Looking for an easy way to prepare beef brisket and still impress your friends? This is it! Bake the brisket in the oven. What's crazy is how good it is given how ridiculously easy it is to make.
How to Cook Brisket in the Oven
There really is no easier way to prepare a beef brisket than this oven-baked version. With just a handful of ingredients including the beef brisket, an oven, and a few hours, you have amazing brisket that took very little effort.
- Mix together some barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and water
- Slather the beef brisket with the sauce
- Wrap the beef brisket in aluminum foil
- Bake brisket in oven for several hours, until it's falling apart tender
Many thanks to Karen Matthys for this great recipe!
Beef Brisket in the Slow Cooker
To make this in the slow cooker, skip the water — the brisket will release plenty of its own liquid — and use just the soy sauce and barbecue sauce. Add the brisket to the slow cooker and pour the soy-BBQ mix on top. Cover and cook for up to 8 hours on low. We don't recommend cooking brisket on high in the slow cooker.
Slice Across the Grain
When the brisket is done, you'll want to let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing to serve. You'll want to make slices across the grain of the meat to break up the muscle fibers and make it even easier to eat.
What to Serve With Beef Brisket
Round out your meal of beef brisket with a few vegetable sides like Roasted Baby Carrots or Roast Potatoes and Asparagus. Serve with baked potatoes, cooked rice, or buttered noodles for a starch.
Storing and Freezing Brisket
Leftover brisket will keep refrigerated for up to a week. Brisket also freezes well for up to three months.
Can't Get Enough Brisket?
Finding the Grain to Cut Your Brisket
A brisket is the chest muscle of a cow. It's large and very tough. It has two parts: the point (the fatty part) and the flat (the less fatty part, which lays flat). Butchers usually separate the two. You'll almost always find the flat cut at the supermarket, and it's what should be used for this recipe.
The grain is easy to find on a piece of uncooked brisket. Whether you're cooking the point or the flat, if you cut a notch in the meat in the direction of the grain before cooking it, you'll easily be able to find the grain and cut across it.
Not into Barbeque Sauce? More Brisket Seasoning Options
Brisket can take on all sorts of flavors. Here are some other directions if you want to experiment. You'll want to omit the 1/4 cup soy sauce called for in the brisket recipe, but keep the 1 cup water.
- Pat the brisket all over with The Best Dry Rub for Steak
- The marinade that includes garlic, soy sauce in honey used on our Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
- The chili lime marinade in our Grilled Chili Lime Flank Steak
- Customize you own rub blend using salt and pepper along with other seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, thyme, oregano, mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or coriander
Quick Tips for Fall-Apart Beef Brisket
- Follow the 1 hour for 1 pound guideline when cooking this brisket, but keep in mind every brisket tends to do its own thing. Keep cooking it low and slow until it's fork-tender. You may need an additional hour, or even longer.
- Use a thermometer if you have it. To be tender, a brisket needs to be at least 180°F. Over 210°F is overcooked, so you have quite a range.
5 Sides to Serve with Brisket
- Classic Coleslaw
- Easy Stovetop Baked Beans
- Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- Cider Vinaigrette Roasted Root Vegetables
- Quick and Easy Asparagus
Easy Beef Brisket
Beef brisket does not like to be rushed. Follow this method and you should have a nice, tender brisket. Remember, go by the tenderness of the actual brisket more than how long it's been in the oven. When in doubt, use a thermometer. To be tender, a brisket needs to be at least 180°F. Over 210°F is overcooked. Get the brisket somewhere between the two temperatures and you're golden.
Ingredients
Foil Method
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1 (3 to 4) pound beef brisket (do NOT trim the fat)
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3/4 cup barbecue sauce
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1/4 cup soy sauce
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1 cup water
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1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, optional
Oven Roasting Bag Method
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3/4 cup barbecue sauce
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1/4 cup soy sauce
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1 (3 to 4) pound beef brisket
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1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, optional
Method
Beef Brisket Wrapped in Foil
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
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Make the sauce:
In a bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and water.
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Wrap the brisket in foil:
Place a large piece of aluminum foil in a roasting pan (use heavy-duty foil if you have it). Add the brisket fat-side-up and pour the BBQ sauce mixture generously over meat.
If using the optional 1 tablespoon of flour (to thicken your sauce) sprinkle it over the meat.Wrap the brisket in the aluminum foil so it's well sealed, like a package. Cover it with more foil, if needed.
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Roast the brisket in the oven:
Bake for 3 hours for a 3 pound roast and 1 more hour for every additional pound of meat. (Times are a guide. You may need to roast longer to get falling apart meat if your cut is particularly tough.)
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Let the brisket rest:
Remove from oven and let rest in the foil for 30 minutes before slicing.
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Slice across the grain of the meat:
The easiest way to serve the roast is to first cut it in half along the grain of the meat (poke the meat with the tip of a knife or tines of a fork to see which way the grain or lines of the muscles are going if you can't see it from the surface).
Then make 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick cuts across the grain to serve. (Cutting the meat across the grain will make it much easier to eat, as the cuts break up the muscle tissue.)
Beef Brisket in an Oven Bag
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
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Combine the barbecue sauce and soy sauce:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the barbecue and soy sauce together.
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Put the brisket in the bag:
Set an oven bag (the small size should work, but you can use the large size if that's all you have) in a roasting pan. Put the brisket fat-side-up in the bag and add the barbecue-soy mixture.
If using the optional 1 tablespoon of flour (to thicken your sauce) sprinkle it into the bag. Fold the top of the bag over and poke a couple small holes in the bag.
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Bake the brisket:
Bake for 3 hours for a 3 pound roast and 1 more hour for every additional pound of meat. (Times are a guide. You may need to roast longer to get falling apart meat if your cut is particularly tough.)
-
Let the brisket rest:
Remove from oven and let rest in the bag for 30 minutes before slicing.
-
Slice across the grain of the meat:
The easiest way to serve the roast is to first cut it in half along the grain of the meat (poke the meat with the tip of a knife or tines of a fork to see which way the grain or lines of the muscles are going if you can't see it from the surface).
Then make 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick cuts across the grain to serve. (Cutting the meat across the grain will make it much easier to eat, as the cuts break up the muscle tissue.)
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
671 | Calories |
42g | Fat |
3g | Carbs |
66g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 8 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 671 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 42g | 54% |
Saturated Fat 17g | 83% |
Cholesterol 240mg | 80% |
Sodium 613mg | 27% |
Total Carbohydrate 3g | 1% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 66g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 42mg | 3% |
Iron 6mg | 31% |
Potassium 576mg | 12% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |