Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday table? A magnificent, jaw-dropping roast so impossibly tender, so juicy, and so packed with a deep, savory, and sweet onion flavor, it will be the talk of your entire holiday season? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Onion-Braised Brisket is that perfect recipe. We’re talking a beautiful beef brisket, seared to a deep, dark crust, and then slow-braised for hours in a luscious, rich gravy made with three types of onions, stout beer, and savory tomato paste until it is melt-in-your-mouth, fork-tender.
This isn’t just another roast recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable holiday feast. We’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless, tender roast that never fails. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is perfect for a special Sunday supper, Christmas, or Hanukkah, and it’s even better when made a day ahead!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “Triple Onion” Holiday Centerpiece
What makes this Braised Brisket so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor, all achieved with a brilliant “triple onion” technique. This recipe is a masterpiece of smart, festive cooking. The star of the show is an economical flat-cut brisket, which is transformed into a tender masterpiece through the magic of a slow braise. The real magic, however, is in the sauce: a magnificent, savory-sweet gravy built from sweet yellow onions, delicate pearl onions, and a powerful, umami-rich packet of onion soup mix. This trio is simmered with rich stout beer and tomato paste, creating a luscious braising liquid that makes the brisket unbelievably tender and flavorful.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 5 hours (plus 1 hour resting) |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Butcher’s & The Pantry’s Best: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Brisket (The Star of the Show!):
- First-Cut Brisket: For the best, most uniform shape and beautiful, clean slices, it is essential to use a first-cut (or flat-cut) brisket. This is the leaner, more rectangular half of a whole brisket.
- The “Triple Onion” Flavor Base (The Secret Weapon!):
- Yellow Onions: Sliced and slowly caramelized, these provide the deep, sweet, aromatic foundation for the entire dish.
- Pearl Onions: These add a beautiful, restaurant-quality look to the finished dish and a wonderful, tender texture.
- Onion Soup Mix: This is the brilliant shortcut that provides a huge, savory, “umami bomb” of concentrated, salty, and toasted onion flavor that is the key to the rich, dark gravy.
- The Braising Liquid:
- Stout Beer: A rich, dark stout (like a Guinness) is the secret ingredient that adds a wonderful, malty depth and a slight, balancing bitterness to the sweet onions and sugar.1
- Tomato Paste & Brown Sugar: A classic combination! “Toasting” your tomato paste and caramelizing the brown sugar with the onions adds a deep, rich, and sweet-and-sour complexity to the final sauce.
The Roasting Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfectly Tender Brisket
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Searing is NON-NEGOTIABLE!: The number one secret to a roast with a deep, rich, and “roasted” (not “steamed”) flavor is to sear it in a hot Dutch oven first. This crucial, 10-minute step is the key that creates a beautiful, deep golden-brown, and incredibly flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction.
- The “Low and Slow” Braise: The real magic of this dish is patience. A tough cut of meat like brisket needs a long, slow, and moist braise. The 3-hour, low-temperature ($325^{\circ}F$) cook is the non-negotiable secret that breaks down all the tough connective tissues and transforms them into luscious gelatin, making the meat incredibly fork-tender and juicy.
- Rest, Rest, REST!: You must let your finished roast rest for at least 20-30 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Onion-Braised Brisket
This rewarding culinary project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Perfect Sear
Step 1: First, let your 5-pound brisket rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 325°F ($163^{\circ}C$).
Step 2: Rub your brisket all over with the 4 teaspoons of kosher salt, 4 teaspoons of coarse black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of paprika.
Step 3: In a large Dutch oven, heat your 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add your brisket and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it is beautifully browned on both sides. Transfer the seared brisket to a baking sheet.
Part 2: The “Triple Onion” Sauce and Slow Braise
Step 1: Reduce the heat to medium and add your 4 sliced yellow onions and your 1 package of pearl onions to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until the onions are softened and beginning to caramelize.
Step 2: Stir in your 1/4 cup of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 more minutes, until the mixture is slightly caramelized.
Step 3: Stir in your 2 cups of stout beer, the 1 cup of water, and the 1 packet of onion soup mix. Bring this mixture to a simmer.
Step 4 (The Best Part!): Nestle your seared brisket, fat-side down, into the onion mixture.2 Cover the pot and transfer it to your preheated oven.
