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Braised Brisket in Red Wine & Honey

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5 from 9 votes

When I think of the ultimate comfort meal, my mind immediately goes to brisket. In this braised brisket in red wine and honey recipe, I'm teaching you my secret to getting the best jiggly and juicy brisket. This is not just a staple for Passover and Rosh Hashanah, but a great dish all year round.

Sliced brisket on a serving plate with chopped vegetables.

For a brisket recipe that can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot, try my beloved slow cooker Passover brisket.

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🌟 Why You’ll Love This Braised Brisket

  • Low and slow cooking method: Cooking the meat in the braising liquid slowly over a low temperature breaks down the meat, removing toughness and resulting in a tender, juicy brisket.
  • Every step is designed for maximum juice flavor: Finishing a braised brisket in the oven helps maintain the proper temperature to keep the liquid from boiling and drying out the meat. We also sear the outer layer of the brisket to seal in the juices during the cooking process.
  • Sweet and acidic flavors are balanced perfectly: The sweet, sticky honey and the acidic red wine partner to create deeply flavorful meat. Along with the spice mix in the braising liquid, the final result will knock your socks off!

🥩 Lean or Fatty Brisket?

This recipe removes the hard brisket fat and deliberately leaves the soft fat to keep the meat juicy during the cooking process.

If you're looking for a leaner brisket, make it the day before you intend to eat it, allow it to cool, and then put it in the refrigerator. This step helps the excess fat float to the surface, so it's easier to skim off and remove. Then you can easily reheat it in the oven or slow cooker and enjoy a less fatty brisket.

🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe

Brisket and other ingredients to braise it on a countertop.
  • Beef Brisket - You can use a brisket anywhere from 3.5 to 5.5 pounds without changing any other ingredients in this recipe. Grass-finished brisket is naturally leaner and will yield a less juicy final result. Wagyu brisket does just the opposite but you certainly don't need Wagyu for this recipe to be delicious.
  • Fennel - Use fresh fennel, washed.
  • Celery - Use fresh celery, washed to remove any debris or sand.
  • Onion – Use a whole white onion. Yellow and Vidalia are good substitutes.
  • Garlic and ginger - Use fresh versions of these, not dried.
  • Beef bouillon - You can use either bouillon or stock concentrate.
  • Cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, star anise - These all impart flavor while the beef is braising, then are removed at the end.
  • Chili - I like to use dried chilis from my pantry for this recipe like adobo, ancho, Thai, or cayenne. You can also use fresh chilis like jalapeño or serrano to add that little kick.
  • Honey - Use unflavored, plain honey. Raw honey or regular bottled honey both work well.
  • Red wine - I always recommend using a dry, red wine that you like to drink, rather than a sugary wine. No need to break the bank with an expensive wine, a cheap wine will still yield a rich sauce.
  • Orange juice - I recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice to avoid the sauce being overly sweet or include added ingredients from store-bought juices.
  • Vegetable oil - You can substitute with another flavorless oil like canola but don't use a flavored oil like olive oil.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Searing meat in a white dutch oven pot.
  • First, preheat the oven to 325F. Season the brisket with 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of pepper on both sides. Note: If you use kosher brisket, use 1 instead of 2 tablespoons of salt.
  • Next, heat ¼ cup of the flavorless oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket on both sides until brown in color, then set it aside.
Chopped vegetables and dried chilis cooking in red wine in a white pot.
  • In the same pan, add the diced onions, fennel, and celery to the oil that is left in the pan. Cook the vegetables until brown, then add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for about one minute until aromatic.
  • Next, add in the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, then add in the orange juice, honey, red wine, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise, and dried or fresh chilis.
  • Simmer the whole mixture until the alcohol from the wine has burned off.

🥩 Don't Overcook that Meat 🥩

Do not cook your brisket for too long on each side or it will dry out and won't be able to reach that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Just cook until brown to seal in the juices.

