Ultimate Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions is a perfect main course for weeknight dinner or for a holiday party, with leftovers perfect for sandwiches!
Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions
Flavorful, easy brisket may sound like I’m trying to trick you. With a tough cut of meat like brisket, you’d think it would take forever and lots of fuss to make flavorful.
Brisket is actually one of the most versatile cuts of meats you can cook with and you can serve it (cooked mostly the same way in fact!) for so many different occasions.
Brisket is Versatile
Brisket can be served as a weeknight meal, or for a special occasion. Another amazing thing about brisket? It is significantly less expensive than most cuts of meat. You can dress Brisket up with different veggies, or make a sandwich – the options are endless! Here are some ideas for how you to eat your beef brisket:
- Your favorite Sunday meal, serve it with Mashed Potatoes and Rainbow Roasted Vegetables.
- For Hannukah Brisket (Chanukah Brisket) with Perfect Potato Latkes and Honey Roasted Apples.
- Sliced thinly to make the perfect sandwiches, top them with A1 Steak Sauce (Copycat) or Chimichurri Sauce.
- BBQ during the winter months! Serve with Honey Bacon Baked Beans and KFC Coleslaw (Copycat).
PERFECT SIDE DISH RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BEEF BRISKET
Spinach Gratin
Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Baked Mac and Cheese
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Beef Brisket Q & A
Below I answer some questions that typically come up about cooking this brisket.
Q: How to cook this brisket in the slow cooker?
A: Add the ingredients to the slow cooker (onions on the bottom) and cook on low heat for seven hours on low. When the meat is done, remove it and place it on the platter. Strain out the onions and add them to a skillet with a tablespoon of butter on high heat and brown them.
Q: Options for how to cook brisket of beef?
A: Brisket can be cooked in the slow cooker on low heat for 7 hours. Brisket in an oven is also an option, you can cook in the oven for 3-4 hours. And lastly, you can smoke a brisket on the grill for 5-6 hours.
Q: How long do you cook a brisket in the oven at 225?
A: If cooking brisket in Oven, cooking at 225 degrees a brisket could take a full 5-6 hours to cook. I prefer 3-4 hours at 325 degrees.
Q: How do you make a tender brisket?
A: The beef brisket is generally considered to be a tougher cut of meat, so cooking low and slow in either a smoker, an oven, a slow cooker or an indirect heat grill is important to help break down the tough connective tissue.
Tools used in the making of this Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions:
Cast Iron Skillet: This is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
Food Turner: I use this to flip the chicken without damaging the skin and its super easy. I use this tool EVERY time I cook something that requires flipping, it is amazing.
Looking for more roasts?
Ultimate Garlic Pork Loin Roast
Classic Pot Roast with Vegetables
Herb Crusted Pork Rib Roast
Philly Cheesesteak Pot Roast
HOW TO STORE BEEF BRISKET
- Serve: Beef Brisket can be out at room temperature for up to 2 hours before you should cover it and place it in the fridge.
- Store: Allow Beef Brisket to cool completely, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze cooled Beef Brisket in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Before reheating, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Easy Brisket with Caramelized Onions
Ultimate Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions is a perfect main course for weeknight dinner or for a holiday party, with leftovers perfect for sandwiches!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 yellow onions , sliced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt , divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 pound beef brisket
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large cast iron skillet melt the butter on medium heat and add in the onions and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.
Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until they start to caramelize.
Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Add in the canola oil and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Season the brisket with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Brown on both sides for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Remove the beef and add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth.
- Stir well and add the brisket back in fat side up.
- Top with the onions and tent tightly with foil or a lid.
Cook in the oven for 3-4 hours.
So delicious!!!! My first time making a brisket and I loved it!!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Jennifer.
Making this for Christmas dinner. Brisket and onions? What’s not to love?
Question. I’m not a fan of canola oil. Is there another oil you recommend? I probably have every oil imaginable in my house, with the exception of canola and vegetable oil. Neither of those are my preference.
Thank you!
You need something with a high smoke point so that’s why canola is a great choice. My second choice would be vegetable, haha, so let’s move on to third….peanut oil. Good luck!
Wonderful!!!
Thank you!
This brisket recipe was so very easy…. for which I was grateful! I made a big mistake, though. The recipe calls for Worcestershire and for some strange reason, I was thinking soy sauce. Hmmm…. the brisket did however, turn out sooo delicious! I was thankful I left the salt out of the broth and on the meat. I did pepper it liberally. My brisket was just over 4 pounds. I checked at 3 1/2 hours and it wasn’t tender at all. I left it in the oven for another hour and it was perfect! I surprised myself – I’ve never attempted a beef brisket before. Thank you for sharing your recipe – it was so simple and tasty!
I’m glad you left the salt out too because the soy sauce you added definitely would have been enough saltiness for the dish. Glad it was still amazing! Thanks for the 5 stars, Amanda.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Did you replace the beef base? I remember that as part of the recipe.
I used beef base to make the broth (not sure if that’s what you’re asking). You can always add an extra scoop of base to richen the flavor too.
Hi!
Also, if i am using only 2lbs of brisket, do i cut the entire recipe in half?
Yes 🙂
Excellent and simple. Perfect the first time. The liquid makes the best gravy with a little corn starch, and no other seasonings need.
Hi
How should I carmelize the onions after 7 hrs in the slow cooker ? Should I just remove the slow cooked cooked onions , put into pan with the butter and sauté for 5 min? Or longer ? Thanks and happy Passover!
I’m so sorry I missed this Lara! I hope you had a good Passover. Yes, I hope you used that method, it was precisely what I would do.
Hi!!Plan to
Make this for dinner, do you boil the Worcestershire, broth, and garlic or just mix it without heat?
No need to boil, you just want to mix it. Enjoy!
This was a huge hit for Hanukkah! I can’t wait to make this again!
Absolutely delicious! My new go to brisket recipe….
Very easy, tender, delicious. It was a crowd pleaser at a new year’s eve party. Great recipe. Thx!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you all enjoyed it, Carol.
Best brisket I have ever had. Period.
Woohoo! Thanks, Michelle.
Hello Sabrina, thank you for sharing the recipe. The meat turned out very well for me, but the broth and the onions caramelized into a black mess while in the cast iron skillet during the oven phase. Any suggestions?
Oh no! Did you make sure to cover with the lid or foil while cooking? Glad it still tasted well.
Hello. I am cooking a 2lb brisket since its just for me. What would you suggest for cooking temperature & time? Thank you!
It might need to cook for about 2 1/2 hours. You want to use a meat thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Enjoy!
Would a pressure cooker like Instant Pot be use instead of an oven?
I haven’t tested this recipe using one so I’m not comfortable giving a recommendation. Sorry. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
A wonderful, easy recipe. First time i was making a brisket and had no idea how to do it. some recipes called for a lot more prep time, which i simply did not have. it turned out wonderful, the gravy it made was terrific and the brisket was fork tender. (i will cut down on the salt next time as the beef base i used was quite salty).
Thank you, this recipe will be saved and used again.
(I think it will work for other cuts of beef as well)
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!