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
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.
NOTES
Nutrition
I have a quick question about doubling this recipie. I’m making this for our up coming passover but for 13 people. My question is if I buy two 5 or 6 pounds and bake them together side by side would the bake time really come in at 10-12 hours? I know it would probably bee fine for the meat but I’m concerned the veg would desintergrate.
Briskey, no, you won’t need to bake them that long! I would time it around 1 hour for each pound of meat for the larger sized brisket (so if one of the briskets is 6 pounds start with 6 hours). Start checking it around that time, but keep in mind that it may need 1-2 hours longer to get it nice and tender. You’ll just have to test it every 30-45 minutes until the texture is where you want it. Enjoy!
Made this at the weekend and was divine. Just wondered if a adding a cup of red wine would also work in this recipe?
Hi Nicci, so glad you enjoyed it! To be honest, I’m not sure how the wine would work here with the sweet and sour flavors. Might be nice, but it also could clash a bit. It’s something I would hesitate to recommend before trying myself.
UH ? who new i had been making brisket all these years? I”ve been wondering how to make brisket for years.( yes i could have lookied the reicpe up on the internet but some how i never got around to it.) As a family farm that we raise our own chickens and cows and my husband hunts, i have been lucky to always have meat in our freezer. When we have a steer butchered i have never gotten a wrapped piece of meat that has been labeled brisket…. but i do know what the tougher pieces of meat are… AND quess what???? Ive been unknowingly making brisket for YEARS….. i always put the tougher pieces in the oven or crock pot for a long slow cook, with al the veggies a bottle of beer or half a bottle of white wine (left over from a weekend party) a can of tomatoe paste and all the spices….. I then make a gravey type mix out of the liquid and poor it on top of mashed potatoes…. and yes my familys favorite veggie is cabbage..( because it grows into giant heads here n my little farm and i can keep it for a long time into the winter)
Well….. im feeling pretty proud of myself…. i think id like to try corned beef????? any suggestive recipes???? 🙂
I was planning to make this today but I have a 2 1/2 lb flat cut brisket. Will halfing this recipe work alright? And can I use a dutch oven instead of the roasting pan? I do have a roasting pan, but I’m worried about there being too much ‘space’ since I have a smaller meat and will reduce the liquids. Thanks!
Hi Tori, I would like to make brisket using your receipe for Hanukkah. My only problem is my daughter and son-in-law, who don’t like sweet meat. Are there any ingredients that I can substitute for the brown sugar and vinegar. When I was younger, I used Liptons Onion Soup Mix. Would that work? Thank you in advance for your reply. Dorie
Hi Doris, you may omit the brown sugar and vinegar from this recipe and still get a great result. I will say that the end flavor is not overly sweet, even with the addition of sugar. Onion soup mix wouldn’t hurt, although it can be a bit salty so you may wish to cut back on the salt in this sauce. Or, try my savory herb braised brisket which has a savory flavor: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2011/03/savory-herb-braised-brisket/
Hi Tori,
I made this brisket for Rosh Hashanah and it came out perfectly. Everyone loved the delicious recipe and gravy and I can’t wait to make it again. I sliced my brisket and froze it after cooling it for a day, i then reheated it with the sauce over it and it was melt in your mouth tender and delicious. There were no leftovers! Thanks so much for posting this. I hope you have a sweet and successful year. Thanks again for these great recipes.
You’re welcome Stephanie 🙂
Oh, and I forgot to mention that the best way to deal with 12+ hours of cook time is to start the cooking when you go to bed. When you get up the next morning, add the veggies and other sauce ingredients.
Is there any reason why I couldn’t use this recipe for my slow cooker? I know you have a slow cooker recipe, but this one sounded so great! How long would I cook it, and on low or high? If I did, should I still brown the meat and sauté the veggies before putting it all in the slow cooker? Also, do you think it would be okay to put potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker with the brisket? Sorry for all the questions, it just looks and sounds so good, and it would be so much more convenient to cook it in my slow cooker. Thanks!
