Beef Brisket with Carrots and Apricots

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This roast is wonderful any time of the year, but it’s also a spectacular star dish of a Hanukkah feast!

We love this recipe so much. The onions caramelize as they slow cook with the brisket and create the most amazing sauce. The brisket can even be made up to 12 hours in advance and re-heated in the oven. Wonderful served with Latke pancakes and fried lemon cauliflower!

A sliced beef brisket on a large platter with a patterned napkin next to it.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF BRISKET WITH CARROTS AND APRICOTS

This amazing dish is not difficult to make in your own kitchen.

You’ll need to allow enough to time to prep the veggies, sear the roast, and then slow cook to perfection!

Watch us show you how to make this show-stopper main coarse!

 

BRAISE THE ROAST TO TENDER-PERFECTION

Braising is a technique that starts with searing the roast to lock in flavors and help create a shield for ensuring the roast is tender and juicy on the inside.

Then, the roast is submerged in liquid and slow cooked until tender and fully cooked.

This is a recipe from William Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking and though we’ve tweaked it a little, we just think it’s such a great recipe, we make it all the time!

beef brisket with carrots and apricots recipe

Slow cooking, or braising, is the way to turn this somewhat ‘tough’ cut of meat into the most tender, melt-in-your mouth dish.

We love the caramelized onions and the carrots and apricots are the perfect compliment to the incredible meat and sauce.

beef brisket with carrots and apricots recipe

Serve this brisket for a special occasion and your loved ones will be so happy. Everything about it spells comfort, love and joy. Seriously, it’s that good. We just LOVE this Beef Brisket with Carrots and Apricots recipe, and so will you!

beef brisket with carrots and apricots recipe

Now, go forth and make this amazing dish!

A sliced beef brisket on a large platter with a patterned napkin next to it.

Beef Brisket with Carrots and Apricots

This is amazing.
4 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Holiday
Keyword: Brisket
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 338kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 3 lb beef brisket
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 medium yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 bay leave
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 cup dried apricots
  • 2 lbs carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

Instructions

  • Trim away most of the excess fat from the surface of the brisket.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
  • Rub the spice mixture all over the meat.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Once hot, add the brisket, fat side down, and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, 5 minutes per side.
  • Remove from the Dutch oven and set aside.
  • Add the onions to the Dutch oven and saute over medium-high heat until the they start to brown, 6 - 8 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and saute for about 1 minute.
  • Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bit on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the stock and ketchup and bring to a boil.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
  • Nestle the brisket, fat side up, in the Dutch oven and spoon some of the onion mixture over the meat.
  • Add the bay leaves and sprinkle in the thyme.
  • Cover and cook for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the apricots, carrots, orange juice, and brown sugar, tossing to coat the apricots and carrots.
  • Remove the Dutch oven and push the apricots and carrots into the cooking liquid around the brisket and drizzle the juice-sugar mixture over them.
  • Cover and cook until the brisket it tender, 2 hours longer.
  • Transfer the brisket to a carving board.
  • Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • Use a large spoon to skim as skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid.
  • Using a large, sharp knife, cut the brisket across the grain into slice, 1/4-1/2-inch thick.
  • Arrange the slices on a platter and took with the juices and the apricots and carrots.
  • Serve at once and ENJOY!

Notes

There a two different cuts of beef brisket, the first cut (or 'flat' cut) and the 2nd cut.  The first cut is leaner and contains less fat.  It slices beautifully.  The 2nd cut, obviously, with more fat, will provide a flavorful sauce, as the roast slow cooks.  We opt for the 1st cut, but lots of generations of home cooks have gone with the 2nd cut.  Either one delivers amazing taste.  As always, have your butcher trim away excess fat on the roast. 

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 553mg | Potassium: 1305mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 27696IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg
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POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in December 2017 was recipe was tweaked with new photography and fabulous new video in December 2019!

10 Comments

  • 4 stars
    Overall I enjoyed this recipe. It is easy to make; just requires that you sort of hang around the kitchen for several hours. Next time I will cut back on the apricots – maybe just throw in a cup instead of two cups…just personal preference. I did find the sauce the be overly sweet, which is saying something. I am not one of these people who complain about desserts having too much sugar 🙂 Many a savory recipe can be improved by adding sugar. Between the ketchup, orange juice and 3/4 c. brown sugar plus the apricots it was just too sweet. I may try subbing half the ketchup for a vinegary barbecue sauce next time and cutting back on the brown sugar.

    • Hi Karly! This brisket is one of my favorites. I just had a brisket sandwich, and it’s to die for! We LOVE your blog, btw! Beautiful and so drool-worthy!! xoxo Kris & Wesley

  • I’ve just acquired an instant pot and have watched you demonstrating this equipment.

    Could this be cooked using the instant pot?

    • Hi Lydia,

      It certainly can be made in the Instant Pot and I have done a brisket in the IP. This is a tried and true recipe that I have loved for years, and there is something special about the slow braising in the oven, for this particular dish. But for IP, you could start by caramelizing the onions on Sauce, along with the garlic, wine and stock and aromatics. And then pressure cook the brisket for 45 minutes. You’ll get a delicious brisket, and you probably know, I am a HUGE fan of the IP, but so far, for a brisket, we like the slow braising oven method best. But, go for it, and let us know!! Hopefully you’ve been seeing my other IP recipes. I test and tweak all of the recipes and only post the ones that we really think are super delicious. Lots more to come. Stay in touch! Best, Kris (& Wesley)

    • Thanks, Donald!! Bit of a technical glitch. But we think it’s fixed now. Good food and technology don’t always mix!! Please let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley

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