When it comes to BBQ, beef brisket is king! What barbecue aficionados won’t tell you is that making an amazing fork-tender oven-baked brisket with a flavorful, crunchy bark is easier than you think. No smoker or grill is necessary.
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I love barbecue, and for years, I was afraid of making pulled pork, baby back ribs, and beef brisket in my oven. I just didn’t think they would be any good. Well, let me tell you. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Those cuts of meat come out perfectly in the oven.
But at the suggestion of a grill master friend, I learned the secrets of dry brining and slow-roasting meats in my oven. Of course, if you prefer, you can use a smoker. Try my smoked beef brisket recipe.
You can also use a slow cooker with my Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe.
I love a good beef brisket sandwich, and one of the places I frequent for barbecue makes a delicious combination by adding coleslaw and onion rings to chopped brisket. It’s covered in BBQ sauce and served on a toasted brioche bun. Can you say heaven on a plate?
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our baked beef brisket recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
What are the different cuts of Beef Brisket?
Beef brisket is available in three different cuts. A full-packer brisket is a whole brisket that includes both the point and flat sections. It weighs 8 to 12 pounds.
The point cut is the fatty part of the brisket, also known as the deckle or second cut. The flat cut is the leaner cut of the brisket, also known as the first cut.
Whether you use the whole brisket, a flat, or the point, this recipe will still yield a moist, tender, OMG flavorful oven baked brisket.
*For my oven-roasted beef brisket recipe, either the flat or the point will work. Most grocery stores will carry the flat.
How to Make Oven-Baked Brisket
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make oven-baked brisket in your home kitchen.
The first step is preparing the beef brisket rub. This will act as a brine, adding flavor and helping to keep it moist.
*My spices include onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, chili powder, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a few others. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Start by trimming the brisket of any silver skin, and if needed, removing most of the fat cap from the top of the meat. Hard fat does not render!
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and coat it with the brisket rub, massaging the dry rub into the meat, making sure to coat the sides of the brisket.
- Wrap the dry-rubbed brisket tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. *The beef brisket rub must penetrate the beef for at least 3 hours.
- Take the dry-rubbed brisket out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, allowing it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the beef. The fat side should be up during the roasting process.
- Slow Roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
- Remove the brisket from the oven, and carefully cut the foil open to expose it. Continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 195-205 degrees F.
Chef Dennis Tip:
Do not be tempted to raise the temperature for faster cooking time, or your brisket will be very tough. Slow oven roasting using a low temperature allows the fats to break down gradually, tenderizing the beef while keeping it juicy.
How do I slice oven-baked brisket?
Place the beef brisket on a cutting board and let it rest for an hour before slicing. Slices should be pencil-width thick.
Allowing the beef to rest gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat. If sliced right off the grill, the meat would lose moisture.
After the brisket has rested, the next step is finding the grain. The direction of the cut is key to having tender, fall-apart slices of brisket.
You want to slice against the grain. The grain of any meat is the alignment of the muscle fibers. When you cut with the grain, the muscle fibers remain somewhat intact and result in meat that is tough and difficult to chew. When you cut against the grain, you break up the muscle fibers evenly so that the meat becomes much more tender and easy to chew.
Chef Dennis Tip:
Before cooking, find the grain and slice a corner of the flat. This will make it easier to find the direction of the grain when the brisket is done and ready to be sliced.
How can I use leftover baked beef brisket?
You’ll often find chopped brisket in tacos, sandwiches, and chili. Other delicious uses for leftover brisket are brisket hash, soups, stews, quesadillas, pizza toppings, and brisket and beans, to name a few.
Wouldn’t your friends and family love to sit down to this tender, delicious baked beef brisket?
Why not surprise them and let them think you’re the new grill master in the family? I won’t tell them you made it in the oven!
Storing and Reheating
Any leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well covered in plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
To reheat, preheat your oven to 325°F. Place the brisket in a baking pan. Pour about one cup of beef broth over the brisket. Then cover tightly with aluminum foil, creating a double layer.
Place the pan in the oven and reheat for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you rub the brisket with the spice mixture and immediately place it in the oven, it’s just a rub. It will flavor the exterior of the meat, and the spices will penetrate a little way into the beef.
But if you rub the seasonings into the brisket and let it sit overnight before roasting, this would be considered a brisket dry brine. The salt and other seasonings will have time to truly work their way into the center of the beef, giving you a more flavorful piece of meat.
