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.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
hello.. can this be cooked in a crock pot?
Hi Nancy, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We have not adapted this recipe for a crock pot, so unfortunately I’m not sure of the best way.
I just made this recipe in a slow cooker and it turned out wonderfully. I cooked a 5 pound brisket on low setting for just shy of seven hours. It takes a little longer to get tender but was wonderful.
Hi! It smells great in my kitchen right now. 😉 I was wondering, if i have 2 (3-3.5 lb) pieces of brisket should I take the time down a bit or is 6 hours enough?
Hi Amy, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I would suggest checking the doneness of your brisket after 5 hours and go from there.
Oh my! I cooked the brisket for 87 year old Russian Ashkenazi Jewish man at passover. His grandson visited him today. Grandson called to report that his grandfather said the brisket was the best meat he ever ate in his entire life. Quite a compliment. I thought it was “ok”, but sometimes I think when we cook something we do not enjoy it as much as those who did not cook it because we do not know what was in the recipe. Guess I’ll be cooking it for him next year…. thanks for the recipe.
That’s awesome Steven! Thanks for writing 🙂
Made this recipe for Passover. Came out amazing. Rave reviews. I pureed the veges to make the sauce thicker and it was delish. Thank you!
Great Stacy! Glad to hear it.
Thanks Tori! Sorry for crashing your website today as all scramble to get the recipe on the very day of Passover. It is in the oven right now and smells glorious! Is it appropriate for this gentile to say, “You saved my bacon!” with this recipe? 🙂
Awesome Steve! Yes my website freaked out a bit on the holiday weekend, and saw more traffic than it’s ever seen before. I hope it didn’t shut out too many folks! At any rate I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope everybody else did too. 🙂
Is it ok for the cooked brisket to be in the fridge for 3 nights before slicing? Should I freeze it after the first night in the fridge?
3 nights should be fine, but I wouldn’t keep it longer than that. If you’re planning on keeping leftovers after reheating, probably best to freeze.
I am making a 10# flat brisket at what temperature? I have to make it a day ahead. Should I slice it warm before I refrigerate it? What temperature should I reheat it?
That’s a huge brisket! I’ve never made one quite that big, but if I were to try it I would simply follow all of the instructions as written in the recipe (same preparation, oven temp, etc.), but double the ingredients for sauce/vegetables and take into account that it will likely need to cook for 1 hour per pound of meat. Start checking it around 8 hours for tenderness, and know that it may be done sooner. Reheating and slicing instructions would be the same as outlined above. Good luck!
I made this recipe for a 10# brisket, doing exactly what Tory said, and it came out AMAZING. I am making it again this year (family requested it) – thanks Tory!
Hi, I saw this question posted above without a response but was hoping to get one as I am in the same boat:
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 Erin, if it were me I’d keep all the ingredients the same and simply reduce the cook time. It will likely become tender in 2 1/2 – 4 hours as opposed to the long slow cook time outlined in the recipe. Also you may not need quite so much liquid, but since I haven’t tested it in a dutch oven I can’t be sure of the exact amount.
Hi Tori, I was wondering what cut you preferred. First or second cut for the most juciest and tender brisket that isn’t chewy or tough! Also do you recommend using a crock pot? Looking forward to hearing your response! Chag sameach!
I prefer first cut untrimmed. Second cut is usually too fatty, but it does need some fat to make the meat tender– so a first cut with no extra trimming usually works out perfectly. You can use a crockpot, just make sure you allow 8-10 hours on low (depending on size of the brisket) for most tender results. Enjoy!
Hi! To make ahead… What size glass dish would you recommend for a 5 pound brisket? Thanks!
9×13 or larger. Enjoy!
I am ready to try this wonderful recipe but my brisket is only 3 lbs. and I am not sure how to adjust the ingredients for my smaller brisket. I am assuming that I roast it for 3 hours, but what is the adjusted amount of the other ingredients? Thank you so much.
Faith I’m not sure if you had a chance to try this yet, but if you did I wouldn’t change much about the recipe. My guess is it will take longer than 3 hours to cook the brisket to a tender stage, you’ll just have to check every half hour until it becomes fork tender. Hope that helps!
This is a waste of good meat. The sauce comes out as sweet as a classic stuffed cabbage sauce, and for brisket I think you need something subtlely sweet, and deeply spiced. I thought 10 cloves of garlic would deliver. I tried this exactly as written, and totally regret it. Tori’s response that it was tomato-y rather than sweet may be her opinion. My opinion is that this is too, too sweet. It’s meat for goodness sake, not candy.
