3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef Brisket

Amazing, tender corned beef brisket cooked in the oven with just three ingredients. All you need is tangy and flavorful Dijon mustard, brown sugar for the flavor balance, and corned beef, of course! This brisket is flavorful, easy, and comes out so tender.

sliced corned beef brisket next to unsliced piece.

Right after I shared this recipe, over 8 years ago, it immediately became very popular with my readers.

Everyone loves that there are only 3 ingredients needed to make it.
This corned beef made in the oven is not just flavorful but also incredibly tender and juicy.
This is one delicious (and totally easy) corned beef and I don’t think we’ll grow tired of it.
The aroma that fills your kitchen as it cooks really is wonderful. You will want to dig in the moment it’s out of the oven.

Tips and Substitutions For Ingredients You’ll Need

labeled ingredients to make the corned beef brisket in the oven.

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.

How Long To Cook Corned Beef In The Oven?

Calculate cooking time for the brisket to be about 60 minutes per pound. Cook corned beef brisket covered in aluminum foil but not too tight, leave some room between the brisket and the foil.
Open the aluminum foil and briefly place the brisket back in the oven under the broiler on a low setting, this will take a couple more minutes.
After you take it out of the oven, take it out of the roasting pan as well. Make sure to give the brisket about 10-15 minutes to rest before slicing.

closeup of sliced corned beef brisket on wooden plate.

How To Make Corned Beef Brisket In The Oven

collage of two images of pulling corned beef out of the pot of water and placing onto baking dish.

DO take the extra step to boil the corned beef before cooking. This step will help To get rid of some of the excess salt in the brisket, don’t skip this step.
Discard the seasoning packet, you won’t be using it. (The reason I don’t recommend saving it and using later if because it is usually packaged right with raw meat.)
Keep the brisker in the pot just until water starts to boil. Then, turn the heat off and take the brisket out.

collage of two images of adding Dijon mustard to the brisket and then added brown sugar.

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.”

corned beef wrapped in foil in roasting pan.

collage of two images of corned beef brisket in the oven before and after baking.

Cook: when calculating the time to cook, estimate about 45-60 minutes per pound. Lean towards the 60 minutes per pound time.
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.

top view of sliced corned beef brisket in the board.

Recipe FAQs

Why do I have to bring the corned beef to 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. It will decrease the amount of salt in the brisket and therefore make it less salty.

How to store and reheat the corned beef brisket?

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

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.

pulled apart slice of corned beef next to other slices.

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3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef Brisket Recipe

Amazing, tender corned beef brisket cooked in the oven with just three ingredients. This brisket is flavorful, easy, and comes out so tender.

4.16 from 434 votes

Print Pin Video Rate

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 2 20

Servings:

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

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

Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in February, 2017.

More Beef Brisket Recipes To Try

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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.

4.16 from 434 votes (369 ratings without comment)

263 Comments

Amy says:

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The best ever. Would never even think of boiling corned beef, or including the spice packet again!

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Thanks, Amy! So glad you liked it!
  
oneup says:

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great ingredients love it

paul says:

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i love this blog keep up

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Thank you, Paul!
  
evelyn says:

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thanks so much i love this.

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  I am so happy you enjoy it, Evelyn!
  
MICHELLE SCOTT says:

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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.

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Thank you, Michelle! I am so glad she liked it! 🙂
  
Bettye says:

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Thank you

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  You are so welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
  
Joan says:

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I can’t wait to try your baked corn beef recipe.

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Thanks, Joan! I hope you love it!
  
Joy says:

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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!

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  I am so happy to hear that, Joy! Thank you for stopping by to let me know you like it!
  
2. Terry says:
  
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  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.
  
  1. Steven says:
    
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    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?).
    
  2. Alice says:
    
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    Hi what other mustard can I use? Curious lol but I have spicy brown mustard
    
    1. LyubaB says:
      
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      I think spicy brown mustard will work just fine.
      
Bill Mc says:

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Easter dinner tonight was DELICIOUS! Thanks for the corned beef recipe Lyuba

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  I am so glad you liked it, Bill!
  
DONNA GYLYWOYCHUK says:

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Excellent.. have never done a corned beef brisket before.. this turned out perfectly.. Thanks for sharing

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Oh, good! I am so glad you liked it, Donna!
  
Cindee says:

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I made this yesterday, this is by far the easiest, best tasting way to make corned beef. Super easy and absolutely delicious. So happy I stumbled on this recipe 5 stars

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  I am so glad you liked it, Cindee! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
  
Nina Godley says:

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This looks absolutely mouthwatering delicious!!!!!!!!!!

1. LyubaB says:
  
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  Thank you, Nina! It really is very good! I hope you try it sometime!