Classic Braised Brisket with Onions
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This iconic brisket recipe is famous for a reason: it’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for any special occasion. No wine or stock needed—the onions do all the work, melting into a rich, flavorful gravy. Best of all, it can be made entirely in advance, making hosting a breeze!
This celebrated beef brisket recipe comes from the late Nach Waxman, owner of the beloved New York City cookbook shop Kitchen Arts & Letters. First published in The Silver Palette New Basics Cookbook in 1989, it’s said to be the world’s most Googled brisket recipe. It’s surprisingly simple: the brisket roasts on a bed of onions that slowly caramelize into a deeply savory sauce, reminiscent of French onion soup.
Over the years, I’ve made a few tweaks to the recipe, but you can still find the original here. It’s ideal for preparing ahead of time, as the flavors deepen when served the following day. For me, it’s a Jewish holiday staple, alongside classics like matzo ball soup, challah, and latkes. (For Passover, swap the flour for matzo meal.)
Brisket is typically prepared one of two ways: braised in the oven, like this version, or smoked BBQ-style. If you’re looking for the BBQ version, head over to my smoked brisket recipe—it’s cooked low and slow in a smoker until tender and juicy with a crusty bark.
“Goodness, this is a magical meal.”
What You’ll Need To Make Classic Braised Brisket With Onions
- Beef Brisket: Turns meltingly tender when slow-braised, soaking up all the rich sauce. This recipe uses a first-cut (flat-cut) brisket—it’s lean but has just enough fat to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.
- Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper & All-Purpose Flour: Season the meat and help create a nice crust when searing; the flour also thickens the sauce as it cooks.
- Vegetable Oil: Used to sear the brisket, giving it a golden, flavorful crust.
- Yellow Onions, Garlic & Carrots: The onions cook down into a sweet, caramelized base for the sauce; the garlic adds savory flavor, and the carrots soften as they braise, soaking up all the flavor and adding a subtle sweetness.
- Tomato Paste: Adds a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that deepens the sauce.
- Fresh Chopped Parsley (Optional): Sprinkled on at the end for a bit of fresh, herby color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Braised Brisket Video Tutorial
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season and flour the brisket. Generously season the brisket with salt and pepper, then dust both sides lightly with flour.
Step 2: Sear the meat. Heat the oil in a heavy roasting pan or Dutch oven until shimmering, then sear the brisket on both sides until browned and crusty in spots. Transfer it to a platter.
Pro Tip: Take your time when searing—proper browning means deeper flavor in the final dish, so don’t rush it.
Step 3: Cook the onions. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring and scraping up all those browned bits (which add tons of flavor to the braising liquid), until they’re soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Step 4: Add everything back. Nestle the brisket on top of the onions, spread the tomato paste over the meat, and scatter the carrots and garlic around the edges. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 1½ hours.
Step 5: Slice the brisket. Take the brisket out and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice it thinly—about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick—against the grain (it’s easier to slice now than later, and the second braise allows the slices to soak up lots of juice, keeping the meat moist and flavorful).
Step 6: Finish cooking. Return the slices to the pan, overlapping slightly, and baste with the pan juices. Pop it back in the oven and bake for a few more hours until tender. Cooking brisket can be an exercise in patience, but it’s worth it—it takes time to break down the meat’s connective tissue and get that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Step 7: Serve or store. You can serve the brisket right away, but it’s even better if you chill it overnight and reheat the next day. It also freezes beautifully.
Tips for Making The Best Brisket
- Use the right cut. Brisket comes in two cuts: flat-cut (also called first-cut) and point cut (this recipe uses flat-cut). The flat-cut is lean but has a fat cap that adds flavor and moisture—keep some of that fat on for the best results.
- Season generously. Brisket is a big cut, so don’t be shy with the salt and pepper—they help create a flavorful crust and bring out the meat’s depth.
- Pick the right pan. You want a pan that holds the brisket and veggies snugly—too much empty space can cause the liquid to evaporate too fast and burn.
- Keep it covered. Covering the pan well traps steam and keeps the meat nice and tender.
- Slice against the grain. Look for the lines running through the meat—cut across those lines, not with them, for the most tender bites.
- Check liquid levels as it cooks. Make sure there’s always enough braising liquid in the pan so the brisket stays moist; add a splash of broth or water if it’s getting low.
- Make it Ahead. Brisket tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen. If you can, make it a day ahead and reheat gently before serving.
More Crowd-Pleasing Beef Recipes You May Like
Classic Braised Brisket with Onions
Make this iconic brisket once and you’ll see why it’s a holiday favorite—tender beef, a rich sauce, zero last-minute fuss, and the kind of praise that makes it all worth it.
Ingredients
- 1 5 to 6 pound first-cut (or flat-cut) beef brisket, trimmed so a thin layer of fat remains in some spots (do not over trim!)