Bernice, I am pretty surprised by your review… as you can see others have really enjoyed the recipe. I am very sensitive to sweet flavors and I don’t find this one overly sweet at all. It does indeed have a slightly sweet/tart flavor that is reminiscent of stuffed cabbage sauce, but many people find that flavor desirable. Even so, I find this much less sweet than a traditional Ashkenazi sweet-and-sour sauce. I can’t help wonder if you added more sugar than the recipe calls for? Either way, I’m sorry you didn’t have a better experience! Not every recipe can be to everybody’s taste. You might prefer this recipe, which is much more savory and not at all sweet: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/savory-slow-cooker-brisket/
I’m new at this I have a hard time figring out how to carve the meat against the grain means what long side or short side
please help
Barb
It isn’t a matter of cutting it along a particular side. Look at the meat and you’ll see what look like long lines in the meat – this is the grain. You want to cut across the lines (perpendicular to them).
I made this brisket and it is THE BEST! My other in law kept telling me it was in too long, but I stuck with the recipe. 100 STARS….This is unbelievable. My family has been raving for months. I am making this again today for Christmas.
Hi Tori ! I wanted to let you know how much I love your blog. I found it last week while looking online for a recipe for an authentic Israeli lentil stew; I made the stew for my church’s Live Nativity program this weekend. The stew was a total hit with the people walking through the exhibit. I also made your Holiday Brisket last weekend. (I actually posted a comment about your Holiday brisket recipe a few days ago, which for some reason was removed? The post had nothing but good things to say, so I am not sure why it would have been removed). In any case, that brisket was fantastic, and it will be my “go to” brisket recipe going forward. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to try your kugel recipe. Thanks.
Hi Sharon! I’m really glad you enjoyed the stew and the brisket 🙂 I never removed any comments from that brisket recipe, I haven’t been moderating comments for the past few weeks due to travel and am only now getting around to approving them. My guess is it simply hasn’t been approved yet. I’m sure it will show up soon. Thank you for writing!
All the deli had was a 16 lb brisket! How do I modify the recipe for that size? We would like to make a day ahead if possible.
I would divide the brisket into two pieces and cook them separately (or if you have a large oven and two roasting pans, you may roast them at the same time in the same oven– it may take a bit more time depending on your oven’s temperature). No problem on making ahead, just use the make ahead instructions listed in the post. Enjoy!
Good day Tori! I found your site last week while searching for a lentil stew that would be as authentic as possible to ancient Israeli cooking. My church performs a live Nativity every year before Christmas, and we have a ‘marketplace’ set up in the hallway with “vendors”. One of the vendors, (me!) serves lentil stew to the ‘weary travelers passing through Bethlehem on their way to be counted for the census’. Anyway, I came across your recipe for Jacob’s Lentil Stew, and plan to make it this week for the live Nativity. I’ve only been browsing your website for a few days and already love it! Although I am not Jewish, I have a huge appreciation for Jewish cooking. I made your Holiday Brisket this weekend and can I tell you it was a HUGE hit! It will now be my “forever brisket”! The beef was tender and flavorful and the vegetables were wonderfully seasoned – I did as you directed and let the brisket sit in the fridge for two days before serving, but I couldn’t keep from snitching some of the vegetables and sauce from the pan over those 2 days; they were so good! I can’t wait to try your kugel recipe. Thank you so much!
So happy you enjoyed it Sharon! 🙂
I hosted my first rosh hashanah dinner last night for my husband’s family. I am not Jewish but I am trying to learn the traditions and respect of the cooking and am SO GLAD that I happened on this website. I had never made a brisket before, and let me tell you, this recipie brought the house down. Everyone loved it. It was tender and flavorful, the most delicious thing ever! I also made the noodle Kugel and it too, was FABULOUS!!! THANK YOU!!!
You’re welcome Tracy! Comments like these make me so happy 🙂
Tori, scrolling through the images of this brisket recipe literally made my mouth begin salivating. This looks, for lack of a better phrase, insanely edible. Thank you so much for this recipe, I’m sure my friends and family are going to love it come summer when I manage to throw this together. Bookmarked!
I’ve made this three times now and its delicious! I have used a shortcut – not browning the meat or the veggies first – and it is still delicious. However, a shortcut of not combining the tomato sauce in the blender did NOT turn out well so don’t skip that step!
This one definitely gets better if you make it at least one day ahead. Not only is it easier to skim the sauce but the flavors meld and are extra yummy.