Moroccan-Style Brisket with Dried Fruit & Capers
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This Moroccan-style brisket is so abundant and impressive looking, you can keep the sides super simple.
As a special treat for Passover, I’m delighted to give you a sneak peek of one of my favorite recipes from my new cookbook, Once Upon a Chef, The Cookbook: 100 Tested, Perfected, and Family-Approved Recipes. Perfect for the Jewish holiday or any special family dinner, this Moroccan-style brisket recipe is a wonderful twist on Nach Waxman’s “most-Googled brisket recipe” that I’ve been making for years. The ingredient list looks long but don’t let that scare you off; it’s really just a lot of spices. Plus, you can make it days ahead of time — in fact, you should because the flavor improves the longer it sits.
This dish is so abundant and impressive looking, you can keep the sides simple: some cauliflower purée and a green vegetable and your holiday dinner is done.
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Moroccan-Style Brisket with Dried Fruit & Capers
This Moroccan-style brisket is so abundant and impressive looking, you can keep the sides super simple.
Ingredients
- One (4- to 6-lb) flat-cut brisket
- 1 heaping Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ Tbsp all-purpose flour (okay to substitute matzo cake meal)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 medium yellow onions, cut into slices ½ in thick
- 2 tsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 6 carrots, peeled and quartered on the diagonal
- 14 dried apricots
- 12 pitted prunes
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Season the brisket on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lightly dust with the flour, turning to coat both sides evenly.
- In a heavy flameproof roasting pan or ovenproof enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to hold the brisket, carrots, and dried fruits snugly, heat the oil over medium‑high heat. Add the brisket to the pan, fatty-side down, and sear until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a pair of tongs and a large fork, flip the brisket over and sear the other side in the same manner.
- Transfer the brisket to a platter, and then add the onions to the pan. (If the pan seems dry, add a few tablespoons of water.) Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the onions are softened and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne to the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add 1 cup water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from the heat and place the brisket, fatty‑side up, and any accumulated juices from the platter on top of the onions. Spread the tomato paste evenly over the brisket, and then scatter the garlic around it. Cover the pan very tightly with heavy‑duty aluminum foil or a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 1½ hours.
- Carefully transfer the brisket to a cutting board (leave the oven on). Using an electric or very sharp knife, cut the meat across the grain on a diagonal into thin slices (aim for 1⁄8 to ¼ in thick). Return the slices to the pot, overlapping them at an angle so that you can see a bit of the top edge of each slice. The end result should resemble the original unsliced brisket leaning slightly backward. Scatter the carrots, apricots, prunes, and capers around the edges of the pot and baste with the sauce; cover tightly with the foil or lid and return to the oven.
- Lower the heat to 325°F and cook the brisket until it is fork‑tender, 1¾ to 2½ hours. Transfer the brisket to a serving platter, and then sprinkle with parsley. If you’re not planning to serve the brisket right away, let it cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: If the sauce seems greasy, transfer the meat and vegetables to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the sauce into a bowl and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Using a small ladle, spoon out the fat. Pour the skimmed gravy back over the meat.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The brisket can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat the brisket in a 300°F oven until hot, about 45 minutes. Brisket also freezes well for up to 2 months; just be sure to defrost in the refrigerator 2 days ahead of time.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 820
- Fat: 56 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Sugar: 13 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 43 g
- Sodium: 901 mg
- Cholesterol: 213 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I want to make thisnut live in the UK – do you know what meat is equivalent ? Google doesn’t seem to help
Hi Leeann, I’m not sure what brisket is called in the UK – sorry! I would tell your butcher it is a cut from the breast or lower chest of beef, and maybe show him a photo (there’s one on Wikipedia).
I would assume this for a beef brisket?? Not all cooks would know this. Please specify. Thanks
Yes, beef brisket. Enjoy!
I wasn’t going to make brisket for Passover this year, but the recipe alone made my mouth water! Just made it and gave my son (finicky eater) a taste. He literally patted me on the back! This is the best brisket recipe ever. Thank you Jenn!!
Soooo worth the time spent in the kitchen! I always tend to shy away from cooking red meat, especially big, impressive chunks like that, but I’m glad I mustered the courage! Followed the instructions to a T, just left out capers as I don’t like them. Turned out splendid, just perfect. Thanks Jennifer, you never fail me 😉
Also, for those like me a bit intimidated by the brisket, I used the step-by-step pictures from another brisket recipe on the site as the prep is fairly similar.(https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/onion-braised-beef-brisket.html#tabrecipe)
My husband is allergic to onions. What do I do?
Hi Nancy, Unfortunately, I don’t think this recipe will work without the onions. So sorry!
This sounds fantastic but I wonder: if making this 2-3 days ahead, should I just cook the brisket the first 1.5 hours, refrigerate it and then slice and continue the cooking with the fruit and veg when I’m ready to serve it? I don’t want everything to get mushy.
That will work, Peggy, but you can also make it entirely ahead – it reheats beautifully.
At the end, you mention that brisket freezes well for a while; may I please assume you’re referring to the cooked brisket? (Probably a stupid question, right?) Thanks!
Not a stupid question! (But, yes, I’m referring to the cooked brisket.) Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Sounds yummy! I have a friend strongly allergic to garlic, so I’d replace with shallots. Do you think that would work okay?
Btw, every one of your recipes I’ve tried have been winners!
Sure, Jane – that’s fine. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes! 😊
Jen,
This is making my mouth water!
Going to make it BUT my family doesn’t care for Cumin or Corriander. Are there any other complementary herbs or spices that you would recommend to replace the above? Oregano, Rosemary???
Thanks,
Michele Glemser
Hi Michele, It’s fine to leave the coriander out. I’d replace the cumin with chili powder – if your family doesn’t like chili powder (it does have some cumin in it), you can leave that out too. Hope that helps!
I tested this one for the cookbook and it blew everyone away. The second time I made it I wondered if how good it was had been a fluke. Nope! Second time it was every bit as fabulous. The fruits kind of melt into the juices and become succulent and such a good compliment to the meat. This is the best roast I have ever cooked or eaten! Thanks, Jenn.
Jenn,
Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes. This brisket recipe is fantastic. My husband is usually not a fan of brisket, but he loved this one. I love your cookbook. Thanks! Kim
❤️
This is the best brisket recipe I have used. The flavors are wonderful. I also have used other recipes in your book. I have one question. I would like to save a recipe that I have used in a folder. Could you add a save recipe folder?
thank you, janice
Glad you like the brisket and thanks for your support with the cookbook! I will add a recipe box/folder to my list of potential enhancements to the blog. In the meantime, a number of readers have commented that they like this app for saving/organizing recipes.