce mostly used on seafood). If you aren't a fan of spicy foods you can deseed it, but all I do is chop off the stem and drop the entire pepper into the jar.
- 1/4 tsp MSG
- Crushed Peanuts Optional, for garnish
- Green Onions Optional, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175C or 350F
- In a large bowl add your halved sprouts, thick cut onions, and a drizzle of oil. Give everything a toss, then pour them onto a baking tray in one layer and place in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes. You can open the oven after 15 minutes to jostle everything around.
- Place the rest of the ingredients not including the garnishes in a blending cup or bowl (you can use a proper blender as well if you want to make an extra large batch). Hit it with a stick/immersion blender until you have a mostly homogenous sauce.
- When the brussels are nicely roasted put everything into a large bowl and add the garnishes. Add the sauce a tablespoon at a time while tossing and tasting in between. YOU WILL NOT USE ALL THE SAUCE (most likely) so it is important to taste a sprout after every tbsp added so you don't completely overpower the dish. Save the rest of the sauce for a marinade or dipping sauce for meat/shellfish.
- Place everything into a serving or chafing dish and allow guests to scoop a bit as their side dish. Or place a big bowl right in the middle of the table and let everyone tuck in. Enjoy!
