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Baked Corned Beef Brisket

Published: March 10, 2022 | Last Updated: March 16, 2022 | Lisa 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.

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Last Updated March 16th, 2022 at 09:03 pm by Lisa

An ad for baked corned beef brisket on a oval white platter sliced with sides.

Baked Corned Beef Brisket has a delicious spice crust and juicy fork-tender slices. You will crave this easy recipe every St. Patrick's Day!

This will be the best corned brisket you ever make. Pair it with classic sides like roasted cabbage, glazed carrots, rosemary baby gold potatoes, and horseradish cream sauce.

We usually make this dish one time of year. Let's make this a great dinner to enjoy all through the year, anytime...

Jump to:
  • How To Select A Traditional Cut?
  • What Is The Best Cut?
  • How To Make Corned Beef Brisket
  • Point Cut VS. Flat Cut - Which Is Better?
  • Why Is The Beef Pink?
  • Why Oven Bake Corned Beef Brisket?
  • When Is It Cooked?
  • How To Make Spice Packet?
  • Make It Ahead
  • Corned Beef FAQ
  • More St Patrick's Day Recipes
  • Baked Corned Beef Brisket Recipe

How To Select A Traditional Cut?

Let's be honest. Many people are not corned beef fans. Why? I think it's because we buy the wrong cuts of meat!

There are two different brisket cuts:

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  • flat cut
  • point cut

What Is The Best Cut?

At stores, you will see packages labeled corned beef brisket, but here is the deal, in my opinion, a flat cut is the only way to go.

PRO TIP: There are lots of recipes that say you can use either one. But I actually tested both cuts at the same time using this oven-baked recipe, and the choice was clear. THE FLAT CUT WINS hands down as the best cut, the best choice of brisket, and is the preferred cut for baking.

How To Make Corned Beef Brisket

  • 1 3-5 lb flat-cut corned beef brisket
  • 1 12 oz Guinness dark beer (or 16 ounce pint)
  • 1-2 cups water
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons pickling spice (beef seasoning)
  1. Make homemade pickling spice. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Unwrap the beef, and rinse under cool water to remove the extra salty brine taste. Pat dry. Discard spice packet if using homemade.
  4. Place the whole brisket in a large roasting pan or baking dish fat cap side up.
  5. Brush ¼ Dijon mustard on top of the beef, and sprinkle 3 tablespoons spice mix (or seasoning packet) over the entire brisket.
  6. Pour the dark stout beer around the meat (or swap in beef stock or beef broth). Add enough water so the cooking liquid comes up around to 1 inch high on the side of the meat.
  7. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes per pound or about 3 hours. Check a small piece and ensure it is fork-tender. Internal temperature should be 145 degrees farenheight. Discard the contents of the pan.
  8. Check at 1 ½ hours and add another cup of water to the roasting pan if getting low.
  9. Carefully move the cooked beef on a cutting board when cool enough to handle.
  10. Slice at a 90 degree angle against the grain of the meat (or perpendicular) into ¼ inch slices.
  11. Arrange the cooked beef on a warm platter with root vegetables like roasted cabbage steaks, glazed carrots, and roasted potatoes. And serve with horseradish cream sauce, butter, and a Guiness stout beer!
Long slices of corned beef brisket on a wood cutting board with a silver carving set.

Point Cut VS. Flat Cut - Which Is Better?

Corned beef comes from a less tender beef cut called the brisket. It is a tough cut of meat located in the chest muscle just above the front legs.

Therefore, these types of brisket require a long, braised moist cooking method. It can be cooked on top of the stove in a dutch oven, in a large pan in the oven, in a slow cooker, or pressure cooker instant pot on high pressure. But this recipe is a oven baked recipe and really only works with a flat cut brisket.

Point Cut: Has a pointed shape, you can see the meat fibers and lines of visible muscles. You will see a wideband or two of a fat layer on the surface area and top of the brisket. It has a higher fat content and more connective tissue which makes for a very chewy bite when baked. It might work better in a crock pot over a long cooking time, or cooked in an instant pot pressure cooker but I did not test those cooking methods.

  • $.20 less expensive per pound than flat cut
  • more fat marbling, fat cap all over
  • chewy and tough

Flat Cut: Typically, it's a pretty big piece of meat with a thick layer of fat on top of the brisket. It will generally be a rectangular shape, and quite thick.

  • so tender, shreds with a fork
  • less fat
  • easy to slice
  • better presentation

Why Is The Beef Pink?

Commerical corned beef starts out as beef brisket and is brine-cured. The salt brine solution is what makes it "corned". That curing process is where it gets its pink color from due to the sodium nitrite additive. It contributes to the sodium content but mainly functions as a preservative for processed meats.

Do not add any additional salt like pink salt, kosher salt, or table salt. The brine adds quite enough saltiness!

Why Oven Bake Corned Beef Brisket?

