Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Prepare a memorable dinner with this incredibly simple, make-ahead beef brisket recipe. It’s a foolproof crowd-pleaser, complete with a French onion soup-like gravy.
This celebrated beef brisket recipe comes from the late Nach Waxman, owner of the beloved New York City cookbook shop Kitchen Arts & Letters. First published in The Silver Palette New Basics Cookbook in 1989, it is apparently the world’s most Googled brisket recipe. The recipe is surprisingly simple. Unlike all other briskets I’ve made, there’s no wine, stock, or bottled sauces added. Instead, the brisket is cooked on top of a massive heap of onions, which slowly caramelize and release their natural juices, making a rich French onion soup-like braising liquid and gravy.
Table of Contents
“This brisket is AMAZING! It turns out perfect each time. Cutting it, then rearranging the slices back in the pan works great! Such beautiful flavor, delicious gravy, and juicy tender meat. Highly recommended!”
I have made some modifications to the recipe over the years, though the original can still be found here. This dish is ideal for preparing ahead of time, as the flavors deepen when served the following day. For me, it’s a Jewish holiday staple, alongside classics like matzo ball soup, challah, latkes and more. For those observing Passover, the flour in this recipe can easily be substituted with matzo meal to keep it compliant with Passover dietary guidelines.
What You’ll Need To Make Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
Butchers typically sell two types of brisket: flat cut and point cut. These two pieces together make up a full brisket, a large slab of muscle from the cow’s chest. The point cut has more marbling, while the flat cut (also called first cut or center cut) is lean but topped with a thick fat cap. This recipe calls for a first-cut/flat-cut brisket. Don’t let your butcher trim all the fat off! A small fat cap bastes the meat, adding flavor and keeping it from getting dry and tough.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by seasoning the meat with lots of kosher salt and pepper.
Dust both sides with flour.
Heat the oil in a heavy flameproof roasting pan or ovenproof enameled cast iron pot until shimmering, then sear the brisket on both sides until brown and crusty in spots.
Transfer the meat to a platter, then add the onions to the pan.
Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Place the brisket back in the pan on top of the onions and spread the tomato paste on top. Scatter the carrots and garlic around the edges.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid, and bake for 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Using an electric or sharp knife, slice the beef into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain. It’s much easier to cut at this point than it is at the end.
Place the slices back in the pan on an angle, so that the top edge of each slice is showing. Baste the meat with the pan juices.
Cook for a few more hours, until the meat is tender.
You can serve it right away, but it’s better to refrigerate it overnight and reheat it the next day. It also freezes well.
“This is a 5-star, easily repeatable main dish that is now my go-to special occasion meal for larger groups. Do yourself a favor and make it ahead of time as suggested; enjoy that the cooking is already DONE the day of your dinner, and impress yourself with how truly flavorful and delicious this meal is.”
You May Also Like
Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
Prepare a memorable dinner with this incredibly simple, make-ahead beef brisket recipe. It’s a foolproof crowd-pleaser, complete with a French onion soup-like gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 5 to 6 pound first-cut (or flat-cut) beef brisket, trimmed so a thin layer of fat remains in some spots (do not over trim!)
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (okay to substitute matzo cake meal for Passover)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into large chunks on a diagonal
- Handful fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Season the brisket on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lightly dust the brisket with the flour, then shake and turn to coat evenly. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy flameproof roasting pan or ovenproof enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to hold the brisket and carrots snugly. Add the brisket to the pan and sear on both sides until crusty brown areas appear on the surface, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
- Transfer the brisket to a platter, then add the onions to the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onions are softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes. (If browned bits stick to the bottom of the pan and start to burn, add a few tablespoons of water and scrape with a wooden spoon to release them.)
- Turn off the heat and place the brisket, fatty side up, and any accumulated juices on top of the onions. Spread the tomato paste evenly over the brisket, then scatter the garlic and carrots around the edges of the pan. Cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil (preferably heavy-duty or two layers) or a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1½ hours.
- Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and, using an electric or very sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain into approximately ⅛ to ¼-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the pan, 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. Cover the pan tightly and return to the oven.
- Lower the heat to 325°F and cook the brisket until it is fork-tender, 1¾ to 2½ hours, or longer if necessary. The brisket is ready to serve with its juices, but it is even better the second day. (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.)
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated for a 5-pound brisket.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly 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. The brisket also freezes well for up to 2 months; defrost in the refrigerator 2 days ahead of time.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 726
- Fat: 55 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Sodium: 844 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi, Jenn: This recipe was a big hit with the family on Easter. I did make a few small changes: (1) I used a small can of tomato sauce instead of the paste and then removed excess liquid during cooking. I used it later to make gravy. (2) I added mushrooms to the onions and rutabaga to the carrots. It was such a big hit with my 7-year-old granddaughter that her Dad made sure to get the URL for the recipe.
