This Holiday Brisket is one of my more popular brisket recipes for the Jewish holidays. It is inspired by a classic Ashkenazi sweet-and-sour brisket, but the flavors here are more subtle. This brisket is savory, aromatic, and subtly sweet with just a touch of tang. It’s always a crowd pleaser!
Jews living in Eastern Europe rarely had the money to buy better cuts of meat. They learned to make do with cheaper kosher cuts, like brisket, oft overlooked for its toughness. Cooking the brisket low and slow breaks it down, resulting in a tender piece of meat.
This Jewish tradition continues today, and brisket is often served for special holidays and occasions. On Shabbat, it is added to a pot with vegetables and potatoes to make a slow-cooked meaty stew known as cholent. At Rosh Hashanah, it is added to root vegetables with sweet dried fruits and slow cooked into tzimmes.
When Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants came to the United States, they brought their love of brisket with them. Jewish deli owners pickled the brisket to make corned beef or pastrami. But for the holidays, nothing could replace the comforting, hearty flavor of an oven-roasted brisket.
How to make brisket tender
The secret to a cooking brisket is twofold– brisket fat and time are key for tender and delicious results. Choose a cut with nice marbling; the more fat you can see, the more tender the meat will be. If buying grass fed (which tends to be leaner), make sure there is a fat layer and don’t let the butcher trim it. And of course, allow yourself plenty of time to cook your brisket. If you can, make it a day or two ahead– the flavor will improve with time. More tips here: How to Cook Brisket – Tips and Recipes
My Holiday Brisket slow cooks for hours, so the final product flakes tenderly and simply melts in your mouth. The sauce is rich and flavorful, and the slow cooked vegetables are soft, like butter. The flavor is perfect for any special celebration, but particularly suited to the Jewish holidays. Enjoy!
What is traditionally served with Brisket?
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Roasted Rosemary Balsamic Tzimmes
Butternut Squash and Crispy Kale Bake
Green Beans with Balsamic Date Reduction Feta and Pine Nuts
Kale and Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Throwback Recording: In this radio interview with Joan Hamburg, we talked about this very brisket recipe, as well as Passover cooking. You can listen by clicking the triangle “play” button below.
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Holiday Brisket
Ingredients
- 5-7 pounds brisket, first or second cut (do not trim fat - especially if it's grass fed)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large brown onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 pound celery, peeled and sliced
- 28 ounces tomatoes - whole, diced, or crushed (1 large can)
- 10 peeled whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar works too)
- 2 cups beef or chicken broth, divided
- Salt and pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Rub both sides of the meat with black pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over a medium flame on the stovetop. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan. Brown the brisket on both sides—it will take 4-5 minutes per side. A large brisket may overlap the edges of the skillet; you can brown it in stages, letting half the brisket overlap the edge, then adjusting it to brown the other half.
- While brisket is browning, pour canned tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and 1 ½ cups broth into a blender or food processor. Add 2 tsp of salt (or 1 tsp if using a salted kosher cut of brisket) and ¼ tsp of black pepper. Pulse till garlic is chopped small and all ingredients are combined.
- Remove the browned brisket from the skillet.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp more olive oil in the pan and add the sliced onions. Saute them over medium high for a few minutes until they begin to soften and shrink in size.
- Add the carrot and celery slices. Sauté for another 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft and browning and the vegetables are fragrant.
- Pour the vegetables out of the skillet and onto a plate, reserve. Add 1/2 cup beef stock or chicken stock into the skillet and let it heat up. Use a spatula to gently scrape up any brown bits and pan juices that are clinging to the skillet. Turn off heat.
- Pour half of the tomato mixture into a large roasting pan.
- Place brisket on top of the tomato sauce, fat cap facing up.
- Pour the sauteed vegetables across the top of the brisket, along with the broth and brown bits.
- Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the vegetables and brisket.
- Cover the roasting pan tightly with a layer of parchment paper followed by a layer of foil. The parchment forms a protective layer between the meat and sauce (which is acidic) and the foil.
- Place brisket in the oven. Let it roast undisturbed for 5 to 7 hours. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat (leaner cuts of meat like grass fed may take longer—test for doneness). Brisket is ready when it flakes tenderly when pierced with a fork. You can let it cook even longer for a soft, shredded texture if that’s what you prefer. When fully cooked, the brisket will have shrunk in size.I recommend making this brisket ahead; allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 nights will improve the flavor. If you would like to do this, skip ahead to where it says “Make Ahead Directions.” If you are not making ahead, continue reading.
