Learn how to slow-cook a whole beef brisket in the oven with a delicious, caramelised balsamic and Worcestershire reduction, onions and garlic. This oven-cooked brisket is braised in the broth that is then caramelised and the meat is browned during the roasting process, resulting in the most succulent meat full of flavour.
I am going to cover a few brisket basics first, but feel free to press the Jump To Recipe button above to get straight to business. This is a gluten-free, paleo-friendly, dairy-free beef brisket recipe.
Slow Cooked Brisket In The Oven
I’ve been meaning to do a beef brisket recipe on the blog for A LONG time! I know it’s something my readers have asked for and also because many people are a little intimidated by this cut of meat.
Many think that the brisket requires a BBQ or smoking or that it takes a very long time. But, while it is one of those cuts that needs a little love and time to cook, it’s actually very easy to handle and I will show you how to make a beautiful baked brisket in the oven.
In this recipe, we are slow-cooking the brisket in the oven for 3 hours on low to moderate heat. It’s half-braised in a delicious broth, which slowly cooks down to form the most decadent reduction – our brisket sauce.
Once you’ve done all the prep, you only need to check on the brisket a few times; otherwise, it’s a very simple process. DO NOT FEAR THE BRISKET!
What Is Beef Brisket?
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef. This part has a lot of connective tissue so it’s considered a tough cut and requires the correct cooking method to make it tender.
The brisket is made up of two different muscles or parts: the point and the flat. The point cut is more elongated and is the fattier part of the brisket; the flat cut is a bit leaner and is more square/rectangular looking, allowing it to lay flat. You can use either of those in this recipe.
Both parts (which often are sold as one whole brisket) should have a fat cap or fat layer on them. You can trim some of that back but it does render (melt away) during cooking and provides a lot of flavour and moisture to the meat, so don’t cut all the fat off!
Brisket nutrition is very similar to other beef cuts; it’s high in protein and moderate in fat and zero carbs, with lots of iron, selenium and zinc and B-vitamins, especially B12 so it will give you lots of energy and antioxidants.
How Much Brisket Per Person?
This is actually a very good question because as with most slow-cooked meats, brisket will shrink during cooking (from 100% to about 60%) so you need to take that into consideration when planning your menu. As brisket has a bit of fat on it and some marbling throughout, it’s a satiating beef cut so you don’t need as much of it as lean beef. Plus, it also depends on what else you are serving with the brisket.
If you’re serving mostly brisket, you’d want to allow for 200-300 grams or 8 ounces of cooked brisket or more for hungry tummies. In my case, we served the meat with a coleslaw salad and sweet potatoes on the side, so 150-200 grams or 5-7 ounces of brisket was sufficient. I purchased a 1kg/2lb flat cut brisket with a fat cap on the top (outer side), and trimmed fat on the bottom. It served 6 (4 adults and 2 kids).
For 6 adults and a couple of sides to go with the meat, I’d say get a 1.2-1.5 kg / 2.5-3 pound brisket. The recipe will work for that amount of meat as well.
How To Cooke A Brisket In The Oven
You will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Here are some steps showing you how to prepare and cook a brisket in the oven. Begin by removing the brisket from the fridge to bring it to room temperature (if you plan to cook it right away).
Brisket Rub
The first thing I do is prepare the spiced brisket rub. To be honest, you can use whatever spices you have on hand. Even just salt and pepper will work. I went with a few of my favourites like smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder and cumin. Mix it with salt and put it aside.
How To Trim A Brisket?
As I mentioned above, the brisket will come with a layer of fat on top (usually). I like to trim off some of the thicker parts, I just slice the top layer of the fat off. But, I still leave a lot of the fat on to flavour the meat and keep it moist while cooking.
You can leave all the fat on as it will melt down while roasting. I find that too much fat would end up in my broth and the sauce can get a little oily but that’s a personal preference.
Next, rub the brisket with the spice rub evenly on all sides. At this stage, you can store the brisket in the fridge overnight to infuse it with all those spices or you can get straight to cooking.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 170 C/ 338 F.
