Lazy Man's Barbecued Beef Brisket

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 05/5/22
Plate full of meat that has been grilled and has a barbecue sauce in a small white ceramic bowl at the top of the image. It is a close up image of the meat.

rebeccafondren / Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 4 hrs 30 mins
Total: 4 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

By cooking this beef brisket recipe in the oven first, and then glazing with barbecue sauce on the grill after, you get a deliciously moist, smoky, and perfectly cooked piece of meat. This beef brisket recipe is called "lazy man's" because it's so easy, but you'll call it "smart cook's" beef brisket when you taste the results.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds beef brisket

  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon salt, or as needed

  • 1 large onion, sliced

  • 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce, or more as needed, see link below for easy barbecue sauce recipes

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

  2. Trim the beef brisket of any large amounts of excess fat. Leaving a thin layer of fat is desirable. Season the beef brisket on both sides with the smoked paprika, pepper, and salt.

  3. Place the onions in a shallow roasting pan, large enough to fit the beef brisket. Place the brisket, fat-side up, on top of the onions, and roast uncovered for 1 hour. Remove the pan, and carefully wrap tightly with foil. Be sure you have a good seal around the pan, as this will keep in the moisture.

  4. Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 325 F and cook for 3 more hours.

  5. Allow to cool, and refrigerate, still wrapped overnight.

  6. When you are ready to serve, reheat over a charcoal, or gas grill for about 15 minutes per side, or until warmed through.

  7. Brush with barbecue sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking to get a nice glaze. Serve sliced thin, with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
717 Calories
42g Fat
14g Carbs
66g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 717
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 17g 83%
Cholesterol 240mg 80%
Sodium 1035mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 66g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 57mg 4%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 661mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)