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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Hi Jenn,
I am hosting a dinner party and not sure whether to make this brisket or the other one you posted on your website. Between the two -both of course looking devine — which would you recommend/ personally prefer? (I will be hosting foodie friends).
Hi Malak, I definitely recommend this one. Hope everyone enjoys!
The brisket available at my grocery store didn’t have a fat cap. Can I still use your recipe on this type of brisket? Any modifications? Thanks 🌼
Hi Jenn,
Is it possible to do this all stove top on low in a braise? An hour per lb approx?
Thanks!
Yes and yes 🙂
Hi- What other cuts of meat can I substitute for the Brisket?
Hi Lauren, I think boneless beef chuck would also work here. Please LMK how it turns out!
Made this over the weekend as a sort of “weekend project” because I thought the pictures were so pretty and I wanted to learn a recipe that will really *WOW* at a dinner party.
Holy cow. This brisket is OUTSTANDING. It’s literally gorgeous when it comes out of the oven. Used 2lbs of carrots because I thought they were pretty (good choice; they looked lovely) but otherwise followed the recipe. Paired with Jenn’s Moroccan Basmati rice pilaf with dried fruit and almonds and some green beans.
This is a real show-stopper. Can’t wait to make it for friends in the future.
I just made this and the smells and taste are outstanding. However I barely have any liquid. I even added a whole other cup of wine because there was barely any liquid after I cooked down the onions and added the cup of water (I actually used vegetable broth). What did I do wrong?
Hi Brooke, did you use a roasting pan that was just large enough to snugly fit the brisket? If it was larger than that, the liquid won’t be very deep in the pan and will cook off during its time in the oven. Also, did you cover the pan very tightly with foil (or a lid if it has one)?
I have a feeling my pan was too big. It was a long piece of brisket so I would have had to fold it over in a smaller pan. Is that what I should do in the future. Also, when reheating should I add some
vegetable broth so it doesn’t dry it out even more? Or will that dilute the flavor?
Yes, you can fold it over a bit if necessary. And it’s a good idea to add a little broth when you reheat it – it should be fine. Hope that helps!
Hi! Can this recipe be made with a french roast, brick roast or california roast?
Hi Lauren, I think any of those cuts would work from a texture standpoint, but they are likely to have a very different shape than a brisket, so not certain how it will impact the cooking time. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with one of these!
This recipe turns out perfectly. I followed the instructions and only added more prunes – many more. Making it the day ahead means the meat is tender and flavourful. The taste is delicious. Everyone loved it. I froze the leftovers which taste fine.
Absolutely wonderful recipe. That is easy to follow and needs no substitutions. My Moroccan friends even gave it the thumbs up!
Amazing and an excellent compilation of exotic species. My entire family loved it! They said I really out did myself, but I told them I followed a new recipe and it was a lot simpler then it taste and looks. Thank you so much for sharing this devine recipe with us. Posting pictures of this delicious meal on my social accounts 😋