3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef Brisket
This corned beef brisket recipe uses a simple oven method to deliver tender slices and a caramelized finish with just three ingredients. All you need is tangy and flavorful Dijon mustard, brown sugar for the flavor balance, and corned beef. Start cooking it tightly covered to keep it moist and tender and finish under the broiler to caramelize the topping.
Since I first published this corned beef brisket recipe, it’s become a go-to reader favorite and here’s exactly what to look for as it cooks:
- Tenderness target: Baked until a fork slides in with little resistance and slices bend without crumbling.
- Salt control: A quick pre-boil helps dial back the briny bite so the flavor tastes balanced, not overly salty.
- Glaze: Dijon and brown sugar melts into a glossy, sweet-tangy coating as it bakes.
- Broiler finish: golden broil finish is perfect for the top. Look for a deep golden-brown, lightly crisp top and caramelized at the edges, not burnt.
- Ensures a juicy results when slicing: remembering to rest before slicing, so the brisket stays moist and cuts cleanly.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Tips and Substitutions
- Corned Beef Brisket – make sure to get uncooked corned beef brisket. I like to get closer to 4 lb. one so that we have leftovers. Remember, you can easily increase the amount of Dijon mustard and brown sugar to cover a larger brisket.
- Dijon mustard – make sure to use Dijon mustard, NOT yellow mustard. Some other gourmet mustards can be used, just try not to use ones with competing flavors.
- Brown sugar – it’s okay to use either light or dark.
Success Tips for Tender Corned Beef Brisket
Before you start, these simple tips help you bake a tender corned beef brisket with the right doneness, the right salt balance, and a perfectly browned glaze:
- Quick salt-control step (optional but helpful): For a less briny result, briefly boil the brisket, then discard the water and pat the meat dry before adding the topping.
- Brown sugar coverage: spread the brown sugar evenly so it melts into a smooth glaze. Thin or patchy spots can brown unevenly.
- Bake time rule and doneness: Plan roughly about 60 minutes per pound covered, then check for tenderness. Your goal is a fork sliding in with little resistance.
- Rest for juicy slices: Rest the brisket 10-15 minutes before slicing so it stays moist and cuts cleanly.
- Broiler finish without burning: Broil on low and keep the pan a safe distance from the element. You want deep golden-brown and caramelized, not scorched.
- Add veggies (optional): Add potatoes and/or cabbage during the final stretch (last 45-60 minutes) of baking so they cook through without turning mushy.
How To Make Corned Beef Brisket In The Oven – Visual Guide
- DO take the extra step to boil the corned beef before cooking, don’t skip this step.
- Discard the seasoning packet, you won’t be using it since. (I skip it because it’s packaged with raw meat so can’t save for later and mustard/sugar is enough flavor for this method.)
- Keep the brisker in the pot just until water starts to boil. Then, turn the heat off and take the brisket out.
- Use a generous layer of Dijon mustard and then brown sugar all over the top and sides.
- Close the aluminum foil, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil. You are creating a “pocket.”
- Bake covered until the brisket is fork-tender (for the time estimate, use the per-pound guide in the recipe card), then start checking for tenderness near the end.
- Once cooked, open the foil and caramelize the top under the broiler. If available, use the low broiler setting and set the oven rack about 8 inches away from the broiler.
- Let the corned beef brisket rest on the cutting board for about 10-15 minutes before slicing it.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Store leftover cooked brisket in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should be good for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the sliced of corned beef brisket, I recommend doing it in the oven to preserve the juiciness. Wrap some slices in foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F just until heated through.
Serving Suggestions and Ideas How To Use Corned Beef
- Potatoes are always a great side for corned beef. Try sides like mashed potatoes, Colcannon, fried cabbage, and roasted potatoes.
- You can use leftovers to make sandwiches like the Reuben sandwich, corned beef sliders, Reuben sliders, and more.
- Some other great recipes for leftover baked corned beef are Reuben dip, corned beef hash, and Reuben egg rolls.
Recipe FAQs
Do I really need to boil the corned beef first?
No, since this is an optional step. Boiling briefly helps reduce excess salt and gives you a more balanced flavor, but you can skip it if you like a stronger, brinier bite.
