Beef Brisket Recipe In The Oven
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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.
What Is 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 Juicy 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 (Up To 12 Hours Before)
- 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°F 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°F. 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°F.
- 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.
Tips for a better bark:
Moisture is the biggest obstacle to a good bark in a conventional oven, so the final uncovered stretch is all about drying out the surface.
- Open the foil at the right time, and all the way. When thickest part of the brisket reaches 185°F, fold the foil down and away from the sides of the brisket so the hot, dry oven air can circulate all around it on the rack. If you open it too early, you would dry out the brisket before the collagen has a chance to break down, and could end up tough.
- Pour off excess juices. If a lot of liquid pooled in the foil around the brisket, carefully spoon out or pour off some of it. If you leave the brisket sitting in a deep pool of juices, you end up steaming the surface instead of crisping it.
- Save the juices for serving. Set aside what you pour off and drizzle a spoonful over the sliced brisket.
- Switch to convection. If your oven has a convection setting, turn it on for this final stretch. The moving air dries the surface faster for an even deeper bark.
- Keep an eye on it. Check the brisket every 15 minutes or so, since the fan speeds up browning and you don’t want any sugar in the rub to scorch.
Beef 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.
Storing Leftover Beef 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.
Best Way To Reheat Beef Brisket
Brisket is nicely reheated in the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°F. 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 Beef Recipes To Try
- Making Corned Beef Brisket In The Oven
- Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Tips for Grilling The Perfect Steak
- Beef Brisket with Balsamic Sauce
- Bacon Wrapped Mustard Beef Brisket
- French Onion Beef Brisket
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Beef Brisket Recipe 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°F 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°F. 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.
Video
Notes
- Plan ahead for best results: For the most flavorful and tender beef brisket, apply the dry rub and refrigerate overnight. This extra time allows the seasoning to penetrate the meat and helps tenderize it.
- Brisket cut matters: This recipe is written for a flat cut of beef brisket. Choose one with a visible fat cap for juicier results. Cooking time may vary depending on thickness and fat content.
- Cook low and slow: Oven temperature and time are key. Brisket should be cooked slowly until it reaches the proper internal temperature, don’t rush it, or it may turn out tough.
- Use a meat thermometer: Brisket is done when it’s tender and reaches the correct internal temperature, not just by time alone. Every brisket cooks a little differently.
- Rest before slicing: Let the brisket rest after baking so the juices redistribute. Skipping this step can cause the meat to dry out.
- Slice against the grain: Always slice beef brisket against the grain for the most tender texture.
- Foil alternatives: Parchment paper can be used instead of aluminum foil if preferred.
- Adjust seasoning to taste: If you’re sensitive to spice, reduce the heat in the dry rub to suit your preference.
- Leftovers & reheating: Brisket reheats best in the oven, wrapped, to maintain moisture and tenderness.
Nutrition
Categories:
4th Of July Recipes, Beef Recipes, Christmas Dinner Recipes, Father's Day Recipe Ideas, Most Popular 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.
Lyuba, I am from Texas, and have cooked briskets for 50 years. I was looking for temperatures and times online, and found your recipe. I used to sear the meat to get a crust, then turned the temp down low and slow. Not this time. I followed your instructions, wrapped my brisket tightly in foil (no juices escaped), and this was the most moist and tender brisket I have ever made. We won’t have to worry about leftovers. My kids are acting it like starving animals! Спасибо!!!
Awesome! I love reading comments like this and I am so happy you all liked it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
The temperature used is Fahrenheit or Celcius?
Hi Larry,
The temperature is in Fahrenheit. Hope you like it! 🙂
I am making this for Passover this year. I did it last year also. I was wondering about cooking in tin pans instead of a roasting pan on a rack. Is this a problem? I am making about 10 pounds. Also, if I want to make it the day before and finish it the next day, how far into cooking should I take it…knowing it will be heated again a day later?
I am making this for Pesach this year. I did it last year also. I was wondering about cooking in tin pans instead of a roasting pan on a rack. Is this a problem? I am making about 10 pounds. Also, if I want to make it the day before and finish it for Seder, how far into cooking should I take it…knowing it will be heated again a day later?
Hi is the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or celcius?
Hi Camilla, It is in Fahrenheit. Let me know if you need help with anything else.
I love corn beef, my husband doesn’t. But he does like beef brisket. Found your recipe and decided to give it a try.