Most traditional recipes call for boiled corn beef and cabbage. But once you oven bake it, and pair it with some horseradish sauce, you will never boil again.

There are advantages to each different method. Some require many hours of cooking at a low simmer in a crock pot. Some recipes are done in the instant pot, but with that, you don't get the nice crust and the fat side doesn't cook down, and you have to cut it off.

  • Oven baking is the easiest way to cook this cut.
  • Baking reduces the fat layer, gives a nice exterior crust.
  • Baking packs in the beef flavor, and still keeps it tender as can be.
  • With just a little bit of time you can put together a dry rub mixture of whole pickling spices
  • The spices on on top of the meat add flavor and color.
  • Oven cooking is easy and the most delicious way to present the dish.
  • The next day I made a "New York style deli sandwich" complete with toasted bread, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and melted swiss cheese!! It was incredible.

When Is It Cooked?

The best way to know if your brisket is cooked is to slice off a small piece and make sure it is tender to chew. It may still be pink in color after cooking, due to nitrite in the curing process.

Allow the brisket to stand for about 20 minutes after removing it from the heat. This makes it easier to slice, and it is best sliced across the grain of the meat.

The cooking times in this recipe are based on beef that is not frozen at the time of cooking.

Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a meat thermometer before removing meat from the oven.

How To Make Spice Packet?


The best way to get amazing flavor in your homemade corned beef recipe is to make your own pickling spice blend. It is worth the time and takes just minutes.

This seasoning packet recipe will take the place of the one that comes in a typical corned beef cut of meat. Toss out those dull little packets, and make your own spice recipe!

You will need 2-3 tablespoons for a 3-4 lb brisket. The packets that come with the meat can wildly vary in size from 1 tablespoon to 4, and might not be as fresh as what home cooks can put together.

Pickling Spice (seasoning mix ingredients)
1 tablespoon coriander seed
½ cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 dry bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (pink, white, or mixed whole peppercorns all work!)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

Mix in a small bowl. It will store at room temperature in small glass jar or airtight container for 3-4 months.

Optional Variations & Additions
2 star anise, 8 whole cloves, 4 juniper berries, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
or 2 cardamon pods.

Homemade Pickling Spice is an excellent general seasoning. They can also be used in Pickled Eggs, and to make Quick Dill Pickles. This spice mix not only adds characteristic flavor to pickles, but also adds complex flavor to braised stews, beans, and rice dishes.

For meat stews, you can tie the pickling spices into a piece of cheesecloth tied with a long piece of butcher string and braise in the pot or slow cooker until the meat is deliciously tender.

A small white ceramic bowl of homemade pickling spice mix.

Make It Ahead

Cook in advance, and chill the day before serving. Chilled beef is easier to cut into nice slices and reheat in smaller portions for dinner.

It also allows you to easily prepare thin deli meat slices for use in on Reuben sandwiches with rye bread!

Two cooked cuts of corned beef brisket on a cutting board with silver carving set.

Corned Beef FAQ

How do I store leftover corned beef?

Any leftover corned beef from a meal should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Place it sliced and well wrapped in plastic wrap or a sealed container.

Use cooked-ahead or leftovers within 3 to 4 days for food safety. Reheat leftovers to 165 °F internal temperature of the meat as measured with a meat thermometer.

What can I make with leftover corned beef?

Well, there are so many things! Start the day with a homemade corned beef hash for breakfast, for lunch make sandwiches, and dinner whip up a low carb keto dinner. It is great on roasted potato nachos with melted cheddar.

The next day put together a deli-style Reuben sandwich on toasted bread with melted swiss, and for dinner bake up a cheesy casserole of Reuben mac and cheese. Roll up some crispy egg rolls with diced brisket and sauerkraut.

Bake a pan of corned beef and cabbage sliders with swiss cheese. Top hot baked potatoes with diced meat, melted cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, and 1,000 island dressing.


What is "corned" beef?



The term “corned” comes from meat preservation. Before refrigeration, in Anglo-Saxon times, meat was dry-cured in coarse salt "corns" as they were called because they were the size of a kernel of corn and were referred to as “corns of salt”. The term corned has been in the Oxford English Dictionary as early as 888 AD.

Beef cuts were put in a stoneware crock, and covered with rock salt. It was rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and in order to preserve it longer.

Today the technique of brining involves the use of saltwater. Meat companies no longer use a dry salt cure method, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef.

Where does corned beef come from?


Both the English and Irish have served up corned beef for centuries. Around the area of Cork, Ireland on the Irish coast, they were great producers of this popular meal from the 1600s up until 1825.


Through numerous wars, including World War I, and World War II, fresh meat was rationed. Conveniently canned, it could be easily shipped worldwide.

Today, it remains popular as an ingredient in a variety of regional dishes and as a common part of modern field rations of various armed forces around the world.

What is the best beer to cook corned beef in?