Step 3. Sear the brisket on both sides. You can do this in a frying pan or directly in the oven tray over medium heat on the stove. I add a little oil first and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Step 3. Prepare the ingredients for the broth in the meantime. Remove the brisket and pour in the stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Turn the stove off. Stir in the garlic, onions, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic and Tamari soy sauce (or coconut aminos). This will be our braising broth that will turn into a sauce/reduction.
Step 4. Place the brisket on top of the onions (fat cap side up!) and nestle it into the broth. Cover the whole tray tightly with foil and place in the oven for a total of about 3 hours.
Step 5. You have to check the brisket after every hour. Remove the tray carefully and lift the foil off. Use a spoon to stir the broth around and baste the brisket with a few tablespoons of the liquid. After the second hour, you will see that the meat is starting to brown and the broth is reducing into a thicker sauce. Scoop some of the onions and garlic pieces on top of the meat as well when basting with the sauce.
In the last hour of cooking, I like to check it twice (every 30 minutes) because this is when the sauce can sometimes reduce too much on one side of the pan (say the hotter part of your oven). If it looks like the sauce is thickening and starting to look too sticky, add a little more stock or water and stir through. You want to avoid burning the reduction!
After 3 hours, turn the oven off and leave the brisket to rest for 10-15 minutes. You can also remove the tray and let it rest under foil for a bit. After that, transfer the brisket to a cutting board and slice it into whatever thickness slices you like. Scoop all of that gorgeous, caramelised reduction and onions on top.
More Tasty Beef Recipes To Try
- Beef Cheeks Slow-Cooked With Port & Vanilla
- Homemade Beef Burgers With Garlic Kale & Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Lemongrass Beef Short Ribs
- Shredded Beef Ragu With Sweet Potato Noodles
- Mexican Shredded Beef (Whole30, Paleo)
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Oven-Cooked Brisket With Worcestershire & Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 kg brisket I used flat cut with the fat layer on, which I trimmed off slightly (2 lbs.)
Spiced Brisket Rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chilli powder
For the brisket braising broth
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic sliced
- 500 ml chicken stock 2 cups
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil coconut oil or macadamia oil for searing the meat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 338 F.
- Wash and pat dry the brisket. Leave the fat cap on (usually on one side) but feel free to trim off particularly thick areas, which is what I did. Don't remove the fat altogether as it keeps the brisket moist and adds a lot of flavour.
- Mix the spice rub in a bowl and cover both sides of the brisket. Rub it in on all sides using your hands. If not in a rush, place the brisket into a Ziploc bag or a container and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Place a heat-proof metal baking tray (not ceramic or glass!) over high heat on the stove. Place it so that the flame hits the middle of the pan. You can also do this part in a large skillet or a frying pan.
- Add a tablespoon of oil and once hot, place the brisket in the middle, fat side down. Cook for 1-2 minutes to sear the spices. Turn over, add another splash of oil underneath, and cook on the meat side down for 1-2 minutes, just to brown off the spices a little. Remove the brisket to a plate.
- Add the onions and garlic to the tray and pour in a little bit of the stock. Stir through to deglaze the bottom of the pan and scrape off all those sticky spice rub bits. Now pour in the remaining stock, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic and Tamari soy sauce (or coconut aminos). Stir through and move the onions and garlic to the middle.
- Place the brisket on top of the onions in the broth (make sure to keep the fat layer side up!) and splash a few tablespoons of the liquid over the top. Cover the whole tray tightly with foil and pop in the oven.
- Cook for 1 hour, then remove the tray and splash a few more tablespoons of the cooking broth over the top to baste the meat. You can place some of the onions and garlic on top of the meat. Cover with foil again and pop back for 1 more hour.
- After this hour, repeat the basting process. At this stage, the cooking broth will be thickening and caramelising. If you have a taste, it will have a rich, salty gravy-like flavour. I recommend adding another 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water and stirring through the cooking broth at this stage. Cover with foil again and cook for 1 more hour.
- After 3 hours, check on the meat and make sure the broth isn't too thickened or sticky. Turn the oven off but leave the meat in there to rest for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for a little bit longer under foil.
