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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For the onion braised brisket are there any other alternative cooking method in regards to a roasting pan?
Hi Euclid, You can use a large sauté pan to sear the meat.
Making this right now for Passover tomorrow – can’t wait to try it! Do you serve the onions and carrots on the side, or are they really just for flavoring the meat?
Hi Sheri, The onions melt into the sauce and the carrots are served alongside. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Jenn, this is our new family favorite! The brisket came out perfect, the carrots were even better and everyone asked for the recipe. 🙂 I finally invested in a fat separator for the sauce and so glad I did! Thank you!! 🙂
Should the fat side be up or down? Thanks!
Hi Laura, It should be up.
How do I double this recipe? I have about 11 lbs of meat. Thanks!
Hi Judy, Just multiply all of the ingredients x2 — and I would cook in two separate baking dishes for best results.
Hi Jenn,
I am in the same situation as Judy and have 11 lbs of meat. You wrote to cook in two separate baking dishes, does this mean cutting the meat in half first before starting any of the preparation/cooking?
Thank you!
Hi Cassie, I would cut it in half — that way you can just double all the ingredients, each piece will fit into a separate 13 x 9-inch pan and the cook time will be about the same. The smaller pieces are also just easier to handle. Good luck, and please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Hi, Jenn.
Thank you for that quick response, I will try that, hopefully this weekend, as I bought quite a few on sale and just need to pick up some more onions. Again thank you and I already have several recipes (from your site) that I am trying. I love to cook (and eat) and my family loves my “experiments” as they call them.
Ref. to Onion braised beef brisket. I love brisket, but since it is a tough meat I have usually just cooked in a slowcooker, was wondering if I can do the same with this recipe? It looks soooo good and I can just smell it here, so would love to try in my slow-cooker, if not will just have to suffer thru the heat of the oven and try this one.
Hi Pauline, You’d still need to go through all the initial steps on the stovetop, but then you can place it in the slow cooker.
Hi Jenn,
My daughter has asked that I make a brisket for Passover and I found your recipe. Reading the comments, this brisket sounds like it’s a hit however what would you suggest I use instead of flour? Matzo meal or Potato Starch? Thx!
Hi Nadine, Potato starch will work. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Just made this wonderful recipe, was fun and easy to put together. Owing to my ethnic origins, I sprinkled a tiny bit of ground cinnamon and even smaller amount of ground clove on top of the tomato paste, and scattered a few bay leaves among the carrots and onions right before putting the pot into the oven. Wonderful!
That sounds delicious, Linda. I may have to try that 🙂
Cinnamon and clove are traditional seasonings to beef cholent made for Eastern European Sabbath meals. Especially with clove, a little goes a long way–you just want to deepen the flavor, not actually taste either spice.
I made this today to serve for dinner tomorrow. After about 5 hours in the oven the meat is still tough and there’s a ton of liquid in the pan. I just took it out of the oven to cool. Is there any way I can rescue it by tomorrow’s dinner?
Hi Dorit, I’m just now seeing your comment and looks like I’m too late to help you save dinner. Did the brisket ever turn tender? Sometimes you just get a bad cut of meat…
Hi Jenn: This brisket has been a big hit and have made it 3 times now. Today will be the 4th time, I marinate the brisket first for a day or 2 in the fridge with a nice spicy rub. I order a complete brisket and cut it in half , that way the 2 pieces fit in my big turkey roaster. I will add a few parsnips with the carrots this time. thanks
So glad you enjoyed, Claire! Love your idea to use a spice rub.