Lemon-Garlic Brisket

By Melissa Clark

Updated December 14, 2025

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
3 ¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Rating
5(345)
Comments
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My mother, Rita Clark, adapted this recipe from Edda Servi Machlin’s “The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews," tweaking it slightly by using brisket instead of eye of round, and adding plenty of minced garlic. It’s fresh and lemony tasting, much zestier than the usual brisket, and far more tender, too, thanks to the acid in the lemon juice. It lasts for days in the fridge and makes excellent sandwiches. Best of all, it’s one the easiest brisket recipes out there.

Featured in: This Simple Brisket Deserves a Place at the Holiday Table

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

  • 2 medium lemons

  • 4 to 4 ½ pounds brisket

  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth (preferably not unsalted)

  • 6 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

  • 4 thyme or rosemary sprigs, tied into a bouquet if you like

  • Garnishes (optional): chopped herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, fennel fronds) or tender celery leaves; chopped or thinly sliced white or red onions; capers; flaky sea salt; smoked paprika or crushed red pepper; more grated lemon zest

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)

7 grams carbs; 183 milligrams cholesterol; 633 calories; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 51 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 634 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grate the zest of the lemons into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemons into a separate bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Season the brisket with salt and pepper. If the brisket is too big for the pot, cut it in two pieces (it will shrink as it cooks).

  3. Step 3

    Over medium heat, warm a Dutch oven large enough to hold the brisket snugly and add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, sear meat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

  4. Step 4

    Add the lemon juice and cook for 5 more minutes, turning the meat over so it can absorb the juice.

  5. Step 5

    Reduce the heat to low; add the broth, garlic and herbs, and bring liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours, turning the meat three or four times while it cooks.

  6. Step 6

    Uncover the pot and add the lemon zest, stirring it into the liquid. Continue to cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. Discard the herbs.

  7. Step 7

    If you have time, let the brisket cool in the pot, then refrigerate overnight (see Tip). Otherwise, transfer brisket to a cutting board and slice the meat against the grain.

  8. Step 8

    Skim the fat from the top of the sauce. (If you’ve refrigerated, it will have solidified, and you can pull it off.)

  9. Step 9

    If the sauce seems thin when you remove the meat to slice it, put the pot on the stovetop and simmer it to thicken for 5 to 15 minutes. Taste sauce and add more salt and lemon juice as needed. Serve topped with any of the garnishes.

Tip

  • If you’ve made the brisket ahead of time, slice it while it’s cold (this gives you the neatest slices), then warm it up in the sauce, either over low heat on the stovetop or in a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
345 user ratings
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Comments

Leslye Borden

I loved this article. I too tried to make every occasion different and delicious. I once made a Mexican themed Thanksgiving, replete with cranberry jalapeno sauce and tequila braised onions. My family hated it and looked forward to "real" Thanksgiving the next night at Grandma's. Now we always have "traditional" Thanksgiving and I make one dish different, for my own interest and satisfaction.

Prakash Nadkarni

Pressure cooking/Instant Pot in Step 5 instead of stovetop cooking works well. The "meat/stew" setting - 35-45 mins + natural release- is pretty effective in breaking down the brisket's abundant collagen to unctuous gelatin. The brisket sold at Costco is pretty enormous, but I use this approach for corned beef (which is made from brisket).

#FreeDC

Definitely better than tequila braised chicken! Followed the recipe without adjustment and none needed i think. I recommend the point cut of brisket which weighs about 3 lb. Goes well with cucumber and dill salad.

Chava Weissler

1. Some of the recorded comments seem to be for another recipe. 2. As one of the earlier comments said, if you use a kosher brisket, USE LESS SALT. I unfortunately did not read that comment before I cooked the brisket and the pan juices were too salty to serve. I let the brisket rest separately from the pan juices, because I didn't want the meat to get too salty. 3. Apart from this, the brisket was delicious, tender, and a big hit. I did add a little honey, as suggested by a comment.

Anne E.

This is an excellent brisket recipe. Easy and little prep time for a delicious meal.

Deborah

I made this for Rosh Hashanah and my daughter said it was the best brisket ever. I love lemon and garlic together and using plenty of zest added a nice texture. Recommend refrigerating the sauce separately from the meat, making it easier to skim off the fat. Reheated the sauce on the stove before pouring over the sliced meat. Added a little honey to the sauce to cut the strong lemon flavor and that did the trick. Also added quite a bit more fresh ground pepper. This is a keeper! Thanks, Melissa.

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