Easy 4-Ingredient Baked Brisket

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 12/5/21
Baked brisket sliced into thin strips on a cutting board

Alexandra Grablewski / Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 serving
Yield: 3 to 4 pounds

Incredibly flavorful and tender, it is hard to believe that this baked beef brisket uses only 4 main ingredients. A good deal of flavor comes from using a packet of dried onion soup mix and combining it with red wine. (Beef or chicken broth may be substituted for the red wine, if preferred.)

People often wonder how to cook brisket in the oven fast, but it's not a cut of meat that can necessarily be rushed. This dish takes a couple of hours but it's a fairly hands-off process, and you end up with a tender and delicious cut of beef after all that cooking.

Brisket is delicious with all different kinds of sides, whether it's baked beans or coleslaw or something like Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, or rice.

Brisket should always be cut against the grain. Resting time prior to cutting is important to allow redistribution of the flavorful juices throughout the meat.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup red wine

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 (3- to 4-pound) flat-cut beef brisket, fat-cap on

  • 1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking pan with foil.

  3. Make a bed of sliced sweet onion in a baking pan. Cover onions with red wine.

  4. Sprinkle meaty side of brisket generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn over brisket and place on top of the bed of onions, fat side up.

  5. Sprinkle top (fat side) of brisket evenly with dry onion soup mix and more freshly ground black pepper.

  6. Place in oven, uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove after 15 minutes, cover tightly with foil. Lower heat to 325 F. Return covered pan to oven and bake an additional 1 1/2 hours.

  7. Remove pan from oven and let rest, still covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover and let rest an additional 15 minutes before slicing brisket across the grain to serve.

Variations

If you're looking for a different kind of brisket seasoning, try a brisket rub with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powders, and oregano. Or use thyme instead of oregano. Consider a spicier mix with a Texas brisket rub, or one with Korean barbecue flavors.

How to Store and Freeze Beef Brisket

Brisket can be easily stored in the fridge as leftovers for up to 5 days, as long as it's in an airtight container.

Cooked brisket can be kept longer in the freezer. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil, and then transfer to an airtight, zip-close freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw leftover brisket in the refrigerator, eat cold on a sandwich, or reheat in a low oven (300 F) with a bit of gravy or sauce until hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
698 Calories
42g Fat
7g Carbs
66g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 698
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 17g 83%
Cholesterol 240mg 80%
Sodium 544mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 66g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 6mg 32%
Potassium 640mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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