- Transfer on a board or a platter with reduced sauce and onions on top. Slice into preferred thickness pieces and serve with mustard, your favourite BBQ sauce or simply with coleslaw, roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and any other sides you love with roast or BBQ meats.
- Note:A few people commented that their sauce didn't reduce. One thing I can think of is the size of the baking tray. For example, if your baking tray is smaller but deeper, the liquid wouldn't have been as spread out (if that makes sense?). So it would take longer to reduce. If that happens, you can also remove the brisket to rest and leave the sauce in the oven for longer OR pour the sauce into a frying pan and saute on high to reduce for 5 minutes or so.
Notes
- Coleslaw - I do a basic red cabbage, carrot, onions, red peppers slaw with olive oil or mayo dressing. I have quite a few slaw recipes on the site: try this one, rainbow slaw with avocado dressing (egg-free), or this yummy cabbage salad.
- Sweet potatoes - you can place another tray of sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time as the brisket. At 170 C / 375 F, I would say 30 minutes for sweet potato wedges or cubes. Try my garlic roasted sweet potatoes here. You can also do whole sweet potatoes for an hour or until they are soft enough. My miso butter sweet potatoes are the bomb! Sweet potato mash is another option.
Nutrition
Other Beef Brisket FAQs
Where To Buy Brisket?
Your local butcher is probably your best bet for getting a piece of brisket, however, it is now a popular cut of beef and is frequently found in the supermarket. Look for it in the beef section, usually next to roasting cuts.
How To Slice Brisket?
Properly, slow-cooked brisket should be juicy and tender and is easily sliced with a knife. I like to do 1-cm slices but you can also dice it. Cut from the fat cap layer down.
What To Serve With Brisket? Best Sides For Brisket?
Traditionally, smoked or BBQ-ed brisket is served with all the expected trimmings of coleslaw, fries, pickles, corn on the cob, potato salad or baked potatoes, collard greens, mac’n’cheese and so on.
If you eat bread, soft bread rolls, wraps or tacos can be used as vessels for the brisket. For a lower-carb meal, opt for a nice coleslaw and sweet potato baked fries or a nice cauliflower mash on the side.
What To Do With Leftover Brisket?
IF you have any leftover brisket, there are many tasty ways to enjoy it. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days (well-covered) and use it to make things like:
- Brisket nachos or tacos
- Brisket wraps, rolls or sandwiches
- Diced it finely and trow in a brisket fried rice (with regular or cauliflower rice)
- Top your favourite bowl of salad for extra protein
- Brisket and eggs for hearty breakfast
- More ideas for leftover brisket here.
How To Reheat Brisket?
I usually do it in a small frying pan with a little oil or a splash of water. You can also reheat in the oven at 200 C/395 F for 5-10 minutes or in a microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or so. Cold brisket is also quite nice.
Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing recipe! I didn’t want it to end. So tender and full of flavor.
Thanks, Mel. I am so happy you loved it 🙂 Irena
I made this a couple of days ago, and let it sit so the flavors would build. It was great, and everyone really loved the brisket as well as the onions. I will probably double the onions next time, as they were almost as good as the brisket. Ate this with a sliced radish salad, and topped the brisket with some cilantro, splash of lime, and some crumbled queso fresco.
Glad you enjoyed it, Jason. I have to agree about the onions, they were a hit in themselves. Love all the sides you served up.
I made this in the slow cooker with my homemade chicken broth and it was amazing! I served it with cauliflower mash, mushrooms and green veggies. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Hi Rebecca, yum, that sounds incredible! Glad you enjoyed it. Irena 🙂
This was totally delicious! I made it in the slow cooker for when we had friends over after church. This meant no glaze, but it still tasted amazing and the beef was very tender. I have lots of leftover broth – I’m going to experiment with a low-carb minestrone style soup to continue that delicious taste!
Hi Jennie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Irena 🙂
Hi – this recipe looks amazing! Before I start, are the leftovers freezable? Thank you!
Yes, absolutely! (if you have any)
absoloute amazing..thanks for sharing..added hint of bourbon at the end …heaven
Welcome, Roland. I am happy you enjoyed it. Love that little bourbon twist 😉
The brisket has been cooking for 3 hours but the sauce has not reduced!
