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Indoor Barbecue
Recipe
5 hr 45 min

Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket

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Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 12, 2024

When it's too cold to barbecue outside, you can still add smoky flavor to brisket by using your oven-and bacon.

Time

5 hr 45 min

Yield

Serves 8 to 10

Why This Recipe Works

We love the rich flavor and tender texture of barbecued brisket, but grilling season is cruelly short in many regions of the country. We wanted to attain that same smoky flavor and tender texture indoors with an Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket recipe. To begin, we liberally seasoned the meat with a spicy rub (see our recipe for All-Purpose BBQ Rub), poking it in with a fork so the spices’ flavors could penetrate into the meat. We wrapped our Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket in bacon, which bathed the brisket in smoky fat as it baked. We cooked the meat slow and low, sealed in aluminum foil, which contained any released moisture, helping the meat cook faster and become more tender. In essence, our Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket recipe’s meat braises in its own juices.

Ingredients

Spice Rub

4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Brisket

1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket, fat trimmed to ¼ inch thick
1 pound bacon

Sauce

1 onion, chopped fine
½ cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
1–2 cups chicken broth
½ cup ketchup
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image

    SPICE RUB

  1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar. Set aside.

    2. BRISKET

  2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Massage dry rub into meat and poke all over with fork. Arrange half of bacon strips, overlapping slightly, crosswise on bottom of broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place brisket, fat side down, in bacon-lined pan and place remaining bacon strips on top, tucking ends of strips under brisket. Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast until fork inserted into brisket can be removed with no resistance, about 4 hours.
  3. Remove dish from oven and carefully flip brisket fat side up. Replace foil and return brisket to oven. Turn off heat and allow brisket to rest in warm oven for 1 hour.

    4. SAUCE

  4. Pour accumulated juices from brisket into 1-quart measuring cup and set aside. Remove bacon from brisket, chop into small pieces, and heat in medium saucepan over medium heat until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add vinegar and sugar and stir to combine. Return to medium heat and reduce to syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, skim fat from reserved juices and discard fat. Add enough chicken broth to juices to make 3 cups. Add to saucepan and reduce until mixture in saucepan measures 3 cups, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in ketchup and chipotle. Strain through fine-mesh strainer, if desired.
  6. Turn oven to broil. Brush brisket with 1 cup sauce and broil until top is lightly charred and fat is crisped, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice against grain ¼ inch thick. Serve with remaining sauce.

    7. TO MAKE AHEAD

  7. Follow recipe through step 2. In step 3, place brisket fat side up on aluminum foil and wrap tightly; reserve juices in airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to proceed, remove bacon from brisket, rewrap brisket in foil, and cook for 1 hour in 350-degree oven. Proceed with recipe from step 4. In step 6, remove foil from brisket and proceed as directed.

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Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 12, 2024

Time

5 hr 45 min

Yield

Serves 8 to 10

Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket

Ingredients

Spice Rub

4 teaspoons packed brown sugar4 teaspoons paprika2 teaspoons dry mustard2 teaspoons pepper2 teaspoons table salt1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon ground cumin¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Brisket

1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket, fat trimmed to ¼ inch thick1 pound bacon

Sauce

1 onion, chopped fine½ cup cider vinegar⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar1–2 cups chicken broth½ cup ketchup1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

Instructions

    SPICE RUB

  1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar. Set aside.

    2. BRISKET

  2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Massage dry rub into meat and poke all over with fork. Arrange half of bacon strips, overlapping slightly, crosswise on bottom of broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place brisket, fat side down, in bacon-lined pan and place remaining bacon strips on top, tucking ends of strips under brisket. Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast until fork inserted into brisket can be removed with no resistance, about 4 hours.
  3. Remove dish from oven and carefully flip brisket fat side up. Replace foil and return brisket to oven. Turn off heat and allow brisket to rest in warm oven for 1 hour.

    4. SAUCE

  4. Pour accumulated juices from brisket into 1-quart measuring cup and set aside. Remove bacon from brisket, chop into small pieces, and heat in medium saucepan over medium heat until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add vinegar and sugar and stir to combine. Return to medium heat and reduce to syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, skim fat from reserved juices and discard fat. Add enough chicken broth to juices to make 3 cups. Add to saucepan and reduce until mixture in saucepan measures 3 cups, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in ketchup and chipotle. Strain through fine-mesh strainer, if desired.
  6. Turn oven to broil. Brush brisket with 1 cup sauce and broil until top is lightly charred and fat is crisped, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice against grain ¼ inch thick. Serve with remaining sauce.

    7. TO MAKE AHEAD

  7. Follow recipe through step 2. In step 3, place brisket fat side up on aluminum foil and wrap tightly; reserve juices in airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to proceed, remove bacon from brisket, rewrap brisket in foil, and cook for 1 hour in 350-degree oven. Proceed with recipe from step 4. In step 6, remove foil from brisket and proceed as directed.
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