I developed this braised beef brisket over a decade ago, and it continues to be a family favorite. With carrots, celery and aromatic fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, it’s a deeply flavored aromatic main dish smells amazing as it cooks. This tender, saucy beef brisket is perfect for holiday celebrations like Passover and Rosh Hashanah. It cooks slowly for a long time, allowing the fresh herbs to deeply flavor the meat. Your house will smell amazing as it cooks!
What Cut of Beef Brisket Should I Use?
People often ask me what cut of brisket works best for recipes like this braised beef brisket. I generally recommend first cut, untrimmed. The first cut is easiest to find in supermarkets; it is shaped flat and has a thinner layer of fat. Second cut works great too– it is shaped with a point, and has a lot more fat. You’ll generally get more meat servings out of a first cut than a second cut.
Whichever cut you use, do NOT ask the butcher to trim the fat. Beef brisket needs fat for flavor and moisture during the cooking process; trim it before cooking, and you’ll end up with dry, unappetizing meat. You can trim the excess fat after cooking. Of course, I will show you how below.
How Do I Cook Grass Fed Beef Brisket?
More people are turning to grass fed meat; it is naturally leaner and healthier, and often grass fed beef is hormone free. If you choose a grass fed beef brisket for this recipe, you will likely need to cook it a bit longer. The lean quality of the meat makes it tougher to break down, and really requires a low and slow approach. If you choose a grass fed brisket, definitely do not trim it, and keep an eye on liquid levels as it cooks to make sure it stays moist.
Make this savory braised beef brisket a day ahead using the instructions below for easy slicing, and less preparation to worry about on the day you serve. You can make gravy from the pan drippings using a slurry of potato starch, then cover the meat with the rich herby brown sauce. This pairs really well with my Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes or Oven Roasted Root Vegetables. It’s all very easy to make!
For more beef brisket recipes and tips, check out my helpful How to Cook Brisket post.
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Braised Beef Brisket
Ingredients
- 6 lbs first cut brisket, untrimmed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 onions, diced
- 5 carrots, peeled & sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 5 celery stalks, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 quart low sodium beef or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (you may need to use less salt if using a kosher salted brisket)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon potato starch (optional- you may substitute corn starch if not for Passover)
- Fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Rub both sides of the meat with black pepper and kosher salt.
- Heat roasting pan over a medium flame on the stovetop. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Brown the brisket on both sides—it will take about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove brisket from the pan. Drizzle a little more olive oil in the pan and add the diced onions, carrot slices and celery chunks. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with your spatula.
- When onion is translucent and carrot slices are slightly caramelized, scoop vegetables out of the pan and place in a bowl. Pour beef broth into the bottom of your pan until covered. Scrape up any remaining brown bits on the bottom of the pan as the broth heats up.
- When broth is hot, add half your vegetables back into the pan spread out across the bottom. Place your brisket back into the pan, fatty side facing up. Place garlic cloves on top of the meat, evenly spaced. Add the remaining veggies to the pan, spreading them on top of the brisket to cover. Place herbs on top of the brisket and in the broth, evenly dispersed.Pour more broth into the pan until it goes halfway up the sides of your brisket. Cover roasting pan tightly with a layer of parchment paper, followed by a layer of foil, and place in the oven. If your roasting pan has a lid, use that instead of the parchment/foil combination.
- Let brisket roast undisturbed for 5 to 7 hours. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat (leaner and grass fed cuts of meat may take longer—test for doneness). Brisket will shrink as it cooks. The meat is ready when it is fork tender and very easy to slice. Remove brisket from the pan. At this point you can follow make-ahead instructions below, if you wish. If you are serving right away, let it rest on the cutting board for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, strain pan drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan and allow to cool. Reserve cooked vegetables.
- Skim fat from the surface of the pan drippings using a spoon.
- Reheat the remaining liquid on stovetop. Stir together the potato starch and 1 1/2 tbsp cold water, then pour into the cooking liquid. Bring liquid to a low simmer until it thickens to make a gravy-style sauce. You may need more of the potato starch and water mixture to thicken further; add slowly and simmer until desired thickness is achieved. Alternatively, you can blend the softened cooked vegetables (with herbs removed) into the gravy to thicken it using an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Cut fat cap off the brisket…
- then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain.
- Serve topped with pan juices or thickened gravy, along with the softened veggies if you have reserved them. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.To Make Ahead: After cooking the brisket, open the lid or foil and parchment to vent, then let the brisket slowly return to room temperature. Switch the brisket and sauce to a ceramic or glass dish. 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 up to a week ahead 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 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 lid or layer of parchment and foil, then place in the oven. Let the brisket cook for 45-60 minutes until heated through. You can cook it even longer to let it become more tender, if you wish. Serve with thickened sauce and softened veggies, using the sauce thickening instructions above.
merle says
Tori, thanks so much for this delicious recipe. Am making it now to freeze for Pesach – should I under cook the meat slightly since it will be frozen and reheated? I have a 4 lb brisket…thanks.
Tori Avey says
Hi Merle, sorry I didn’t answer your comment on the day you posted, it’s been a very busy week. I usually cook the meat all the way before refrigerating (I don’t usually freeze, though you certainly can). If you didn’t cook it all the way, leave yourself plenty of time for reheating so that it will cook to your desired tenderness on the day you serve it. Enjoy!
Michal says
Just bought second cut brisket. Can I make this recipe with this cut as well? Any changes?
