This baked brisket recipe with onions and tomatoes is perfect for any Jewish holiday, but it has been at the center of our Passover table for generations. I’ve been making this version inspired by Emeril’s beef brisket for my Seder table, and can truly say it is the best Passover brisket you will ever eat. Stuffing the meat with garlic cloves and the homemade caramelized onions (none of that soup mix business, here) are what make this brisket special.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT210M
Rating
4.96 stars (279 reviews)
Keywords
beef, jewish
Ingredients
One 5 pound brisket
8 garlic cloves (cut lengthwise into 4 pieces)
Sea salt
1 quart beef stock
2 Vidalia or sweet onions (thinly sliced)
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or rosemary
2 bay leaves
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Steps
Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Place the brisket on a work surface. If the fat cap is on the thicker side (1/2 inch) trip off a little of the fat, leaving an even 1/4 -inch layer.
Using a paring knife, make vertical incisions in the meat and shove a piece of garlic into each. Do this until the meat is stuffed with garlic all over. Season both sides with salt and pepper and place the brisket in a large braiser, Dutch oven or rimmed baking dish (preferably metal) starting with the fat cap facing up and brown it in the oven, about 10 minutes per side.
Remove the pan from the oven, and pour in the beef stock (NOTE: if you are using a pyrex dish, wait a few minutes for the pan to acclimate to room temperature so it does not shatter.). Turn the oven down to 350 degrees, cover the dish with a lid or foil, and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté, stirring every once in a while, until soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the oven, and add the ketchup, sugar, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme or rosemary, and bay leaves to the pan. Using a fork, whisk everything together with the beef stock. Arrange the caramelized onions on top of the meat. Cover the pan again with the lid or foil, and return it to the oven for 2-3 hours. NOTE: if you want to be able to cut the brisket into slices, take it out at 2 hours. If you want it to be falling apart, more along the lines of a pulled brisket, keep it in for the full 3.
Remove the meat from the oven, and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice the brisket against the grain into slices. Return the meat to the sauce and serve, or store in the fridge overnight–the brisket can be made a day or two in advance.
Reviews
R. M. on 2026-03-22 (5 stars): Just made this recipe yesterday! The instructions are simple and accurate for a very tasty turnout. To complete the dish, I added baby carrots and potato chunks to the pan before cooking, per the instructions, for 3 hours at 350 degrees. The dish was sweet and spicy! Loved it and can’t wait to make it again!!
Steve BARTON on 2025-12-26 (5 stars): OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I have smoked more brisket then you would believe!!!!! I had a friend mention that she cooked a passover brisket for Thanksgiving. I Googled the recipe and settled on this one. My friend also stated she did sliders for the brisket. We decided to try this recipe. Yall, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is the BEST brisket I have EVER cooked. We added tators and carrots to the pot. Yall, I am here to tell you, THIS IS THE BEST BRISKET I have ever sunk my teeth into. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!!!!!!!
Jordan Greenhut on 2025-10-08 (5 stars): I eat almost entirely plant based, but I was feeling nostalgic and my wanted my estranged friend's bubby's brisket and this definitely hit the spot. F$@k, it was so good - it just fell apart. Probably my favorite meal right now. Can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.
M Lee on 2025-04-23 (5 stars): 5-Star all the way! We had room on the Traeger to cook something else while doing a fresh ham for Easter. I decided to try a brisket and came across this recipe. I basically followed all of the instructions but instead of the oven used the Traeger. It came out beautifully! I seared the brisket at 450 for an hour putting it directly on the grate, not in a pan. (The ham recipe was starting the same way is why it was on for an hour.) Then I put it in an aluminum pan and added the broth. Heat was lowered to 300 on the Traeger. After covering the pan, it cooked for another hour. The rest of the ingredients were added and then pan was covered again. It cooked for another 2 hours without it being opened to check its progress. It was so tender!!! This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you
Wendy Mains on 2025-04-18 (5 stars): I have never successfully cooked a brisket until now! I cooked it for the full three hours and it was amazing and people were eating the sauce out of the pan with a spoon. I did take the meat out of the pan when I added the remaining ingredients to make sure they got well mixed in and I added about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. The bonus was the roasted potatoes and carrots, which also took on the flavor of the sauce. I can’t wait to make this again! Thank you so much.
Linda on 2025-04-13 (5 stars): I made this last night for Passover and it was the best brisket I've ever had. I did use brisket from a local farmer, not a factory farm and that makes a difference in any recipe. There are hardly any leftovers. It was easy and memorable. This will now be my go to recipe. Thank you so much! My son is already asking when I'll make it again.
Bonnie on 2025-04-01 (5 stars): Can it be frozen and reheated day of? Making it a second time bc it was so delicious
Becca on 2025-01-28 (5 stars): This recipe is excellent! I am making tonight for dinner, ive made it once before. I love it. I do add carrots and potatoes to it and a bit of sweet red wine (i couldnt get manishwitz, so i just grabbed a res moscato that tastes close enough!)
Michelle Richardson on 2024-07-05 (5 stars): I am definitely a cook within my own right, but this is hands down is the best brisket recipe ever. I forgot to take pictures of this but it came out perfectly. I like my brisket sliced and it was still so very tender. I did add a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce a little. It was beautiful and velvety.
Keri Halperin on 2024-04-17 (5 stars): My family always raves when I make this brisket, so it has become my go-to for every holiday.
Sierra on 2024-04-01 (5 stars): This was a great recipe! I made it for our Easter celebration and left out the ketchup and sugar. We have some food sensitivities to tomatoes in the family and my husband doesn’t like sugar in savory foods. I can tell you, we didn’t miss either ingredient. It was delicious. Thanks, Phoebe.
Melody Guillette on 2023-10-21 (5 stars): This has to be the absolute best brisket recipe ever. I have tried many recipes over the years but this is the only one I will use from here on out. This was more tender then my crock put recipes. Even my picky husband loved it.
Debra Stokes on 2023-04-10 (5 stars): 100% fantastic recipe! I followed it exactly and it is the best brisket recipe I have ever had! My family was skeptical while I was making it and they were so thrilled with the result and even asked for the recipe! I will definately be making this again and not just for a holiday!! Thank you for sharing this yummyness!!
Taylor on 2023-04-06 (5 stars): Wow this really was the best Passover brisket! My whole family proclaimed that it was the best they’d ever had. I had never seared something in the oven in a Dutch oven. It turned out absolutely fork tender and perfect. I thickened the gravy with some cornstarch and it was delicious. 10/10 would recommend this recipe and method. Thank you!
