This beef brisket made in the oven is about as close as you can come to Texas-style smoked brisket without actually using a smoker. Juicy beef brisket is rubbed with an amazing dry rub and baked in the oven until tender. Learn how to make a great beef brisket right in your kitchen.
For this brisket and many other meats, I use my favorite Dry Rub recipe. Try making corned beef brisket in the oven as well, you won’t be disappointed. If you just love Beef Brisket in the oven, you must try my French Onion Beef Brisket.
Beef brisket comes from the lower chest area of the cow. It’s a very tough cut of meat because it comes from the area where there is a lot of muscle and tendons. Because it’s a tough cut of meat, brisket should be cooked at low temperature for a long period of time.
There are two basic parts of the whole beef brisket. The bottom part of the brisket is called a “flat” and it doesn’t usually contain much fat at all. Top part of the brisket is called a “point” and it is mostly fat with very little meat on it.
Ideally, the whole brisket is cooked at the same time because the fat juices from the top point part seeps into the flat. This makes brisket flat meat juicier. Unfortunately, many grocery stores don’t carry the whole brisket but only carry the flat. (For the whole brisket, check your butcher shops.)
Because flat is much more common, I normally work with that cut. Try to get beef brisket that has a little more fat on top, in the fat cap. (Flat brisket cut still had a small fat cap on top.)
Of course, for best results and for a true Texas-style brisket, it should be cooked in a smoker. Since not everyone has a availability and time to slow cook the brisket in the smoker, I want to share my recipe for making the beef brisket in the oven.
The size of the brisket, the temperature of the brisket going into the oven, and the temperature at which you roast the brisket all play a role in the total cook time. A smaller brisket like a 3-pound brisket, for instance, will take between 3 and 4 hours at 250 degrees F.
HOW TO STORE BRISKET
If you have leftover brisket, store it covered in the refrigerator, covered tightly.
Wrap cooled brisket in a sheet of parchment paper and then wrap it in some aluminum foil.
Keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
HOW TO COOK BEEF BRISKET IN THE OVEN
Note: Be prepared to start the brisket a day before cooking it. Giving it time to soak up the flavors from the dry rub overnight will give you a much better result.
Let’s start with making our favorite dry rub, that should take a whole 5 minutes to make.
Take brisket flat out of the package, lay it on a cutting board and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Spread a generous amount of dry rub on top, flip the brisket over and spread a generous amount of dry rub over that. Make sure there is a good amount of seasoning and rub it all over all the sides of the brisket. Massage the rub into every nook and cranny and make sure it’s nicely coated all over.
Wrap rubbed brisket in a couple of layers of foil, covering it tight. Place in a pan or a dish just in case some juices leak out, so that it doesn’t leak all over the refrigerator.
Refrigerate the brisket overnight or up to 12 hours. Take the brisket out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking it, unwrap and let it get to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 300° and place a rack inside the large roasting pan. Lay a couple of sheets of foil that are long enough to loosely cover the brisket, crisscross, on top of the rack. (You can layer the bottom of the roasting pan with aluminum foil to catch whatever drippings might leak through.)
Place the brisket, fat cap up, in the middle of aluminum foil prepared in the roasting pan. Bring the aluminum foil together and close it, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil.
Place in the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes per pound, until the brisket reaches 185°. Use a meat thermometer to measure the thickest part of the brisket.
Open the foil and bake brisket for another 45 minutes to an hour, until internal temperature reaches 200-202°.
Take the brisket out onto the cutting board, tent it with a sheet of foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Make sure to cut the brisket against the grain.
Wondering how much brisket to get? That’s the story of my life. Recommended serving size for brisket is 1/2 lb of uncooked meat per person.
It’s also very subjective because it highly depends on the sides that you’re servings with it. Lighter sides will not fill guests as much, so more brisket will be needed per person. Heartier sides, will be more filling.
To me, recommended servings never seems enough so I get an extra pound or two of meat. It’s better to have meat leftover than not have enough.
How to Smoke a Small Brisket
FAQ
How long does it take to cook a 3 pound brisket?
How long to smoke a 3lb brisket at 225?
What is the 3 2 1 rule for brisket?
Do you cook brisket at 225 or 250 in oven?
How long do you cook a 4 pound brisket?
Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast until the brisket internal temp reaches 200 degrees F. Brisket cook time will vary depending on the size and shape of your meat. A 4-pound brisket cook time is about 2.5 to 4 hours, but you really need to use a temperature probe to ensure proper cooking temperature. When is brisket done?
Brisket flat vs Point: Which is healthier?
Brisket is the cut of meat from the chest or breast. A flat cut is much leaner cut with a layer of fat at the bottom. Usually in the super markets flat cuts are seen. The point cut has a lot of fat running through it when cooked the meat comes out to be more juicy. If you are looking for a brisket that will slice up nicely flat cut is your best bet.
How long to cook brisket in oven?
The general rule of thumb is to cook a brisket for 60 to 90 minutes per pound in the oven. However, there are a few factors that can affect the cooking time, such as the thickness of the brisket, the temperature of your oven, and whether you are cooking with the lid on or off. What Is The Ideal Temperature For Cooking Brisket In The Oven?
How do you cook brisket in Texas?
Brisket tends to be a tough cut of meat, so it’s best when it is slow-cooked and sliced thin so that the best flavor and texture can be enjoyed together. Texas is known for its classic brisket preparation, involving a dry rub spice blend and a long rest in an outdoor wood smoker.