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Recipe · Bar 7 Beef

How to Cook Beef Brisket in the Oven

You don't need a smoker to make tender brisket. A low oven, a tight cover and plenty of time will break down this hard-working cut into slices that pull apart beautifully. The keys are low heat, patience and a good rest.

About 20 minutes prep · 4–6 hours in the oven · serves about 8.

Ingredients

  • 1 beef brisket, about 2–3 kg (4.5–6.5 lb), thawed
  • 2 tbsp coarse salt
  • 2 tbsp black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for a hint of smoke flavour)
  • 250 ml (1 cup) beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Trim the fat cap to about 6 mm (¼ inch) if it's very thick. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika, then rub it over the entire brisket. For the best flavour, season the night before and refrigerate uncovered.
  2. Take the brisket out of the fridge 1–2 hours before cooking. Preheat the oven to 135°C (275°F).
  3. Place the brisket fat-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce into the bottom of the pan (it should not touch the meat).
  4. Cover the pan tightly with foil or a lid. Cook at 135°C (275°F) for roughly 1–1¼ hours per 500 g (per lb) — about 4–6 hours for a 2–3 kg brisket.
  5. Start checking the internal temperature at the low end of the time range. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the flat, away from fat seams.
  6. The brisket is ready when it is probe-tender: a thermometer or skewer slides into the meat with little resistance, typically somewhere around 90–96°C (195–205°F) internally. Time and temperature together are only a guide — tenderness is the real test.
  7. Rest the brisket, still loosely covered, for at least 30–45 minutes (up to an hour) before slicing.
  8. Slice against the grain into pencil-thick slices. Note that the grain direction can change between the flat and the point — check before you cut each section.

Safe Temperature vs. Tender Temperature

Food safety: Health Canada recommends whole-cut beef reach a minimum internal temperature of 63°C (145°F). A brisket passes this point early in the cook — but it will be tough if you stop there.

Tenderness: brisket is full of connective tissue that only breaks down with extended time at temperature. Cooks commonly take brisket to an internal temperature around 90–96°C (195–205°F) — well above the safe minimum — because that's where the tissue melts and the meat becomes tender. The final test is feel: a probe should slide in with little resistance.

Every brisket is different. Use the time and temperature ranges as a guide, and let tenderness make the final call. See our beef cooking temperatures guide and Health Canada's safe internal cooking temperatures for more.

Brisket from Our Ranch

Brisket and other slow-cooking cuts are available in our beef boxes — raised on our Cariboo ranch near Quesnel, BC.

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