I have a BIG secret for you: amazing, flavorful, smoky, tender brisket can be made in your oven – no smoker required! This recipe includes a lip-smacking dry rub, mouthwatering smoking liquid (that’s also the perfect dipping sauce), and easy steps to make a crazy good piece of meat right in your oven.
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Oven smoked? Yup, I said it! The secret to delicious oven brisket is to cook it low and slow. Tightly cover brisket for most of the cooking process, so it infuses with the smoky steam from the smoking liquid in your roasting pan.
The smoking liquid is a blend of beef broth, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of tomato paste. After hours in the oven, infused with brisket drippings, the smoking liquid turns into the best dipping sauce to serve with Creamed Corn, German Potato Salad, Cornbread Muffins, and all the usual fix-ins!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Oven Brisket Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Cook Brisket in the Oven
- How Long Does It Take to Cook Beef Brisket In the Oven?
- Tips & Tricks
- How Much Brisket Per Person?
- How to Store and Reheat Brisket
- Cutting Brisket Against the Grain
- What to Serve With Brisket
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Other Slow Cooked Meat Recipes You’ll Love!
- How to Cook Beef Brisket in the Oven Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Oven Brisket Recipe
Why will you fall in love with this oven brisket, over and over again? Here’s 5 reasons:
- That brisket crust. When the dry rub melts into your meat, infusing it with flavor and crisping up the outside of your meat…it’s next level.
- It’s ACTUALLY smoky! The secret is liquid smoke in the smoking liquid, and smoked paprika in the rub. This oven brisket is truly smoked.
- Any ordinary oven tested. You don’t need a smoker, just your oven and a roasting pan with a rack. A leave-in probe meat thermometer is highly recommended (but not required).
- Just as good the next day. Make brisket up to 4 days in advance. It’s delicious reheated.
- There’s no bad season for oven brisket. Summer BBQ staple or slow-cooked brisket dinner on a cold, snowy night…there’s no bad time for this brisket recipe! Just like my Pulled Pork.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless beef brisket – the amount of dry rub below is for a 3-5 pound brisket. You can purchase a brisket “flat” or brisket with a point. A brisket with a point is an extra layer of brisket on top of a portion of the flat, giving it a thicker appearance. The “point,” when cooked, turns into pieces of brisket called burnt ends! A brisket “flat” is easier to manage and cook, but you can use whatever cut you prefer. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings. This recipe is NOT for a corned beef brisket. This website has an awesome photo of the difference between a brisket flat and a brisket with a point.
Dry Rub
- Black pepper – black pepper adds a bit of back heat and a sweet, piney flavor.
- Dark brown sugar – dark brown sugar adds a molasses note.
- Chili powder – chili powder is a blend of savory and aromatic spices.
- Dried mustard – dried mustard adds a zesty note.
- Garlic powder – garlic…duh.
- Onion powder – onion…duh.
- Salt – salt…another duh.
- Smoked paprika – smoked paprika mimics the smokiness you get from a smoker!
Smoking Liquid
- Beef broth – you can use beef broth, stock or bone broth. I prefer low-sodium.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce is made from vinegar, cloves, molasses, and other flavors that will give your BBQ that “edge.”
- Liquid smoke – liquid smoke mimics that smoker smokiness!
- Tomato paste – a hint of tomato adds sweetness and acidity.
How to Cook Brisket in the Oven
Cook beef brisket low and slow in the oven, covered for most of the cooking time, to infuse the meat with the smoking liquids. Uncover your brisket towards the end to let the outside crisp up. YUM. Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Mix smoking liquid.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a roasting pan with a wire rack, add Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, and just enough beef broth to fill the bottom of the pan without submerging the brisket which will sit on the wire rack (about 2 cups depending on size of pan). Stir.
- Trim.
Trim fat layer (the fat cap), so that there is about ¼ inch thick fat layer still left on the brisket. Don’t trim too much fat, or you’ll have a tough, bland brisket! Fat is flavor and moisture.
