Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
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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.
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“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.”
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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
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- 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.
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Hi Jen. Can this be made in an Instant Pot? What would the changes be? Thanks!
Hi Jen, I don’t have enough experience with it to tell you confidently whether or not/how to convert this recipe to an instant pot, so you may want to take a peek at these tips. It looks like they could be useful in converting traditional recipes to ones that would work in a pressure cooker. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Thanks Jen.
I made it the way you described and it was such a resounding success! So soft, gravy so perfect. I was so happy because I always wanted to make brisket but it never came out right. Thanks so much for an easy, perfect recipe. PS. I have made quite a few of your recipes and they have all come out just magnificent. I am always surprised how many internet recipes are not that good, even though they can have 500+ 5-star reviews. Thanks for being a place I can trust to give me an actual great recipe.
Glad you’ve had success with the recipes, Jen! 💗
Hi Jenn- is there any way to make this gluten free? Hoping to prepare for Chanukah but MIL has gluten allergy
Sure, Inna, you can replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I made my brisket in a roaster oven. I cooked it at the exact temps recommended, and it turned out perfectly. However, my roaster has 2 small vent holes in the lid. I taped foil over them, and it worked great. This one is a keeper!
Hi Jen,
Can I use a Roaster oven? Will it be the same temperature?
Thanks,
Erika
Hi Erika, I’ve never used a roaster oven, but from what I just read online, I suspect you can keep it at the same temperature. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much :). I am excited to make them and know It will be great. you have the best recipes. Can’t even imagine what your actual cooking would be like. It must be the bessssst.
❤️
This Christmas will be my third time making this recipe. My family and friends absolutely love it!
Hi Jenn — happy almost thanksgiving! two questions for you…
1- Brisket for thanksgiving! I am planning to make this tomorrow and then refrigerate for two nights (not one) — which I assume is okay. Correct?
2- I’d rather not slice midway (which I assume is okay!) since slicing the brisket when cold is pretty easy. If I don’t slice midway, what should my cooking time be?
Thanks so much!
Hi Eve, I love the idea of brisket for Thanksgiving! It’s perfectly fine to make it two days ahead, and it’s also fine to slice cold. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks! If I don’t slice midway, what should my cooking time be? Thanks Jenn!
Cooking time should remain the same as the recipe indicates. (You’ll know it’s done when it’s fork-tender.)
The taste was very good; personally, I put little by little about 500 ml broth during the second time in the oven to avoid the meat will be dry.
Ellen, did you use beef or chicken broth?
Hi there. Can you use Vidalia onions instead of yellow? Or perhaps a mixture of both?
Hi Kelsi, I’d recommend a mix of the two. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I made the recipe and it came out great. I do have a question. The recipe calls for the brisket to be sliced after 1-1/2 hours of cooking. When I sliced the brisket, juices came pouring out of the meat. Wouldn’t it be better to let the brisket rest for 10 or 15 minutes before slicing? Wouldn’t that make the meat even juicier?
Thanks. Great Recipe!
Hi Ken, glad you enjoyed the brisket! Usually, I do let it sit for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven for the first time because it’s too hot to handle immediately. That said, feel free to let it sit for a bit longer before slicing if you’d like. Regardless though, because you cook brisket for so long, it should come out tender.
Just fantastic. I used an oval Dutch oven and covered tightly with foil and the cover of the pot.
Stumbled on this recipe while browsing for new brisket making ideas. Fantastic recipe. Made it twice. First time I followed the directions exactly. The second I didn’t slice the brisket midway through cooking and the meat definitely came out juicier. I also added 1 tablespoon herb’s de provence, 3 bay leaves, and 2 tablespoons of worstechire sauce to the sauteed onions and sprinkled smoked paprika on top of the tomato paste topping. 4 1/2 stars for the original recipe and 5 stars with modifications. Will be making this on Labor Day for my father’s 69th birthday. Thanks so much and looking forward to trying your other recipes.
I am cooking with your adaptations right now. I put a rub on mine in overnight (sm. paprika, salt pepper gran. garlic) and used Goya tomato sauce on top because I didn’t have any tomato paste. Great idea with the herbs de province, worcestshire and bay. I’m not going to cut it after the first hour and a half, and will leave it whole in the fridge overnight, and slice it when cold and then reheat. Thanks!
Best brisket ever though I am waiting to try Jenn’s Moroccan version. I only knew brisket by the “BBQ” version. This is so amazing, I am going to throw away my old recipe. Have made it 4 times and always perfect. Follow recipe exactly (though I added a few more carrots since they are so yummy) and have the right pot or cover very tightly if using foil. I use a big dutch oven. Leftovers freeze great and I almost think taste better. Another great one, Jenn!
Hi, Jenn-
First, let me qualify be saying that I am not Jewish, so making and eating brisket is not a regular thing with us – in fact, this was 1 of the first briskets of this type that I ever made. So Happy Shabbot to all of you all! Second, this recipe is too good to be true. It was super easy and the results were fabulous. I made it yesterday, so it had a chance to marry overnight in a big, juicy gravy. Juicy, moist and tender with fabulous slices to lay over my delicious mashers.
The only problem that I encountered – when I went to reheat – and I used a 300 oven- I accidentally poked a hole in my aluminum foil and some of the liquid reduced so it wasn’t quite as juicy as I thought it would end up. Totally my fault – but left me wondering about the very best way to reheat- any advice??
All-in-All- The fam loved it. We are having it 2 nights and my husband is already planning a brisket sammy for lunch on Monday. Night 3? Whatever is left is going into a Vegetable Soup! Thanks for another good recipe that I can count on.
So glad you enjoyed the brisket, Lee Ann! You can always add a little liquid to the brisket when you reheat it if it seems dry; I’d start with a cup of chicken broth and add more as needed.