How to Cook Brisket in the Oven {video}

Learn how to slow cook classic beef brisket in the oven until it’s juicy and tender enough to fall apart. There are also easy directions for how to make it in a slow cooker, so you can prep it in the morning and come home to dinner. And if you’re pressed for time, there are instructions for how to make it in the Instant Pot too. Brisket makes a great Sunday supper or barbecue potluck dish, and is kosher for Passover!

I grew up with pot roast as part of our regular dinner rotation. It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I first had brisket!

I was in Austin, Texas, and I had brisket at an awesome BBQ joint called Terry Black’s. It had deep beefy flavor and was so tender it was falling apart. There was a richness from the fat cap that literally melted in my mouth. And the parts that had gotten caramelized and crispy had great smoky flavor. I was hooked.

This is a classic beef brisket recipe, not a recipe for BBQ brisket. Although you can easily turn it into barbecued brisket once it’s cooked by using your favorite sauce (but note that we don’t use a smoker here).

If you’re looking for a delicious main course that’s kosher for Passover, this is one of my favorites! I give suggestions below on what sides dishes to serve with brisket.

Classic Beef Brisket Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe is very simple, and uses minimal ingredients and easy cooking methods. Salt and pepper are the seasonings, and onion and garlic add depth of flavor.

• Beef brisket – This is the star of the show! There are two cuts of brisket. I like to use the flat cut, which you will sometimes also find called the “first cut”. The flat cut is a large, fairly evenly thick lean piece of meat with a thick fat cap. This cut slices well and stays tender and juicy thanks to the fat cap. The other brisket cut is called the point cut, and is also labeled the “second cut” or “deckle cut”, and is marbled with fat and connective tissue.
• Salt and black pepper – These pantry staple spices are all we need to season a good cut of meat.
• Avocado oil – We sear the beef in a little bit of oil before slow cooking. You can use any type of fat with a high smoke point that you like. Duck fat and tallow are both great here.
• Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic add savory depth of flavor and aroma.
• Beef stock – This is the cooking liquid we use to slow cook the brisket. You can use homemade beef stock or a good quality store-bought stock.

How to Make Brisket

No matter what method you use to cook brisket, the end result should be the same. Moist, tender meat that you can cut with a fork!

Here we’ll go over the oven, Crockpot, and Instant Pot methods.

Oven Beef Brisket Recipe

This recipe uses the braising technique for cooking brisket low and slow in the oven. In this technique, there are just two basic steps:

1. Sear the meat over high heat until browned on both sides on the stovetop.
2. Braise the meat in beef stock in a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet with a lid at a low temperature.

How to Cook Brisket in the Oven – Step-by-Step Photos

1. Pat the brisket dry, season it with salt and pepper, and sear it on both sides.
2. Once the brisket is seared, add the onion, garlic, and beef stock.
3. Here’s the brisket after 6 to 7 hours in the oven at 300F. As you can see, the meat cooks down quite a bit.
4. Slice it up! I like to put the sliced brisket back into the pot with all the delicious juices to keep it tender and juicy.

If you can wait, the brisket tastes even better the next day! And once it’s refrigerated, you’ll see how the fat solidifies on the top and is easy to remove if you want to reduce the fat. You can discard the fat or save to add to the meat to keep it moist when you reheat it.

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe

Cooking brisket in the slower cooker is the same concept as braising it in a Dutch oven in the oven.

1. Sear the meat over high heat until browned on both sides on the stovetop.
2. To the slow cooker, add the seared meat and enough beef stock to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat.
3. Braise the meat by cooking it on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

Instant Pot Brisket

You can also make delicious, tender brisket easily in the Instant Pot!

1. Get everything ready. For 1 (3 pound) brisket, you will need the following: 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any kind of oil you like with a high smoke point), 3/4 cup beef broth, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 peeled and sliced onions, 4 peeled and minced cloves garlic, and optionally 5 drops liquid smoke.
2. Sear it. Press the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and wait for it to heat up. Add the oil; once hot, add the brisket. Sear on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function.
3. Add the other ingredients. Add the beef broth, salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, and liquid smoke (if you’re using it).
4. Cook it. Cover the Instant Pot, making sure the lid is set to “Sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 80 minutes.
5. Natural pressure release. Once it’s done cooking, let the pot naturally release it’s pressure for 15 minutes. After that, carefully turn the valve to release the remaining pressure, and then open the pot.

Storage

Store leftover brisket covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to store the meat along with the juices that it cooked in to help keep it juicy.

