This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Great recipe, the brisket looks good 👍 Gonna try it this weekend
Do you think this would freeze well?
yes it freezes very well!
Do you recommend cooking it fully first and then freezing? Or freezing everything together after browning the meat? I’m trying to prep a bunch meals ahead of foot surgery and my 4 year old inhaled this so it’s at the top of my priority list 😆.
Hi! I would cook it fully, then freeze!
Made this tonight with cauli mash + shiitakes. Whole fam devoured. Your recipes never disappoint! Thank you!
This is the first flavorful roast that easily falls apart for me! It’s so good and so easy! Great for feeding a good amount of people with minimal work
So glad to hear it! It is one of my absolute favorites as well. Thanks for commenting!
This is the only roast recipe I will ever use again! I couldn’t find a brisket that was smaller than 8 lbs (and we’re a family of 2), so I subbed a chuck roast and it was amazing!! Served over polenta the first time and as more of a “ragu” with gnocchi for dinner the next night. Highly recommend the gnocchi option. My husband said it was his favorite thing I’ve ever made!
Delicious! Thanks for the review!
I made this for my husband’s work team for a Christmas dinner. Was a BIG hit and so easy! Instead of risotto, I served it over jalapeño cheese grits. So delicious! Thanks for making me look good! New fan!
Fabulous!! thank you so much for the review and comment!
I made this last Christmas and it was PERFECT. I would like to try it this year again but want to attempt a lower/slower cook time overnight. What temperature and time do you recommend? Thank you!!
ohhhh lovely! I have actually cooked it lower and slower before– at 275 and it took closer to 7-8 hours if I remember correctly
Thank you!!
I had to triple this recipe and the Creamy Mushroom Risotto for a large dinner party this evening. I ended up using my Nesco electric roaster pan to fit it all in, and it worked amazing. The cook time was about 5.5 hrs, I think because I made so much. But it turned out the same as when I made a smaller batch in my dutch oven. Everyone loved it and thought I had it catered. Thank you!
So glad this worked out — lucky guests! Thanks for commenting.
Hi Alex! I accidentally bought a red wine instead of white. Do you think it will still work out? Maybe add less red since it’s stronger in flavor?
This will still be tasty! It will be a bit richer since the white wine is a little brighter, but still delicious.
If we’re serving fewer people and cooking a smaller brisket (about 2.5 lbs instead of 4-4.5), would you recommend halving the vegetables/sauce also or would the flavor still it work well with “extra” sauce if we went with original measurements besides the beef?
Yes, I think if you half it all it should work well– I worry the sauce won’t thicken if you keep the ratios the same and half the amount of the brisket.
Would the cook time still be the same? 🙂
If closer to 2.5 pounds, it may be done after 2.5-3 hours; I would check it around hour 2 to see how tender it is and continue cooking as needed.