Jewish Brisket with a Sweet and Tangy Braising Sauce

by Beth Lee · Published: Sep 21, 2022 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024

This Jewish brisket recipe - courtesy of my mom - is our family's tried and true brisket recipe using beer, cranberry sauce and ketchup. It's perfect for Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah but is comforting and delicious anytime of the year.

Prefer to make this recipe in the Instant Pot or slow cooker? Here you go!

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Large platter of Jewish brisket with a small gravy bowl in the upper right and serving utensils near the platter.

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Why you'll love this recipe!

Until her early eighties, my mom was in charge of brisket at each family gathering. But in 2011, when I first posted this recipe, she passed the torch to me.

My friends always requested this Jewish brisket recipe - in fact - it may have been the main reason our annual Rosh Hashanah celebration became such a large gathering! Determined to do my mom proud, I have perfected her recipe as a traditional braise, a version in the Instant Pot and in the slow cooker.

This braised version is easy to make - not a lot of ingredients and fussing - just a delicious, tangy, and satisfying finished product every single time. And read on for my mom's brilliant tip about slicing the brisket. I will be grateful for it forever!

As for the origin of my mother’s braised brisket recipe - she thinks (not 100% sure) that she got it from her sister Trudy. Everyone loved Aunt Trudy's holiday gatherings - especially for Hanukkah and her crispy potato latkes, served with this Jewish brisket, of course.

Ingredients you'll need

Ingredient shot for Jewish Brisket recipe showing brisket, carrots, potatoes, beer, cranberry sauce, ketchup, olive oil, onion.

The ingredients for this Jewish brisket recipe are often in my pantry or refrigerator (except for the brisket!). And if not, the braising liquid ingredients can be found at your local grocery.

Brisket: You'll generally find brisket at any store that has a butcher counter. Usually you'll see the first cut, which is quite lean except for a small layer of fat on one side. Some butcher counters will stock the second cut, or deckle. If you buy a large brisket at Costco, the deckle is the fattier, more uneven part on the top. It's delicious and so tasty!
Beer: I use dark beer but almost any kind will work. I really love the extra flavor and color from a stout. If you are making this at Passover and don't use beer, then substitute in some rich beef stock.
Cranberry sauce: Whole berry is what my mom always used - it adds texture. A can is completely fine but often I use my homemade cranberry jam. It's so easy to make and is even better than the canned variety.
Ketchup: My mother always has this in the house cuz well, she uses ketchup on a lot of things. Just sayin'.
Carrots and potatoes: Optional but I always put them in when I cut the brisket - I'll explain below. I love cooking vegetables in the braising liquid and they make a great side dish!

How to make this recipe

There a few steps to get the brisket ready for the oven, but once it's in the oven - you have lots of time to do other things. And because of my mom's brilliant cutting method, when this pan of brisket is done, it's ready to serve! Let's walk thru it:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, combine the beer, cranberry sauce and ketchup and whisk to combine.

Braising liquid ingredients ready to be whisked in a red bowl.

2. Add the olive oil to the roasting pan on the stovetop, preheat the pan to medium or medium high - hot enough to sear the outside of the meat. Add the sliced onions. As they begin to cook, salt and pepper your brisket.

Roasting pan with onions cooking on the stove top.

3. Once the onions are starting to brown, push them to the side of the pan and add the brisket in fat side down. Let it brown thoroughly on the first side.

Brisket browning with onions pushed aside in the roasting pan on the stovetop.

4.Then turn the brisket over to brown on the other side.

Brisket browning on the second side in the roasting pan stovetop.

5.Turn the burner off and pour the braising liquid over the meat. Cover the pan with tin foil (or a cover if you have one - for example if you're using a Le Creuset or similar braising pot). Place in the oven and set the timer for two hours.

Sauce poured over the brisket in the roasting pan and ready to go in the oven.

6. At two hours, remove the pan from the oven carefully and place the partially cooked meat on a cutting board.

Uncut brisket on cutting board that says OMG! Yummy in the bottom right hand corner.

7. Slicing the brisket at this stage is my mom's forever contribution to brisket brilliance. It's easier to cut than when it is nearly falling apart or when it is cold. Plus the slices soak up the flavor while they finish cooking. And the brisket is basically ready to serve, even if you plan to refrigerate or freeze it for later use.

Brisket on cutting board in the process of being sliced.

8. Add in the potatoes and carrots now too. And a little salt and pepper. Re-cover and place in the oven for about another hour. When the vegetables and meat are tender, let the pan sit out and cool for about half an hour and then refrigerate. Or you can, of course, serve it right away.

Sliced brisket placed back in pan with potatoes and carrots added in.