- Mix dry rub.
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients in the dry rub: black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, dried mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika.
- Rub meat.
On a large plate, rub brisket with dry rub, sticking as much dry rub as possible to all surfaces of your brisket. You should use all or almost all of the dry rub. Transfer brisket to the wire rack in your roasting pan, fat-side down. It’s okay if some of the rub falls into the smoking liquid.
- Seal shut.
Insert a leave-in probe thermometer (highly recommended) into the center of the thickest part of your brisket. Make sure the thermometer’s tip isn’t in the center of a fat layer, as the temperature will be inaccurate. Tightly cover your pan in foil (you can poke a hole through the foil for the thermometer if needed).
- Cook covered.
Cook brisket in the oven until a thermometer reads about 190 degrees in the thickest part. Cooking time varies based on many factors. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- Cook uncovered.
Uncover brisket and let cook until a thermometer reads 200-205 degrees, and the thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket (this signals a tender brisket!).
- What happens if there’s “stall time?”
Stall time is when the internal temperature of your brisket stops rising and may even fall a few degrees. A stall time might occur when you uncover your brisket and steam cools your brisket down. If a stall time lasts for more than 30 minutes, I recommend re-covering your brisket with foil until your brisket’s temperature starts to rise steadily again. Stalls sometimes never happen, happen once, or happen more than once – don’t get discouraged!
- Slice.
Let brisket rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Beef Brisket In the Oven?
Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about internal temperature, not time! The entire cooking process could take anywhere between 3 and 7 hours. Typically brisket takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per pound of meat, but this is simply a guideline!
Tips & Tricks
- You can absolutely dry rub brisket ahead of time, leaving in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about internal temperature, not time!
- You can purchase a brisket “flat” or brisket with a point. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,”be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings.
- What happens if there’s “stall time?” A stall time might occur when you uncover your brisket and steam cools your brisket down. If a stall time lasts for more than 30 minutes, I recommend re-covering your brisket with foil until your brisket’s temperature starts to rise steadily again.
How Much Brisket Per Person?
1 pound of uncooked brisket will yield about ½ pound cooked brisket because of the fat. Therefore a 4 pound brisket will yield about ½ pound of brisket for 4 people.
How to Store and Reheat Brisket
Brisket keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days. I like to slice brisket before refrigerating. The best way to reheat brisket is place slices in the smoking liquid, covered, at 275 degrees for 15-30 minutes, depending on how much meat you’re reheating.
You can also reheat unsliced brisket, covered, in the smoking liquid at the same temperature.
Cutting Brisket Against the Grain
Slice brisket with a chef’s or serrated knife against the grain of the meat. Brisket is a tough cut of meat due to its long, thick muscle fibers. When you slice against the grain, you cut through these fibers for a more tender bite. It also helps distribute the juices and flavors more evenly throughout the meat!
What to Serve With Brisket
Serve brisket with or without barbecue sauce, and reduced smoking liquid as dipping sauce. Don’t forget brisket sandwiches with mustard and melted cheese! Some of my favorite side dishes with oven smoked brisket are:
Potatoes
Veggies
- Glazed Carrots
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Corn Salsa
- Creamed Corn
- Broiled Asparagus
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Sautéed Broccoli
Breads
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Beef brisket is a cut from the lower chest of a cow. There are two briskets per cow. Brisket is typically a cheaper cut of beef because it is tough from lots of connective tissue that needs to be broken down by low and slow cooking.
A “full packer” is an entire brisket, usually weighing at least 10 pounds. At your local butcher or grocery store, you’ll be able to find a brisket “flat” which is a smaller, thinner piece of brisket that’s easy to manage and cook (recommended). You can also get a brisket with a portion of the point, which is a the brisket “flat” + an extra layer of brisket that’s connected to the flat by a layer of fat. This larger, thicker piece is delicious (it includes prized brisket pieces called burnt ends!), but it’s a bit more difficult and time consuming to cook. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings.