Followed it exactly minus an hour because of a smaller size. Used your dry rub with the brown sugar. Turned out perfect. Will definitely be doing this again.
Yay! I am so happy you both liked it, Judie! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
The taste is amazing. I tasted the salt, then the sugar sweetness, smokiness of the paprika, then a hit of pepper and the heat of the cayenne. Without a doubt the best brisket I’ve ever baked.
Recommended heartily.
Thanks for sharing WCFS 😊😊👍👍👍
Thank you, Dave! You are too kind! I am so happy you liked the brisket! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Hello,
I found your recipe while at the meat counter today, looking at briskets. I have had brisket once in my life, from a smoke house. it was good. Your recipe inspired me to try an “in the oven” brisket. I give you 5 stars as my mouth watered standing at the counter reading it! ‘Heh”. I have my meat in the fridge, ready to go in the oven tomorrow!
Thank you.
Yay! So glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Made this recipe today. I used two small briskets at 1.7 and 1.6 pounds. Took close to 7.5 hours to get up to 180 degrees, which was surprising. Flavor was fantastic!
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it!
I absolutely loved this recipe. I used this recipe to cook my first ever brisket and it turned out perfect. The rub is amazing and the only one I will ever use. Thank You for sharing.
Awesome! So glad it worked out!
The dry rub was great. It made more than we needed. The cook timing did not work out for us at all though. Our 4 lb brisket was totally over cooked. I threw half away. My guess is that it should have been more like 1 hour per pound.
I am sorry it didn’t turn out, By overcooked do you mean tough? I am only asking because brisket is a tough meat so maybe it wasn’t cooked enough. Temperature is the best way to check for doneness because cuts of meat and ovens can be slightly different you should use a thermometer and take it out of the oven when it reaches 200-202°.
I bought an expensive 2.5 pound brisket from a mail-order specialty meat company, expecting it to be superb. After nearly four hours in the oven, it was so tough the thermometer probe would barely pierce it. We hacked off a few bites, but ultimately found eating it to be too much effort. Fortunately, I had read your advice about cooking it longer to tenderize it, so I put the meat, the pan drippings and a good slosh of chicken broth into my slow cooker and let it bubble for another three hours. Now it’s great!
I don’t have a roasting pan with a rack. I was wondering if I could use a 13×9 pan? If not what would you suggest I use. Thanks. I am making this for our Christmas Eve dinner.
Hi Courtney,
I am sorry I am just now seeing your comment, I hope it worked out. But yes you can use a 13×9 pan.
Wonderful recipe easy and food was great and no mess
Thank you, Rebecca! Glad you liked it!
Since it’s all cooking in the oven it’s fine to use the same foil. I hope you enjoy it!
Do leave the brisket in the same foil that it marinated in or do I put in clean foil before it goes into oven? Thanks.
I made the recipe, following the directions. It was delicious! Moist and tender, dipping sauce was flavorful and enhanced the meat. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s a keeper!
Yay! So glad you liked it, Jason! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. 🙂
I have an 18lb brisket. It would take an awful lot of foil to wrap this many times so I am roasting it in a aluminum pan. I am going to foil the top, then plastic wrap then foil again. I have done this before and it does a good job keeping the heat and moisture in. So I guess I want to make sure I that I need to cook this for 13 1/2 hours correct or should I cook it longer? Because it is so big I put the rub on today (Monday) and will start it bright and early Thursday morning. Any suggestions would be great.
Sorry stupid question I suppose the 300° is Fahrenheit?
No stupid questions here! Yes, Fahrenheit is correct!
Hi,
My brisket is a bit smaller (.975 kg, or 2.15 lbs). How would you recommend cooking it, and for how long? I tried the recipe before and the rub was tasty, but the brisket was rather dry and tough. I think it may have some fat on it–do I roast fatside down or up?
Also, do you recommend having it sit on the foil or on the rack above the foil, and do you cover it with foil while cooking?
Sorry for having so many questions, but normally brisket is more than we can afford as students so I really want to get it right this time!
Sincerely,
Jay
Dumb question, but does the oven continue to cook at 300 degrees or do u require to bring the temp down ? Seems a bit too hot ?
Hi Savi,
Yes, you want to cook it 300 for the full time and just make sure to use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature so it doesn’t overcook.