Cooking brisket in the oven is easy. Simply rub the meat with spices, bake it in a foil pouch, then briefly broil to crisp the fat. The result is tender and juicy.
I enjoy affordable yet flavorful beef cuts such as beef shanks and tri-tip roast. In barbecue places, brisket is my favorite cut to order - I even prefer it to pork ribs! The best restaurants smoke the meat slowly, but your home oven is a great tool, too. Use smoked paprika to give the meat a smoky flavor, and cook it on low for several hours. You'll be rewarded with tender, flavorful meat and plenty of delicious leftovers.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Beef brisket: I usually get a three-pound cut at Whole Foods. You can also order it online on websites such as US Wellness Meats.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Sometimes, I use smoked salt to add to the smoky flavor.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Combine kosher salt, black pepper, and spices, and rub the mixture all over the meat.
Place the brisket in a well-sealed foil pouch and bake it for three hours in a 300°F oven. Brush it with the cooking juices and broil it to crisp the fat.
Let it rest before slicing and serving.
5 stars! This was outstanding! Thank you, Vered.
Stu
Read more comments
5 stars! This was outstanding! Thank you, Vered.Recipe Tip: Brisket Point vs Flat
The brisket has two parts, shown in the photos below: the point and the flat. The point is a thicker and fattier cut. The flat is leaner and tougher and has more connective tissue. The flat is easier to slice because of its shape, while the point is perfect for shredding.
While this recipe was written for the flat part, I sometimes use it to cook a brisket point. Although the point is typically ready faster than the flat, using the same recipe for both is fine. The point is fatty, so it won't dry out even if cooked for longer than it actually needs.
Recipe FAQs
No. Unlike the tender ribeye roast, beef brisket is a tough but flavorful cut of beef that requires low and slow cooking. Since it takes a while, this recipe is excellent for a winter weekend when you're home anyway. It's not difficult, but it does require a time commitment of about three hours.
No. The foil pouch is crucial to prevent the meat from drying out and to keep it juicy.
Beef brisket comes with a beautiful fat cap. Please don't remove it completely, before or after cooking. It's the best part! But you can ask your butcher to trim it to a manageable thickness: ¼ inch is ideal. Brisket should be cooked with the fat side up. This will allow the melting fat to seep into the meat, making it juicier and more flavorful.
Before you cook it, look at the raw piece of meat and locate the direction of the grain, as shown in the photo below. When cooked, you will want to cut it thinly against the grain to sever the muscle fibers, tenderize the meat, and make chewing easier.
Serving Suggestions
I bake the brisket at low heat, so I can't roast vegetables at the same time since they require a hot oven. Roasted green beans, for example, need a 425°F oven, but I cook the beef in a 300°F oven.
So, I usually serve it with easy side dishes that I can make separately in the microwave, such as mashed cauliflower, microwave broccoli, or microwave asparagus.
A salad is another great option. My favorites are arugula salad, cucumber salad, and tomato salad.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
Like other slow-cooked meats (such as pot roast or oxtail stew), brisket improves with time. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Use the leftovers as you would roast beef - serve cold slices on a plate with sriracha mayo or Dijon mustard and quick pickles, or make a cloud bread or almond flour bread sandwich. If you'd like to reheat the leftovers, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Recipe Card
Easy Oven Brisket Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds brisket - fat trimmed to ¼-inch thick
Dry Rub:
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Look at the raw piece of meat and locate the direction of the grain. You will want to cut it against the grain when it's cooked.
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Gently rub the spice mix all over the meat.
- Make a foil pouch: Place the brisket, fat side up, on two layers of foil. Pull the edges of the foil up around the brisket and wrap it. Use a third foil layer on the top if needed. Seal well to keep moisture in, but don't wrap the meat too tightly. Leave some room for the steam.
- Place the foil pouch on a foil-lined, broiler-safe, rimmed baking sheet. Cook the brisket for 3 hours (about 1 hour per pound) until very tender.
- Turn off the oven and let the meat rest until it's cool enough to handle. Remove the brisket from the oven and open the foil pouch. Pour the cooking juices into a measuring cup. You can skim the fat from the top if you want (I don't).
- Turn the oven to broil. Brush the meat with some of the cooking juices. Broil until the fat browns and starts to crisp, for about 2 minutes.
- Allow the brisket to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice it against the grain and on the bias into ¼-inch slices. Serve it with the cooking juices for dipping.
Notes
- You can use a teaspoon of smoked salt for a more pronounced smoky flavor.
- Beef brisket comes with a beautiful fat cap. Please don't remove it completely, before or after cooking. It's the best part! But you can ask your butcher to trim it to a manageable thickness. ¼ inch is ideal.
- Cook the meat fat side up. This will allow some of the melting fat to seep into the meat, making it juicier and more flavorful.
- Like other slow-cooked meats, brisket improves with time. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Slice the leftovers and serve them cold, or reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power.
- You can freeze the cooled leftovers in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition per Serving
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Yolanda Thomas says
Hi there. Can I rub with mustard instead of using dry mustard? And would you recommend putting bbq sauce at some point during cooking?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Yolanda,
1. You can mix a tablespoon of prepared mustard with the spices and rub the mixture on the brisket. If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of water.
2. In step 6, instead of brushing the brisket with the cooking juices before broiling, you can brush it with 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce. Keep a close eye on it while under the broiler. BBQ sauce burns easily. It's best to position the oven rack 6 inches below the broiler (not directly below).