Hi Robin, I can’t give you specific timing advice on the slow cooker but here are my recommendations– brown the meat and saute the veggies first, then combine everything in the slow cooker. Potatoes would probably be fine, but I don’t like to make promises for things I haven’t tested first– not totally sure about the liquid ratio here and if there is enough for potatoes, they are very absorbent. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until fork tender (timing will vary based on the weight of the brisket and you may been longer for a larger brisket). Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
If you are using grass fed brisket, you are going to want it to cook 12+ hours. You also don’t need to add liquid, as the fat will render down and the brisket will stay tender cooking in it’s own juices. If you want to eat the vegetables, I would salt and pepper the brisket and let it cook up until the last few hours, then add the vegetables and other liquids. Some people would first dump out all the liquid/fat. But since grass fed fats are healthy to eat, we keep them in. If you don’t want to eat the vegetables and are just using them to help flavor everything, then you would add them in at the beginning. They will be mush after cooking so long and you can discard or blend them (I use a stick blender) into the liquid to make a thicker sauce/gravy. If you want to eat the veggies, add them into the slow cooker the final few cooking hours 2 to 4 hours of cooking. Once the brisket has finished cooking and cooled in it’s own juices, you have a few options at that point. You can leave the sauce extremely liquid. You could also pour the sauce into a separate pot and reduce it. A third option that works well with shredded brisket is to shred the brisket, add it to a pot with the sauce and let the sauce reduce, which then leave the meat incredibly moist.
I did it and it was wonderful. Cook On low for an hour and 20 minutes per pound. Start checking about an hour before the finish time.
I make tender grass fed brisket all the time. Your 300 degree cooking temperature is much too high for grass fed slow cooking. The temperature needs to be around 200 degrees and cook for 12+ hours. I usually use the crock pot for this, letting it cook overnight.
Great tip Nancy! I will try that next time. I have found that grass fed pot roast does not have the same issues that brisket does for toughness, and it only takes a little longer than normal pot roast to become tender… not sure if it’s the cut of meat or the amount of liquid in a pot roast that makes the difference. In any event, I’ll be very excited if your method works out, as I’d love to switch to grass fed brisket!
I made this recipe for Passover 2014 and it was a big hit so am planning a repeat for Rosh Hashanah. I had followed your Make Ahead directions, by making it the day before, refrigerating the cooked brisket whole in its juices, then slicing, etc. and heating the next day for our holiday meal. I am wondering if I could do this again, but instead of actually serving the brisket the next day after cooking, could I slice the cooked brisket, pour all the juices over the sliced meat, and then freeze it to serve a week or so later? I would then defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat before serving. Would be most appreciative if you think this would work. Thanks!
Hi Marcia, glad you enjoyed the brisket. I have not frozen this brisket before, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It should turn out just fine; you just need to keep an eye on the liquid level as it reheats to make sure it’s not turning dry (it shouldn’t, but just in case). Good luck, and please let me know how it turns out!
I am happy to report that the brisket turned out great, Tori! By making it a week before and freezing it, I was less stressed and the meat couldn’t have been more tender and flavorful.
Great Marcia! Thank you for letting us know. 🙂
This is my favorite Passover brisket recipe. I follow your directions exacty and it is delicious. The photos help so much! Slicing COLD made all the difference. I used to get impatient and slice it at room temperature and it shreds. Cold is the way to go. Thanks!
So glad you like it Lauren! Chag Sameach 🙂
Hi Tori, not sure where you are getting your grass fed brisket from that they are too lean. All of the grass fed briskets I’ve ever bought have been super fatty. It is a difficult cut of meat, for sure though. I’ve had it cook for 8 to 10 hours in the slow cooker and still had meat embedded into the fat that I couldn’t get separated. And this is with grass fed.
Please explain why the tin foil can not touch the ingredients.
Hi Kasia, aluminum can react with the acid in the sauce, causing it to disintegrate in the areas where it is touching the sauce.