Is it covered or uncovered? Is your oven set to the right temperature? Is the brisket itself cooking? I need a little more context to help you troubleshoot.
My sauce didn’t reduce either. I cooked it covered with foil at 335(my oven works by 5). So the last 20 mins I brought temp up to 345.
Still very watery, more than when I started
Hey Teresa, not sure why it didn’t work for you, it does reduce for most people. I know some ovens are hotter than others, where you put it in the oven might affect it, how much foil was used to cover etc. If you do try it again, try uncovering the foil for the last 30 minutes to 1 hour.
My sauce didn’t reduce either. I’m wondering if it’s because I used Balsamic Vinegar and not (Balsamic Reduction)??? The title of your recipe has Balsamic Reduction in it but when you list the ingredients it says Balsamic Vinegar. So I used regular Balsamic Vinegar….I’m wondering if this was the problem?
I used Balsamic vinegar too, the ‘reduction’ in the title does refer to its final texture after cooking. Did you do the last bit of cooking without the foil? The other thing I can think of is the size of the baking tray. For example, if your baking tray was smaller but deeper, the liquid wouldn’t have been as spread out (if that makes sense?). So it would take longer to reduce. If that happens, you can also remove the brisket to rest and leave the sauce in the oven for longer OR pour the sauce into a frying pan and saute on high to reduce for 5 minutes or so. I will add to Notes.
Cooked for 3.5hrs and it was so tough! The sauce was very tasty though a bit spicy from all the worcesteshire sauce (even without any cayenne or chilli in the rub). I’d make it again but probably in the slow or pressure cooker.
I’m trying this in the crock pot. What is the finished internal temperature of the beef?
Usually, between 85-90 C or 180-195 F.
Have done this several times and it is absolutely delicious, thank you!
I’m doing it today for more people and the brisket I have is 3kg. Do I need to cook it for longer I guess??
Hey Jess, I imagine it’s a larger slab of meat so maybe a little bit longer. OTherwise, I would cut the brisket in two and it would be the same cooking time. Maybe do a few more onions and a little more broth in the pan.
This is confusing. In one place it says 375 and in another 338 degrees? Which is it?
Sorry, 338 is correct. I operate in C’s, so 170C is the same in both places but must have been a typo in F’s.
Hello, I plan on cooking a 7 pound brisket and was wondering if the cooking time will remain the same or should it be cooked longer? Assuming the ingredients will be doubled or tripled for the rub and sauce. Thanks!
Hey, sorry for the late reply! If you cut the brisket into halves, you could keep the same cooking time. If it’s one whole piece, you might need 10-15 more minutes.
What does adding a hot tablespoon to this recipe achieve as I cant work out what it does!
A tablespoon of oil..sorry, typo!
The brisket I bought is 30 pounds how do I sear it ?
Wow, that’s a huge brisket. Cut it into a few pieces and sear them individually.
Hi
Want to make the brisket tomorrow
Was just wondering if you used conventional or fan forced when cooking the brisket?
Conventional
I currently have the brisket in the fridge completely rubbed down to be cooked tomorrow. My brisket is 4.7lbs how long will it need to cook? This is my first ever brisket.
Thank you, Bridget
Hey Bridget, I assume you have the whole brisket (based on the weight). I would say about 3.5 hours, so a little longer than my recipe. Although if the thickness of the brisket is the same as mine but it’s just a whole, longer piece, it might be okay with the recommended timings. You may need to adjust the liquid level slightly and add a little more water so it doesn’t dry out or reduce too much.
I made the recipe but my sauce never thickened, it was very juice like gravy. I only cooked it for 2 1/2 hrs because it was cooked. It was tender but not fall apart tender. I let it rest wrapped in tin foil for 15 to 20 minutes. I had to put it in a roasting pan because it was alarge brisket. Is there something I could have done to get that nice glaze that I was supposed to get?
I tried this recipie 2 months ago and was blown away how awesome my brisket tasted. it was probably the best brisket meal I have ever made. I am about to use it for my thanksgiving dinner and cannot wait to serve it to the family again. This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks Jeff, so glad you enjoyed it! Irena