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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Your recipe is a Swiss Steak variation. Here’s a better true brisket recipe:
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/cowboybrisket.htm
No…Jenns is much better
Hi Jenn,
I was wondering if you think this would work in a slow cooker? Thanks!
Yes Amanda, You’d still need to go through all the initial steps on the stovetop, but then could can place it in the slow cooker. I hope you enjoy it!
I made this yesterday; it was my first brisket. Since the meat was just shy of three pounds, I loosely halved the other ingredients, but not the time. I used some white wine instead of water to loosen the brown bits, after sautéing the onions. It was cooked it in a Descoware roaster with foil under the lid. Plenty of pan juices were produced which thickened a bit after refrigerating overnight. Tender and delicious. I would definitely make this again for company. No entertaining jitters with this recipe.
Good recipe but my German mother-in law made a wonderful brisket and got loads of gravy by seasoning the meat with lemon juice, no pepper or salt loads of onions like your recipe. Let onions start to brown in roasting pan, put brisket on top of onions with lemon juice. After a while add water to start getting gravy. Keep adding water so onions won’t burn. That’s all folks. The lemon acts like a meat tenderizer and adds to the taste of the gravy. Make sure you get a brisket that has a layer of fat on one side and roast it fat side up. At the end separate the fat from the gravy. Enjoy!!
I have prepared this brisket several times, although I use to slice midway through, I find that braising till done about 3 to 4 hours and then refrigerating and slicing cold the next day works great, the last brisket was over 7 lbs and huge in my turkey roaster, and did not have enough space for all the carrots needed for the amount of servings , so I added carrots after taking out brisket and cooked more carrots in the oven in the onion juice for another 2 maybe 3 hours, the carrots were great and the onions a delicious sauce.
Help! I’m putting in the brisket this morning but cooking it for one long stretch. How long and at what temperature? Thanks!
Hi Cathy, So sorry I’m just reading your question, and realize I’m too late. But for what it’s worth, I would keep the time and temps the same, and just skip the rest in between.
One more question: can you do this in a le creuset pot? Can you use a disposable foil roasting pan? Just trying to get all options. Thanks again!
Yes and yes 🙂
Hi
Can you put this in the oven for a long stretch and then refrigerate overnight and cut the next day? I can’t find the time to do it in two sections with slicing in between. Thanks!
Hi Cathy, Yes, that will work.
Great. How many hours in the oven for one long stretch? And at what temperature? Planning on cooking Thursday for Friday night dinner. Thanks so much for responding!
I’ve made this brisket twice by cooking at 250 degrees for 5-6 hours covered tightly the entire time. It turns out great!
Truly amazing!!!! Made for my family of 4 tonight,I don’t think I EVER had a more flavorful piece of meat. I’m going to make your potatoes au gratin with it next time. It takes a little but more effort than the average piece of meat but I assure you…..worth the effort. I had it in the oven this morning by 8:00 am, was done by about 11:00 – 11:30 and let it sit loosely covered until 5:00 then reheated. Next time, I’ll try the overnight thing. Thanks Jenn.
Dan
Also Jen I’ve got to say your website is really really fantastic. I am getting so many great recipes off this site and do appreciate your help. Thanks again Terry