We don't know about you, but when we really want to go all out, we love springing for brisket as our ideal centerpiece. And we think you ought to do yourself a huge favor and give yourself the gift of brisket this year. Whether you're cooking up a big Hanukkah meal or Passover seder or simply want to shake up your weeknight dinner rotation, these wildly delicious brisket recipes are a surefire way to impress everyone at the table.
Okay, so what is brisket anyway? Technically speaking, brisket is the name for the cut of meat along the breast/lower half of a cow. One thing to know: There's huge variety in how this cut is prepared (which is why you often hear brisket under a few names); you're likely familiar with BBQ brisket, but did you know that brisket is also what's traditionally used to make pastrami and corned beef? Brisket is amongst one of the tougher cuts of beef, so cooking it low and slow is the name of the game. Our apple cider braised brisket is reason enough to invest in a Dutch oven, to be honest, but you can also use your slow cookers and sous vides to yield beyond-tender results.
And if you're lucky enough to have a smoker around, now is the time to use it! Don't have a smoker at your fingertips? We made a makeshift smoker using our oven that'll make the best smoked corned beef ever, so no need to get too much brisket-induced FOMO. That + our savory, smoky brisket rub recipe = a match made in meaty heaven.
Best Beef Brisket
Making a giant, roasted brisket for your family or friends is basically the best way to say “I love you” through a dish. You might think of brisket and immediately think of smoking and cooking for hours and hours. This preparation is much easier and quicker, but doesn't sacrifice any flavor or tenderness.
Get the Best-Ever Beef Brisket recipe.
Apple Cider Braised Brisket
Apple cider adds a subtle sweetness to a classic brisket, and after letting it braise low and slow, it will be as tender as possible. Letting the potatoes and carrots cook with the brisket flavors them from the inside out, and the whole dish will be deeply savory. The veggies cooked along with any kind of roasted or braised meat, like in a roast chicken, are always a favorite. This is a perfect meal for a lazy, chilly Sunday and will make plenty for a crowd or for leftovers you’ll look forward to all week.
Get the Apple Cider Braised Brisket recipe.
Corned Beef Brisket
This roasted recipe is one of our favorites; it's super-moist and tender, with a unique spice blend you won't find in a little plastic baggie. Roasting also provides a delicious crust on the outside of the brisket that you could never get from a pot of boiling water. Complete your feast with fried cabbage and boiled potatoes.
Get the Corned Beef Brisket recipe.
Slow-Cooker Brisket
Eating some perfectly cooked, tender brisket is basically the food equivalent of someone giving you a big hug. Unfortunately, many people avoid making it because it can be a labor-intensive endeavor, but no more! Just let your slow cooker do all the work.
Get the Slow-Cooker Brisket recipe.
Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Brisket
If you and your family are a fan of flavor and getting creative with your Hanukkah meals, this recipe is for you. It's the perfect blend of traditional and modern, sweet and spicy. When the meat is done cooking, reserve the broth and pour a little on top when serving—it's truly flavor central.
BBQ Brisket
If you live in a temperate climate and are looking for creative Hanukkah fare, make this BBQ-inspired brisket on your grill. The key is to sear it, then move it to a cool zone where it can continue cooking for a few hours. This mimics a cold smoker and will give you the most tender, flavorful meat ever.
Get the BBQ Brisket recipe.
Sous Vide Brisket
We all wish we had a big, powerful smoker so that we could slowly cook meat for hours, and have it permeated with our choice of wood. But unfortunately for many, this is totally impossible; that is, until we met a sous vide. Sous vide is one the most ideal methods for breaking down muscle fibers due to the constant, precise cooking temperature, making cooking something like a brisket a no-brainer. All you need are a few spices and some time, and you will have melt-in-your-mouth, meaty goodness that rivals anything a fancy smoker can make.
Get the Sous Vide Brisket recipe.
Smoked Corned Beef
No smoker? No problem! We made a makeshift smoker in our oven for an easy way to achieve that smoky flavor. Cooking it low and slow over a bed of wood chips creates and tender and juicy piece of meat that's perfect for any special occasion. Be sure to turn your leftovers into a Reuben sandwich!
Get the Smoked Corned Beef recipe.
Best Brisket Rub
The only thing the perfect brisket needs is a perfect rub. This one is a little bit sweet, a little bit smokey, and with just enough heat to spice it up. Rub it all over your brisket and then proceed with cooking as desired (it's perfect for any brisket cooked in the smoker, slow-cooker, or in the oven).
Get the Best Brisket Rub recipe.
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage
Did you know? When many Irish people immigrated to America, they settled in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, and began buying their meat from kosher butchers. When St. Patrick’s Day was pivoted from a religious holiday to a heritage celebration, they combined their neighbors’ corned beef with their beloved potatoes and the cheapest vegetable they could find, and corned beef and cabbage as we know it today was born. And we're so glad it was.
Yukgaejang: Spicy Korean Beef Soup
Yukgaejang is a spicy Korean beef soup loaded with warm earthy vegetables like mushrooms, leeks, and gosari. Gosari are immature fronds of bracken, a wild plant that is foraged along the hills and mountains of Korea. It’s typically served as banchan (a side dish) or in yukgaejang. It has a delicate but distinctly earthy flavor.
Instant Pot Pho
The pressure created by a traditional pressure cooker or an Instant Pot helps to drastically speed up the process of pulling the flavors and magic from the beef bones and into your soup. It may not be exactly like what you'd get after hours of simmering, but we are very happy with this shortcut method—you will be too!
Get the Instant Pot Pho recipe.
Smoked Brisket With Chorizo-Cheese Fondue
Once served at The International Flower & Garden Festival, this glow-up of a loaded baked potato is so phenomenal, it’s worthy of its own celebration.
Keto Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is a must for the holidays and basically all the special occasions. This keto version is so tender and flavorful, we want to have it way more than just once a year. (Okay, the caper mayo doesn't hurt either.)
Get the Keto Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe.
Boiled Dinner
Boiled dinner doesn't sound like much, but honestly it's just another term for corned beef and cabbage. It's a simple meal that's as complicated as bringing a pot of water to boil. This is the easiest ever way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day the right way.
Get the Boiled Dinner recipe.
Brisket Bites
For an unexpected app, try these brisket bites on a ruffled potato chip... no joke, they're a little slice of heaven. Think of these bites as meat and potatoes, the cocktail-hour way.
Get the Brisket Bites recipe.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Simple, satisfying, and easy to make, we're not sure why corned beef and cabbage is relegated to one day a year. Corned beef is technically just referencing a type of preparation that could be applied to a number of cuts of beef that benefit from long cook times, but the cut that provides the perfect balance of rich flavor from fat and tender lean meat is brisket. It's great for slicing, which makes it a perfect candidate for corned beef.
Get the Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe.
Barbacoa Tacos
These barbacoa tacos are the perfect example of why low and slow cooking absolutely pays off. Not only do we love this recipe for its dry rub and deeply developed flavors, but we can't help but love that the recipe came from Danny Trejo himself! And you definitely should get your hands on Danny's cookbook, Trejo's Tacos, for this and other amazing recipes.
Get the Barbacoa Tacos recipe.
Instant Pot Corned Beef
We LOVE corned beef, and we're sure that you do as well. This particular version—bursting with flavor and paired with heaping amounts of cabbage, carrots, and other fresh veggies—is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The beef itself is tender, succulent, and oh-so-good.
Get the Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe.
BBQ Brisket Sandwiches with Quick Slaw
Traditional Southern fare doesn't get anymore delicious than hearty BBQ brisket on a bun, topped with a crisp, tangy cabbage slaw.
