Among my favorite eats to make for family and friends are braised beef dishes.
Braised beef dishes are phenomenal because:
They’re easily made ahead of time, even a day beforehand (a lifesaver when cooking for the family.)
They’re slow braised in the oven, freeing us to do all the other things.
They’re pretty much guaranteed to turn out tender and succulent.
They go well with almost anything; veggies, rice, noodles, or potatoes.
Leftovers are boss. Again, helps when you’ve got people to feed or when you want to meal prep.
This Tender Braised Beef Brisket is an all time winner dinner you can count on every time.
This beef brisket and vegetable dish is a one-pot deal
How to Make Tender Beef Brisket in One Pot
If braised beef brisket sounds a little daunting, rest assured and go forth undaunted.
Tender Braised Beef Brisket can be yours with simple ingredients like onions, carrots, and garlic. The simple ingredients meld together into the most tender beef brisket you’ve ever had.
Bonus: We’re doing this using a completely fuss-free method. No need to pre-sear or deglaze anything. The only equipment you need is a heavy oven-proof pot with tight lid. It works amazingly well.
Cue the pot. The one I used for this beef brisket and countless other dishes. My trusty Le Creuset soup pot.
Plenty of fantastic flavors go into this beef brisket
Key Ingredients for Braised Beef Brisket
This recipe feeds approximately 4-6 people, using a 3-lb beef brisket. Brisket is a cut of beef that’s hard to substitute, but if you can’t find it, a chuck roast works as runner up.
We always opt for kosher salt rather than table salt, as kosher salt is coarse and contains less sodium by the volume.
Onions and garlic are key for fragrant aromatics and flavoring.
Tomato paste provides rich tomato flavors without loading up the liquid.
Plenty of thickly sliced carrots and celery offer a fantastic flavor base, as well as a dose of veggies in the dish.
A bit of flour is used for thickening, but if you’re keeping gluten-free, you can sub with the same amount of dissolved corn starch (always be sure corn starch is fully dissolved in a bit of water prior to using; typically 1-1 ratio of starch to water.)
For optimum flavor, we opt for regular strength beef broth.
We use 5 whole bay leaves in the braise for a boost of earthy seasoning.
Bonus Tips:
Do allow the full braise time of 3.5 hours, for ultimate tenderness.
Braised beef brisket is even better the next day. If you can make it the day beforehand, it’ll reheat beautifully and flavors will have extra time to meld.
That said, leftovers are pretty darn amazing.
Serve beef brisket with rice, noodles, or potatoes
This Tender Braised Beef Brisket is richly flavorful, succulent, and ultra tender. It can be made ahead of time and tastes even better the next day.
Prep Time: 20 minutesmins
Cook Time: 1 hourhr38 minutesmins
Total Time: 3 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Preheat oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Pat dry the brisket and evenly season both sides with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in heavy, oven-proof pot until sizzling. Add onions and stir frequently until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue stirring 5 more minutes. Turn off heat. Place brisket (fattier side up) on top of onion/garlic mixture. Evenly smear tomato paste over top of brisket. Place carrots and celery all around the edges of brisket. Whisk the flour in the beef broth to dissolve. Pour evenly over brisket. Add bay leaves.
Cover pot tightly with heavy lid. Braise in pre-heated oven for 3 1/2 hours or until brisket is fork-tender. (For ease of slicing, remove brisket halfway during cook time and transfer just the beef onto a cutting board. Slice across the grain into 1/4 inch slices and return to the pot to finish braising.) Add salt and pepper to taste as needed. Serve with freshly chopped parsley for garnish, if desired.
Use regular strength beef broth for full flavor, or low-sodium beef broth if you need less salt.
Brisket is even better the next day. Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge until ready to reheat and serve. Brisket can be made 1 day ahead of time.