Granny’s Christmas Brisket
(Slow. Sweet. Tender. Slightly passive-aggressive.)
Ingredients:
The Meat of It All:
1 whole beef brisket – 4 to 5 lbs (first cut or flat cut is easier to handle, but if you want full-on meat chaos, go for the whole packer)
Salt + pepper – plenty. Granny seasoned like she was settling scores.
1 tablespoon garlic powder – the backbone
1 tablespoon onion powder – the soul
1 tablespoon paprika – for a kiss of color
1–2 tablespoons oil – for the sear
The Sauce Situation:
1 cup ketchup – yes, ketchup. Trust.
1/2 cup brown sugar – dark if you’re bold, light if you’re polite
1/2 cup beef broth – or water with a bouillon cube, because Granny was resourceful
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar – balances the sweet
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce – adds mystery
1 teaspoon dry mustard – if Granny had it in the spice rack
Optional: a few slices of onion, tossed on top – they get soft and magical
🔥 Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
Low and slow, baby. This isn’t fast food, it’s fasten-your-stretchy-pants food.
2. Mix the dry rub.
Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Massage it all over the brisket like it just got home from a long day at bingo.
3. Sear the brisket (optional, but Granny-approved).
Heat oil in a big ol’ Dutch oven or heavy skillet. Sear the brisket for 3–4 minutes per side until browned. This adds flavor. And drama.
4. Make the sauce.
In a bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, broth, Worcestershire, and dry mustard. Stir until it looks like something you'd dip fries in, but thicker. Pour half in the bottom of a roasting dish or Dutch oven.
5. Put the brisket in the pan.
Fat side up. Always.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Toss those optional onions on top like you’re decorating meat cupcakes.
6. Cover tightly with foil or a lid.
Roast for 3.5 to 4.5 hours, basting once or twice if you're feeling loving, until it’s fork-tender and your house smells like Santa’s slow cooker.
7. Let it rest.
Remove from oven. Let the brisket rest 20–30 minutes, covered, while you sneak spoonfuls of sauce like a holiday criminal.
Then slice against the grain, serve with sauce poured generously over the top.
🧠 Pro Granny Tips:
Make it a day ahead – it gets even better after chilling overnight in the fridge. Slice cold, reheat gently with sauce, and pretend it’s fresh.
Save the leftover sauce – put it on mashed potatoes, roasted veg, bread, your hand, whatever.
Don’t skip the fat cap – that’s the brisket’s moisturizer.
🍽️ Serve With:
Mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole
Green beans with bacon
Dinner rolls that never get passed all the way around
Pickles and mustard on the side if you wanna lean deli-style
Granny Would Say:
“Don’t you dare trim all the fat off. That’s where the flavor lives.”
“You made what in the air fryer? Why?”
“If someone doesn’t cry over this brisket, you did it wrong.”