This beef brisket made in the oven is about as close as you can come to Texas-style smoked brisket without actually using a smoker. Juicy beef brisket is rubbed with an amazing dry rub and baked in the oven until tender. Learn how to make a great beef brisket right in your kitchen.
For this brisket and many other meats, I use my favorite Dry Rub recipe. Try making corned beef brisket in the oven as well, you won’t be disappointed. If you just love Beef Brisket in the oven, you must try my French Onion Beef Brisket.
BEEF BRISKET
Beef brisket comes from the lower chest area of the cow. It’s a very tough cut of meat because it comes from the area where there is a lot of muscle and tendons. Because it’s a tough cut of meat, brisket should be cooked at low temperature for a long period of time.
There are two basic parts of the whole beef brisket. The bottom part of the brisket is called a “flat” and it doesn’t usually contain much fat at all. Top part of the brisket is called a “point” and it is mostly fat with very little meat on it.
Ideally, the whole brisket is cooked at the same time because the fat juices from the top point part seeps into the flat. This makes brisket flat meat juicier. Unfortunately, many grocery stores don’t carry the whole brisket but only carry the flat. (For the whole brisket, check your butcher shops.)
Because flat is much more common, I normally work with that cut. Try to get beef brisket that has a little more fat on top, in the fat cap. (Flat brisket cut still had a small fat cap on top.)
Of course, for best results and for a true Texas-style brisket, it should be cooked in a smoker. Since not everyone has a availability and time to slow cook the brisket in the smoker, I want to share my recipe for making the beef brisket in the oven.
HOW TO COOK BEEF BRISKET IN THE OVEN
Note: Be prepared to start the brisket a day before cooking it. Giving it time to soak up the flavors from the dry rub overnight will give you a much better result.
Before Cooking
Let’s start with making our favorite dry rub, that should take a whole 5 minutes to make.
Take brisket flat out of the package, lay it on a cutting board and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Spread a generous amount of dry rub on top, flip the brisket over and spread a generous amount of dry rub over that. Make sure there is a good amount of seasoning and rub it all over all the sides of the brisket. Massage the rub into every nook and cranny and make sure it’s nicely coated all over.
Wrap rubbed brisket in a couple of layers of foil, covering it tight. Place in a pan or a dish just in case some juices leak out, so that it doesn’t leak all over the refrigerator.
Refrigerate the brisket overnight or up to 12 hours. Take the brisket out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking it, unwrap and let it get to room temperature.
Cooking Brisket
Preheat oven to 300° and place a rack inside the large roasting pan. Lay a couple of sheets of foil that are long enough to loosely cover the brisket, crisscross, on top of the rack. (You can layer the bottom of the roasting pan with aluminum foil to catch whatever drippings might leak through.)
Place the brisket, fat cap up, in the middle of aluminum foil prepared in the roasting pan. Bring the aluminum foil together and close it, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil.
Place in the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes per pound, until the brisket reaches 185°. Use a meat thermometer to measure the thickest part of the brisket.
Open the foil and bake brisket for another 45 minutes to an hour, until internal temperature reaches 200-202°.
Take the brisket out onto the cutting board, tent it with a sheet of foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Make sure to cut the brisket against the grain.
BRISKET SERVING SIZE
Wondering how much brisket to get? That’s the story of my life. Recommended serving size for brisket is 1/2 lb of uncooked meat per person.
It’s also very subjective because it highly depends on the sides that you’re servings with it. Lighter sides will not fill guests as much, so more brisket will be needed per person. Heartier sides, will be more filling.
To me, recommended servings never seems enough so I get an extra pound or two of meat. It’s better to have meat leftover than not have enough.
HOW TO STORE BRISKET
If you have leftover brisket, store it covered in the refrigerator, covered tightly.
Wrap cooled brisket in a sheet of parchment paper and then wrap it in some aluminum foil.
Keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
HOW TO REHEAT BRISKET
Brisket is nicely reheated in the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°. Slice cold brisket and wrap the slices in foil.
Reheat the foil packets in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick the slices are and how many slices there are in the foil. You can place foil wrapped brisket directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet.
Note: the little fat layer on top won’t have the crunch once it’s been reheated.
SOME MORE RECIPES YOU WILL ENJOY:
Making Corned Beef Brisket In The Oven
Tips for Grilling The Perfect Steak
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Beef Brisket In The Oven
Instructions
- NOTE: Be prepared to start the brisket a day before cooking it. Giving it time to soak up the flavors and tenderize from the dry rub overnight will give you a much better result.
Meat rub and refrigerating:
- Mix dry rub ingredients. (This recipe for dry rub will cover a 6 lb brisket.)
- Take brisket flat out of the package, lay it on a cutting board and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Spread a generous amount of dry rub on top, flip the brisket over and spread a generous amount of dry rub over that side. Make sure there is a good amount of seasoning and rub it all over all the sides of the brisket. Massage the rub into every nook and cranny and make sure it’s nicely coated all over.