Brisket is done when the center of the thickest part measures 200-205 degrees and a thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket with little resistance (a sign of tender meat!).
Let brisket rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Yes! Brisket keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days.
You’ll need a roasting pan with a wire rack, and a meat thermometer. It is highly recommended that you use a leave-in probe meat thermometer.
Yes, although the texture may change a bit. You can freeze your brisket without the juices, wrapped tightly, or with the juices in a freezer safe container, for 4-5 months.
Other Slow Cooked Meat Recipes You’ll Love!
How to Cook Beef Brisket in the Oven
Equipment
- Roasting pan with wire rack
- Leave-in probe meat thermometer (highly recommended)
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound boneless beef brisket, see notes below on what brisket cut to buy
Dry Rub
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, or ½ tablespoon if you prefer less heat*
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Smoking Liquid
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, (roughly) depending on size of pan
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a roasting pan with a wire rack, add Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, and enough beef broth to fill the bottom of the pan without submerging the brisket, which will sit on the wire rack. Add enough broth so that it almost touches the bottom of the brisket (typically 2 cups or more). Stir.
- Trim fat layer (the fat cap), so that there is about ¼ inch thick fat layer still left on the brisket. Don’t trim too much fat, or you’ll have a tough, bland brisket! Fat is flavor and moisture.
- In a bowl, mix together all ingredients in the dry rub: black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, dried mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika.
- On a large plate, rub brisket with dry rub, sticking as much dry rub as possible to all surfaces of your brisket. You should use all or almost all of the dry rub. Transfer brisket to the wire rack in your roasting pan, fat-side down. It’s okay if some of the rub falls into the smoking liquid.
- Insert a leave-in probe thermometer (highly recommended) into the center of the thickest part of your brisket. Make sure the thermometer’s tip isn’t in the center of a fat layer, as the temperature will be inaccurate. Tightly cover your pan in foil (you can poke a hole through the foil for the leave-in thermometer if needed).
- Cook brisket in the oven until a thermometer reads about 190 degrees in the thickest part. Cooking time varies based on many factors. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- Uncover brisket and let cook until a thermometer reads 200-205 degrees, and the thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket (this signals a tender brisket!). Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- What happens if there’s “stall time?” Stall time is when the internal temperature of your brisket stops rising and may even fall a few degrees. A stall time might occur when you uncover your brisket and steam cools your brisket down. If a stall time lasts for more than 30 minutes, I recommend re-covering your brisket with foil until your brisket’s temperature starts to rise steadily again. Stalls sometimes never happen, happen once, or happen more than once – don’t get discouraged!
- Let brisket rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Video
Notes
- You can use a pre-blended dry rub if preferred. I recommend using 1/3 to 1/2 cup of pre-blended dry rub.
- You may want to use 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper if your chili powder blend is spicy. Mine is quite mild so I use the full tablespoon of black pepper.
- This recipe works for any size brisket, however the amount of dry rub in this recipe is for a 3-5 pound brisket.
- You can purchase a brisket “flat” or brisket with a point. A brisket with a point is an extra layer of brisket on top of a portion of the flat, giving it a thicker appearance. The “point,” when cooked, are prized pieces called burnt ends! A brisket “flat” is easier to manage and cook, but you can use whatever cut you prefer. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings.
- This recipe is NOT for a corned beef brisket. Be careful not to purchase this cut in the store.
- You can absolutely dry rub brisket ahead of time, leaving in the fridge for 24 hours. I find that dry rubbing brisket right before yields a delicious result, without the extra time of marinating in the fridge!
- Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about internal temperature, not time! The entire cooking process could take anywhere between 3 and 7 hours. Without lengthy stall times, typically brisket takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per pound of meat, but this is just a guideline!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This brisket was awesome! 😋
Hi Robert,
Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know!
