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This Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket is the perfect main course when entertaining! While the cook time may be long, the preparation is simple and it turns out delicious every time. It also feeds a very large amount of people and it is a total crowd pleaser.
I once made this recipe for a group dinner that I was catering (something I don’t normally do, for the record…it was for a charity auction). When I made it the first time, I actually cooked it at an even lower temperature overnight and it was outstanding! I knew it would make most people a little nervous to cook the meat overnight (I myself was a little worried and woke up a few times to check on the brisket, ha), but I knew I just had to recreate the same recipe to share with you all to make this holiday season. With this cooking method, the brisket cooks in about four hours, but it is still fall-apart tender and absolutely delicious!
The ‘bottle of wine’ aspect might make you a little skeptical, but it adds such a lovely flavor to the brisket. Most of the alcohol cooks off during the cooking process, so it should be safe enough for the whole family to eat. [source: Food Network] Plus, the white wine adds brightness and acidity to the dish, which I find brings out all of the lovely flavors of the brisket, herbs, and vegetables.
If you are really trying to serve a five-star restaurant quality dinner, try serving this Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket with my Mushroom Risotto. The creamy, starchy base topped with the rich, flavorful braised beef is a force to be reckoned with. Serve it with this lovely butter lettuce salad for a memorable holiday dinner!
ingredients:
- Flat-Cut Brisket
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- All-Purpose Flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Yellow Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic Cloves
- Tomato Paste
- Whole Grain Mustard
- White Wine
- Beef or Chicken Broth
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
- Bay Leaves
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
step two: prep the brisket
Cut the brisket in half crosswise. Season the beef evenly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and, using your hands, rub the seasoning into the meat evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and rub into the meat so that it evenly coats the beef on all sides.
step three: sear the brisket
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, sear the beef, working in batches, until it is evenly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside.
step four: add the veggies
Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the veggies are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
step five: build the braising liquid
Add the tomato paste and mustard and stir to combine. While stirring, slowly pour in the white wine until well combined. Add the broth and stir to combine.
step six: add the herbs
Nestle the browned brisket into the sauce. Using some kitchen twine, make a small bouquet of the rosemary and thyme by tying a little bow around sprigs. Add the herb bundle and bay leaves to the pot.
step seven: cover and bake
Cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Bake until the brisket is fork tender, about 4 hours.
step eight: shred the brisket and serve
Transfer the cooked brisket to a large sheet pan and use two forks to shred the brisket. Discard the bay leaves and the herb bouquet. Using a spoon, remove any excess fat that has accumulated at the top of the sauce. Place the shredded beef back into the pot and toss with the remaining sauce. Serve and enjoy!
You can easily swap the all-purpose flour for cassava flour or your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour to coat the brisket before searing!
While I think the best version of this dish happens in the oven, you can use your slow-cooker or Crockpot. My recommendation is cooking it on low for about eight hours until the meat is shreddable. Once it’s done cooking, you may want to transfer the sauce to a pot on the stovetop and reduce it so that it thickens a bit (you can do this while you shred the meat!).
I hope y’all give this Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket a try this holiday season. Comment below and let me know what you think!
want more holiday mains like this one? try these!
Thyme Crusted Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre
Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket
Ingredients
- 4 to 4.5 pounds flat-cut brisket
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups diced yellow onion (from 1-2 large onions)
- 1 cup diced celery (from about 2 stalks)
- 3/4 cup diced carrot (from about 1 large carrot)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 (750 ml) bottle dry white wine, such as chardonnay
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 fresh rosemary
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Cut the brisket in half crosswise. Season the beef evenly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and, using your hands, rub the seasoning into the meat evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and rub into the meat so that it evenly coats the beef on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, sear the beef, working in batches, until it is evenly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the veggies are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and mustard and stir to combine. While stirring, slowly pour in the white wine until well combined. Add the broth and stir to combine.
- Nestle the browned brisket into the sauce. Using some kitchen twine, make a small bouquet of the rosemary and thyme by tying a little bow around sprigs. Add the herb bundle and bay leaves to the pot.
- Cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Bake until the brisket is fork tender, about 4 hours.
- Transfer the cooked brisket to a large sheet pan and use two forks to shred the brisket. Discard the bay leaves and the herb bouquet. Using a spoon, remove any excess fat that has accumulated at the top of the sauce. Place the shredded beef back into the pot and toss with the remaining sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
I made this tonight for Christmas dinner and it was beyond insane how good it was. People commented on how good the house smelled and were blown away by the taste. You knocked this one out of the park. Well done!
We made this for Christmas Eve dinner last night. It was absolutely fabulous! Thank you!
If you cut it crosswise one piece will have fat and the other won’t? correct?
no, just cut it in half.The crosswise thing may be confusing.
Recipe looks great. Any reason it wouldn’t work just as well if I add some more vegetables, like peas, lima beans and potatoes?
I think the veggies you mentioned particularly might get a little mushy personally. I like to think of this braised brisket just as a good braised meat that you can serve on top of or alongside pretty much anything. Those would make great sides to the dish
Does enough alcohol cook out of this to serve to children?
I am not certain on how much alcohol truly cooks off or how to evaluate that in my kitchen; however, if you see the link I provided in my post it has some good information on this. While I do feed this to my kids, I recommend every individual looking into this topic more if you are concerned to make your own informed decision.
This looks delicious! Do you think anything could sub for the wine? I don’t drink so also don’t cook with wine, curious if maybe a broth or something else would work or if that would entirely change the flavor
yes! sub 3 cups more of broth + 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Maybe try a non-alcoholic wine to preserve the flavor of the recipe without the consumption of any trace alcohol left after cooking.
This brisket was so good. Extremely tender even our picky kids ate it. It was also very easy and the house smelled amazing all day. I made it with the mushroom risotto which makes it even better. Can’t wait to cook this for a crowd
Hi Alex! Love your recipes! I’m making this today. Can I let it cook longer than 4 hours? I’ve got all day.’
If you lower the heat, you could go 5-6 hours (275)
Another amazing recipe! Made this for my dad, who’s the pickiest eater ever, and he got seconds! So excited to make this again
Made for Christmas and it turned out wonderful! Thank you!!
Amazing!!! So happy to hear that.
Are there any changes to this recipe if we only have a crock pot? Do I need to sear it first before putting it in the crock pot? Thank you so much!
Yes, definitely sear it first and saute the veggies. Then place it all in the crockpot with the wine, broth, herbs…. cook on low for 8 hrs.
You will still sear beforehand, saute the vegetables and make the sauce then add all to the crockpot. I would cook on low for about 8 hours!
Preparing today in the crock pot don’t have 8 hours hoping it goes well!! ❤️
Hi Alex! I am making this tonight and can’t wait. Curious why you suggest to use a white wine vs. red wine? I usually see red wines with red meat.
The white wine adds more brightness and acidity to the dish. Red wine is often used, but I love how the white wine keeps the dish a little lighter. Enjoy!!