Excellent brisket recipe! I just made this for Christmas and it was a huge hit. Served it over mashed potatoes. I used a 4 lb brisket and adjusted the ingredients accordingly. Still needed the 3 hours. I appreciate your attention to detail in the recipe, Deb! It was seasoned perfectly. This is a keeper 🙂
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I feel like I’ve been talking about this brisket for 15 years, or maybe just 15 days, I’ve lost track, but I’m delighted to tell you that it’s finally here.
There are many reasons I love brisket — it scales up beautifully, it’s mostly hands-off, it tastes even better the next day, it’s one of those things that smells incredible while it cooks (the entire house will be a delight), and it makes its own deeply savory gravy. It’s also one of those dishes you can do on any weekend and feel like you had a “project” but without all the angst of a project.
My go-to brisket recipe has always been my Oven Brisket with Onions from all the way back in 2007. It’s a great recipe, really. What made it my “go-to” back then was that it had the bare minimum of ingredients for maximum flavor — a brisket, a few onions, and a few tomatoes. Over the years, however, I’ve tweaked it, simplified it, learned a lot about how to make it as flavorful as possible, and in doing so, removed the only thing I don’t love about it, which is handling big cans of crushed tomatoes. The new one here is even simpler. It uses only brisket, onions, and some seasoning. No added broth, no cans of anything. And it’s unbelievably good.
You’ll need a beef brisket. You’ll need a lot of onions — 6 pounds of them for a 3-pound brisket. Do not be alarmed, this is the entire point! They shrink and melt down and practically become the sauce. You’ll also need salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and water. That’s it! The whole thing is seared, nestled with onions and seasonings, topped with water (just a bit; it will release a lot of its own moisture), and braised for many, many hours until it’s fork-tender. The meat gets a beautiful crust when it’s braised high and dry at the very end. The onions on top become a deeply caramelized jam.
It’s one of the best things you can cook for a crowd or just for leftovers. We love it so much. Enjoy!
yields
8 to 10 servings
prep time
30 minutes
cook time
4 to 5 hours
active time
30 minutes
Simplest Brisket with Braised Onions
This recipe will be in my next book, arriving in October 2025!
ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4-pound) beef brisket, first cut (also called the flat cut), with about 1/4-inch fat cap left on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 6 pounds yellow onions (6 to 7 large), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Optional: mashed potatoes, polenta, or kugel, for serving
- Optional: Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
instructions
- Prepare the brisket: Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Season it all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Sear the brisket: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket fat-side down until deeply browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the brisket to a platter or cutting board and set aside.
- Brown the onions: Add the onions to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to turn golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Assemble for braising: Return the brisket to the pot, nestling it into the onions. Add the bay leaf and water. The water should barely come up the sides of the brisket; the onions will release a lot of liquid.
- Braise: Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pot tightly and transfer it to the oven. Braise for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender. The internal temperature of the brisket should reach 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C) for optimal tenderness.
- Rest and slice: Remove the pot from the oven. Carefully remove the brisket to a clean cutting board or platter, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Reduce and finish onions: While the brisket rests, return the pot with the onions to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the onions are deeply caramelized and jammy. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Slice the brisket against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange on a platter and spoon the braised onions and pan juices over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, polenta, or kugel.
- Do Ahead: Brisket tastes even better the next day. Once cooled, store brisket and onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Skim off any solidified fat before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the oven.
more brisket, please:
