A slow, red-wine braised brisket is the perfect dinner for an indulgent night with minimal effort. A prime cut of beef gets slowly roasted in a flavorful braising liquid until it’s fall-apart tender and served with a silky sauce made from the same pot.
Ingredients
These easy ingredients come together for the most delicious, beefy meal!
- Beef Brisket – This cut is perfect for braising because it has a rich marbling of fat and connective tissue that breaks down during slow cooking.
- Dry Red Wine – This adds depth as well as acidity for tenderizing the meat. Always choose one that you would drink on its own.
- Beef Stock – Stock complements the natural beefy flavors of the brisket.
- Kosher Salt – Salt helps to season the meat.
- Black Pepper – Use pepper to add a subtle warmth.
- Yellow Onions – These add natural sweetness and complexity to the sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds a savory kick that rounds out the flavors of the braising liquid.
- Tomato Paste – The paste helps thicken the sauce, giving it a smooth texture.
- Fresh Thyme – Thyme naturally pairs well with the brisket and adds herbaceousness.
- Fresh Rosemary – This herb adds a fragrant aroma that pairs beautifully with beef.
- Flour – All-purpose flour helps to thicken the sauce.
- Butter – Adds richness and ties all of the flavors together.
Variations
You can make some simple swaps to easily change up this brisket.
- Short Ribs – Swap out the brisket for short ribs. Adjust the cooking time to account for the smaller cuts.
- Carrots and Celery – Toss in chunks of carrots and celery for a classic mirepoix base.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Replace some of the wine with balsamic vinegar to bring a tangy, slightly sweet complexity to the dish.
- Mushrooms – Add sliced mushrooms during the last hour of cooking.
- Herbs – If fresh herbs aren’t available, use dried thyme and rosemary.
- Smoked Paprika – Add smoked paprika for a subtle smoky flavor.
- Cornstarch – For a gluten-free option, thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry.
- Parsley – Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the finished dish for a pop of color and a hint of freshness.
How to Make Slow Braised Brisket
Once you have your beautiful brisket in hand, it’s time to braise.
- Prep the beef. Start with room-temperature beef. Pull it from the fridge 20 minutes before you intend to start cooking.
- Sear. Take the 10 minutes to properly sear your meat. Just as you would first sear a steak in a hot pan, sear your brisket. It builds flavor, starts to render fat, and creates a crust that will last through the braise.
- Make the braising liquid. Take a second 10 minutes to build a flavorful braising liquid. Sure, you could just dump it in the pot and run, but taking a few minutes to caramelize onions and tomato paste adds another layer of flavor that you’ll appreciate in the end.
- Combine the liquid and the meat. Do not, and I mean never, submerge your meat in the liquid. A braise is not a stew. To properly braise any cut of meat, ensure the top half of the meat is out of the liquid. This is a key tip for how to keep brisket moist – allowing the fat on top to render and drip down the meat into the liquid creates moisture. Too high a liquid level will rob the meat of the fat.
- Make a sauce. Don’t waste the liquid! By building either a roux or using cornstarch, transform that liquid you took the time to build into a rich silky sauce.
- Serve. Serve the brisket with your favorite sides.
What to Serve with Slow Braised Brisket
There’s certainly no shortage of sides that pair beautifully with brisket. When it comes to veggies, try broccolini, kale gratin, creamed spinach, or collard greens.
We love to serve hearty side dishes, too, with this brisket. A big spoonful of mashed potatoes, a bowl of buttered noodles, or mushroom risotto all work well.
Storage and Freezing
For storage and freezing- if storage and make-ahead are similar, they can be combined together rather than two sections with just one sentence.
Make Ahead
Yes! Braises are perfect for that. There are even some chefs that insist a proper braised brisket is one made 24 hours ahead of time, then reheated in the oven an hour before it’s meant to be served.
You can store it in the pot (once cooled) in your fridge. Or, remove the brisket and store it in a few inches of the braising liquid and use the remaining liquid to make your sauce. Then, simply reheat your brisket, slice, and serve with reheated sauce.
How to Store
You can store this slow braised brisket in an airtight container for up to four days in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Slow Braised Brisket?
You sure can! Freeze the brisket for up to two months in a freezer-safe container.
Common Questions about Slow Braised Brisket
It will depend on the size and the temperature, but 3-4 hours is a general rule of thumb.
Yes, brisket does become more tender when cooked low and slow.
Yes, allow the brisket to sit at room temperature for up to an hour before cooking it.
More Slow Cooked Recipes
If you’re looking for the easiest way to get dinner on the table, check out these slow cooked recipes that are chock-full of flavor.
Braised Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb beef brisket
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons butter , divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F and set your dutch oven over medium heat on the stove.
- Season the brisket liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Place fat side down in the hot dutch oven and allow to sear until a deep golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the brisket from the pan and turn off the heat. Take a few minutes to quarter your onions, thinly slice your garlic, and to create a bundle with the herbs by tying with string or cheesecloth.
- Once the pan has cooled slightly, add in one tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.
- Once melted, add in the two tablespoons of flour and stir to create a paste. Continue stirring letting the residual heat from the pan cook the paste until golden brown. If your pan has cooled too much, turn heat back on to low.
- Remove the golden brown roux from your pan and store it in a small bowl for later, covering and refrigerating once cool.
- Wipe the pan clean of any excess roux and return the pan to medium heat, adding in the remaining two tablespoons of butter.
- When butter has melted, add in quartered onions and allow to caramelize, 5 minutes or so.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic to the pot and stir, letting it cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and beef stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling set your brisket, fat side up into the liquid, keeping the top half above the liquid level. Use the onions to prop it up if necessary.
- Cover and place in the oven for 3 ½ hours.
- Remove from the oven carefully and lift out the brisket, onions, and herb bundle. Discard the onions and herbs.
- Place the braising liquid over medium heat and get the roux out of the fridge. Add it in, stirring constantly until completely dissolved. 1 to 2 minutes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil at which point it will thicken, the pan is still hot, so this takes just another 2 minutes or so.
- Slice the brisket and serve with a hearty pour of sauce.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings!
That red wine in the braise is BARBERA, not barbara.
Just a TYPO!
Trying this recipe for Sunday lunch done in my slow cooker
It was the best! Everyone loved it. Will make it this way from now on. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe with us.
Thank you for hopping over from Pinterest! Have a great day!
Soft, Tender, juicy and flavorful. This is so yum and just perfect for a party platter. Delicious and I just want to get going this weekend.
Slow braising is one of my favorite cooking methods, too. This brisket looks melt in your mouth delicious and it’s going to be a hit for Sunday dinner next weekend!
Oh, wow! This is perfect comfort food!
Excellent tip to use a red wine that you already love to infuse into the recipe to guarantee that you’ll love the flavors!
This Braised Brisket was a hit last night! My husband and I both loved it! The flavor was wonderful and the sauce was amazing! It was a perfect dinner that we can’t wait to make again!
Why do you remove the onions? They actually add flavor to the sauce (gravy)…..unless a person is allergic to them or dislikes the texture.
Hi Noel, just to make a smoother gravy. If you want to keep them, you can. Or use an immersion blender to mix them in.