Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Gochujang Butter Sauce & Toasted Almonds

Growing up, if my parents didn’t like a type of food, it never made it to our table. Brussels sprouts? Definitely not invited.

Back then, I only knew them by smell and, to be honest, boiled Brussels sprouts rarely won anyone over. Pale green, mushy, and sulfurous, they were the vegetable everyone loved to hate. As a result, I never gave them a second thought. At the grocery store I’d see them; however, I had no idea what you’d actually do with them—nor did I care to find out.

Even so, I consider myself an adventurous eater. I’m usually willing to give things a whirl: if I like it, great; if not, I move on. Fast forward to the mid-2000s, when I had my first real Brussels sprout at a happy hour with friends. They came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—and guess what? I liked them! Suddenly, Brussels sprouts were in the middle of a comeback, showing up roasted, pan-fried, or shaved raw into salads instead of being boiled to death.

That first bite sent me on a mission. Soon, I started spotting them everywhere—jazzed up with bacon, balsamic glaze, maple syrup, even sriracha. Each version was different, yet each one worked. After years of “research” (ahem, taste testing), I finally felt ready to try making them myself.

Enter: my air fryer. In theory, it was the perfect tool for crispy outsides and tender centers. In practice, however, meh. I churned out batch after batch that were just okay. Still, I kept testing; nevertheless, even budget-friendly experiments start to sting when the results fall flat.

What was I missing? I tried every flavor enhancer in the book—Parmesan, balsamic, goat cheese, honey, maple syrup—yet none of it mattered if the sprouts themselves weren’t cooked right. Then, one night at the Blvd. Grill, I ordered their Brussels sprouts appetizer, and, immediately, I had a lightbulb moment: gochujang sauce. I didn’t even know what it was at the time; however, it had that perfect mix of spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet. I had to recreate it at home.

In the end, the trick was simple: first, crank the air fryer to 400°, then let the sprouts roast on one side; next, flip; finally, cook until they’re deeply golden (verging on charred). At first, I thought I’d gone too far—overdone, overcooked. Nevertheless, I made the sauce anyway, figuring I could save it for something else if needed. But when I tossed the sprouts with the gochujang-based sauce and topped them with toasted almonds, magic happened. As a result, they were crispy, bold, and full of flavor. In short, as my kids used to say, they were straight-up fire!