Brisket is a tougher cut of meat, which means it needs to be slow-roasted to a higher internal temperature before the fats start to break down and tenderize the meat. The magic starts to happen at 195 degrees and can continue to cook until 205 degrees.
A good rule of thumb is to cook the brisket for 60 minutes per pound at 275 degrees F. Of course, this all depends on your oven. Make sure to give yourself extra time just in case it hasn’t reached the optimal internal temperature range of 195 -205 degrees F.
To get a fork-tender brisket, the maximum cooking temperature is 300 degrees F. Any hotter will produce a tough brisket. Brisket needs a slow roast, and the sweet spot for roasting is 250-275 degrees F.
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Dry Rub Oven Baked Brisket
Ingredients
- 5 lb beef brisket
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon coarse sea salt kosher salt can be substituted. *If you use table salt cut it down to 1 tbsp.
- 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper more if you like black pepper as much as I do.
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Mix dry rub ingredients. (This recipe for dry rub will cover a 5 lb brisket.)
- Remove the brisket from the package and trim away any silver skin or excess fat.
- Coat the entire brisket with the dry rub and massage the dry rub into the meat. Make sure to coat the sides of the brisket.
- Wrap the dry-rubbed brisket tightly with non-stick aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Completely wrap it as a package in one direction then go across the other direction sealing the foil.*A minimum of 3 hours is needed for the dry rub to penetrate the brisket.
- Take the brisket out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking it, allow the brisket to get to room temperature before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 275° F
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the brisket
- Place the foil-wrapped brisket on a baking pan (if you have a rack place it on the baking pan and place the brisket on the rack which is on top of the pan).
- Place the baking pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and slow roast the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
- Remove the brisket from the oven and carefully cut the foil open to expose the brisket, and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 195-205 degrees F.*Depending on your oven and where you inserted the meat thermometer, this process may take 5-6 hours.
- Do not be tempted to raise the temperature for faster cooking time, or your brisket will be very tough. Slow oven roasting allows the fats to break down gradually, tenderizing the beef, so it has a stretching juicy quality in the end.
- Remove the brisket from the oven and place it on a cutting board. Tent the brisket with a sheet of foil, and let it rest for one hour so the juices redistribute evenly throughout the brisket.
- When cutting the brisket make sure to go against the grain. Slice the brisket in pencil width slices. *See Notes
PY says
I normally don’t make any comments on recipes but this one is an exception as it’s amazing! Although I use a different rub – I get the most tender and moist brisket every time following your cooking instructions and all my family and friends love it! Thanks so much for your recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my brisket recipe! If you love bbq, I have delicious rib and pulled pork recipes.
Tyler says
Hi Chef,
Thanks for the great recipe, I’ve used it a few times with great success.
I’m going to be doing a 3.5lb tip brisket and was going to do it for about 4 hrs. Would that sound OK as it’s thicker than the flat in the recipe (but lighter than the 5 lb)?
Chef Dennis Littley says
That sounds about right, but I would use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 195-205 degrees F.
Debra aufiero says
Hello, I’m going to make your recipe for the brisket tomorrow. But I have a question. In the video it mentions chili powder, but in the video it’s not included. Should i add chili powder or not. One more question, I do not cook using aluminum. Can I put it in a pan with a cover and then put the aluminum on to seal it?
Thanks,
Debra
Chef Dennis Littley says
There is no chili powder in the recipe, so don’t add it. Yes you can seal the pan with foil to keep it well sealed.
Kathy says
Awesome recipe Chef. Everyone in our family wanted brisket for Easter rather than ham, so instead of ordering from our locally owned BBQ spot that has the best brisket, I found your recipe. I followed it exactly and it was moist, fork tender and the juices/broth were delicious. No leftovers in this house. Thank you for outlining exactly and perfectly how to make a mouthwatering brisket in the oven for those of us who don’t have a smoker. I look forward to making this over and over to rave reviews!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you and your family enjoyed my brisket recipe! Thanks for the great review and taking the time to leave a comment.
lori says
hello chef Denis!! Can I make this brisket in a cast iron pan, in the oven? also do i need to cover it? should I add liquid to the bottom?wondering if by covering it will cause a problem with the steam? does it need dry heat only?? Never cooked a brisket in my 50 years of cooking so im nervous lololol!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m sure you can but not with my recipe. It would need to be tested and developed for a cast iron pan. Just follow my recipe for the best results.
