Total Time
45 minutes (plus 4 hours for braising)
Brisket is not the move for anyone rushing to get dinner on the table, but if you have 5 hours (of mostly inactive time!) to spare, it’s celebratory, comforting, and feeds a crowd. This recipe pairs the braise-ready cut with the flavors of classic French beef stew for a holiday-worthy dish that’s begging to be served alongside mashed potatoes and pillowy milk bread buns. The brisket becomes deliciously tender yet still sliceable in the oven, while the mix-ins—mushrooms, carrots, frozen pearl onions, and chopped bacon, cooked separately and set aside—retain their shape and texture. It’s a one-pot, mostly hands-off dish you’ll return to for special occasions again and again.
Best of all, this is a braise that only improves with time—a make-ahead lover’s dream. Cook the recipe all the way through a day in advance, then store the pot, covered, with the sliced brisket nestled back into the sauce, in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to serve, heat the pot with the lid on over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Nothing could be breezier—or free up more time for you to focus on salads, sides, or dessert.
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What you’ll need
Kitchen Twine
$4.99 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
4-Cup Measuring Cup
$10 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
French Wire Whisk
$18 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Ingredients
8–10 servings
1
5
2
1
6
2
4
8
1
2
5
2
2
3
3½
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in lowest position of oven; preheat to 350°. Tie 1 small bunch thyme, 5 sprigs parsley, and 2 bay leaves together with kitchen twine; set aside. Sprinkle one 4-lb. piece untrimmed flat-cut beef brisket, excess fat trimmed, all over with 4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; season generously with freshly ground pepper.
Step 2
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook brisket until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Pour fat in pot into a small bowl, then add 1 Tbsp. back to pot; set remaining fat aside.
Step 3
Cook 4 oz. bacon (about 4 slices), coarsely chopped, in same pot, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a medium bowl. Pour off fat into bowl with reserved fat; add 2 Tbsp. back to pot.
Step 4
Cook 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, halved, quartered if large, 1 large carrot, peeled, coarsely chopped, 2 cups frozen pearl onions (from a 14.4-oz. bag), thawed, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in pot, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and browned, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bacon; set aside.
Step 5
Add 2 Tbsp. fat to pot. Cook 5 garlic cloves, smashed, stirring often, 30 seconds. Stir in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp. tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Pour in 3 cups dry red wine, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and cook until wine is reduced by a third, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3½ cups low-sodium beef broth and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Carefully return brisket to pot, arranging fat side up; tuck reserved herb bundle alongside.
Step 6
Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise brisket, spooning braising liquid over a few times, 3½ hours. Uncover pot, remove and discard herb bundle, and stir in reserved bacon and vegetables. Return pot to oven and cook, uncovered, until brisket is deeply browned and very tender, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 7
Transfer brisket to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Skim fat from surface of braising liquid if needed, then return brisket to pot. Top with chopped parsley leaves just before serving.
Do Ahead: Brisket Bourguignon (without parsley) can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Reheat, covered, over medium heat until brisket is warmed through, 12–18 minutes.
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to TopThis brisket was a hit for extended family get-together over 2023 holidays. Wouldn't change a thing. Leftovers became beef ragù / ragoût (I think it qualifies as either. Ref: Tasting Table), served with noodles or not. You ask if I would make again. Am doing just that for dinner guests this weekend. (Feb 2024)
wwmmhh
Valle Crucis, NC
2/3/2024
Want to print the recipe? Hit CTRL P to print.
Rosalie
San Francisco CA
12/27/2023
Good recipe. Page needs a "print recipe" button.
Conepatus
Boquete, Rep of Panama
12/21/2023
I had never made brisket before and was nervous. Made 2 different recipes this one and BAs soy brisket. Both were excellent and made both the day before, but this one made super au jus which I then used to make soup. I will always use this recipe as it was perfection. I did rub it with salt and pepper 24 hours before cooking
deborah
portland oregon
12/18/2023
Fabulous flavor! I did what I always do when I cook meat and used a thermometer. Meant to take it out at 180, but it got to 208. Still, fork tender, able to slice and not fall apart. I would never cook this 4.5# brisket 5 hours. It took barely 3. My family really liked it. I did make more of a traditional gravy with the fat and drippings, as the liquid in the pot was quite thin.
