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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I made this for Christmas dinner and it was absolutely delicious! I followed the advice to cook it the day before and heated it up at dinnertime. It was amazing! Everyone loved it.
I was going to make something different for Christmas dinner, but, got your email about the Onion-Braised Beef Brisket. I wound up making that with yukon gold mashed potatoes and caramelized brussel sprouts with crispy bacon and prosciutto. I made a few tweaks to your recipe. I added more carrots which I seasoned first, I also used Campbell’s Beef Consomme to deglaze onions, and used after I sliced the beef to put into the oven to finish. The sauce was definitely like onion soup and more gravy-like. It also made extra gravy so the next day was even more tender and tasty.
I made the Onion Braised Brisket for Christmas dinner. It was to die for! I can hardly cook but this was so easy and turned out so well. I’m so grateful to you!
OMG….amazing! I added baby potatoes after slicing and putting back in the oven, PERFECTION!! Thank goodness I have leftovers!
What a great brisket recipe. Made it today for my second annual Hanukkah Dinner on Christmas Day! My brisket was 3.5lbs so I reduced the amount of onions. Big mistake. Now I have no gravy. Is there any way to use the small amount of onions to make more gravy
Jen, I too am a classically trained Chef and this recipe is so close to the one my mother made everytime she made brisket. Her recipe dates back to the 1930’s. The only difference is the addition of carrots and the tomato paste. I’ve been making it for 40 years or more to rave reviews. My recipe (that come close to my mother’s taste) is the match the weight of the brisket with taht of the onions. I add a couple of bay leafs too.
This recipe looks delicious! I’d like to try to make it in the slow cooker. How many hours should it be on for? Should I put it on high or low? And would I still need to slice it somewhere along the cooking process? Thanks!
Hi Dorit, You could try it in a slow cooker (I’m guessing 8-9 hours on low) but you’d still need to sear the meat first on the stovetop so I think it’s probably easier (and faster) to just keep it in the same pan and oven roast it as per the recipe. But, if you go with the slow cooker, I’d slice it about halfway through cooking. Please come back and let me know how it turns out.
This recipe looks incredibly delicious and looking forward to preparing for Christmas Eve. Will it release enough liquids so I can make gravy to serve? Thanks Cheryl Thomson
Hi Cheryl, There will be plenty of gravy but it’s not the type of gravy you’d put in a gravy boat and pour; it’s on the thicker side as the onions sort of melt into it. You wouldn’t need to make any additional sauce for it. Hope you enjoy and please come back and lmk how it turns out 🙂
Just discovered the recipe….I think it’ll be delicious….comfort food for the chilly, rainy days right now. Will prob. add some extra garlic as I love it so. I’m pleased I’ve discovered you Jennifer. I like the clarity of your explanations…and the fact that your available to answer questions!! Other recipes look yummy also!
Happy Holidays
Can you use your crockpot and what would
the cooking instructions be? Thanks
Hi Diane, I’m sure you could probably cook but I can’t give you specific instructions because I’ve never tried it. Also, you’d still need to sear the meat first on the stovetop so I think it’s easier to just keep it in the same pan and oven roast it.
I am looking forward to making this brisket! I am a little unclear as to searing the brisket and cooking the onions. Is this done on the stovetop, and the brisket is later transferred to the oven? If so, should I use two burners on the stovetop to evenly heat the roasting pan?
Hi Angela, Yes, that’s how it’s done. It depends on the size of your roasting pan, but it’s probably a good idea to use two burners.
I had a very large roasting pan and I used 3 burners to sear the brisket.