How do I know when corned beef brisket is done?
It’s done when it’s fork-tender a fork slides in with little resistance and the meat feels soft rather than springy or rubbery.
My corned beef is still tough, what went wrong?
It just needs more time. Keep it tightly covered and continue baking, checking tenderness every 15-20 minutes until it softens.
What is target internal temperature for tender cooked corned beef?
Optimal internal temperature you’re looking for is 195°F-205°F. It will be more and more tender closer to 205°F but it will be more at the fall-apart stage.
How do I slice corned beef brisket so it’s tender?
Let it rest, then slice against the grain (look for the lines in the meat and cut across them) for the most tender slices.
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3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef Brisket Recipe
This corned beef brisket recipe uses a simple oven method to deliver tender slices and a caramelized finish with just three ingredients. All you need is tangy and flavorful Dijon mustard, brown sugar for the flavor balance, and corned beef. Start cooking it tightly covered to keep it moist and tender and finish under the broiler to caramelize the topping.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 327kcal
Ingredients
- 2-4 lb corned beef brisket
- 3-4 Tbsp Grey Poupon Dijon mustard (more for larger brisket)
- 3-4 Tbsp brown sugar (more for larger brisket)
Instructions
- Take the brisket out of the package and discard the spice pack that comes with it.
- Place brisket in a pot of water and bring it to boil. As soon as it starts to boil, take the brisket out. This will remove some of the excess salt in the meat.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the brisket, fat layer up, in the middle of aluminum foil big enough to cover the whole brisket.
- Rub the whole brisket with Dijon mustard. Then, evenly sprinkle brown sugar over the top and gently pet it on. Pat some onto the sides as well.
- Bring the aluminum foil together and close it, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil. Place the covered brisket into a rimmed roasting pan.
- Bake it for 2 hours. Open the foil and turn on the broiler on low, if you have an option for low or high broiler setting. (If not, move the brisket to a lower rack.) Let the top caramelize for a few minutes but watch it so it doesn’t burn.
- BAKE TIME: the 2 hours recommendation time is for the 1.75-2 lb. sized corned beef brisket. If you have a larger piece of meat, you will need to cook it longer. Give it about 45-60 minutes per pound. Lean towards the 60 minutes per pound time.
- Take the corned beef brisket out and let it rest for a 10-15 minutes on the cutting board before slicing.
- Make sure to slice the meat against the grain! Luckily, with the corned beef brisket, it's very easy to see the grain.
Video
Notes
- Why boil first? Since corned beef is cured in salt brine, it contains quite a bit of salt. So bringing the corned beef to a boil in a pot of water, gets some of the saltiness out.
- Adding potatoes and/or cabbage: You absolutely can add some potatoes and if you wish cabbage and carrots to the brisket. Since beef will take MUCH longer to cook than vegetables, you will need to cook the brisket for a while first. Baby gold potatoes will need about an hour of total cook time, covered and uncovered. So set aside about an another hour at the end of meat’s cooking time to cook potatoes.
If your potatoes are larger, you can always cut it in half.
If you wish to add cabbage, cut the head of cabbage into 4-6 wedges and place them around the meat. Depending on the size of the cabbage wedges, it would take 45-60 minutes.
You can see the steps and get the idea of how to cook it in my Baked Corned Beef Brisket and Potatoes recipe. - Store and reheat: Store leftover cooked brisket in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should be good for 3-4 days.
To reheat the sliced of corned beef brisket, I recommend doing it in the oven to preserve the juiciness. Wrap some slices in foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F just until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1924mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 3mg
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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in February, 2017.
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Beef Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Hands down this is the best recipe for corned beef ever! We’ve been making it for a few years now. Each year we’re getting more and more people coming over for St Patty’s Day after hearing about this recipe. Thank you so very much.
Wow! Thank you so much!
Corned beef is too salty and/or difficult for me to eat. I was impressed when I made this today. I substituted yellow mustard for Dijon. The food was the greatest I’ve ever had. Definitely going to cook this again.
Glad you liked it!
