Juicy and Tender, this slow cooked Braised Brisket is a holiday favorite in our home, especially since it can be made ahead for easy reheating. This amazing Brisket recipe uses dried fruits for natural sweetness which combines perfectly with the aromatics and warm spices. This braising and basting recipe ensures a tender and extremely flavorful brisket every time!
We love this Moroccan style beef brisket, as the natural sweetness and flavors the dried fruits provide is found in many Moroccan dishes. And as a bonus, any leftovers make terrific sandwiches!
Why This Recipe Works?
- Juicy, tender, flavorful and delicious.
- Uses natural sweetness of dried fruits.
- Perfect for holidays or year round.
- Simple visual and step by step directions to follow.
- Kid Friendly.
- Make ahead and freezer friendly meal.
- The Best Brisket Recipe ever!!!
Main Ingredients
This recipe uses super easy ingredients that can be purchased from a local grocery store if they are not already in your kitchen. Read the Recipe Card for the measurements.
- Beef Brisket – The typical way to purchase beef brisket is with the fat still intact. We find this to be the best way to cook the brisket as it adds to the flavor. Once the brisket has cooked and cooled, it is easy to remove most of this fat.
- Onions / Carrots / Garlic / Ginger – aromatics that enhance the flavor.
- Spices – Cumin, coriander and cinnamon are warm spices that are typical in Moroccan cuisine.
- Red Wine – Is used for an acidic component and adding a deep, rich flavor to the beef.
- Dried Fruit – Adds natural sweetness and tartness along with a depth of flavor.
How To Make Moroccan Style Tender Braised Brisket
Step 1: Prep It
- Bring the brisket to room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
- Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 300 degrees F.
- Gather the rest of your ingredients.
Step 2: Sear It
- Generously season the brisket on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pan, over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add the brisket to the pan and sear on all sides until brown, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Once done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan, add chopped onions and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add carrots, garlic cloves, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, black and cayenne peppers; sauté for 3 minutes.
Step 3: Deglaze It
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Continue cooking over medium heat to reduce the wine to a glaze, about 5 minutes.
- Return brisket to the pot.
- Add the beef stock and half of the apricot, raisins, prunes and cranberries.
- Bring to a simmer, spooning some of the vegetable mixture over the brisket.
Step 4: Braise It
- Cover the pot and place in the preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices.
- Add the remaining dried fruits to the pot, cover and continue braising until the brisket is tender; about 30 minutes.
Step 5: Cool It
- Remove the pan from the oven and uncover, allowing the brisket to cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Cover and refrigerate, for a few hours or overnight, allowing the fat solids to form on top.
- Scoop off the fat that has formed on top of the gravy and discard.
Step 6: Carve It
- Remove the brisket from the pot, scraping off any dried fruits or vegetables back into the pot.
- Turn the brisket, fatty side up and remove as much or as little of the fat trimmings as you would like.
- Turn over and thinly slice the brisket against the grain (an electric knife works best).
- Return the carved brisket to the pan with the gravy.
- Cover the pan and rewarm in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- If making ahead (can be made up to 2 days ahead): After carving, add the thinly sliced brisket back to pot and spoon over with the cooled gravy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Rewarm the covered brisket and gravy in the pot or oven proof dish in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
This braised beef brisket goes perfect with garlic mashed potatoes!
Moroccan Style Tender Braised Brisket
Yield:
12-16 servings
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
3 hours
Additional Time:
1 hour
Total Time:
4 hours 30 minutes
Juicy and Tender, this slow cooked Braised Brisket is a holiday favorite in our home, especially since it can be made ahead for easy reheating. This amazing Brisket recipe uses dried fruits for natural sweetness which combines perfectly with the aromatics and warm spices.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 - 5 lbs beef brisket
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups chopped onion, (5 medium sized)
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 9 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2/3 cup dried apricot, about 14
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup prunes, about 7
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 3 cups beef stock, low sodium
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Bring the brisket to room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
- Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 300 degrees F. Gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Generously season the brisket on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pan, over medium high heat. Once hot, add the brisket to the pan and sear on all sides until brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Once done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan, add chopped onions and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, garlic cloves, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, black and cayenne peppers; sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Continue cooking over medium heat to reduce the wine to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Return brisket to the pot. Add the beef stock and half of the apricot, raisins, prunes and cranberries. Bring to a simmer, spooning some of the vegetable mixture over the brisket.
- Cover the pot and place in the preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. Add the remaining dried fruits to the pot, cover and continue braising until the brisket is tender; about 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and uncover, allowing the brisket to cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Cover and refrigerate, for a few hours or overnight, allowing the fat solids to form on top. Scoop off the fat that has formed on top of the gravy and discard.
- Remove the brisket from the pot, scraping off any dried fruits or vegetables back into the pot. Turn the brisket, fatty side up and remove as much or as little of the fat trimmings as you would like. Turn over and thinly slice the brisket against the grain (an electric knife works best). Return the carved brisket to the pan with the gravy.
- Cover the pan and rewarm in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- If making ahead (can be made up to 2 days ahead): After carving, add the thinly sliced brisket back to pot and spoon over with the cooled gravy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Rewarm the covered brisket and gravy in the pot or oven proof dish in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.