Why is grass fed meat not recommended?
Hi Lillia– I almost always prefer grass fed meat for health reasons, however grass fed brisket is VERY tricky to cook. The tenderness in a well-cooked brisket comes from fat in the brisket, which keeps the meat moist and tender as it slowly cooks. Grass fed brisket is too lean to get a good tender result, based on my experimentation. I wish it were different, since I really appreciate the health aspect of grass fed!
how long will a cooked brisket (or leftovers) keep in the fridge?
In my experience it will last about 4-5 days, give or take.
Tried this recipe to get the sweet and sour element that I was missing in my family brisket recipe. Also used the tip to puree the cooked vegetables in the juice. Rested in refrigerator for 2 days and…perfection! Thank you Tori!
Great Susan! So happy to hear that.
Tori help! I’m making brisket for Rosh hashanah which is tomorrow. You say a five or six pounder will take 5 to 6 hours my butcher says only three hours …which do I follow? I need it very very tender. I’m confused. I don’t understand how it will cook through and through and not be too tough in three hours or five hours?!?! I hope you’re listening! Happy new year!
Hi Tova– depends on who you trust more, me or your butcher. 🙂 Do you have a first cut or second cut brisket? If yes, follow my instructions carefully and you will get a tender brisket. If you’re using the right amount of liquid and cooking slowly at a low temperature, there is no risk of overcooking it– the longer you cook it, the more tender it becomes. The only exception to this rule is grass fed brisket, which is quite lean and requires a shorter cooking time. Though I do prefer lean grass fed meat in general, I don’t recommend it for brisket– it’s too tough a piece of meat and it needs the extra fat. If you didn’t buy grass fed brisket (which you probably didn’t, since it’s pretty hard to find), then I recommend you follow my instructions carefully. You should end up with a very tender brisket (if you read the comments above, they’ll confirm the recipe works). You could always check it after three hours and see what you think… my guess is it won’t be nearly tender enough for you, and you’ll want to cook it the extra 2-3 hours. Happy cooking!
Everything that I have made from your site has been amazing! I love the pomegranate brisket but did not have time to marinate this time around. My house smells so delicious right now and I can not wait to take the brisket out of the oven and taste it before I put it in the fridge for tomorrow’s shabbat dinner 🙂
Tori, my grandma made this for me every weekend when I was a child (and she thought my mother kept me to skinny) 🙂 I would LOVE to prepare this just the way that she did for my children, ( there pretty skinny themselves) but she has passed away. She cooked with these same EXACT ingredients but in a pressure cooker… Do you know how to do that? I’ve never used a pressure cooker.
I checked my pressure cooker cookbook and it notes that a 3 lb flat or first cut brisket takes 50 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker or 80 minutes in an electric machine. Letting it fall back to normal naturally (off heat or unplugged) takes about 35 minutes and then it has to sit 10 minutes before it is cut against the grain (or cool it, wrap it in plastic and set in fridge for up to 4 days). I hope this helps. You asked this question in 2013 so this is like the Twilight Zone of answers. Good luck.
For dinner tonight I wanted to warm up a leftover from eating out yesterday.
I decided to try the parchment paper to wrap the item for the microwave. 2 minutes later, the food was HOT and tender – and delicious. There was also no clean up pan; just toss the paper. Opened the parchment carefully, that’s for sure.
The next time I made brisket I’m going to brown the meat and the onions, etc. and then put try some in parchment.
Might be too much gravy so might do 1/2 and 1/2 – pot / parchment – just to see how it turns out.
Yours sounds delicious – but I don’t have a food processor.
My family loved the brisket, but I made too much of it.
Is it possible to freeze the brisket and yummy sauce?
If not, how long would you suggest keeping the leftovers in the refridgerator?
Hi Leslee– the brisket will freeze just fine as long as you let it come to room temperature completely before putting in the freezer. In the fridge the leftovers should last about 5 days, in my experience. Glad you loved the brisket!