The best way to cook beef brisket

This tasty and simple oven baked beef brisket recipe is easy to make and easy to eat.  Cook beef brisket tightly covered in aluminum foil in the oven at 325 for the first hour and 275 degrees for an additional three hours.

Serve brisket with the pan sauce it cooked in or place some sharp mustard or a horseradish and sour cream sauce mix.  Leave some straight horseradish on the side if you want to get real spicy.

How Long To Cook Brisket In The Oven:

A general rule of thumb is to cook beef brisket in the oven at 275F for around 60 minutes / 1 hour for every pound of meat.  For example, 4 lb = 4 hours,  5 lb = 5 hours, etc...

Additionally, leave any fat on the top of the brisket - this will keep it moist and tender.

Cook the beef brisket with the fat side up so that as the fat melts it will keep the meat moist and tender.

Cooking A Small Beef Brisket In The Oven:

The smaller the brisket the harder it is to cook because of all the connective tissue. Cooking a small piece of tough meat for a long time is challenging, so consider leftovers and cook at least 4 pounds if possible.

Beef brisket needs to rest at least 15 minutes covered after it's cooked. Slice the meat against the grain when it has cooled.

Place the brisket slices back in some of the sauce that it cooked in to keep it moist. It will soak it back up and is even better and more flavorful the next day.

Why cook Beef Brisket "low and slow" in the oven?

Low and slow is a cooking term to describe cooking a tough piece of meat at a low heat for a long time. This method ensures a final brisket that is uber tender. Low heat is generally anywhere from 250F - 325F.

Brisket can be a tough cut of meat because of the connective tissue. It needs to be cooked low and slow to break down the connective tissue into gelatin. This makes it tender!

Pick a brisket that has plenty of fat marbling in the meat. Fat is a good thing for a beef brisket and also keeps it tender while cooking in the oven.

Is Beef Brisket Cooked in Liquid or Above The Liquid?

This oven roasted beef brisket recipe is meant to cook a brisket that stays together in tender slices and keep it forms and that is achieved best by keeping it out of the liquid.

If you want brisket that shreds, cook it in the liquid with this recipe. The dry rub may seep into the sauce but it will still be delicious

The best way to cook beef brisket
Raw brisket with spice rub on an elevated rack over a baking dish that has beef broth in it. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake.

Substitutions and Variations For Beef Brisket

Don't have all the spices for this oven brisket recipe?  Just use salt and pepper on the beef brisket and skip the rest. It will still be delicious.

Don't have beef broth to cook the brisket in?  This beef brisket can also be cooked using chicken or vegetable broth, beer, or even salted water in a pinch.

Baked Oven Brisket Recipe Tips

If your oven runs really hot, the beef broth will evaporate.  Therefore, it's best to check the liquid level half way through cooking, and add a little more beef broth if needed. 

Strain the fat off the liquid after it's done cooking and use the sauce as a dipping Au Jus for the brisket. Don't want to strain the fat? Cool, don't worry about it and dip away. A little fat never hurt nobody! 🙂

The best way to cook beef brisket

Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe FAQS

How long does it take to cook a beef brisket in the oven?

It takes about one hour per pound of beef brisket at 275F. It is hard to cook a tender brisket smaller than 3-4 pounds so plan for leftovers.

What temperature do I cook brisket at in the oven?

Cook brisket at 325F for the first hour to get it going. Then reduce the temperature to 275 degrees F and cook it low and slow for the rest of the time.

Do I cook the brisket fat side up or fat side down?

Cook brisket fat side up. And pick a marbled brisket with fat. Don't take the fat off the brisket. Cooking brisket fat side up will shield the meat from drying out and keep it moister.

Why did my brisket turn out dry?

Maybe the brisket was too small and overcooked, maybe your oven runs hot, maybe it wasn't covered tight enough with aluminum foil, or maybe it didn't have enough marbling or fat. Unfortunately, it's hard to say.

The best way to cook beef brisket

Things In My Kitchen:

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  • Roasting pan and elevated rack - for roasting brisket or chicken.

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The best way to cook beef brisket

EatSimpleFood.com

This tasty oven baked beef brisket recipe is easy to make and easy to eat.  Roasted and cooked in the oven at 325 and 275 degrees with minimal work.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: International
  • Diet: Gluten Free

  • 4lb beef brisket, trimmed w/ a thin layer of fat remaining
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 ½ cups beef broth
  • ¼ cup sharp mustard - optional for dippin'
  • ½ cup prepared horseradish sour cream sauce -optional for dippin'

  • Pre-heat oven to 325F.  Grab your roasting pan and rack.
  • Mix salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika together in a small bowl.  Rub this on all sides of the brisket.
  • Place brisket (fat side up) on top of the roasting rack in the pan.  Add enough beef broth to cover the bottom of the pan by half an inch.  
  • Cover tightly with aluminum foil (I use two pieces to make sure it's tight) or a lid and place in oven for 1 hour.  
  • Reduce heat to 275F and cook an additional 3 hours or until fork tender.  Check the liquid level at least once to make sure that it has not burned off if your oven runs hot.  Add more broth if needed.
  • Cool ~ 15 minutes covered and slice thinly (trim any fat off the top if desired)
  • Serve with horseradish sour cream and/or sharp mustard on the side.  You can also drizzle the brisket or soak the slices with the leftover pan sauce to keep it moist.  Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

  • If your oven runs way hot, the beef broth will evaporate.  Check it half way through and add a little more beef broth if needed.  You can always strain the fat off this after it's done cooking and use the sauce as a dipping Au Jus.
  • Make sure to let the beef brisket rest before slicing and then you can put the slices back in the sauces that it cooked in to ensure that it will stay moist and tender. It will soak it back up and is even better the next day.
  • Don't have all the spices?  Just use salt and pepper and skip the rest.
  • Don't have beef broth?  You can use chicken or vegetable broth, beer, or even water if you're in a pinch.

Keywords: Brisket, Whole 30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Keto, Beef Brisket, Holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Oven Roasted, Easter

What is the best cooking method for brisket?

All brisket, no matter which cut you choose, is a tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked low and slow: think oven, slow cooker or indirect heat on a grill.

How many hours does it take to cook a brisket?

Our general rule of thumb is to plan on between 30 and 60 minutes per pound. For example, a 16-pound brisket cooked at 275 degrees Fahrenheit will take between 10 and 12 hours. The entire process from trimming, injection, seasoning, and cooking will take between 18 and 20 hours. Give yourself enough time.

What is the secret to good brisket?

Much of the secret to smoking brisket is keeping a consistent temperature for many hours while it cooks. Managing your flame is the key. Pitmasters suggest easing into your fire; you can always stoke it to spike the temperature. It's much harder to bring a raging fire's temperature down.

How do I get my brisket to be more tender?

If using the oven, lower the recipe temperature to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and let it cook a few hours longer than the recipe states, even up to overnight. This will give the brisket ample time to break down and become tender. Some grass fed briskets I have cooked have taken 14 hours or longer to become really tender.