Looks yummy!
Tori Avey says
Hi Michal– yes, for sure, you can use a second cut. Second cuts tend to be fattier, so it may produce more natural liquid while cooking. Just keep an eye on it during cooking till it reaches the desired tenderness, you should have no problems. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Abba of 2 preschoolers says
We just made this for sukkot — perfect for a crisp autumn night! Browned in skillet then cooked in foil pan. Wanted to keep it gluten-free; couldn’t find GF beef broth so used GF onion soup mix instead — a bit salty, but quite tasty! Kids and adults gobbled it up. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Terrific! So happy you enjoyed it. Onion soup is a really tasty addition. Next time, you can use GF chicken broth if that’s easier to find. 🙂
Tami says
How would you vary the cooking time to use a slowcooker?
Tori Avey says
Hi Tami! After braising on the stovetop, cook it on low setting for 7-10 hours until the desired tenderness is achieved.
Rachel J says
When I went to print this, it just printed the ingredients. Just an FYI…I am trying this today…my first brisket was a disaster, so I have high hopes for this one. 🙂
Tori Avey says
Thanks for the heads up Rachel! I’ll correct the print version this afternoon. Please let me know how the brisket turns out for you. 🙂
Brenda says
This sounds fabulous! I’ll try it when the weather gets colder; maybe even for Rosh Hashana
Goldie says
Hi, I really love all your recipes and wanted to make this for a dinner I am having with my friends tomorrow. I am a college student and don’t own a non-disposable roasting pan. Will it turn out alright if I use a disposable one?
Tori Avey says
Goldie– Yes, but you’ll need to do the searing (browning) of the brisket in a skillet or some other type of heavy pot. The disposable roasting pan is too thin for stovetop use. After the stovetop browning, just transfer the ingredients to the disposable roasting pan and you should be fine. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Rebekah, I’m thrilled you made the brisket for Passover, so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Rebekah Raz says
I made this brisket for my Passover seder, and it got rave reviews. It was super easy to make, tasted delicious and looked beautiful. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
By the way, I didn’t strain the veggies out of the sauce. I left them in and blended it with the potato starch. It was really delicious. Thanks!
Anna says
This looks delicious! Are there any particular recommendations for making in advance and reheating?
Tori Avey says
Hi Anna– I have added make-ahead instructions to the recipe above, hope it helps!
Lana B. Gross says
I just want to tell you that I love your blog and your recipes. I am going to make your brisket for Passover but since my son will not eat anything with carrotts what I do is put the veggies through the blender so he can’t see them. That not only thickens the gravy but gives it a great taste. Just an FYI.
Happy cooking and a sweet passover.
alexandra says
This looks deeelish! And I can’t wait to try it out on Monday!
Beth West says
Hi Tory! Thanks for posting this recipe. I am excited to try it. I went shopping today in our small town store and could not find a brisket, however there was a corned beef brisket. Can I use corned beef by rinsing well first? I haven’t ever used corned beef. I don’t know if it has a pickled taste or is extremely salty after cooking. Any thoughts?
Tori Avey says
Hi Beth, great question! I definitely do NOT recommend using a corned beef brisket; corned beef is cured and will turn out very salty if you use this recipe to cook it. You might want to ask your local butcher if they carry brisket. Do you have a Trader Joes nearby? They stock brisket, too. It’s a pretty common cut. If you don’t have many options where you live, you can also use a pot roast cut with this recipe. You might not need to cook it quite as long, depending on how tender you want it, so keep an eye on it as it cooks. Good luck! 🙂
Diana says
I just finished making the brisket and I like w/ veggies and all!
Donna Ramme says
Can you use an aluminum tin to roast the brisket in the oven?
Tori Avey says
Hi Donna– yes, you can, but you shouldn’t use it to braise the brisket and veggies on the stovetop because the aluminum tin is too thin for direct contact with the stovetop. Use a heavy roasting pan or large pot/skillet to braise the beef and veggies, then transfer it to the aluminum pan to roast. Good luck!
Ruth says
Hi there. Brisket looks yummy but why didn’t you slice it against the gain? Against the grain equals holiday. With the grain equals pulled beef for sandwiches (at least that’s how it is in our house) Love the blog otherwise!! Big fun!
Karen M. aka The Nanner says
I’m visiting your blog by way of OMSH. Oh my … I am smitten with your blog and I immediately want to cook this brisket!
I am a new fan.
The Nanner (It’s what my grandkids call me…goes back to practical jokes involving bananas a few years ago.)
Tori Avey says
Welcome Nancy (aka Nanner)! Happy to have you as part of our cooking community. OMSH is the best, I can’t thank her enough for her website design work. 🙂
Carol, so happy you like the site redesign. I’m thrilled with it!
Carol Esther says
Oh this looks wonderful! I can’t wait to make it. Thank you for the great step by step instructions and the nice pictures. I LOVE the new look of your blog, Tori!!! It’s just beautiful!
Your friend who can’t WAIT for Passover,
Carol
Max Levine says
Love the new layout of the site. Your food photography is so beautiful! I’m going to be trying this recipe for sure. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Glad you like it!
Coco Galvez says
I love the make over of the blog, it looks great. My family will love your recipe, especially my husband. Thank you <3
Tori Avey says
Thanks Coco! 🙂
Jan says
Great recipe!! served it with mashed potatoes and there were no leftovers left. Thank you for sharing.
Tori Avey says
So glad you enjoyed it Jan!