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Tangy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, this is the BEST sweet and sour brisket! Perfect for your holiday table or any day of the week.
This is cozy. This is comfort. This is the BEST sweet and sour brisket.
Okay, so let’s talk Brisket 101.
Brisket is a tough cut of meat and there’s simply no way around that. A sloooow, braising method is ideal and that said, this recipe will take time. But it’s worth it, promise.
I’m in the searing first camp as I usually am when it comes to braises. I know many folks pop the brisket and all of the remaining ingredients straight into the roaster and into the oven, but my preference is to season the meat and get it well browned before the oven.
Browning the brisket first helps to develop the fond. Fond is French and fancy for those tasty little browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pan after browning a protein. (My culinary instructors would be so proud.)
And simply put, fond translates to FLAVOR.
I feel similarly about caramelizing the onions before adding the remaining ingredients. For the best sweet and sour brisket, we want tang and depth and caramelizing the onions in dark brown sugar and vinegar develops the sweet and sour flavor.
The sweet shouldn’t be sugary, nor the sour lip-puckery, instead we’re seeking that deep umami flavor that keeps us coming back for more.
Why sweet and sour brisket?
I get all of the nostalgic holiday meal feels when I think brisket, and that for me means a tomato-based, sweet and sour sauce. I’ve enjoyed many brisket preparations over the years and while I’ve happily waited in those BBQ lines for hours in Austin, for me sweet and sour brisket is home.
That said, I eschew the ketchup or cola preparations that many sweet and sour brisket recipes call for in favor of a tomato/vinegar method. I use a tablespoon of tomato paste first, then tomato sauce for added richness.
The sweet is from the dark brown sugar (light brown sugar can be substituted in a pinch), the sour from apple cider vinegar and dijon. And soy sauce for the added umami punch!
Let’s make the Best Sweet and Sour Brisket
- Season the brisket generously and brown it well on all sides.
- Remove the meat to a plate and add the onions to the dutch oven.
- Once the onions begin to soften, stir in the garlic, dark brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- As the onions begin to caramelize (watch that they don’t burn), mix in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and dijon mustard.
- Add the stock and then nestle the brisket into the sauce. Spoon the sauce and onions over the brisket. Cover and cook in the oven for one and half hours.
- Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook one more hour.
- Uncover and turn the brisket over. Add the additional 1/2 cup stock and return to the oven to cook one more hour (uncovered).
- The brisket should be tender and flake easily when prodded with a fork. Remove the brisket to a cutting board, cover it and let it rest.
- Stir 1 Tbsp of parsley into the sauce and potatoes. Cover and keep warm over low heat on the stove.
- Once the brisket has rested, slice it against the grain and serve.
Tips for success
- This recipe is ideal for a 4 – 4 1/2 lb brisket. If you have a larger brisket the cooking time may be longer and you will probably need to use a roasting pan instead of a dutch oven.
- When browning the meat and caramelizing the onions be careful not to burn either as it will give a burnt taste to your finished dish. The sugar helps the onions to caramelize, but they can burn if your heat is too high and you don’t stir them often enough.
- Use large cuts of carrots and whole baby potatoes so they don’t become too mushy as they cook.
- If your sauce is getting too dry or thick as it cooks, add more stock.
- Be sure to use a good sharp knife to slice the brisket and always slice it AGAINST the grain.
Make Ahead
- Cook the brisket fully and remove it to a plate to rest. Spoon the sauce and potatoes into a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Slice the brisket, push the slices together, and place them tightly together in the baking dish. Cover the brisket with sauce.
- Wrap the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least an hour before re-heating.
- Preheat the oven to 300 and warm the brisket, still covered in foil, until warmed through, about an hour.
More Holiday Main Dishes
- Beef Wellington with Red Wine Sauce
- Filet Mignon with Balsamic Tomatoes
- Garlic and Herb Roast Turkey
- Boneless Roasted Leg of Lamb with Potatoes and Fennel
Tangy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, this is the BEST sweet and sour brisket! Perfect for your holiday table or any day of the week.
- 4 lbs beef brisket, fat cap no more than 1/4 inch
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, sliced into half moons
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 15 oz tomato sauce (1 can)
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock (divided)
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped (or fresh, young carrots peeled and left whole)
- 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes
- 2 Tbsp parsley, minced (divided)
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the brisket generously on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
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Heat the oil in a dutch oven over med/high heat (or a roasting pan if your brisket is too large to fit the dutch oven). Brown the brisket on both sides, about 3-4 mins per side and remove to a plate.
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Add the sliced onion directly to the pan (tossing well) and cook until it begins to soften and brown, about 4 mins.
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Add the garlic, dark brown sugar, and cider vinegar. Season with kosher salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and beginning to caramelize, about 5 mins more.
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Stir in the tomato paste, mustard, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir well.
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Add the 2 cups of the beef stock, stir, and return the brisket and any accumulated juices back to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Use a large spoon ot tongs to cover the brisket well with the onions and sauce. The brisket should be partially submerged.
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Cover tightly and place the dutch oven into the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
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Uncover, add the remaining 1/2 cup stock to the pan, and nestle the potatoes and carrots under and around the brisket. Spoon more sauce over the top of the meat. Cover and continue to cook one more hour.
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Remove the brisket from the oven, uncover, and flip the brisket over. Stir the potatoes and carrots around and spoon some sauce over the top of the meat.
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Return to the oven, uncovered, and continue to cook until brisket is very tender, about one more hour (it should flake easily when prodded with a fork). Add more stock if the sauce becomes too thick or begins to dry out.
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Remove from the oven and use tongs to place the brisket on a cutting board, fat-side up. Cover with foil and let it rest for 15 mins.
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Place the dutch oven on the stove over med/low heat. Spoon any excess fat off of the surface. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in 1 Tbsp minced parsely.
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After the meat has rested, slice the brisket into thin slices against the grain.
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Serve with the potatoes and carrots on the side and the sauce spooned over the top. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
- This recipe is ideal for a 4 – 4 1/2 lb brisket. If you have a larger brisket the cooking time may be longer and you will probably need to use a roasting pan instead of a dutch oven.
- When browning the meat and caramelizing the onions be careful not to burn either as it will give a burnt taste to your finished dish. The sugar helps the onions to caramelize, but they can burn if your heat is too high and you don’t stir them often enough.
- Use large cuts of carrots and whole baby potatoes so they don’t become too mushy as they cook.
- If your sauce is getting too dry or thick as it cooks, add more stock.
- Be sure to use a good sharp knife to slice the brisket and always slice it AGAINST the grain.
Make Ahead:
- Cook the brisket fully and remove it to a plate to rest. Spoon the sauce and potatoes into a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Slice the brisket, push the slices together, and place them tightly together in the baking dish. Cover the brisket with sauce.
- Wrap the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least an hour before re-heating.
- Preheat the oven to 300 and warm the brisket, still covered in foil, until warmed through, about an hour.
Mary Ellen says
I made this recently for a friend’s family and “doubled” for my family. Did side by side dutch ovens, briskets I found were on smaller side but so delicious – 4/5 in my house loved and the 1 that didn’t only eats Kraft mac&cheese LOL.
Cathy Roma says
Ha Mary Ellen! There’s always that one! So glad you guys enjoyed!
Cynthia says
This is one fabulous recipe for brisket! It was a big hit at my house. Thanks!
Cathy Roma says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed!