Texas BBQ Style Baked Brisket

If you do not have a smoker, cooking brisket in the oven is the way to go! It’s a simple way to take this delicious slow cooked piece of meat and bake it to optimal juiciness. Sip Bite Go’s recipe for oven baked brisket will sure wow at your family’s next meal. Let’s cook…

Can you cook brisket in the oven?

Yes, you can cook brisket in the oven. This is a great alternative if you do not have a smoker or smoke box for a grill. You simply cover the brisket with aluminum foil and then broil to finish. 

How do you prepare a brisket?

Right before, or a couple of hours before cooking, you’ll want to trim up the brisket. This means that you’ll cut off any unnecessary fat from the fat cap. You really just want a thin layer of fat so that it breaks down easier during the cook. 

How much liquid smoke to use for brisket?

A little liquid smoke goes a long way! For baking brisket in the oven, 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke is plenty to boost the smoky flavor. Try to use hickory smoke for a tasty flavor.

See this pretty inexpensive Hickory Liquid Smoke from Stubb’s. 

What temp to cook a brisket in the oven?

I recommend that you cook brisket in the oven at 250 degrees F. Low and slow is the proper way to oven bake a brisket. I wouldn’t recommend cooking at 350 degrees F or higher because it won’t turn out as tender and moist.

How long to cook brisket in an oven?

Rough estimates are around 60 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F. In this brisket in oven recipe, it finished slightly faster at 3 – 4 hours. Please use an internal read thermometer to measure doneness.

How to get bark on brisket in oven?

Getting a nice bark on a brisket cooking in the oven can be difficult at times because it’s wrapped in foil for most of the cooking time. With that said, there are two ways to achieve a nice bark.

One would be to remove the foil with an hour or so left in the cook time, that way it can firm up a bit.

My preferred method is to broil the brisket for the last 10 – 15 minutes without the foil. This is a quick way to get a nice crust on the brisket. This broil method is similar to when you reverse sear a steak. 

What should the brisket internal temperature be when done?

Cooked brisket should read 200 – 203 degrees F internal temperature when done. Always use an instant read thermometer to double check doneness when cooking any protein.

How long do you let the brisket rest?

30 minutes at minimum. If you have the time, the longer you let it rest the better. You could let it rest for up to an hour covered loosely with foil without a problem. The longer you let it rest, the more time the brisket has to re-absorb all the juices.

Can you rest a brisket in the oven?

Yes, you can rest a brisket in the oven, but I do not necessarily recommend it. If you do rest it in the oven, keep the temperature low between 180 – 200 degrees F. A better way to rest brisket would be to put it in a heat-safe container like a Yeti for example. 

How do you slice a cooked brisket?

You first slice the brisket into two distinct parts. One is called the Point and the other is the Flat. When slicing brisket or any cut of beef, be sure to cut against the grain.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make Brisket in the Oven.

• brisket flat 
• olive oil
• BBQ seasoning (or any pork rub)
• liquid smoke (optional)
• BBQ sauce

A note on trimming fat off brisket before cooking it

Now I’ll walk you through it…

In lieu of smoking foods on the Traeger, this brisket dish baked in the oven is perfect for get togethers, or feeding a crowd for a holiday. 

Detailed recipe steps

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Arrange racks so brisket in a baking pan will fit in the center of the oven. This will help it cook evenly.
2. Prep brisket for baking. Pat brisket all over with a paper towel. 
3. Trim down fat and silver skin on brisket (optional, but easy and recommended if your brisket isn’t pre-trimmed to help the brisket absorb more seasoning flavors and cook evenly). To do this, place the brisket flat with the fat side UP on a large cutting board. Use a sharp paring knife or another sharp knife to trim off excess fat and silver on the brisket as seen in the Sip Bite Go recipe video. The best method is to almost “shave off” a light layer of fat at a time, so you don’t accidentally take too much off at once. Trim it down to leave about ¼ inch on top of the brisket flat. Learn more about trimming brisket flat in this smoked brisket recipe.
4. Season brisket for baking it with BBQ flavor. Add half the olive oil to the fat side of the brisket (along with and half of the liquid smoke, if you’re using it). Sprinkle with half the BBQ rub seasoning or whatever beef black pepper seasoning you’re using. Then flip the brisket and season the other side the same way. 
5. Prepare a large roasting pan for baked brisket. This is a good time to use a roasting pan with a rack in it. Otherwise, use a baking pan that is a few inches deep and can fit a rack inside, so the brisket is lifted above 1-2 inches of water. 
6. Pour water in the bottom of the baking pan to fill 1-2 inches. This will help steam brisket in the oven and keep it nice and moist while it cooks. Add the brisket fat side UP on top of a rack suspending it over the water. 
7. Add foil. To keep it super moist and prevent dry brisket, you’ll need to cover brisket cooked in the oven with foil while it cooks.
8. Add brisket to the center of the oven, covered in foil.
9. Bake brisket at 250 degrees F for about 3-4 hours until the internal temperature reaches about 185 degrees F as measured with an internal read thermometer. (meat thermometer)
10. Remove brisket from oven and preheat broiler to high.
11. Remove foil from on top of brisket pan. Flip brisket over, so meat side is UP and fat side is down. Pat brisket top with paper towel. 
12. Add BBQ sauce to top of baked brisket. Brush it on the top and sides to form a thin layer.
13. Broil brisket in oven to get a BBQ crust for about 5-10 minutes, without foil (but save the foil for resting it in the next steps).
14. Remove brisket baked in oven. Rest it with the foil on top, in the pan, for 20+ minutes. 

Best brisket recipes from Sip Bite Go

• Smoked brisket flat
• Sous vide brisket
• Brisket in oven
• Smoked brisket nachos

More Steak Dinner Ideas from Sip Bite Go

Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.

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– Jenna

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