9. If you refrigerate it, the fat will congeal on the top. Then the fat is easy to remove before you serve it. Reheat and place on a platter for the table or your buffet. Don't forget the extra juice alongside the brisket with a ladle!

Sliced Jewish brisket on a small white plate with potatoes and carrots and knife and fork nearby.

Check out my braised brisket web story for a quick visual guide on how to make this recipe.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Pro-tip: My mom's cutting method is worth repeating: Remove the brisket about one hour before it's done cooking and slice it against/across the grain. Then place the sliced brisket back in the roasting pan to finish cooking, along with any vegetables you are adding to the pan.
Make this brisket ahead if you want - the flavor is even better the second day!
The extra braising liquid makes a delicious gravy. Remember to serve it heated along with the brisket.

What is braising?

Braising is a cooking method that involves long slow cooking of various kinds of meats in some type of liquid. The liquid usually comes about half way up the items being cooked. And the pot you braise in is usually covered. It normally is done in the oven but could be done stovetop as well. And braising goes with fall just like big pots of steamy chicken soup do.

How do you know when braised brisket is done?

I judge doneness by taking a fork and attempting to pull a piece of meat apart. If it's easy to do, then the meat is done. If by chance, you have to pull it out before it's quite done, you can absolutely put it back in the oven to finish cooking when you reheat it for serving.

My brisket pulls apart but it tough to chew. Why?

If you slice with the grain, no matter how well the meat was cooked, it will be hard to chew. Always take note of the grain and cut perpendicular to it, not parallel.

What is the best way to reheat the brisket for serving?

Place the covered roasting pan in the oven or place the covered roasting pan on the stovetop - both methods will work. So if you are short of oven space, you can use the stove instead! If the plate you are serving it on fits in the microwave, that would work as well.

Angled view of large platter of Jewish brisket with gravy on the side and serving utensils.

What to serve with Jewish brisket

Got leftovers? Make a brisket sandwich!

Two brisket sandwiches on a white plate with a cooling rack of slider rolls in the background.

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Jewish Brisket Recipe with a Sweet and Sour Braising Sauce

Beth Lee

This Jewish brisket recipe, courtesy of my mom, is our family's tried and true sweet and sour brisket recipe. It's perfect for Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah but is comforting and delicious anytime of the year.

4.84 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Jewish Holiday Cooking

Servings servings

Calories 574 kcal

Ingredients

12 ounces bottle of beer - heavy dark beer is best but any will do
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce canned or homemade
½ cup ketchup
4-5 pounds brisket
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
12 ounces baby carrots or sliced carrots
12 small red or white potatoes cut into even size pieces
salt and pepper to taste about 1 teaspoon each

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine beer, ketchup, and cranberry sauce in a medium bowl and set aside.
Add the olive oil to the roasting pan on the stovetop, preheat the pan to medium or medium high. Add the sliced onions. As they begin to cook, salt and pepper your brisket.
Once the onions are starting to brown, push them to the side of the pan and add the brisket in fat side down. Let it brown thoroughly on the first side.
Then turn the brisket over to brown on the other side.
Turn the burner off and pour the braising liquid over the meat. Cover the pan with tin foil (or a cover if you have one - for example if you're using a Le Creuset or similar braising pot). Place in the oven and set the timer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, take brisket out of the oven and place the brisket on a large cutting board. Let it cool down for a few minutes, then slice it against the grain. (crucial to cut against the grain or it will be tough to chew even if it is cooked properly)
If you would like to cook carrots and potatoes with the brisket (yummy!), add them to the pan, then place the sliced brisket back in as well. Cook for about 1 more hour. Size of brisket, type of pan, and oven will all affect the actual cooking time. However, you can’t really over cook it and if you check it with a fork and it is easy to grab a piece of a slice, you know you’re good to go. Also, check the carrots and potatoes if you added them to be sure they are fork tender.
You can now either serve the brisket immediately or let it cool uncovered for about half an hour and refrigerate it to eat up to 2 days later. You can also freeze the brisket for later use.

Notes

Pro-tip: My mom's cutting method bears repeating. Remove the brisket about one hour before it's done cooking. Slice it across the grain - this is crucial. Place it back in the roasting pan and braising juices to finish cooking, along with any vegetables you are adding to the pan.
Brisket is hard to overcook so don't worry worry about perfection with this cut of meat.
I find the flavor is even better the second day so making this ahead of time is absolutely a good thing to do!
The extra braising liquid makes a delicious gravy. Remember to serve it heated along with the brisket.
For Rosh Hashanah, serve with a green salad or green vegetable, a luscious kugel, and some sliced round challah and you’re off to a sweet and yummy new year!

Nutrition

Calories: 574kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 43gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 1915mgFiber: 6gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 4783IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 6mg

Keyword braising, Brisket

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