Beef Brisket in Oven

Sliced beef brisket on black slate with BBQ sauce in background.

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4.10 from 10 votes

Amazing oven baked beef brisket with homemade rub and BBQ sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bbq, beef, brisket

Prep Time 15

Total Time 5 30

Servings

Calories 470kcal

Ingredients

Brisket

1 brisket (3-5 lb fat-trimmed to about ¼ thick)
Salt to taste
pepper to taste

Brisket Rub

1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste (optional)

Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoon butter (or rendered brisket fat)
1 cup onion (about ½ of a large onion) finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves minced
⅓ cup dark brown sugar packed
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (minced) optional
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup bourbon
reserved brisket juices skimmed of fat

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275°F/135°C and place an oven rack in the middle of your oven.
Season the brisket with salt and black pepper.
Prepare the brisket rub: in a small bowl, mix all of the spice rub ingredients together until they’re well combined.
Gently rub the spice mix all over the brisket, making sure to get the spices into all of the nooks and crannies.
Make a double-layered aluminum foil pouch for the brisket: place two layers of foil down on the counter, place the brisket (with the fat side up) on the foil, and pull the edges of the foil up around the brisket to wrap it. The pouch needs to be sealed well so that it will keep in all of the moisture. Let the brisket sit (refrigerated) in the spice rub for 3 to 24 hours, or cook immediately. (see note below)
Place the foil pouch on a baking sheet or baking dish and cook for 3 to 5 hours, depending on the size of your brisket. (see note below)
Turn off the oven and allow the brisket to rest until it’s cool enough to handle without oven mitts.
Pour the accumulated juices from the brisket into a large measuring cup or a bowl. Skim the fat from the juices, reserving the juices and saving 2 tablespoons of the fat for the sauce. Keep the brisket wrapped in foil and return it to the warm oven while you make the barbecue sauce.
Heat a medium-sized saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle pepper, apple cider vinegar, and bourbon, and stir to combine. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until all of the ingredients are dissolved. Add the reserved brisket juices and simmer until it has reduced to your desired consistency, about 15 minutes. (If desired, blend the finished sauce to make it more smooth.)
Remove the brisket from the oven and open the foil pouch. Turn the oven to broil. Brush the brisket with a good layer of sauce and broil, uncovered, until the top is lightly browned and the fat starts to crisp. Allow the brisket to cool slightly before slicing. Slice the brisket against the grain into ¼-inch slices, and serve with extra barbecue sauce.

Notes

If you have time, it is best to let the rubbed and foil-wrapped brisket sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours. Generally speaking, the longer the brisket has to absorb the flavors of the rub, the better the flavor will be. But if you don’t have time, it’s fine to cook the brisket immediately after applying the rub.
Brisket cooking times will vary depending on the size. A good rule of thumb is about 1 hour per pound of meat. It's done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F on your meat thermometer.

Nutrition