Brisket resting on a sheet pan.
  • Next, you will return your brisket to the pan. Remember that the brisket needs to be completely covered by the cooking liquid so add in the beef bouillon with some water or beef broth until it is completely covered.
  • Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and roast the brisket for about 3 hours until it's fork tender. Exactly how long this takes depends on the size of brisket you use. Cooking Times: Brisket takes about 30-60 minutes per pound. Check your 3-pound brisket after 2.5 hours, 4-pound brisket after 3 hours, and 5-pound brisket after 3.5 hours.
Sliced brisket on a serving plate with chopped vegetables.
  • Skim the excess fat sitting on the surface of the braising liquid. Remove the meat from the braising liquid and place it on a cutting board. Let the meat rest for a minimum of 15 minutes.
  • Strain the vegetables from the braising liquid, then simmer the braising liquid on the stovetop over medium heat until it has been reduced to about half the amount. Finally, Gently slice your braised brisket across the grain of the meat. Top with the chopped vegetables and a few ladles of the reduced braising sauce.

🏆 Tips for The Best Braised Brisket

  • Let the cooked brisket rest: This crucial step makes the meat tender and juicy, as it allows the juice and connective tissue to cool down and solidify. If you cut it right away all the tasty juice will run out of the meat and be wasted.
  • Always cut against the grain to serve: Cutting against the grain allows the meat to flake apart easily when you bite into it. Brisket meat is made of very strong muscle fibers. You can see the line of grain running through the piece of meat, and if you cut a long them, each piece of brisket will be hard to bite and pull apart.
Sliced brisket on a white oval serving plate.

🥗 What to Eat with This Braised Brisket

I love to pair brisket with a few vegetable sides and a great rice dish. These options will help round out any Jewish feast from Passover to Rosh Hashanah to Shabbat dinners!

🍽 More Comforting Jewish Recipes

Are you looking for more delicious Jewish recipes that hit the spot? Feast your eyes on these incredible options!

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Sliced brisket on a serving plate with chopped vegetables.
Print Recipe Save
5 from 9 votes

Red Wine and Honey Braised Brisket

A tender and juicy brisket braised in red wine and honey. Not just a Passover and Rosh Hashanah staple, but great for all year round!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Jewish
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 8
Calories: 711kcal
Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

  • 3.5 lb. beef brisket hard fat trimmed off, can use up to 5.5 lbs.*
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt see note**
  • 1 large onion cut in large dice
  • 2 heads fennel cut into large dice
  • 3 large celery stalks cut into large dice
  • 8 cloves garlic chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 lb. honey 1.5 cups
  • 1 bottle Red wine
  • 1 unsalted beef bouillon dissolved in water if needed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 1 dried ancho pepper or Thai chili, or use one fresh jalapeño or serrano for a kick

Instructions

  • Preheat to 325F.
  • Salt and pepper both sides of the brisket.
  • Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pan over medium-high.
  • Sear brisket on both sides until brown. Set brisket aside. 
  • In the same pan add the onions, fennel and celery. Brown the vegetables, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for ~1 minute.
  • Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves, then add orange juice, honey, red wine, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise and chili.
  • Allow the alcohol from the red wine to burn off. Return the brisket to the pan. The brisket needs to be covered by liquid, so add unsalted beef stock (or bouillon dissolved in water) until covered. 
  • Cover and roast for about 3 hours*** until the brisket is fork tender. (Depends on the size of the brisket.)
  • Skim the excess fat sitting on the surface of the braising liquid. Remove the brisket from the braising liquid and place it on a cutting board. Let the brisket rest for a minimum of 15 minutes.
  • Strain the vegetables from the braising liquid.
  • Simmer the braising liquid on the stovetop over medium heat until it has been reduced to about half the amount.
  • Gently slice the brisket across the grain of the meat and cover it with the reduced brazing sauce.
  • Top with the chopped vegetables and a few ladles of the sauce, and enjoy your tender and fresh brisket!

Video

Notes

* You can use anywhere from 3.5-5.5 lbs. of brisket in this recipe without changing the other quantities of ingredients.
** Use half the amount of salt if using kosher brisket.
*** Brisket takes about 30-60 minutes per pound. Check your 3-pound brisket after 2.5 hours, 4-pound brisket after 3 hours, and 5-pound brisket after 3.5 hours.
Making this in advance? Refrigerate the brisket overnight. The next day, remove the excess fat from the liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 711kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 1942mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 77g | Vitamin A: 286IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg
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