- Remove brisket from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the sauce and vegetables from the roasting pan into a smaller saucepan. Skim fat from the surface of the cooking sauce, then reheat the sauce till hot (not boiling).Cut fat cap off the brisket, then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain. Serve topped with hot tomato sauce and softened veggies.
- Make Ahead Directions: Open the foil to vent and let the brisket slowly return to room temperature. Switch the brisket and sauce to a ceramic or glass dish (metal from the roasting pan can react with the acid in the sauce, which can cause an off taste if left to sit). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the brisket chill overnight, or up to two days. You can also freeze the brisket if you prefer.
- 1-2 hours before serving, remove the brisket from the refrigerator and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. The fat in the sauce will have risen to the top, turned white, and solidified. Use a spoon to scoop the fat bits out of the sauce and discard.
- Take the brisket out of the dish and brush any excess sauce back into the dish. Place brisket on a cutting board, fat-side up. Slice the meat cold—first cut the fat cap off the brisket, then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain.
- Return the sliced meat to the dish and spoon sauce over it, making sure to spoon a little sauce between each slice. Cover the dish with a layer of parchment paper, then with foil, and place it in the oven.
- Let the brisket roast for 45-60 minutes until heated through. You can cook the brisket even longer to let it become more tender, if you wish. Serve with hot sauce and softened veggies. If you prefer, you can use a slow cooker to reheat. Set the slow cooker to high heat and cook until heated through, about 1 hour.
Rachel K says
Hi there! I am excited to make this for a Hannukah celebration this weekend. One question- the recipe says chicken or beef broth, but in the written steps only stock is mentioned. Am I reading something incorrectly? which is it? I have broth but not stock so would need to buy it . Thanks so much!
Tori Avey says
Broth and stock are used interchangeably here, so either works.
Sarah G says
We’ve made this brisket recipe for several holiday meals. So delicious.
Gern says
Lovely recipe. Question- what can you do with all the left over sauce? There’s a lot of it! Any creative thoughts?
(Sometimes I just eat it like soup, don’t judge)
Tori Avey says
Hmmm… if you cool it down I bet it would make a nice chicken marinade, actually!
Justin says
Used this recipe last year and it was fantastic. Because I couldn’t be with finally for Thanksgiving made this for myself. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sarah says
Love this recipe! I find just prepping the vegetables/stock takes time, especially if I want to cook the brisket while working from home. Tori, can the vegetable prep be done even more ahead of time, like a day before preparing the meat?
Sarah
Tori Avey says
You can chop and sauté the vegetables a day or two ahead, then store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. I would brown the brisket and deglaze the skillet with broth on the same day you cook the brisket. Glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
steve davidoff says
Hello Tori:
We used your Holiday Brisket recipe for the past Jewish Holidays.. What a winner.. We used a 7 pound brisket bought directly from a butcher shop here in Baltimore that also is a slaughter house. Last night we had our first left overs from the brisket cooked last month. It was as if it was just cooked that very night. We saved all of the gravy froze it separately along with the left over brisket. In the past we have tried several different recipes for brisket, but this was the BEST. My mother-in-law was always the brisket maker, but she passed away last year and even so, we could never replicate her recipe. Thanks for you recipes.
Steve Davidoff
Tori Avey says
So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. Glad this recipe will help you carry on the tradition!
Susan says
Hi Tori
I went with a different brisket recipe this year which while good (Moroccan style w/apricots & prunes & capers) – did not compare with your holiday brisket. Truly brings back those memories of my mom’s brisket (without the Lipton onion soup mix!). I’ll be making brisket again for Hanukah and will use your perfect recipe.
Thanks so much.
Tori Avey says
Awww thanks for coming to let me know that Susan, I really appreciate it. I really work hard to make sure these recipes are reliably delicious. So glad this one brings back good memories for you!
CG says
This was fabulous- we ate it last night after it rested out of the oven for ~45 minutes
If you like the flavor of sweet and sour (think: capanota) you will love it. Instructions were perfect and the brisket was so tender even people who weren’t that excited to try it, cleaned plates and asked for seconds. My favorite element was the veggies – a side dish in itself – so don’t skimp there. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Caponata is a great comparison, CG. So happy you and the family enjoyed it!
Patty says
Delicious! Loved this recipe. It was easy to follow and turned out amazing. Such a nice change from the regular savoury gravy that we use for most other roasts. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Elaine Corman says
Ordered and purchased a 7-3/4 lb brisket at Bristol Farms. Followed your directions and my brisket look like all your photos. The sauce however at the end for refrigeration overnight was horrid. I hated the taste after so many consecutive hours of standing, preparing, and cooking. So much work for an extremely disappointing outcome. Was able tonight @ 12:20 am PST to save the brisket and make a simple gravy with leftover beef broth, butter, salt, pepper, a little onion and flour – tasted great! Thank goodness Rosh Hashanah tomorrow will still be a success along with the best latkes ever made by my son and ex-husband!