- Wrap rubbed brisket in a couple of layers of foil, covering it tight. Place wrapped brisket in a pan or a dish just in case some juices leak out, so that it doesn’t leak all over the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate the brisket overnight or up to 12 hours. Take the brisket out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking it, unwrap and let it get to room temperature.
Baking the brisket:
- Preheat oven to 300° and place a rack inside the large roasting pan. Lay a couple of sheets of foil that are long enough to loosely cover the brisket, criss-cross, on top of the rack. (You can layer the bottom of the roasting pan with aluminum foil to catch whatever drippings might leak through.)
- Place the brisket, fat cap up, in the middle of aluminum foil prepared in the roasting pan. Bring the aluminum foil together and close it, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil.
- UPDATE: Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound, until the brisket reaches about 180°. Use a meat thermometer to measure the thickest part of the brisket. (My 4.5 lb brisket takes about 5 1/2 hours but there are many factors that can affect exact time. Meat itself will take different time and brisket can also stall at a certain temperature in the oven much like a smoker. Use a leave-in meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of your brisket and that way you won't have to keep opening the oven .)
- Open the foil and place it back in the oven. Bake brisket for another 45 minutes to an hour.
Let it rest:
- Take the brisket out onto the cutting board, tent it with a sheet of foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Make sure to cut the brisket against the grain.
Notes
Nutrition
Anna says
Cooking it now. Using my own fave Texas dry rub.
Lucy says
Thanks we llove this brisket recipe! The rub is amazing!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Lucy!! And thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me 🙂
bonnie hicks says
whhere do you get the rub and what kind
LyubaB says
Hi, Bonnie! I use my own homemade dry rub here is the link if you would like to try it. https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/the-ultimate-dry-rub/
laurie says
Lyuba, I am pretty new to brisket done in the oven and I am going to try your rub recipe. I guess by your recipe the most accurate way to tell doneness is by the 200 degree temp because the first baking time written in your recipe is 6 hours and 40 min for a 41/2 pound brisket and then you finish by saying YOUR baking time for the same size brisket is 51/2 hours!… That seems odd to me . I recently tried a recipe with lots of liquid {wine, beef broth} and was disappointed in the flavor. Hope yours is a winner!
lyuba says
Hi Laurie!
With the brisket, and all other meat really, it’s really hard to tell exact cook time. It depends on size, thickness, fat amount, cut, and other factors. So I never recommend going by the exact time and I usually put down approximate times. I went ahead and updated the temperature of the brisket that you should be looking for in there recipe card. If you have a leave-in thermometer, it is definitely the best one to use. You won’t have to open the oven to check on the meat and it will alert you once the temperature will be reached.
I have a recipe where the brisket is cooked in sauce and it is pretty good. Much different from when brisket is cooked in dry rub.
And of course, the biggest difference is always if you are cooking just a flat or if you are cooking the whole packer brisket. Let me know if you have any questions at all and I will be happy to help!
Brian says
Hello!
Thank you for your recipe! I gave it a try yesterday, and the rub is delicious, but must have botched something in the process as it came out overly chewy to a point where we ended up tossing it in the trash after a few bites. I am generally pretty decent at following recipes (this was my first time cooking a brisket) but could you suggest any typical mistakes that are made when cooking briskets that could have caused this? I’d love to try this again.
Thanks again,
Brian
lyuba says
Hi Brian!
I have a couple of thoughts that will definitely affect the brisket texture. First, I do want to make sure that you know that brisket made in the oven will not have the same texture as the brisket made in a smoker. No matter how much I tried, smoker just blows every other method out of the water 🙂
But a couple of things will affect the brisket in the oven like the cut itself and how you slice it. I’ve been doing a little experiment of buying briskets from different stores to see if that affects the final result and it unfortunately does. I was so excited to buy brisket from WalMart and half the cost that I get it at Publix or Fresh Market but the texture was a bit tougher.
Another big thing that affects the moisture in the brisket is the fat content. When possible, I recommend that people cook the WHOLE brisket rather than just the flat. The flat is the favorite because of the leaner meat but leaner means tougher. When you cook the flat and the point together, all those fat juices run into the flat and makes it juicier. So if possible, cook the whole brisket. (I talk a little more about the whole brisket here: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/bacon-beef-brisket/)
Of course, don’t trim off any fat off the flat part and not much off the point.
Also, make sure to slice the brisket against the grain. If it’s hard to notice the grain, make one thin cut at one edge and see which way the muscle is running.
I really hope this helps!
Marry Sargent says
Hi lyubab, this was my first brisket, thank you so much for the recipe, it turned out beautiful, we loved it. Will make this often. Again thank you the recipe was easy for me to follow.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Carol Gambill says
Hi, I made this tonight for dinner and it was awesome! I followed your exact instructions except for the last 3 ingredients in the rub, which I did not have. It was still really good and we enjoyed it very much. Thanks for a great recipe!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it!
micky says
tried it, followed the recipe but the meat came out tough.
LyubaB says
Hi, Mickey! Please read my reply above to Brian, but I am so sorry that happened!