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (okay to substitute matzo cake meal for Passover)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into large chunks on a diagonal
- Handful fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Season the brisket on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lightly dust the brisket with the flour, then shake and turn to coat evenly. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy flameproof roasting pan or ovenproof enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to hold the brisket and carrots snugly. Add the brisket to the pan and sear on both sides until crusty brown areas appear on the surface, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
- Transfer the brisket to a platter, then add the onions to the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onions are softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes. (If browned bits stick to the bottom of the pan and start to burn, add a few tablespoons of water and scrape with a wooden spoon to release them.)
- Turn off the heat and place the brisket, fatty side up, and any accumulated juices on top of the onions. Spread the tomato paste evenly over the brisket, then scatter the garlic and carrots around the edges of the pan. Cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil (preferably heavy-duty or two layers) or a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1½ hours.
- Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and, using an electric or very sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain into approximately ⅛ to ¼-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the pan, overlapping them at an angle so that you can see a bit of the top edge of each slice. The end result should resemble the original unsliced brisket leaning slightly backward. Cover the pan tightly and return to the oven.
- Lower the heat to 325°F and cook the brisket until it is fork-tender, 1¾ to 2½ hours, or longer if necessary. The brisket is ready to serve with its juices, but it is even better the second day. (Note: If the sauce seems greasy, transfer the meat and vegetables to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the sauce into a bowl and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Using a small ladle, spoon out the fat. Pour the skimmed gravy back over the meat.)
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated for a 5-pound brisket.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The brisket can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat the brisket in a 300°F oven until hot, about 45 minutes. The brisket also freezes well for up to 2 months; defrost in the refrigerator 2 days ahead of time.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 726
- Fat: 55 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Sodium: 844 mg
- Cholesterol: 213 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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For the onion braised brisket are there any other alternative cooking method in regards to a roasting pan?
Hi Euclid, You can use a large sauté pan to sear the meat.
Making this right now for Passover tomorrow – can’t wait to try it! Do you serve the onions and carrots on the side, or are they really just for flavoring the meat?
Hi Sheri, The onions melt into the sauce and the carrots are served alongside. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Jenn, this is our new family favorite! The brisket came out perfect, the carrots were even better and everyone asked for the recipe. 🙂 I finally invested in a fat separator for the sauce and so glad I did! Thank you!! 🙂
Should the fat side be up or down? Thanks!
Hi Laura, It should be up.
How do I double this recipe? I have about 11 lbs of meat. Thanks!
Hi Judy, Just multiply all of the ingredients x2 — and I would cook in two separate baking dishes for best results.
Hi Jenn,
I am in the same situation as Judy and have 11 lbs of meat. You wrote to cook in two separate baking dishes, does this mean cutting the meat in half first before starting any of the preparation/cooking?
Thank you!
Hi Cassie, I would cut it in half — that way you can just double all the ingredients, each piece will fit into a separate 13 x 9-inch pan and the cook time will be about the same. The smaller pieces are also just easier to handle. Good luck, and please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Hi, Jenn.
Thank you for that quick response, I will try that, hopefully this weekend, as I bought quite a few on sale and just need to pick up some more onions. Again thank you and I already have several recipes (from your site) that I am trying. I love to cook (and eat) and my family loves my “experiments” as they call them.
Ref. to Onion braised beef brisket. I love brisket, but since it is a tough meat I have usually just cooked in a slowcooker, was wondering if I can do the same with this recipe? It looks soooo good and I can just smell it here, so would love to try in my slow-cooker, if not will just have to suffer thru the heat of the oven and try this one.
Hi Pauline, You’d still need to go through all the initial steps on the stovetop, but then you can place it in the slow cooker.
Hi Jenn,
My daughter has asked that I make a brisket for Passover and I found your recipe. Reading the comments, this brisket sounds like it’s a hit however what would you suggest I use instead of flour? Matzo meal or Potato Starch? Thx!
Hi Nadine, Potato starch will work. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Just made this wonderful recipe, was fun and easy to put together. Owing to my ethnic origins, I sprinkled a tiny bit of ground cinnamon and even smaller amount of ground clove on top of the tomato paste, and scattered a few bay leaves among the carrots and onions right before putting the pot into the oven. Wonderful!
That sounds delicious, Linda. I may have to try that 🙂
Cinnamon and clove are traditional seasonings to beef cholent made for Eastern European Sabbath meals. Especially with clove, a little goes a long way–you just want to deepen the flavor, not actually taste either spice.
I made this today to serve for dinner tomorrow. After about 5 hours in the oven the meat is still tough and there’s a ton of liquid in the pan. I just took it out of the oven to cool. Is there any way I can rescue it by tomorrow’s dinner?
Hi Dorit, I’m just now seeing your comment and looks like I’m too late to help you save dinner. Did the brisket ever turn tender? Sometimes you just get a bad cut of meat…
Hi Jenn: This brisket has been a big hit and have made it 3 times now. Today will be the 4th time, I marinate the brisket first for a day or 2 in the fridge with a nice spicy rub. I order a complete brisket and cut it in half , that way the 2 pieces fit in my big turkey roaster. I will add a few parsnips with the carrots this time. thanks
So glad you enjoyed, Claire! Love your idea to use a spice rub.