Tori Avey says
Elaine, I am so sorry to hear this! So many readers have made and loved this recipe through the years, I’m really surprised you disliked it so much. Based on the gravy you later made and liked, I am guessing this recipe would be much more suited to your taste: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/savory-herb-braised-brisket/ This holiday brisket is based on a “sweet and sour” concept that a lot of Jews grew up with and love, but I guess it can’t be for everybody. At any rate, I’m glad it was “saved” and that all was well in the end.
Barry says
Hi Tori,
Barry S. You did a feature on our family and the Indian Cookbook a few years ago. Going to be trying out your brisket recipe. Looks amazing. Have a wonderful New Year.
Tori Avey says
Barry!! I’ve been trying to reach you, going to email you. So many questions about that book from readers! Shana tova!
Scott says
If I wanted to use a slow cooker instead of a roasting pan, would you recommend 8 hours on low?
Tori Avey says
Follow the basic instructions in this post (different recipe with the slow cooker method): https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/savory-slow-cooker-brisket/
Shira says
I am now making this for the second time, but the first time it was amazing. I accidentally forgot to buy canned tomatoes this time around but because they are so in season, I substituted for a bunch of chopped and then pureed fresh tomatoes. Hopefully it’s just as good! I sent this recipe to my whole family…all of whom follow the classic can of coke and bottle of ketchup recipe. Hoping it catches on because doing it all from scratch like this is even tastier. Thank you!!!
Tori Avey says
The only difference with canned and fresh is that the fresh have skins – so you might have a few pesky skin pieces in the sauce. You can peel fresh tomatoes to fix that issue. Either way, it won’t affect the flavor much. Enjoy!
GRANDAD CHEF says
Brisket in the oven. Smells delicious. Maybe on Masterchef the preparations take 15 minutes. We mortals take A LOT LONGER…..
Tori Avey says
Ha! Excellent point. I updated the prep time, as I don’t think even I could finish it in 15 minutes – that was an estimate placed there by someone who was inputting the recipes into my new system. 45 minutes seems more like it.
Dasha says
Love this recipe! Made so many times for Shabbat, absolutely our family favourite! Wondering what to do to make the sauce slightly thicker and the brisket ‘sticky’. Managed to do it once, but haven’t been able to recreate since
Rachel S Ashworth says
I recommend draining (but reserving the sauce in a sieve) and then take the liquid and reduce it on the stove (reduce=boil down to desired consistency but keep an eye on it and don’t let it burn). You can also add corn starch at this stage for an even thicker sauce but once the reduction is achieved the sauce will have more solids than liquids remaining resulting in a more thick and sticky consistency. Add it back to the brisket when complete!
Michelle says
Just made this for Mothers Day dinner. First time making a brisket. This was ABSOLUTELY delicious! Will definitely be making this again!!
Sharon Long says
First time making a brisket. This recipe was easy and very very good- will make again! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
LindaK says
Outstanding! I’m 60 years old and have made many a brisket…from the Heinz chili sauce version to the onion soup-ginger ale to BBQ…best. brisket. ever. My only caveat is that I went to a local independent grocer who is known for his meats – so that may have definitely contributed to the end product quality. But either way, I can finally relax…the search is over! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Jared says
I have never made a brisket of any style, period. My wife and I were supposed to be on a vacation in Europe during this Passover, but due to everything going on, we had to cancel. Since we were stuck at home, we decided to do our own little Seder. I used this recipe and felt fortunate, after several unsuccessful searches, to find briskets at Costco on Thursday. I cooked the recipe on Friday, exactly as shown, and had it in the fridge late that night. Trimmed and reheated Saturday afternoon and… wow. My wife and I agreed it was the best holiday brisket ever — don’t tell our parents who use *their* parents’ recipes!
emily miller says
This is the best brisket recipe I have ever used. My family agreed. This has officially become our Passover recipe. Thanks! It was a delicious balance of sweet and tangy. The tomato based wasn’t tomatoey but rather added a lovely tang along with the apple cider vinegar. We didn’t use celery because I forgot to buy it and I think we will keep it that way because the onion and carrots were lovely. I made it first thing in the AM and let it sit for the rest of day while I cooked the rest of the meal. Then I sliced it and warmed it up. Perfection. Also used your potato kugel recipe which was delicious too.