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
I made this (almost) exactly as instructed. I used a 5.7 lb. brisket 1st cut from Fairway (for those in NY, a speciality supermarket). I didn’t have cider vinegar so I used white. I baked in oven for a bit under 6 hours. I let it cool and transferred from metal roasting pan to glass dish as suggested. I reserved most of the sauce in a separate container, covering the meat with the veggies and some sauce. This morning, I sliced the meat against the grain. It was tender and super flavorful – just the right mix of sweet and tangy. I am very excited to be serving this at our seder tomorrow. Thank you for this recipe – it will be a tradition on, probably, all holidays. Will probably also pass my father’s “brisket” test – he’s a tough customer. Happy Holidays!
Hi — I am looking forward to trying this recipe, but I have 2 small briskets instead of one larger one (1 is almost 3 lbs and 1 is 2 1/2 lbs), and I was wondering if it would work to cook them together and if it would be the same cooking time as one 5 1/2 lb brisket.
Thanks!
Yes, no problem cooking them together, just adjust the cook time for weight – about 1 hour for every pound of meat.
I keep finding myself coming back to your website 🙂 I made this recipe for Passover, which was delicious! However! A couple of things – the tomato mixture is too much for a standard food processor and spills over – I would recommend chopping up the garlic separately then mixing everything together in a bowl. And you recommended 1 hour per pound at 300 and longer if it’s lean. Well, I had a 10 pounder which had been trimmed up, so I thought I’d be safe at 10 hours. We went out and came home to brisket jerky! We were able to salvage maybe half and threw the rest out, roasting pan and all! But thankfully I’m also serving chicken and salmon. I’m wondering if my (cheap) speckled enamel pan conducted too much heat?? Willing to try this again with your response, and change it over to 5 stars next time. Thanks!
Wow, 10 pounds is a huge brisket! The biggest one I’ve ever cooked was 6 pounds. You must have an enormous roasting pan! First of all, I don’t recommend trimming a brisket prior to cooking, the fat helps keep it moist during the long, slow cooking. Second, you can probably start checking for doneness around 5-6 hours for a brisket that size and continue checking every hour until fork tender.
I made a 5 # first cut brisket yesterday and cooked it for 5 hours, slicing it after 1 1/2 and putting it back for another 3 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. I have lots of sauce and a lot of fat but it still isn’t fork tender. Should I put it back today for more cooking or freeze it for a week and cook it on Passover until it is tender? And should I freeze it with the fat ?
Is it possible I dried it out by too much cooking ?
Thanks…lots of questions, but my briskets are always too dry.
Susan
Hi Susan– I hope your brisket turned out ok, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner (I was busy cooking my own Seder!). Generally speaking, if it’s not as tender as you like then it needs more low and slow cooking. Freezing it then reheating the slices would be fine. I usually wait to slice it until it is closer to done, but it shouldn’t affect the cook time much. My guess is another 1-2 hours is all that would be needed for your brisket to soften up.
This brisket was delicious! It brought back memories of my late grandmother’s superb cooking. My dad is Jewish, and we always had brisket after the Passover Seder.
I have completed the Make Ahead directions – however my dinner is in 7 days – so I put it in the frig but do you recommend freezing for a few days and then thawing in the frig on 1-2 days before I need it or just leave it in the frig for 7 days?!?!?
Hi Lynda, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I would recommend freezing the brisket for a few days to make sure that it doesn’t go bad.
I want to cook this recipe for our seder but one of the guests really hates vinegar. Could I use Worcestershire sauce in place of the vinegar? Also, we have 11 people coming and about five of them will eat a fair amount of meat but the other six will probably not eat more than 1/3 pound each. Do you think 6 pounds of meat would be enough or do I need 7 or 6 pounds?
Hi Alberta, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I think Worcestershire would probably be fine. Tori plans for about 1/2 lb of brisket per person, but usually buys 2 pounds more than that, just to be safe. So for 11 people I’d say 6 lbs would probably work, though I’d suggest 7.
I have been making a variation of this recipe ( my mom’s) for many years. It is incredibly easy. It calls for ketchup and water to make the sauce. I believe this basically replaces the vinegar, sugar and tomatoes : Sear the meat, sauté the onions in same skillet, add bay leaf (or a few if desired), pour in ketchup and water to reach about half way up the meat and cook, cook, cook on low on top of stove or in the oven (350) for at least 2 hours. I made it in the slow cooker for the first time last year and it was the best one yet. After cooking, I chill meat and sauce separately, remove fat, slice meat, return both to skillet and add peeled, chunked potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold) and cook till potatoes are tender. They soak up some of the gravy. It’s awesome.
Since Passover falls on a Monday night this year, when would it be best to make it ahead of time? i ordered a 6 ponder from the kosher butcher. How long would you recommend to cook it for?
Hi Natalie, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Tori typically recommends roasting the brisket for 1 hour per pound of meat, so in your case it would probably cook for about 6 hours. It can be made up to two days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to a week.
I have to make this recipe and freeze it. I’m making it for some friends to have while I’m away on vacation. How should I tell them to reheat it?