This is the way I`ve cooked my corned beef for years. It`s perfect. I have shared this recipe over and over. It`s that delicious. I do have an add-on for you. I always buy a larger corned beef than is needed for one meal. I LOVE corned beef hash and this `extra` corned beef makes fabulous hash!
I am so glad you liked the recipe, Terri! I agree nothing like homemade corned beef hash or a good Ruben with the leftovers!
I will say, this is the easiest and best that my adult family LOVES! I was used to purchasing corned beef once a year but now every time my spouse comes with me shopping, he always looks to see if there is corned beef in the store! He knows I’m a good cook since together since 1987, but this is one of his favorites!! Good Job and I keep of sending your site to my friends.
Thank you for the sweet comment, Carolyn! I am so glad your family likes my recipe! 🙂
I followed the recipe with the exception of changing the type of mustard to honey mustard. Baked it 3 hours for a 3 lb brisket. It came moist and delicious! I poured the juice over my cabbage and potatoes to for added flavor.
The days of boiling corned beef are OVER!
I am so glad you liked it, Rosalind!
Point or flat brisket?
My wife came home with a two and a half pound point tonight , so I guess it’s going to be a point!. What’s usually better?
What do you recommend to serve with this?
Corned Beef is usually made with the flat cup. Point is fatter and thicket, so you do get less meat but it also makes it more tender. Did you like it?
I made this again tonight, it was so delish and spot on. I will never make corned beef any other way. Yum😋🥰😋
So glad you like it, Cindee!
This is truly a great and super simple recipe. The first time I tried it, I was looking for an alternative to the traditional boiled version. Needless to say, there were no leftovers! The only change I made, is using the spice packet when bringing the meat to a boil as I like to add as much flavor along the way. We use a grainy mustard with a bit more kick, but man those 3 ingredients really come together!
Thanks, Kevin! I am so glad you like it! 🙂
I love this recipe! I’ve been using it for a few years now and this is the best. I do use the spice packet to boil the corned beef, then cook my cabbage & carrots in that water for the taste. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Glad you like it, Vicki!
I make it every year like this. So good.
I am so glad you like it, Ellen!
My husband wants cabbage with this, cooked in the juices of the corned beef not in a separate pan. Any suggestions on when to add it and do I need water? I gave a 2.5 lb corned beef. I don’t want this to turn into a boikd dinner, lol.
You can add the cabbage to the pan with the corn beef just before its done enough time to cook the cabbage however done you like it.
Why do you discard the spice packet? Could you bring the corned beef to a boil with the spice packet contents to enhance the flavor of the beef?
Because the spice packet is disgusting!
Save the spice packet and use it when boiling your vegetables on the stove along with beef broth. Really yummy!
The best ever. Would never even think of boiling corned beef, or including the spice packet again!
Thanks, Amy! So glad you liked it!
great ingredients love it
i love this blog keep up
Thank you, Paul!
thanks so much i love this.
I am so happy you enjoy it, Evelyn!
Well if you haven’t tried it yet. Please do. My picky daughter loved it. Don’t tell the mustard naysayers that it’s an ingredient.
Thank you, Michelle! I am so glad she liked it! 🙂
Thank you
You are so welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I can’t wait to try your baked corn beef recipe.
Thanks, Joan! I hope you love it!
This recipe is the best corned beef recipe I’ve ever had. My husband was thoroughly impressed! I would recommend making this the night before and letting it sit overnight and warming it in the convection oven a little bit. I served it with some rye bread and shaved pickles and there was NONE left. I am using this recipe for a 2nd time tonight!
I am so happy to hear that, Joy! Thank you for stopping by to let me know you like it!
The 45 to 60 minutes per pound doesn’t work. I tried this recipe yesterday. I started with a 13.5 lb brisket. I set my oven timer for 12 hours. I checked it at 10 hours and it was almost burnt to a crisp. I probably salvaged 4 or 5 pounds of meat.
Sorry Terry but this is not a recipe for a whole brisket. Corned Beef has already been brined and cured therefore, it cooks differently than a brisket (assuming you did not have a 13lb corned beef?).
Hi what other mustard can I use? Curious lol but I have spicy brown mustard
I think spicy brown mustard will work just fine.