Beef Brisket Recipes

Brisket is traditionally a lower cost roast, for one good reason–it’s tough.  Usually made into ground meat , the brisket can be used to prepare a delicious meal, if it’s cooked properly. The trick for a good brisket recipe is to keep the temperature low and slow-cook it, allowing the meat to break down and tenderize as it cooks.

Pit-Barbecued Brisket

The traditional Texas and Midwestern way to barbecue a brisket is on a pit or in a smoker of some type, using a beef brisket rub. You’ll need a pit where you can regulate the temperature over a long period of time–12 to 14 hours at about 225 degrees, in fact. A good rule of thumb for smoked beef brisket recipes is one hour for each pound of meat. For a brisket cooked this way, leave the fat on the meat and don’t trim it before cooking, so the fat will keep the meat from drying out. You can dry-rub your brisket with paprika, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, or other barbecue flavors you prefer. 

Turn your brisket every hour or so to keep juices from draining. If you feel the brisket will get too dry, wrap it in foil for the last of the cooking time. Your brisket might look blackened on the outside at the end of the cooking period, but it should be juicy and tender inside as long as you keep the cooking process low and slow.

Brisket Recipe for a Crock Pot

Slow-cooking is an alternate way to cook a brisket and bring it to fork-tenderness without the trouble of a barbecue pit. Use a large crock pot–typically five quart or higher–and trim your brisket, leaving a little fat for juices. Make a mixture of about 1/2 cup of your favorite steak sauce, 1/2 cup liquid smoke and a tablespoon each of celery salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Place your brisket in the crock pot, and pour the liquid mixture over the top. Add a cup of beef broth during the cooking process if the crock pot appears to be drying. Cook your brisket on high for six to eight hours, or on low for eight to 10 hours to achieve tenderness.

Don’t shred the beef as you check it. When it is finished, pull your brisket out of the pot with tongs, and set it on a cutting board to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing. If you slice it too soon, juices will run out of your brisket and dry it out before you eat it.  Use the juices in the pot to make a gravy if you’d like. 

Faster Oven-Baked Brisket

If you don’t have that much time for your bbq beef brisket recipe, but want a tender brisket, it can be accomplished in the oven.  Use three to four pounds of brisket for this recipe. Line a roasting pan with foil, leaving enough around the sides to fully cover the brisket. Make a basting sauce using a packet of onion soup mix, a cup of chili sauce and a can of your favorite cola. If you want a smoky taste, add 1/4 cup of liquid smoke to the liquid. 

Place your roast in the foil-lined baking pan and pour your sauce over the brisket. Seal the edges of the foil around the brisket to keep steam inside for tenderizing. Bake your brisket at 300 degrees for about three and a half hours. When you remove  your brisket from the oven, take it from the pan and lay it on a cutting surface.  As in the previous recipe, let your roast rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Carve your brisket against the grain for more tender pieces, and use the pan drippings to make a barbecue glaze.

Following the "low and slow" cooking rule, your brisket cuts will be tender and succulent every time.