Texas Style Oven Brisket Recipe
Texas Style Oven Brisket Recipe: A simple smokey brisket recipe with a zesty dry rub, that can be made in the oven, instead of a smoker. Enjoy with others!
Why We Love This Texas Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe
Today, I have a Beef Brisket Recipe to share with you all.
Instead of cooking individual steaks for dinner parties, I like to prepare one large cut of beef that can serve many people. This not only allows better control of the cooking process, when cooking for a crowd, it also often saves money and time.
And this Texas Oven Baked Brisket is a marvelous cut for holiday gatherings, or any time of the year really!
Brisket tends to be a tough cut of meat, so it’s best when it is slow-cooked and sliced thin so that the best flavor and texture can be enjoyed together.
Texas is known for its classic brisket preparation, involving a dry rub spice blend and a long rest in an outdoor wood smoker. In my opinion, a slowly smoked brisket is the absolute best brisket available. It’s tender and rich with pink smoke rings around each piece and thick chewy bark. However, as most of us don’t own an outdoor smoking cabinet, we’ll have to rely on other ways to achieve a similar result.
So, today I’m sharing my Texas Style Oven Brisket Recipe, a dry-rubbed brisket roasted in the oven over a water bath with liquid smoke.
…Is it as irresistible as a brisket smoked all night in a smoking cabinet? No. I won’t lie and tell you it turns out just the same.
However, this Texas Oven Brisket is a close runner-up and much, much easier to prepare. So once you learn how to cook brisket in the oven, you will be so impressed! So break out the spices, preheat those ovens, and get ready for delicious, juicy brisket!
Ingredients You Need
To make this Texas Oven Brisket Recipe, simply rub a large flat-cut brisket (or a whole packer brisket) with a “dry brine brisket” blend of salt and spices. The dry rub I used is comprised of:
- sea salt (or kosher salt or table salt)
- brown sugar
- chili powder
- paprika
- dried mustard
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried thyme (or rosemary)
Then lay it on a rack in a roasting pan, over water mixed with liquid smoke. You can use any variety of liquid smoke you prefer… Hickory, Cherry, Mesquite, Oak, etc.
How to Make the Best Oven Brisket Recipe
Learning to cook brisket in the oven is simple, but does take some time, so be patient!
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Pour 3 cups of water into the bottom of a large roasting pan with a rack and add the liquid smoke.
In a small bowl, mix the salt, brown sugar, and all remaining spices until well combined. Rub the spice blend over the entire surface of the brisket and lay the brisket on the wire roasting rack.
Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the brisket and cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Pro Tip: If you have an oven with a build-in thermometer, run the wire out the side of the pan. If you are using a standard meat thermometer, insert it into the brisket, through the boil, so you can see the reading.
Slow roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Then remove the foil and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F. Depending on your oven, and where you inserted the meat thermometer, this can take 5-6 hours.
Take the brisket out of the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Cover it loosely with foil to help retain the heat. Place on a cutting board and cut the brisket across the grain (across the muscle fibers) into thin slices and serve warm.
Pro Tip: Do not be tempted to raise the temperature for faster cooking time, or your brisket will be very tough. Slow oven roasting allows the fats to break down gradually, tenderizing the beef, so it has a stretchy, juicy quality in the end.
Tips & Tricks
- To serve as a saucy BBQ brisket: Let the brisket rest for 30 minutes before slicing into it. Then place the sliced pieces into a baking dish with warm BBQ sauce in the bottom. You can warm up the sauce in the oven or on the stovetop. After placing the sliced pieces of brisket into the baking dish with sauce, allow people to serve from the baking dish to get some of the sauce with the brisket!
- The key to tender, juicy oven-baked brisket is cooking it at a low temperature for a long time! Don’t be tempted to increase the oven temperature over 250 degrees F here. You must be patient with the process!
- Some people cook their brisket without a dry rub, which is perfectly fine, but it won’t have as much flavor! If you are worried about your sodium intake, you can reduce the amount of salt in the dry rub and serve with a low-sodium BBQ sauce for extra flavor!
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is perfect for parties or to feed a large family. Plus it will leave your house smelling like mouth-watering smokey brisket!
This Texas-style brisket can be served in so many different ways! Serve it with your favorite barbecue sauce and corn on the cob! I definitely recommend making this into a leftover brisket sandwich on a fluffy brioche bun with bbq sauce. Try serving your Texas brisket recipe with some of my favorites:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Baked Beans
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Okra
- Collard Greens
- Potato Salad
This Texas Style Oven Brisket also pairs well with this Creamy Ranchero Sauce! Give it a try!
Also, try our Crock Pot Brisket Sandwiches recipe and our Smoked Brisket Recipe for more great sharing options for brisket!
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Texas Style Oven Brisket + Video Recipe. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I let my brisket rest?
You need to allow the brisket to rest for at least 30 minutes after taking it out of the oven to let the juices fully redistribute. If you cut into it sooner, the juices will pour out of the meat and the meat will be drier because of it!
How long does this recipe last in the fridge?
Cooked brisket could last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Is brisket dry rub the same as brisket dry brine?