Grace
Oops. So sorry I called you by your last name…Hi Robert!
After making this for the first time, I made it every week for a month straight! It’s soooo good and it only lasts a few days in my house… and I live alone. I used this brisket for breakfast, lunch & dinner it was so good! My dad is an award winning brisket smoker & I can’t wait to make this for the fam. I’ve been bragging about it and they don’t believe you can get the same flavor from the oven. I’d give this recipe 10🌟s if I could!
Just try it already if you haven’t… and be prepared to be addicted! I followed the recipe EXACTLY as it’s written, it is perfection 🤌🏾
Hi Renee,
When I read your comment yesterday, it made my day, week, month, and (almost) year! This recipe was one of the hardest recipes to create and I’m so so glad you love it as much as I do! Please let me know what your fam thinks!!
Really appreciate your review.
Grace
Never cooked one before. Directions were great. The end result was wonderful. Made me wish I had a larger one to cook. We used the left overs for French dip. Delicious.
Hi Merile,
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 Love the French dip idea.
Grace
We ended up combining two parties due to a storm, and I’d promised ribs to one and and brisket to another and didn’t have room in the smoker for both. That’s to say I am comparing this to a traditional 12 hour smoke in a Green Egg. This was just as good!
I did a full 15lb brisket, started the oven with a timer at 2 AM ( I used about 1 qt broth ) covered with a double wrap of foil and a couple chunks of carrots on toothpicks to keep the foil raised to make sure the air/steam circulated and help form bark. After 10 hours it was 167 and I raised to 300, after an hour it was still in 170’s and I removed the foil aiming to serve at 2. By 2 it was about 185, the bark was not the best ever, but the crowd needed to be fed!
I stalled them with a few racks of ribs while it rested a bit to carve, then served it up. I chopped up a pound or two with some of the drippings and served with fresh tortillas, most of the rest went with a plate of rice and beans or dinner rolls. This morning there are no leftovers!
The smoke flavor ( and delicious smell!) were as good as a traditional smoke. The bark was not my best, but certainly real and I didn’t take it all the way to 205 so I think it would have gotten even better. This a a great recipie!
John,
Thanks SO much for taking the time to tell me about your experience. I love all the detail and I’m so happy the brisket turned out so well!
Cheers,
Grace
This brisket rocks!
I agree! Thanks George!
Grace
Hi Grace! I’m gonna try this recipe out using a 13 lbs full packer brisket. First question: should I increase the baking temperature? I was told at 250, it could take an entire day to fully cook. Next, I’m using a pretty big and deep pan to fit the entire brisket. The rack actually sits about 3 inches above the bottom of the pan. Is that too high? And should I double up the cooking liquid for this type of pan? Any help appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Richard!
Thanks for reaching out. That’s a big brisket! High-temperature cooking is not recommended for brisket, as it can result in toughness and dryness. Instead, low-temperature cooking results in a more tender and flavorful brisket. Unfortunately I agree that the brisket will take a long time to cook. Add enough broth so that it almost touches the bottom of the brisket without submerging it! You’ll definitely need more broth than listed in the recipe for the size of your pan.
I hope this helps! Feel free to reach back out with any other questions.
Grace
Thanks for the quick reply. Wish I could send you a picture of my current setup. I may need to get a shorter rack! If I were to fill enough cooking liquid to reach the bottom of the brisket, it would likely need about 2 gallons… That aside, for a 13 pounder, what’s your best guess the bake time will take? I’ve read it’s from 1-1.5 hours per pound. If that’s right, am I looking at possibly 13-18 hours in the oven?
Hi Richard,
I would put at least an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan! Check on it periodically to make sure there’s still liquid. Yes that’s correct about hours per pound, so I’d guess your time assumption is about right. Make sure to use enough dry rub as well. You’ll have to use 3-4x the dry rub! I personally haven’t tried my recipe with that big of a brisket but I’d imagine it should work well. Make sure to read the notes below the steps in the recipe card for extra tips!