Hello, yes I made the brisket the way I read it , it was pretty good but I think I put too much paste on it because I have a lot of red sauce
I made this today and it was delicious. I did make a few changes. I did not want any tomato in the dish as we have had a lot of tomato sauce lately and did not want any tomatoey leftover sauce either. So, I made some dried porcini mushrooms into powder in my dedicated spice´coffee grinder. I did the rub as you suggested, then added a coat of the porcini powder and left it overnight. Browned meat and onions, then covered with beef broth, a bit of soy sauce (1 tbsp) and a few drops of Magi seasoning, bay leaf powder, celery seed and thyme (about one quarter tsp of each) It was really great at dinner, came home after going to a movie, needed a snack and toasted some very flat kalamatta sourdough bread, and put a small amount of meat on top, it was even better having sat a few hours. Looking forward to more leftovers in the next few days. (I omitted carrots and tomato paste) Loved the idea of all those onions, plan on making some french onion soup with some of the leftover saue, hope I have enough for two servings!.
oh, I guess I omitted the flour too. But you got me started in the right direction I wanted to go but was hesitant.
After several people asked if you could use a disposable aluminum,I’m not sure how you can sear a brisket and then carmelize the onions in a disposable pan. Will it hold up to gas burners?
Hi Carol, while you can roast the brisket in the disposable aluminum pan, you do need to use something more substantial (like a roasting pan or an enameled cast iron pot) for the searing of the beef and cooking of the onions. Sorry if that wasn’t more clear!
Thank you for the clarification. This was outstanding . It will be my only brisket recipe I will make in the future.
I have been roasting brisket for about 35 years. I slice 3-4 large onions with a few handfuls on the bottom of a turkey roasting pan, place raw trimmed brisket generously sprinkled with only Lawry’s Seasoning Salt on top of raw onions. Place handfuls of the rest of the sliced onions on top of the meat (some fat on top). Pour in about 1 cup of water. Cover securely with heavy duty foil . Bake at 325 for 3 1/2 hours. Test with fork. Should feel like butter in all parts. If not put back in oven for about 15-20 min. testing until fork tender.
I think I messed up! My brisket came out with a bit burnt taste and a bittneress. Maybe I cooked the onions on too high a heat? Everyone else raves about it so must be my fault!
Love your site, thank you for every thing you do
Hi Jordan, sorry to hear that the brisket tasted burnt! Was the meat tender? If so, I suspect that maybe the onions were a bit burnt. If you try the recipe again, try adding a little water to the pan to help deglaze it while cooking the onions. (It helps to release all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and prevent them from burning).
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for publishing this terrific recipe!
Brisket is tough (pun is incidental only) to come by here in Italy. You can only obtain it by being acquainted with a butcher who breaks down entire animals since this is cut (Punto di Petto in italian) is not as ubiquitous as it is in the States or parts of eastern Europe).
I’ve made your version several times, most recently with a slight variation, rubbing the meat with Safinter Pimenton de la Vera (smoked Spanish Paprika) after salt and pepper, but before dredging the brisket in the flour. The Pimenton adds a subtle smoky flavor that complements the finished dish without unbalancing the base of caramelized onions or the sweetness of the carrots. I’ve had no complaints either way…Next time, I’m thinking of dialing down the sweetness by using some fresh rosemary sprigs and substituting 1/3 of the onions with some radicchio tardivo!
Best,
Magnas
Tried this for Xmas day dinner. I made it on the 24th and we had it on the 25th. Fantastic dish loved by my whole family. We had yor best ever buttermilk biscuits too. Thanks Jen for a great site, fantastic recipes . You are by far my favourite online site, I rarely use cookbooks anymore lol.
Thank you, Sharon! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the recipes.
could I use the same steps with a diferrent meat? Sirlion roast maybe
Hi Alexandra, you could try it, but you’ll definitely get the best results with a brisket.
Thanks for Nach’s recipe. I am the author of The Brisket Book: A Love Story With Recipes. (Andrews McMeel.) And I am the brisketeer who first noted that Nach’s brisket recipe is the most Googled. An honor! Credit to Nach and to me. Also, Nach developed the art of “interval cutting.” A brisket breakthrough if there ever was one. And finally, the latest iteration of his classic recipe – with his edits – is not in Silver Palate but in The Brisket Book. Perhaps you could mention that. And, as I say when I sign my books, “May you always have leftovers…”
Thanks for the clarification Stephanie! I will make an update to the recipe on my site. Congrats on the success of your book!