Yes and no. If you rub the brisket with the spice rub and immediately place it in the oven, it’s just a brisket rub. It will flavor the exterior of the meat and the spices will penetrate a little way into the beef.
However, if you take the time to dry rub the brisket the night before baking (or even several hours before baking) and then place it in the refrigerator, this is considered a brisket dry brine. The salt and other seasonings have time to truly work their way down into the center of the beef.
Pro Tip: If time allows, always dry rub the brisket several hours before placing it in the oven.
Should brisket be wrapped in foil in the oven?
Yes! You should wrap the brisket in foil while cooking it in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees. Then remove the foil and allow it to continue cooking slowly until it hits 195 to 200 degrees F.
Do you add water when cooking brisket in the oven?
Yes, you will want to add water to the bottom of the roasting pan along with a little bit of liquid smoke for a classic smoky flavor! The water will help to keep the oven moist so that the brisket doesn’t dry out being in the oven for so long. Since the brisket isn’t touching the water, it can still create a bark around the edges!
What should the brisket’s internal temperature be?
Because brisket is a tougher cut of meat, it must come to a higher temperature internally before the fats start to break down and tenderize. You could technically take the brisket out of the oven at 175 degrees F and it will be cooked, but if you want to get the traditional brisket stretch in each slice, you need to allow enough time for the brisket to reach 195 to 200 degrees F.
How long does it take to cook brisket in the oven?
A good rule of thumb is to cook your brisket 60 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F. So if you had a 3-pound brisket, you’d cook it for about 3 hours.
However, there are a lot of different factors that can throw this estimate off. So make sure the internal temperature of the brisket is 195 degrees F before removing it from the oven.
Happy cooking!
Looking for More Beef Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Crockpot Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
- Oven Roasted Standing Rib Roast
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Recipe
- Best Beef Stew
- Honey Garlic Beef Tenderloin
- Best Smoked Brisket Recipe
Let me know how your brisket turned out in the comments below and don’t forget to print, pin, or download this recipe! It’s a keeper for sure!
Texas Style Oven Brisket Recipe
Ingredients
- 5-6 pound boneless flat-cut beef brisket (not corned beef brisket)
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke, any variety
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Pour 3 cups water into the bottom of a large roasting pan with a rack and add the liquid smoke.
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, brown sugar, and all remaining spices until well combined. Rub the spice blend over the entire surface of the brisket and lay the brisket on the wire roasting rack. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the brisket and cover the roasting pan tightly with foil. *If you have an oven with a built-in meat thermometer, run the wire out the side of the pan. If you are using a standard meat thermometer, insert it into the brisket, through the foil, so you can see the reading.
- Slow roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Then remove the foil and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F. Depending on your oven, and where you inserted the meat thermometer, this process may take 5-6 hours.
- Take the brisket out of the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Cover it loosely with foil to help retain the heat. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I have a 1 1/2 lb. flat cut. Any tips and how can I reduce the quantity of ingredients in the rub ? Thanks, sounds good .
Would add to the video that the brisket will most likely need trimming unless you have the butcher do it for you. The hard fat that is usually on a point piece needs to be removed as it will not render. Also silver skin should be removed to allow the spices to adhere. When rubbing the brisket, shake off the excess rub and allow it to sit and absorb for at least 30 min. The final temperature of 168F seems low, as the meat would still probably be a bit tough and the fat would just be starting to render. Typically an internal temp of 195F is what I do on my smoker. (Oven might be different as I’m just trying the recipe. Also, please cut against the grain of the meat. That allows the slices to cut and bite properly. Hope this helps!
If you want tasty brisket, DO NOT TRIM THE FAT BEFORE YOU COOK IT. You can always trim it later after its done cooking. I have been smoking briskets over wood for 25 years and although I will probably not use this recipe because its in an oven, the recipe is great if you don’t have access to a smoker. The fat in the briskets have always rendered, even the hard fat. You want that fat to make a tender brisket when you are done. Remember to cook with the fat side up folks!
I’ve been trying to make a tender Texas oven brisket for years, and Spicy Perspective helped me nail it! Thank you so much! But let me tell you how I tweaked it, and I made it twice in 2 weeks and both times it turned out perfectly. (BTW, I’m sharing it with others during this Covid—19 pandemic, and it makes a ton of good meat.)
I used a large, heavy-duty foil pan lined with a large piece of heavy duty foil, and made 6 medium-sized balls of foil to act as a “rack” for the meat. The spicy rub mixture is wonderful, so after I dry off the raw brisket with paper towels, I rub in that mixture on the meaty side of the brisket, then place that bad boy on top of the foil balls, fat side down. Yes, fat side down. Inside the sheet of foil, I poured in the water and liquid smoke as described in the recipe, then wrapped the meat up, leaving some puffy space on top of the meat for the air to circulate. Lastly, I add one more layer of foil over the entire top of the pan and tightly press the edges around the pan perimeter, again leaving the top puffier to let the air circulate. But all edges sealed up well. Here’s the crazy part but it works: for a 14-pound brisket, I baked it in my pre-heated 250 degree oven for 18 hours! The first brisket I tried with this recipe was smaller, but I still baked it around 14 hours. An important tip: after taking the brisket out of the oven, leave it sealed up around 20-30 minutes on the counter before unwrapping the foil. Then, it’s ready to transfer to a cutting board, but you’ll need 4 hands with big utensils to safely transfer it over because it might fall apart, it’s so tender! Thank you, Spicy Perspective! I spent $44 on this piece of meat, and you helped me make it right! I’ll try to attach a picture to this review. Happy Brisketing!!
