20 Irresistible Beef Brisket Recipes

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on November 14, 2023

Brisket with Sweet-and-Sour Onions — Photo: David Cicconi

Brisket recipes can be cooked in a number of ways, from smoking the meat to slow-cooking until it's super tender. Brisket is delicious in hearty stews, noodle soups, and barbecue sandwiches. From a sweet-and-sour brisket to a red wine-braised beef brisket, there's a brisket recipe here for you. Here are some of our favorites.

01 of 20

Brisket with Sweet and Sour Onions

Brisket with Sweet-and-Sour Onions — David Cicconi

This brisket recipe is from Jessamyn Rodriguez, founder of Hot Bread Kitchen, the New York–based social enterprise that helps immigrant women and others launch careers and food businesses. She calls the brisket her "crowning glory," and says the secret is cooking it low and slow.

02 of 20

Brisket with Apricots and Prunes

Brisket with Apricots and Prunes — © Christina Holmes

For extra-tender brisket, cookbook author Julia Turshen cleverly uses a damp piece of crumpled parchment as a protective blanket for the meat to prevent it from drying out while it roasts. "In this case, a wet blanket is a good thing!" she says.

03 of 20

Brisket and Mushroom Stew with Cheddar-Jalapeño Biscuits

Brisket-and-Mushroom Stew with Cheddar-Jalapeño Biscuits — © John Cullen

The beef for this simple stew marinates in red wine, garlic, sage, and rosemary to help make it tender. Served with a dollop of cream, it's an extremely luscious dish.

04 of 20

Cranberry-Onion Hanukkah Brisket

Cranberry-Onion Hanukkah Brisket — Justin Walker

This nearly effortless brisket gets a festive garnet glaze from cranberries; their tart sweetness cuts through the super-savory onion soup mix and hearty brisket with ease. Double-roasting the brisket yields incredibly tender meat that soaks up the concentrated sauce.

05 of 20

Smoked Brisket Noodle Soup

Smoked Brisket Noodle Soup — Greg DuPree

Move over, chicken noodle soup — hello, Smoked Brisket Noodle Soup. In this recipe, barbecued brisket is paired with tender egg noodles, okra, corn, and lima beans in every smoky bite.

06 of 20

Red Wine-Braised Beef Brisket with Pretzel Dumplings

Red-Wine-Braised Beef Brisket — © Simon Watson

Both chefs Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo had early experiences with sauerbraten, the German braised brisket. Castronovo sampled it on trips to Germany; Falcinelli had it at the German deli where he worked as a teenager. The terrific recipe they ultimately perfected is both very sweet and very sour, made with raisins, apples, red wine vinegar, and red wine.

07 of 20

Holiday Beef Brisket with Onions

Holiday Beef Brisket with Onions — © Fredrika Stjärne

When sausage aficionado Bruce Aidells was growing up, his family's Hanukkah-Christmas celebration always meant brisket, and this was one of their favorite ways to prepare it. Look for the leaner, flat-cut, or first-cut brisket with a layer of fat that's at least 1/8-inch thick.

08 of 20

Robb Walsh's Texas Barbecue Brisket

Robb Walsh’s Texas Barbecue Brisket. Photo © Hector Sanchez — © Hector Sanchez

Serve this delightful brisket with sliced white bread, chili beans, and coleslaw — and don't forget your pickles!

09 of 20

Grandma Selma's Brisket

Grandma Selma's Brisket — © John Kernick

This is Russ Pillar's modern take on his grandmother's recipe. He experimented with a mix of spices and unexpected ingredients (such as Coca-Cola) to re-create her dish and came up with this version.

10 of 20

Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends

Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends — © James Baigrie

Ten hours on the grill with a slather, a rub, and a mop give this brisket an extraordinarily robust flavor. Chef Paul Kirk's recipe calls for a whole packer brisket, which includes both the flat (the larger, leaner portion) as well as the point (the smaller, fattier part for the burnt ends). When slicing the brisket, cut perpendicular to the grain with a brisket knife to keep the meat juicy.

11 of 20

Smoked Brisket Sandwiches with Pickled Vegetables

Smoked Brisket Sandwiches with Pickled Vegetables — © John Kernick

On its own, this applewood-smoked brisket is luscious and much easier to make at home than most barbecued meats. Chef Michael Symon turns it into a fun sandwich, topped with cilantro and pickled vegetables to cut the richness of the meat.

12 of 20

Hanukkah Brisket

Hanukkah Brisket — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Chef Andrew Zimmern likes to roast his brisket whole because the fatty nose of the wide end will help to keep the roast moist. This juicy brisket also freezes well when cooked and bagged with the vegetables and liquid.

13 of 20

Smoked Brisket

Horn Barbecue Smoked Brisket — Andrew Thomas Lee

This smoked brisket is self-taught barbecue expert Matt Horn's signature recipe — the star of the menu at his restaurant, Horn Barbecue, in Oakland, California. The 2021 F&W Best New Chef spent weeks perfecting this recipe and says time is the most important ingredient in the dish.

14 of 20

Braised Brisket Potato Tot Casserole

Braised brisket tater tot casserole — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This homey dish from The Stray Dog in Minneapolis takes classic Minnesota hot dish to new levels. The tender brisket is braised in stout beer, while brown sugar helps caramelize the brussels sprouts. A creamy mushroom bechamel brings everything together, while the truffle-laced potato tots cap things off.

15 of 20

Brisket Meatballs in Tomato Passata

Brisket meatballs in tomato pasata — Christopher Testani

When she was at Vic’s in New York City, chef Hillary Sterling made a special Italian-influenced Passover menu that included this riff on the requisite brisket, which appeared as brisket meatballs. “Everyone makes brisket [for Passover], and the Italians make polpette, so why not bring them together?” Sterling says.

16 of 20

Burnt Ends with Bourbon Sauce

Burnt Ends — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox & John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

The crispy, caramelized "burnt" pieces of a smoked brisket are often the best part because the flavor is concentrated and the texture is pleasingly chewy. This recipe creates an entire baking tray of crispy pieces, so there are plenty to go around. Instead of vinegar, the thick, sticky sauce gets its kick from its namesake: bourbon.

17 of 20

Neal's Deli Smoky Pastrami

Neal's Deli Smoky Pastrami — © John Kernick

This well-spiced, juicy pastrami is divine however it's served. The recipe is surprisingly easy, though it does take time — five days to cure the brisket in a simple brine and one day to chill it, followed by a few hours of smoking the peppercorn and coriander-crusted meat on a partially covered grill.

18 of 20

Bollito Misto (Italian Mixed Boiled Meats)

Bollito Misto Recipe — Cedric Angeles

A mix of brisket, short ribs, and chicken cooks in simmering water until perfectly tender, creating a deeply flavored and easily skimmed brodo, or broth. Keeping the cotechino separate allows it to cook more gently, preserving its consistency and keeping the final broth clear.

19 of 20

Beef Brisket with Lemon-Oregano Sauce

Beef Brisket with Lemon-Oregano Sauce — © Johnny Miller

This brisket gets rubbed with seasonings, braised, and roasted so it's super tender with a crisp crust; it goes perfectly with the garlicky oregano sauce.

20 of 20

Slow Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Brisket

Slow Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Brisket — © Andrew Purcell

A few hours in the slow cooker and this beef dish will be melt-in-your-mouth delicious by the time you're ready to eat it. Serve with buttered egg noodles.

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