Best of luck!!
Grace
Good morning Grace. So I started it last night before bed at around midnight, fully anticipating the brisket to cook all morning and then some. The digital thermometer told me it hit 190 at 7am. So looks like for a 13 pound brisket, it only needs 7 hours to reach the first part… But now I’m not sure how to continue if I’m trying to have this brisket for dinner. Do I just turn it off and continue it later in the day, leaving the brisket in the oven sealed till then? I’ve got about 10 hours before im looking to serve it. What would you do in this case? Thanks.
Good morning! There will likely be stalls that will really slow down the cooking process for it to reach full temp (200-205). I would keep going with the instructions and not turn on the oven off. Once it’s fully cooked, I’d take it out and let it rest according to the recipe. Depending on what time it is, you can leave it out for an hour or two. If it’s still too early for dinner, I’d store in the fridge and reheat it slowly by place slices in the smoking liquid, covered, at 275 degrees until warm. If you don’t want to slice, here’s some guidance on reheating a full brisket: https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/how-to-reheat-brisket/. I hope this helps!
Grace
Hi Richard,
I hope the brisket turned out well! Let me know how it went if you have a chance 🙂 feel free to email me personally as well at tastefullygrace@gmail.com.
Grace
Hi grace! I know it’s been a year but I came back for a refresher and noticed I never responded to your last comment! My apologies! It turned out so good that I came back here for my next brisket. In fact, ive made it 3 times since. It’s only gotten better each time and I’ve used the leftovers to make different dishes like stroganoff and little slider melts. Just wanted to say thank you for the help, and I hope you keep it up! I’ll keep checking back.
Hi Richard,
Your review made my night. So fantastic! I’m so happy you love the brisket. Please do let know if you try any other recipes.
Grace
Hi grace. Im definitely doing the pork belly, get-in-my-belly recipe. I had to show my room mates the video, and we’re gonna go grocery shopping for the ingredients tomorrow. You’re the best!
Richard,
Awesome!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂
All the best,
Grace
I’ve never smoked meat and this recipe is easy to follow and the brisket is unreal.
Sam,
Woohoo! So happy it turned out well 🙂
Grace
This was my very first time cooking a brisket, in the oven or otherwise, and it came out really dry, I am not blaming the recipe, maybe my meat thermometer was off? I watched several YouTube videos and read several recipes but it still did not come out juicy. I will push forward with the next recipe but it is too expensive to experiment with this cut of meat.
Hi William,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m so sorry the brisket didn’t work out. Some of the common reasons for a dry brisket are: 1) unstable cooking temperature in oven throughout the process, 2) brisket without sufficient fat content, 3) not enough smoking liquid in the roasting pan to create a humid cooking environment. 4) not letting the brisket rest after cooking, allowing the juices to redistribute within the meat, 5) quality of brisket. I’m going to email you personally with more help!
Grace
So I made this last night and it’s ok honestly it’s really chewy and I had a point cut, but anyhow I’m gonna try and reheat it I saved my smoking liquid so I’m just gonna set my brisket in a pan and pour the soak over it and hopefully it will bring it back to life and juice it up a little
Hi Makayla,
I’m so sorry the recipe did not turn out well for you. I’m not sure what could have gone wrong since the recipe is lengthy. Please let me know if there is any way I can help!
Grace
I am getting ready to make this in a couple of days. I noticed you said to place the brisket fat side down. I’ve always read it should be fat side up so the fat and juices gain the flavor from the fat. Did I miss something? Can you please share why you chose to make this fat side down? I’m so excited and I can’t wait to make this!
Hi Kim!
Thanks so much for the question! Here’s a good article about why fat-side down is best from Traeger which is a real authority on this subject! I hope it helps: https://www.traeger.com/learn/brisket-fat-side-down
Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Grace