The best beer to braise or bake corned beef is a good Irish stout. Use one just as good as they serve in Irish pubs, go for a Guinness, a Black Rock, or O'Hara.

Pour the stout around a good brisket like a flat cut corned beef in a roasting pan, and braise in a slow cooking method for 45 minutes to 1 hour per pound. You will have the best brisket to serve for dinner or on Reuben sandwiches.

GUINNESS IS the world's most popular Irish stout
Black Rock Irish Stout
O'Hara's Irish Stout
Porterhouse Oyster Stout
Murphy's Irish Stout
Beamish Irish Stout

More St Patrick's Day Recipes

Serve some lucky Green Cocktails, or cheeky Jello Shots & Jigglers. End the day with a delicious Irish Coffee complete with sprinkles and real edible gold flakes.

Pair your cooked brisket on St. Paddy's day with a Cabbage Recipe, and some root vegetables like Glazed Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Rosemary, or Red Potatoes. Cheddar Irish Bread or Brown Soda Bread would be amazing too! Happy St. Patrick's Day.... 🍀🍀🍀

  • Roasted Cabbage Steaks
  • Green Jello Shots & Jigglers
  • Tipsy Leprechaun Green Cocktails
  • Irish Coffee
  • Green Smoothie Recipe
  • Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
  • Green Goddess Dressing
  • Smashed Potatoes

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A white platter with sliced corned beef brisket with silver carving set and sauce.
Print Pin Recipe

Baked Corned Beef Brisket Recipe

Baked Corned Beef Brisket has a delicious spice crust and juicy fork-tender slices. You will crave this easy recipe every St. Patrick's Day!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 314kcal
Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Roasting Pan
Mini Basting Brush

Ingredients

  • 1 3-5 lb flat-cut corned beef brisket
  • 1 12 oz Guinness dark beer (or 16 ounce pint)
  • 1-2 cups water
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons corned beef spices (pickling spices)

Instructions

  • Make homemade pickling spice. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Unwrap the beef brisket, and rinse under cool water to remove the extra salty brine taste. Pat dry. Discard spice packet if using homemade.
  • Place the whole brisket in a large roasting pan or baking dish fat cap side up.
  • Brush ¼ Dijon mustard on top of the corned beef, and sprinkle 3 tablespoons spices (or seasoning packet) over the entire brisket.
  • Pour the dark stout beer around the beef (or swap in beef stock or beef broth). Add enough water so the cooking liquid comes up around to 1 inch high on the side of the meat.
  • Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes per pound or about 3 hours. Check a small piece and ensure it is fork-tender. Internal temperature should be 145 degrees farenheight. Discard the contents of the pan.
  • Check at 1 ½ hours and add another cup of water to the roasting pan if getting low.
  • Carefully move the cooked brisket on a cutting board when cool enough to handle.
  • Slice at a 90 degree angle against the grain of the meat (or perpendicular) into ¼ inch slices.
  • Arrange the corned beef on a warm platter with root vegetables like roasted cabbage steaks, glazed carrots, and roasted potatoes. And serve with horseradish cream sauce, butter, and a Guiness stout beer!

Notes

How To Tell If The Beef Is Cooked?

Corned beef may still be pink in color after cooking, due to nitrite in the curing process. The best way to know if your brisket is cooked is to slice off a small piece and make sure it is tender to chew.
Allow the brisket to stand for about 20 minutes after removing it from the heat. This makes it easier to slice, and it is best sliced across the grain of the meat.

Top Cooking Tips

  • Do not add any additional salt like pink salt, kosher salt, or table salt. The brine adds quite enough saltiness!
  • The cooking times in this recipe are based on beef that is not frozen at the time of cooking.
  • Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a meat thermometer before removing meat from the oven.

 

Make It Ahead

Cook in advance, and chill the day before serving. Chilled beef is easier to cut into nice slices and reheat in smaller portions for dinner.
It also allows you to easily prepare thin deli meat slices for use on Reuben sandwiches with rye bread, thousand island dressing, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. 
 

Corned Brisket Seasoning Mix 

1 tablespoon coriander seed
½ cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 dry bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (pink, white, or mixed whole peppercorns all work!)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
Mix in a small bowl. It will store at room temperature in a small glass jar or airtight container for 3-4 months.

Optional Variations & Additions

2 star anise, 8 whole cloves, 4 juniper berries, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 cardamon pods.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1900mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com
23 shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Seanna Borrows says

    March 11, 2022 at 8:07 am

    5 stars
    This is the recipe I've been looking for. It's so delicious.

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    March 11, 2022 at 7:36 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic. I love the spice crusty and the sauce. So yummy!!!!

    Reply
  3. Jane Morris says

    March 10, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    5 stars
    We are in love with baking corned beef now, thank you Lisa for a winner! And the horseradish cream sauce is so good. Thank you.

    Reply

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