Reheating

Brisket reheats well, but the trick is to make sure it doesn’t dry out. However, there’s an easy solution for that! The key is to add liquid (beef broth or water) so the meat stays moist.

The Best Tips for Reheating Brisket

• Take the chill off. Before reheating, remove the brisket from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so you’re not reheating it from cold.
• Save the fat. As leftover brisket chills in the fridge with its cooking liquid, the fat will rise to the top of the liquid and solidify. Before you let the brisket sit at room temperature, remove some of the fat so you can put it on top of the brisket to keep it moist when reheating.
• Reheat until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165F. You can read more about the food safety of reheating leftovers on USDA.
• Be mindful of the size of the meat. If you’re reheating whole brisket, it will take longer than reheating sliced brisket. Keep an eye on it!

Oven Reheating

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Put the brisket in an oven-safe dish, add enough beef broth or water to just cover the bottom of the dish. If you want, add some of the fat that has solidified on the cooking liquid on top of the meat to melt down into the brisket as it reheats to keep it moist.
3. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Reheat until warm throughout, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Stovetop Reheating

1. Put the brisket in a pot or pan that’s big enough to hold it and add enough broth or water to come about 1/4-inch up the meat. To help the meat stay tender, juicy, and flavorful, you can add some of the solidified fat from the top of the cooking liquid.
2. Cover the pot or pan with a lid or foil, and reheat over medium to medium-low heat until warm.

Air Fryer Reheating

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350F.
2. Put the brisket on a large piece of foil and add enough a generous splash of broth or water. To help the meat stay tender, juicy, and flavorful, you can add some of the solidified fat from the top of the cooking liquid.
3. Fold up the foil to form a packet with the seam sides facing up. Reheat until warm throughout, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Tips

1. Make sure to sear the meat before braising! And before you sear the brisket, make sure to pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Be sure to add enough beef stock to come halfway up the meat. Check the brisket every couple hours and add more as necessary if the pan starts to get too dry.
3. Be patient because brisket needs to cook low and slow so you end up with meat that’s tender enough to melt in your mouth.

Beef Brisket Recipe FAQs

What is Brisket Called in the Grocery Store?

In the grocery store, brisket will often be called brisket. You might also find it the first cut labeled the “flat cut” and the second cut labeled the “point cut”.

At BBQ restaurants, you’ll often see brisket on a menu as “fatty brisket”. This typically refers to the second cut, which is more marbled with fat and connective tissue than the first cut.

Is Brisket a Good Cut of Meat?

Brisket is actually quite a tough cut of meat! But don’t be put off. When it’s cooked right (low and slow), it’s tender enough to cut with a fork, shreds easily, and just about melts in your mouth with rich, beefy flavor.

Cooking brisket at a relatively low temperature (such as 300F) for a long period of time (6 to 7 hours for a 3 to 4 pound piece of meat) lets the connective tissue break down and the fat melt to keep the meat juicy. This results in very tender brisket.

What is a Fat Cap on Brisket?

On one side of your flat cut brisket, you’ll see a thick white layer of fat. This is referred to as the “fat cap”.

Do You Leave the Fat Cap on Brisket?

For this beef brisket recipe, I leave the fat cap on when cooking. This helps with a couple things: 1) adds rich flavor, and 2) keeps the meat moist.

However, if you want to reduce the amount of fat, once the brisket is cooked, you can refrigerate it overnight before serving. Quite a bit of fat solidifies at the top, which is easy to remove if you want.

Removing the fat is optional; it bears noting that some people consider the fat a delicacy.

What to Make with Leftover Brisket

• Barbecue brisket sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, or rice bowls are all delicious ways to use leftovers.
• Shred it up and use it to make salad bowls similar to what I did with my Coffee-Spiked Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas.
• Chop it and make a meaty hash, kind of like Leftover Pot Roast Hash with Chimichurri-Inspired Sauce.
• Add veggies and make it into soup!

What Do I Serve with Brisket?

Whether you’re making brisket for a backyard barbecue or traditional Jewish passover meal, here are a ton of side dish ideas!

Sides for Brisket at a BBQ

• Black Beans
• Baked Beans
• Mexican Corn Salad
• Quick Pickled Red Onions
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Layered Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Herbed Sour Cream

Side Dishes for a Traditional Brisket Meal

• Mashed potatoes or baked potatoes
• Sweet potatoes, mashed or baked
• Steamed carrots, green beans, or whatever vegetable you like
• Potato Latkes (made with potato starch or matzo meal to keep them kosher for Passover)
• Crispy Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
• Savory Matzo Farfel Kugel for Passover

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on March 9, 2020. I updated it with more information on April 12, 2021.