Step 5: Bake for about 3 hours, flipping the brisket over halfway through the cooking time. You will know the brisket is perfectly done when it is very tender.
Part 3: The Crucial Rest and Carving
Step 1: Remove the brisket from the oven and let it rest in its juices for at least 20 minutes before you carve it.
Step 2: Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and trim any excess fat. Skim any excess fat from the top of your braising liquid.
Step 3: To serve, use a large, sharp carving knife to thinly slice the brisket against the grain.
Serve the beautiful, tender slices of brisket over a bed of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes, spoon the rich onion gravy over the top, and garnish with some fresh chives.
Onion-Braised Brisket (A Foolproof Holiday Showstopper!)
A hearty and flavorful recipe for an Onion-Braised Brisket, perfect for a holiday meal or special occasion. This dish features a 5-pound beef brisket that is seared and then slow-braised for hours in a rich, savory sauce made with stout beer, a packet of onion soup mix, and a generous amount of both yellow and pearl onions. The brisket becomes exceptionally tender and is served with the thick, caramelized onion gravy, ideally over polenta or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 (5-lb.) beef brisket (first cut)
- 4 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/2-in.-thick
- 1 (14.4-oz.) pkg. frozen pearl onions
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 2 cups stout beer, plus more as needed
- 1 cup tap water
- 1 (1.4-oz.) envelope onion soup mix
- Polenta or mashed potatoes, for serving
- Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Rub the brisket all over with salt, pepper, and paprika. Let it sit at room temperature on a large rimmed baking sheet for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until well browned. Transfer the brisket to a baking sheet.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced yellow onions and pearl onions to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in the tomato paste and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the beer, water, and onion soup mix. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Return the brisket to the Dutch oven, fat side down, nestling it in the onion mixture. Ensure the brisket is about halfway submerged in liquid (add more beer if needed).
- Cover the Dutch oven and bake in the preheated oven for about 3 hours, flipping the brisket halfway through. The brisket is done when it is very tender. Check periodically to ensure the brisket remains halfway submerged.
- Remove the brisket from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving.
- Trim any excess fat from the brisket and skim the fat from the top of the braising liquid.
- Serve the brisket with the pan juices and onions over polenta or mashed potatoes, and garnish with chives.
Notes
- Letting the seasoned brisket rest at room temperature for an hour helps to ensure a more even cook.
- The brisket should always be about halfway submerged in the braising liquid; add more beer or water during cooking if necessary.
- Resting the brisket for 20 minutes before carving is a crucial step that allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a moist and tender result.
- The article suggests serving this dish over polenta or mashed potatoes.
What to Serve With Your Braised Brisket
A beautiful, rich, and savory brisket is the perfect centerpiece for a classic holiday dinner. It pairs beautifully with all the classic, comforting side dishes.
- A Creamy Base: A bed of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes is an absolute must-have for sopping up all the delicious, savory gravy.
- Classic Sides: A simple roasted green bean, a crispy roasted potato, or a classic potato latke (for a Hanukkah celebration) are all wonderful, classic accompaniments.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday meal!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! In fact, it is one of those magical dishes that tastes even better on the second day. You can prepare and fully cook the entire dish up to 3 days in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, submerged in their sauce, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat Braciole is to do so gently in a covered saucepan on the stovetop over a low heat.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why is my brisket tough?
The number one culprit is almost always under-cooking. A tough cut like brisket needs a long, slow, and moist braise to become tender. If your brisket is tough, the simple answer is that it just needs more time.
Q2: Can I make this ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead centerpiece! It is one of those magical dishes that actually tastes even better the next day. You can prepare the entire recipe from start to finish a day or two in advance and simply reheat it gently on the stovetop before your guests arrive.
Q3: Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, absolutely! A slow cooker is perfect for this recipe. Simply follow all the steps to sear your brisket and to build your sauce on the stovetop. Then, you can transfer everything to your slow cooker and cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or on High for 4-5 hours.
Q4: Can I use a different cut of beef?
Yes! If you can’t find a brisket, this recipe is also fantastic with a boneless beef chuck roast.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of beer?
If you don’t have a stout, you can substitute it with another dark beer, like a porter, or even a full-bodied dry red wine (like a Cabernet Sauvignon).