Tommy sholes says
It was perfect as shared thank you
LyubaB says
Thanks, Tommy! 🙂
Ale says
If it tastes half as good as it looks it’ll be great!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Ale! I hope you like it! 🙂
Mary watson says
Friend gave me a brisket to cook first time cooking one went by your recipe ever one was so impressed it was juice tender so thank you for the post.Will be during it again very easy.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Mary! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Linda B says
How long would you cook a 16 .71 lb beef brisket and at what temperature. I don’t have a thermometer but would like to serve for dinner around 2:00 pm on Sunday
lyuba says
Hi Linda! That is a big boy you got there! I would highly recommend a meat thermometer because without it, it’s hard to tell when your meat is done. Each brisket tastes different amount of time so thermometer is your best friend here. Without one, I would definitely give it about an hour per pound. Do you have a regular meat thermometer that is not a leave-in? That way you can take the brisket out and take the temperature that way.
(Also, you can message me on the Will Cook For Smiles Facebook page for a faster response!)
Kerry says
Getting ready to cook, but my brisket doesn’t have any fat on it. Should I add anything help with the juices?
LyubaB says
No, it will still make it’s own juices.
eatfrysmith says
During those 3 days, where should I store meat? In the refrigerator or where?
LyubaB says
Yes, in the refrigerator.
Joshua Cottrell says
Any suggestions on cooking times for a 12 pound brisket?
LyubaB says
Hi, Joshua! Sorry for late response your question got lost in my email. You should bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound, until the brisket reaches about 180°.
Jenn says
This turned out perfectly for Christmas Eve dinner.
LyubaB says
Good! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Anniboop says
I’ve been on this recipe all day, it was a success for me! Only step I messed up was the hour at room temp, I missed that I was supposed to unwrap it once I set it out for an hour before cooking – but the overall result was a mostly juicy brisket full of flavor. Thank you for a great recipe!
LyubaB says
Thanks! So glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Aaron says
Usually smoke everything including my Brisket but smoker went up in flames 3 hours into it..found your recipe…thank you. Will let you know how it goes…half smoke half oven lol
Also..you are very correct about brisket from different places. For all your readers..pay the money and get a good one. It does make a huge difference. I’m partial to Publix..but Sam’s also usually has a great fresh selection. Have never gotten a bad piece yet from either and I do alot of cooking. Thank you again and Cook On!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Aaron! I hope it came out good!
Lonnie says
I have a 5-pound brisket in the oven at 300 degrees, and it has already reached 185 degrees after only 3.5 hours. I’m debating whether or not to just turn down the temp and leave it there….or what? Worried that it will be totally dried out and overcooked.
LyubaB says
Hi, Lonnie! Sorry I am just now seeing this, in the future please message me on facebook if you need an immediate responds. How did it turn out?
Jacquie says
Made this dry rub brisket for our family gathering and everyone loved it. Was asked to share “Will Cook For Smiles” website with them. Also the reheating of the brisket came in real handy too seeing I made it the day prior to our gathering.
LyubaB says
Hi, Jacquie! So glad everyone liked it!!! 🙂
Steve H says
Best brisket ever that I cooked up. Easy and tasty. I also throw out the old boil to death meat, potatoes, and cabbage receipt. Thanks a million for this one!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Steve! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
CeeCee says
I got a 1/4 of a steer recently, and with it came a very tiny brisket. It probably weighs one pound, if that. Is it possible to adjust your recipe for something that small?
LyubaB says
Hi, Ceecee! So sorry for my late response I have been having issues with my email. You can use this recipe I would cook it for about an hour and a half in foil then open the foil and cook it another 25 minutes.
If you want, you can also cook it in BBQ sauce. Just lightly season the meat with the rub and then add bbq sauce during the last 25 minutes to help keep it from drying out since it’s so small.
Another thing you can do, if your heart is not set on makign it in the oven, you can make it in a slow cooker (or Instant Pot) and then shred it for a couple of BBQ pulled brisket sandwiches.
Steven says
Hi, cooked the brisket and ended up with an inch of liquid in the aluminum foil that the brisket is in. Your recipe does not mention this. Any thoughts.
LyubaB says
Hi, Steven! The meat does give out juices as it cooks which is fine that shouldn’t make the meat dry.
Lu says
I love this recipe! I made it for my son’s graduation party last summer and it was a success. I try to make it often. One thing different that I do – I sear my brisket in a hot pan with butter before putting it in the oven. It gives it a nice crust, and seems to seal in some of the juices. If my brisket is too large for my searing pan, I cut it in half to sear.
LyubaB says
Hi, Lu! I am so happy you and your family liked the recipe! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Tom says
followed the French Onion version to a ‘t, risking coronavirus to get the danged onions. If you’re not a fan of smoked paprika you’ll be very disappointed. Just yuk. and also meat came out quite tough but not the fault of the recipe – likely the cut.
lyuba says
Oh, I’m so sorry you don’t like smoked paprika and that you didn’t like the flavor! I hope you will try something else another time. Stay safe!