We Made The Pioneer Woman's Brisket and Her Recipe Did Not Disappoint (2024)
If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe, look no further than this Pioneer Woman brisket recipe.
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While brisket recipes smoked on a wood pellet grill or traditional smoker may be getting a lot of fanfare these days, old-fashioned oven-baked brisket should not be forgotten.
This Pioneer Woman brisket recipe is no exception. Ultra-tender, loaded with flavor and slowly braised for hours in a simple overnight marinade, Ree Drummond’s brisket recipe is a streamlined take on this classic homestyle favorite.
Let’s see how it stacks up to other Pioneer Woman recipes (like her fabulous million dollar dip).
How to Make The Pioneer Woman’s Brisket
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home, GETTY IMAGES
First time buying brisket? Look for a good grade of meat and a cut that has an even thickness and width from end to end. This ensures even cooking and will prevent one end from drying out while in the oven. A great brisket should also have a generous 1/4-inch (or even 1/2-inch) thick fat cap on one side and visible fat marbling on the other. More fat equals more flavor!
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1: Marinade the brisket
In a large roasting pan, combine the beef consomme, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke and garlic. With the fat side up, lay the brisket in the marinade. Cover the pan tightly with foil and let the brisket marinate for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Transfer the foil-covered roasting pan to the oven and braise the brisket for 6 to 7 hours (about 40 minutes per pound). You’ll know the brisket is done when the meat is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
Editor’s Tip: While “fall-apart tender” is often used to describe brisket, you don’t actually want the brisket to fall apart once cooked. That’s a sign that the brisket was overcooked. A perfectly cooked brisket should still require some gentle pull when carving.
Step 3: Slice and serve
Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Then, slice against the grain (it’s a top trick to make tough meat tender) and return the slices back to the juices in the pan. Serve warm, spooning reserved juices over the slices. If you’re into barbecue, Ree also recommends slathering with good barbecue sauce. Enjoy!
Here’s What I Thought
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
This was hands-down the easiest brisket recipe I have ever made. I loved that it required very minimal prep work, and the oven did all the heavy lifting for me. All I really had to do was slice, serve and enjoy!
While this brisket recipe does come out super flavorful and tender, it is a bit on the salty side due to the amount of beef consomme and soy sauce used in the marinade. If you’re sensitive to salty foods, serve the brisket with a side of honey barbecue to balance the flavors.
Next time, I would add about 1/4 cup of honey, brown sugar or maple syrup to the marinade to give the brisket just a little sweetness that’s similar to the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel brisket recipe that I love.
Tips for Making The Pioneer Woman Brisket
Why is slow-cooking brisket necessary?
Brisket is a tough, muscular cut of beef that comes from a hard-working area of the steer. This means that, while flavorful, brisket tends to be tough unless cooked low and slow (like our favorite slow-cooked oven ribs). Whether smoked or braised, a low and slow cooking method helps the brisket retain moisture, render fat and relax the connective tissue to make a juicy, flavorful and tender dish.
What should you pair with The Pioneer Woman brisket?
Pair this braised brisket with an array of side dishes. Choose southern favorites like baked beans and skillet cornbread or other comfort foods like The Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes or baked mac and cheese. You really can’t go wrong!
What should you do with leftover brisket?
Keep leftover brisket refrigerated in an airtight storage container for 3-5 days. Enjoy chilled, at room temperature or reheated. Leftover brisket is especially good shredded and mixed into chili, stuffed into a baked potato or rolled up in tortillas and baked with homemade enchilada sauce.
Reheat it in a moist environment: One of the easiest ways to soften a dry brisket is to reheat it in a moist environment. You can do this by placing the brisket in a covered dish with a small amount of beef broth, water, or tomato sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake it in the oven until it is heated through.
Common go-to rubs include seasonings like garlic, herbs, and spices. Just be sure to take it easy on the rub so that your brisket doesn't come out too salty. If you plan to mop or baste your brisket while smoking, be sure to coordinate the flavors properly with your rub.
Brown brisket in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. Or sear fat side up in a heated 500 ˚F oven for 20 minutes to develop flavor. Add a small amount of liquid (water, broth, or wine) to a Dutch oven, cover tightly, and simmer gently over low heat or in a 275 ˚F oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until tender.
Our general rule of thumb is to plan on between 30 and 60 minutes per pound when learning how to cook a brisket. For example, a 16-pound brisket cooked at 275 degrees Fahrenheit will take between 10 and 12 hours. The entire process from trimming, injection, seasoning, and cooking will take between 18 and 20 hours.
Once the brisket has cooked for about 6-8 hours, put about 1 cup of beef broth and a few tablespoons of my original rub in a foil pan. Place the brisket fat side down in the pan and cover it with foil to allow it to continue cooking while the steam inside the pan tenderizes it.
Marinating helps tenderize tough cuts by breaking up the muscle fibers. But low, slow cooking does that, too, so no need to marinate when you're smoking brisket. Brown and Ayala start with high-grade brisket from a ranch in Iowa, and season it with nothing more than a dry rub of equal parts salt and pepper.
I like to add in some Post Oak wood chips or chunks because it gives the meat some extra smoke flavor. Next, place the brisket into the smoker with the fat side of the brisket facing the heat. This layer of fat allows it to serve as a “protection” layer against the heat. Cook for anywhere from 7-8 hours.
To set things straight, we're here to put an end to the confusion, so you can get back to the grill with confidence. For brisket cooked to flavorful perfection, fat-side-down is the way to go. This is the only way to achieve a brisket that is perfectly moist with a perfect bark on both sides.
The main reason to cook brisket fat side down is for delicious consistent results, especially when it comes to competition barbecue. Fat-side down encourages a more pronounced smoke ring. A smoke ring refers to the thin ribbon of pink-colored meat between the crust and the interior brown-colored meat.
Double wrap the brisket in foil, then place it back on the baking sheet (or roasting pan). Roast the brisket in the preheated oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound of meat.
If you plan on one pound of raw brisket per person, you can expect to get 12 to 15 servings out of it. The serving size for the beef brisket varies depending on the occasion, appetite, and other factors. Generally, a 1/4 pound of cooked brisket is a good starting point, but some people may require more or less.
It takes approximately 7 hours to cook a 5 pound brisket at the base temperature of 250°F. You can use an internal thermometer to gauge when it's done cooking.
Purchase a whole fresh beef brisket (not corned) or 2 center-cut pieces. Oven-braise the brisket up to 2 days ahead; chill meat and pan juices separately. To serve, slice meat and reheat in sauce.
Yes.There is, in fact, a science behind the Double Smoked Brisket Points. Things we have discussed like caramelization, rendering, and the secret behind why grilled food tastes good.
This is where the magic happens. Unwrap the flat of the brisket and place ¼ cup of butter on top of the brisket. Wrap the brisket flat in butcher paper with the butter and place it back onto your smoker at 250 degrees. For the point, cube up the point and place it in an aluminum foil tray.
The meat was overcooked: Slow cookers are known for their ability to tenderize meat, but if the meat is cooked for too long, it can become overcooked and tough. It's important to follow the recommended cooking time for your recipe to ensure that the meat is cooked to the correct doneness.
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Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home, GETTY IMAGES
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home