I’m making this tomorrow using a 7 lb brisket. So you wrapped the brisket in foil and then wrapped the brisket and pan as well? Did you bake at the end without the foil at all? Thanks!
I found out best way was to use a oven bag what you use to cook a Turkey
Also, what made you bake fat side down?
Looking forward to this recipe. Putting 13 lb brisket in the oven now. 250 degrees. Fat side down. Foul balls under the rack double wrapped in foil.
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Delicious and easy to do! I followed exactly – all at my Super Bowl party loved it! I’m not much of a meat eater and don’t even own an outdoor grill. The meat had a great flavor!
My brisket was 2.64 lbs. I started cooking at about 1pm. It reached 155 degrees, and I took off the foil, but by 9 it hadn’t reached 168. The closest I could get it was 164. I decided, at this point, I had to take it out. It was good and the bark was nice but I’m not sure it should have been in the oven for 8 hours. Why couldn’t I get the temp up t 168? I even stuck an oven thermometer in the oven to make sure the oven temp was correct. I used an electronic probe thermometer that gave me readings through my phone. More well done than medium well but feel I should have pulled out sooner even though temps never reached those posted in the Instructions.
So, when you’re cooking brisket it goes through a process called the ‘stall’ where internal moisture starts evaporating and this cools the brisket down. The brisket will get through this and continue rising in temperature, but it has to get through the stall first. Generally, the stall varies by how hot you’re cooking the brisket. At 225-250 it might take up to a couple HOURS to get past it. At higher temps, under 30 minutes or so.
I made this brisket on Christmas. It was delicious! I had a 6 lb flat and a six lb point. I cooked the flat in the oven and the point in an elective roaster. They were both done in about 4 hours. I let them both rest about 1 hour then cut the flat into thin slices and put it in the smoke flavoring and pan drippings and kept in oven until ready to serve. I locked it up to 250 to get it hot again again and it was tender juicy and tasty. I took the point and shredded it. I put it in a covered oven pan with sweet baby rats and kicked it up from warm to 250 to hear it up for about 20 mins! Both the point and flat came out deliciously!
Will this recipe work in an electric toaster?
Hi Nini,
Oh wow, I’ve never tried that. If your toaster oven is large enough to hold a brisket and sturdy pan, I don’t see why not.
This recipe was pretty good. Turned out kind of dry but it was on my behalf. Great non overwhelming flavor! I’ll be using this more often! Thanks!
This was fantastic! I’ve never made a brisket before, and this did not disappoint. The flavor was great, and the cooking was so easy! The only changes I made were:
1. I put the rub on the night before, wrapped the brisket in foil, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
2. I got it out the next day and let it come all the way to room temp before cooking.
3. I threw a sliced up onion and some garlic cloves on top of the brisket. They were yummy on their own!
The crazy thing was, I actually overcooked it (it got up to 207). I was worried it would be dry or tough because of this. It wasn’t! I did make sure it was tightly covered with foil, so that may be one reason why.
Will definitely make again! Thanks!
gonna try it.
Wow, thank you for this 10/10 recipe it was my first time. Ever doing brisket and my friends and we loved it. Girl you are., a Treasure look forward to trying more of your recipes. Loved the rub. You rock.
Hello as a experienced brisket smoker I must comment that this a fine a recipe I have come across on any food blog, There is nothing like a herb crusted brisket so tender and full of flavor, yours looks terrific, I been following your blog for some time now,and concluded your the best. Thank You so much. I printed this recipes so I can share with my family. I been a Chef now retired for 47 years but still enjoy working part time, I enjoy communicating with food lovers as you.
Chef Ernie
My 8 pound brisket cooked to temp 199, in 3.5 hours…
Was not impressed with this recipe. The brisket turned out dry and tough. Did like the rub recipe though. I think cooking the brisket any near water will dry it out. So, will try another time, again in the oven, using a different method. No Water!
You probably trimmed off all of the fat before cooking. You should keep all of the fat on while cooking and only trim BEFORE you serve. The fat is what makes it juicy and flavorable
My small 2.75 brisket was overcooked around 3 hours. I should have checked it earlier knowing it was smaller than in thr recipe.
The best I ever had devine takes a long time totally worth it
I usually smoke a brisket in my Bradley electric smoker but since I didn’t have 16 hours to smoke it I thought I’d try this recipe. I followed the directions, while it was tender, the brisket came out a little dry. Thank God I had planned to serve it with mashed potatoes and gravy, that gravy was the ONLY thing to hide the dry, over smoked taste. I think next time I’ll either fall back on the smoker or just make the old stand-by, the Jewish Brisket recipe!