It will be 10-12 lbs
Hi Paul, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. At the end of the recipe there is a section for Make Ahead Instructions that include how to reheat before serving. Hope this helps!
How would you reheat the brisket ( 8-10lbs) after it’s Ben frozen??
Hi Paul, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. At the end of the recipe there are make ahead instructions that include how to reheat. Hope this helps!
I am haveing 9 people for passover dinner. How many pounds should I get ? I want to have brisket left over for a dinner of 3 people?
Also, I can not eat tomates, do you have another recèpe with garlic et all without tomates?
I am afraid if I reheat thé brisket it will become tough?
Hi Linda, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Tori normally suggests 1/2 pound of brisket per guest and often gets 2 extra pounds just to be safe, so in your case I would recommend a 6-8 lb brisket. These brisket recipes do not include tomatoes:
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2011/03/savory-herb-braised-brisket/
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2015/04/savory-slow-cooker-brisket/
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/08/rum-and-coffee-brisket/
Hi. I am going out of town for a week right before Passover. Can I freeze it in an aluminum foil pan, or is it not a good idea since there is vinegar in it? Can I freeze it in glass or metal?
I would use a glass dish for freezing.
Is the sugar really necessary.
The sugar is there to give the brisket a subtle sweetness, which nicely offsets the tang of the tomatoes. You don’t technically need it, but omitting it will give you a slightly different flavor than was originally intended.
I must say this was my first time cooking brisket and with this recipe it turned out beautifully. I cooked 10 lbs, the only thing I altered was I cooked it at 300 for about 3 hours (starting at 9:00 am) and then dropped it down to 275 and pulled it at 7:30pm and it was falling apart while cutting into it.
I refrigerate my cooked brisket overnight before slicing it. That makes it much easier to slice.
This was the first time I made brisket and it was truly amazing! We had family over and it received rave reviews!! I think this recipe will be a new holiday tradition!
Your recipe looks delicious, I just want to point out that holidays or not, buying meat that isn’t grass fed isn’t something I would consider a “splurge”. Supporting humane agricultural practices is a year round endeavor and I’m sure a good butcher could get you a cut of grass fed meat with the marbling that you’re looking for.
If your grass fed brisket is tough and dry, then you are not cooking it long enough AND cooking it at too high of a temperature. I make grass fed brisket many times each year and it is never tough or dry. I usually cook it on low for 12 to 14 hours in a slow cooker and it just melts apart like butter. You just don’t want to add the seasonings at the start of the cook time, or else the flavor cooks out of the seasoning. Also wait to add the vegetables or else they will be flavorless mush. Add seasoning and vegetables in the last 3 to 4 hours of cook time.
I have not made brisket in the oven yet, but have made other grass fed roasts and cook in the oven for 6 to 8 hours at 225 with the lid on the entire time. And I would also not add seasoning or vegetables until the last 2 to 4 hours.
Nancy– I agree, since writing this recipe I have made a few grass fed briskets/roasts successfully. The key, as you say, is a very long and slow cooking process. I have overall had better luck with pot roast than brisket: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2015/10/savory-grass-fed-pot-roast/
Hello Tori- I’m doing an early holiday dinner this weekend and having a brisket/brown potatoes/latka dinner. I’m using an old family recipe for the marinade for the brisket and potatoes but instead of roasting as the recipe calls for I found your crock pot ideas. I’m doing 2 crock pots with brisket and potatoes but none of your recipes included the potatoes in the crock pot. Have you ever done this idea? Have you cooked the potatoes ahead like your recipe instructs? And would the cooking time increase a lot in the crock pot with the meat and potatoes being together? I’m also using your latka ideas for this meal. I want to impress so any ideas and hints would be great! Thank you, Barb
Hi Barbara, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! If you’re cooking potatoes in the slow cooker with your brisket, you won’t need to increase the cook time, but you may need to add more liquid than normal since the potatoes will likely soak it up.
Leap of faith… I’ve not prepared a brisket before, ever, but this sounds good. I’ll have maybe 15-20 guests so I’ll probably need to double this. My question is can I cook the two briskets together in the roasting pan or should I stick with doing one at a time?
Hi Mike– you can cook two at one time, but be sure not to crowd the pan and give it some extra time to cook. Low and slow is the key here, and two briskets will likely take a bit longer in a single oven.
I made this brisket last night for Rosh Hashanah dinner. OH MY! I was getting raves from everyone – and my daughter (lucky girl) was with me as we cut the brisket before warming up, so she got to share on some of the cuts that didn’t make it back in the pan. Oh yum!
I made it the night before – have to do that (at least one day before) to skim the fat off.
Thanks for the recipe – it’s the best!!! L’Shana Tova…
I made this recipe for a Rosh Hashanah dinner last night for 18 people (I doubled it and made two briskets.) There was literally not a shred of meat left! I’ve been making brisket using my grandmother’s recipe for my entire adult life, and all I can say is, as much as I loved my bubbe, this was beyond amazing. Thank you for a recipe that had my own sister saying, “I don’t usually like brisket, but tonight I did!” Shanah Tovah!