Inspiration: Well, what’s a Mexican-inspired meal without some chorizo, right? We both adore Mexican chorizo. It’s salty, it’s spicy, it’s rich and fabulous. And seeing how brussels sprouts are such a lovely fall vegetable, it only seemed logical to throw this side dish onto our Mexican Thanksgiving plates. I know that I’m thankful for chorizo, after all :)

What We Loved: One of my favorite parts about this dish was actually the little bits of onion that turned nice and orange from cooking in the fat from the chorizo. Delicious. And as for the main stars of the dish, the brussels sprouts were nice and tender with a light browned flavor, and the chorizo was a perfect, spicy complement. One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s so simple, and that simplicity really allows the main ingredients to really shine. There’s the fresh vegetable flavor of the brussels sprouts, and there’s the much richer and bolder flavor of the chorizo, and the two make a perfect pair.

Tips: Make sure to get the pan nice and hot before adding the brussels sprouts in to brown. My pan wasn’t quite hot enough, so my brussels sprouts didn’t brown as quickly as I needed them to. I ended up taking them off before they were as brown as I wanted them to be, since I didn’t want the rest of my meal getting cold. So I would recommend having the pan nice and hot so that they brown quickly and easily.

Brussels Sprouts with Mexican Chorizo
Source: Adapted from Saveur

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
8 oz Mexican chorizo sausage (about two links)
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Place the brussels sprouts in a sauce pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the brussels sprouts to a bowl of ice water, let sit for five minutes, and then drain.

2. Remove the casing from the chorizo, and crumble the chorizo into a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions. Saute until the chorizo is cooked through and the onions are softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, and stir to combine. Transfer the chorizo mixture to a bowl.

3. Increase the heat to high. Add the brussels sprouts cut side down into the fat that’s left in the pan from the chorizo, and cook until the brussel sprouts are browned and tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Mix the brussels sprouts into the bowl with the chorizo mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.