Dan Horton says
I had a 17 lb brisket and expected it to take 17 hours. I had checked my oven to make sure it was accurate and it was. Only took 10 hours. I even turned the temp down to 250 once I took the foil off the top. The flavor was amazing. And incredibly juicy. Thanks for the recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’er very welcome. Brisket is a flatter piece of meat and it doesn’t take as long to heat through to the center, that’s why it didn’t take as long.
Dan Horton says
I’ll keep that in mind next time. I set aside two and half pounds of the cooked brisket and now making brisket chili today.
Patrick says
Should I see my brisket before I put it in the oven?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I don’t understand the question
Vicki says
I wonder if the commenter meant should he “sear” his brisket first?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Possible, but he never answered my reply. All the instructions are in the recipe card and it never mentions to sear it.
Janet Eckart says
Awesome rub! It came out perfect!
Tami says
The store only had a 15 lb. brisket. Can we cut it in half to cook it? Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can’t just cut it in half, you need to separate the whole brisket into the flat and point sections. There will be a seam that you can follow.
If you look on youtube there are a lot tutorials to help you with the process.
Jeremy C says
If I’m doing 2, 5pd briskets, can they be cooked side by side? And will it affect time?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes, they can be cooked side by side, and it should not affect the cooking time, since they are two separate briskets.
Jeremy C. says
First of all, WOW FAST RESPONSE CHEF! Thanks. Secondly, since I’ve got ya, I usually have a some kind of coffee in my rub… is this a no go with this recipe? Thanks Chef
Chef Dennis Littley says
I try to answer as quickly as possible, and you caught me at a good time so I was faster than usual. As for adding coffee, you can absolutely add coffee to your rub along with any of the other seasonings you prefer. It’s all about making food you enjoy eating.
Betty Reyes says
I’m sorry but I do not know against the grain. This is my first time to make a brisket. Also how could I use liquid smoke in it??
Chef Dennis Littley says
The grain is how the strands of muscle run through the meat. It’s like a long series of rubber bands, and you’ll see the lines in the meat. Turn the meat so your knife is perpendicular to the grain. When you find the grain, set your knife up so that you’re slicing against the grain.
You can add water or apple juice to the bottom of the pan under the grate and add a little liquid smoke to the liquid. If you don’t have a grate, add the liquid to a baking pan and place it in the oven with the brisket. Add it when you remove the brisket, to unwrap it for the final part of the cooking process. Thats about the only way to add it.
Pat says
This was so delicious!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the brisket!
Luna says
Hello! I’m actually using a three pound brisket (since it is just me and my husband), so do we need to cut the ingredients of the spice rub? If so, by how much?
Thanks in advance.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes you do, cut the seasonings back by 40% or 50%.
Luna says
Thank you! Do I cut the cooking time as well?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes, it should take around 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches an internal temperature between 195-205 degrees F.
Terri says
If I have a 4.11 pound flat brisket cut, is it fair to say I would cook it at 275 for four hours? This is the first time I will be making it.
Chef Dennis Littley says
The cooking time could vary either way, although I would think it would be a little longer than 4 hours. But to safe it’s important to use an meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is in the 195 -205 degree range before removing it from the oven. Too soon and it will be tough, too long and it will start to dry out.
Marianne says
This was so tender,flavorful, and delicious
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the brisket, it’s one of my favorite recipes.
Lucy G says
I’m 6.5 hours into using this recipe to oven bake an 11lb brisket. It looks and smells out of this world! My question is what should I serve it with tonight? I plan to do sandwiches tomorrow so I’d like something more formal tonight. Also, should I make gravy from the drippings?
Chef Dennis Littley says
YOu can serve it with mashed or roasted potatoes, sauteed greens, green beans or asparagus. YOu can make a gravy out of the pan drippings or add a little more beef stock to it and serve it as aus jus.
Roxanne Drury says
This was excellent–the rub was delicious.
In the directions preceding the recipe, it would help to number the steps, rather than to use bullet points, so that the numbers on the pictures coincide with numbers on the steps. It looks from the pictures that one never completely wraps the brisket in foil, but it seems from the written instructions that one does.
Chef Dennis Littley says
The second picture shows the brisket completely wrapped in foil, and its also in the second bullet point in the instructions under the image