Anonymous
Eugene, OR
12/17/2023
This looks great, but why is there no "print" button for the recipe? I'm a subscriber!?
PRunge
12/14/2023
For those who want to avoid bacon but still want the smokey flavor, I have used duck bacon and it is terrific.
Sandra
New York
12/13/2023
I made this recipe twice in a month, and it is my go-to recipe for a fall-winter red wine dinner. Rich, delicious, depth of flavor, better the next day, and the next, etc. My brisket was never dry - I ensured that I had the liquid near the top of the brisket as it cooked. While I was slicing the brisket, I took a good deal of the sauce out of the pot and reduced it in a skillet (wide area for faster reduction) so the served sauce was thicker and concentrated. Need to watch salt content because of this. I've made Julia Childs and this is equally as good in my book, but different due to the cooking approach and brisket. Served with gnocchi - but my wife wants mashed potatoes this sunday as the side. I serve it with a rich CA cabernet or cabernet-based bordeaux, but it would be fine with rhone or syrah-based wines as well.
Greg T
St. Helena
12/12/2023
Made this tonight for Hanukkah and it was a hit. Nice deep flavors, I did thicken the sauce a bit more when it came out of the oven but we loved it and I will be making this recipe again. We served it with latkes and Brussels sprouts and all the plates were clean including my 2 year old granddaughter. Thank you!
Dewrhon
Atlanta, Georgia
12/9/2023
I made this for a Hanukkah dinner and everyone absolutely raved about it. I had never made brisket before and was a little hesitant, but I followed the directions exactly and it came out perfect, savory and delicious.
Suzy G
Los Angeles
12/9/2023
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was excellent. Deep rich flavor in the brisket and sauce. Be sure to use a quality cut of beef brisket and good wine. I made shepherds pie with the leftovers and it was even better!!
DonnaF
Swarthmore, PA
12/8/2023
If you use Julia Child's or Anthony Bourdain's recipes for boeuf bourguignon do not make this one - this is not a shortcut to beef burgundy and you will be very disappointed. Sauce tastes thin, meat is dry, and it takes the same amount of time to prep and cook as the "real" beef burgundy recipes. Sorry.
Anonymous
11/18/2023
First, to answer the question about keeping this dish Kosher - I don't think the bacon really added a whole lot. (Okay, I ate most of it before it even got mixed in with the veggies. So yea, skip it. I know there are way more experienced cooks here, but I think the addition of the bacon is part of the beef Bourguignon tradition. I somehow remember Julia Child's recipe calling for "lardons" which is basiscally thick bacon sliced an inch long and a quarter inch thick. The bacon won't be missed! Mazal tov. Didn't know what to make for dinner tonight, so my partner opened up the recent Bon Appetit and said, "How about this?" The local butcher had several nice sized briskets. We had this for dinner tonight, and it was great. I was able to make it early in the afternoon and pop it i n the oven. Beef was extremely tender, though a bit dry - which is why the sauce is so awesome. It's a keeper. As Linda in Seattle said, "Deep, savory and rich." Thanks for a great recipe.
TomKay
Clarkston, MI
11/12/2023
Fantastic! Deeply savory and rich. I made it exactly as written and served over mashed potatoes. As expected, even better the next day. I had the butcher trim the fat from the brisket. After serving, it was so good that everyone at the table was silent for a few minutes contemplating the amazing flavor!
Linda R
Seattle, WA
11/1/2023
I am curious about the use of bacon; I keep a kosher home, brisket in particular is the go-to meal for Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah and Passover, does the bacon have to be part of the recipe, or can I use liquid smoke?
MinYoongi
Oak Park Illinois
10/30/2023