Braised Beef Brisket

Swap your usual pot roast recipe for this easy, budget-friendly Braised Beef Brisket. Create big flavors up front by browning the beef and vegetables, deglazing the pan with vinegar, and balancing the braising liquid with a touch of brown sugar. Tough brisket cooks down until it’s meltingly tender, a perfect addition to your dinner or holiday table.

Meggan’s notes

The secret to meltingly-tender, juicy brisket is to cook it “low and slow.” As a classically-trained chef, I’m knowledgeable in the different cuts of beef and how to best prepare them. Braising brisket in a robust cooking liquid infuses it with flavor from the inside out while breaking down the tough meat and its connective tissues.

While any cooking liquid can get the job done, I like to build layers of flavor before tucking the pot in the oven. Start by browning the brisket itself (seasoned with salt and pepper first). Then cook onions, garlic, and bay leaves in the rendered fat. Add vinegar to deglaze the pan, brown sugar to balance it out, and beef broth for liquid volume.

After that, give the brisket plenty of time (hours) to cook slowly at a low temperature. I like to slice it against the grain to serve, but it will be tender enough to shred, too. Serve this brisket dinner with your favorite sides (I love mashed potatoes or buttered noodles) and colorful vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and broccoli. I also add a few pickled red onions on top to cut through the richness of the meat.

Braised Beef Brisket ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Brisket: Look for flat cut brisket, which is rectangular and has a fat cap. If your brisket doesn’t fit in the Dutch oven for browning, cut it into pieces and sear in batches.
• Salt and pepper: Be sure to season the meat well before browning it. Add flavor at every level of cooking to ensure a roundly seasoned finished dish.
• Olive oil: For browning the brisket before you transfer it to the oven. Technically, you could skip this step if you don’t have time, but I highly recommend it for the best possible flavor.
• Onions and garlic: These alliums taste best when you cook off their harsh flavor. They soak up fat and flavor from the browned brisket, too.
• Bay leaves: They add an herbal, earthy note to the dish.
• Balsamic and red wine vinegars: Use these to deglaze the pan. The acid cuts through the richness of the fat in the brisket, too.
• Beef broth: The cooking liquid for braising the beef. Substitute chicken broth if that’s what you have.
• Brown sugar: A touch of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the vinegars.
• Onion powder and garlic powder: To flavor the cooking liquid.
• Pickled red onions: In the bottom of a pint jar or other airtight container with a lid, pack 2 cups sliced red onions (about 1 medium). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2/3 cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour over onions, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. 

How to Make Braised Beef Brisket

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat brisket dry and season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Brown beef on all sides until a deep brown crust develops, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a rimmed baking sheet or plate.

3. To the Dutch oven, add onions, garlic, and bay leaves and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar, and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.

4. Add beef broth, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a simmer.

5. Return brisket to pot. Cover and bake until meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours, turning the brisket over after 2 hours.

6. Remove brisket to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice brisket thinly across the grain.

7. On the bottom of a platter, arrange cooked onions, discarding bay leaves. Top with sliced brisket. Drizzle with pan juices and serve with pickled red onions if desired.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of cooked brisket plus at least 1 cup balsamic onions. It’s enough for 4 servings, 1 cup brisket plus ¼ cup onions per serving. The exact shrinkage of brisket depends on your specific cut, with brisket losing 30% to 50% of its originally weight (i.e., a 3-pound brisket may end up as 2 pounds cooked brisket by the end which is 4 cups brisket).
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: Make this brisket recipe up to 3 days in advance. Reheat on the stove until the brisket and cooking juices reach 165 degrees.
• Freezer: Freeze the cooled leftover brisket in freezer-safe containers. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat to 165 degrees.

Favorite sides for brisket

Side Dish Recipes

The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever

Side Dish Recipes

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Vegetable Recipes

Roasted Carrots

Vegetable Recipes

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Braised Beef Brisket

By Meggan Hill

Swap your usual pot roast recipe for this easy, budget-friendly Braised Beef Brisket. Create big flavors up front by browning the beef and vegetables, deglazing the pan with vinegar, and balancing the braising liquid with a touch of brown sugar.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings (1 cup each)

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 550

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 3 pounds beef brisket
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 large red onions halved and thinly sliced
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 bay leaves
• ▢ 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ▢ 3 cups beef broth or chicken broth
• ▢ 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ pickled red onions for serving, optional (see note 2)

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat brisket dry and season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Brown beef on all sides until a deep brown crust develops, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a rimmed baking sheet or plate.
• To the Dutch oven, add onions, garlic, and bay leaves and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar, and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.
• Add beef broth, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Return brisket to pot. Cover and bake until meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours, turning the brisket over after 2 hours.
• Remove brisket to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice brisket thinly across the grain. On the bottom of a platter, arrange cooked onions, discarding bay leaves. Top with sliced brisket. Drizzle with pan juices and serve with pickled red onions if desired.

Notes

1. Brisket: Look for flat cut brisket which is rectangular in shape and has a fat cap. If your brisket doesn’t fit in the Dutch oven for browning, cut it in pieces and sear in batches.
2. Pickled red onions: In the bottom of a pint jar or other airtight container with a lid, pack 2 c. sliced red onions (about 1 medium). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2/3 c. red wine vinegar, ¼ c. sugar, and a pinch of salt to simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour over onions, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. 
3. Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of cooked brisket plus at least 1 cup balsamic onions. 
4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 50gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 863mgPotassium: 1013mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 5mg

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