This Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket is so smokey, tender, and juicy. No one will ever guess it wasn’t cooked on the grill.
We are very partial to pork in the Carolinas and I truthfully haven’t eaten a whole lot of beef brisket in my life.
But this Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket. OMG!
This is a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and it makes THE most flavorful brisket.
It is one of the most scrumptious pieces of meat I have ever tasted and I think it has the potential to create quite a few brisket lovers.
The brisket is coated in a rub and completely wrapped in bacon – 1 full pound of bacon- and slow-cooked in the oven. The smokey flavor of the bacon really penetrates into the meat and all that pork fat coating the beef brisket really adds to its flavor.
So much smokiness that it will fool most people into thinking this brisket was cooked on the grill or in a smoker.
Once the brisket has cooked fully, the bacon is removed and serves double duty as a flavoring for the BBQ sauce. The meat is then broiled to give it a nice char to complement the smokey flavor.
A super flavorful sauce that is both sweet and spicy is made from the bacon, which is finely chopped, cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, chicken broth, ketchup, and chipotle peppers. Once cooked, you can strain the sauce and discard the bacon, or I like to strain half of the sauce and then add it back to the saucepan. This way, there’s still some bacon, but it’s not an overwhelming amount.
Leftovers heat up well and this would be a good thing to cook in advance if you are having dinner guests. If you are just feeding your family, you can get multiple meals from this Oven-Barbecued Brisket. No kidding, I usually manage to get 3 meals out of it. Leftovers can be made into Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwiches or Brisket Nachos.
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Watch the short video below to see how to make Oven Barbecued Beef Brisket.
Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket
Ingredients
Rub
- 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Brisket
- 1 (4-5 pounds) brisket roast – if there is a thick layer of fat, trim it down to 1/4 inch
- 1 pound bacon
Sauce
- reserved bacon from cooked brisket
- 1 onion,, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1-2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 4 teaspoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,, minced
Instructions
- Make the rub. Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place oven rack in upper-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Rub dry rub all over brisket and poke holes all over with a fork. Place half of bacon going crosswise in a broiler safe 9 by 13-inch pan (it’s best not to use glass). Put brisket fat side down on top of bacon. Lay the rest of the bacon crosswise on top of brisket, wrapping it down around the sides, and tucking any excess under. Cover pan with foil and place in oven for 4 hours.
- Take pan out of oven. Carefully flip brisket over, fat side up. Replace foil and return to oven. Turn off heat and leave brisket in oven 1 additional hour.
- Pour accumulated juices from brisket into large measuring cup or a bowl. Remove bacon from brisket and chop into pieces. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until fat has rendered. Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Take off heat and add vinegar and dark brown sugar. Return to heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Skim fat from accumulated juices and add chicken broth to make a total of 3 cups. Add to mixture in saucepan and reduce until about 3 cups in volume, 8-10 minutes. Take off heat and add ketchup. Mix well and strain if desired. (I like to strain about half the solid pieces out and leave the rest). After straining, add chipotle peppers.
- Turn oven to broil. Brush brisket with 1 cup sauce and broil until top is lightly browned and fat starts to crisp. Cut brisket against the grain into 1/4-inch slices and serve with extra sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I didn’t broil and used smoked paprika bc it’s what I had and it tasted really delicious!
Time consuming, but well worth the wait. I substituted crushed red pepper flaskes for the chipotle peppers….nice heat kick. Delicious!
Does this recipe use just a brisket flat or a whole brisket (flat + point)?
Can you use a corned beef brisket for this recipe? At my local grocery that’s all I seem to be able to find.
If so, what adjustments should I make to the seasonings?
Hi Laura. Though I’m not the author of this recipe I have made it with the Brisket and it is exceptional. I also tried it with a flat cut corned beef brisket. Be sure to omit the salt when rubbing the spices onto a corned beef, also since corned beef is very salty due to the corning process. 24 hours prior to roasting let the corned beef sit in a pan of cold water, covering the entire cut of meat in water, drain, rinse and repeat 4 times. This cuts down the salt and makes for a very nice flavored meat.
This is a terrific recipe. I made it yesterday for the first time, and it was the only time I’ve gotten a brisket this tender and moist. I also added, at half way through the cooking time, some carrots and onions. It might have added something to the gravy, and it was nice to have the side dishes all prepared in the same pan.
I also don’t have a broiler. Do you think it would be alright to brown it in my barbecue for just a few minutes with the sauce on it?
Yes! I think that will work fine!
About 10 hours for a 10lbs brisket?
Question about the bacon. What kind did you use? Thick? Regular? Hickory smoked? Bacon varies, and could make a difference in flavor.
Can’t wait to try this! Brisket is waiting in the fridge!
I use maple bacon to give it that extra sweet taste.
Have you ever substituted chuck roast? Of course it wouldn’t be as delicious os brisket but it might work since chuck often has a lot of fat marble.
That looks so delicious! I love that you can bake it right in your oven.
This was fabulous. Everyone loved it. I will always use this delicious recipe when making brisket. Thank you for sharing.
I’m new to this whole brisket thing so as you can see I’m really naive. Just wondering if it’s normal for the bacon to burn or for it to smell burnt in the oven ?
It shouldn’t because the foil covering the brisket will trap the steam and i will prevent the brisket and the bacon from getting burned.