Make delicious and tender slices of beef brisket in your dutch oven with this dutch oven apple cider brisket recipe. The perfect cozy Autumn and Winter dinner to impress and satisfy!
Over here in the Buckley house we’re still using up our delicious homemade apple cider in unique ways. In addition to apple cider bourbon floats, apple cider pancakes, apple cider syrup and apple cider mimosas, you can now make some insanely delicious apple cider brisket for your Sunday supper or your next brunch.
I really wanted to make a delicious marinade with my apple cider, and knew it would be perfect with some slow roasted beef brisket right out of the dutch oven. I love meals that can be prepared all in one dish, for easy clean up and effortless preparation.
How to make brisket in a dutch oven
(more detailed instructions below)
Saute your onions until they’re very soft. Remove onions and sear brisket on both sides. Add in your marinade and herbs and let the brisket roast for several hours, or until it’s soft and tender.
Ingredients you need to make apple cider brisket
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- one apple
Step-by-step instructions on making the best apple cider brisket!
Ideally, you would season your brisket generously with salt and pepper and let it sit overnight. It is not 100% necessary, but recommended.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F or 121 degrees C
- Sprinkle brisket with seasoned salt and black pepper, if you have not pre seasonedit.
- Slice onion and apple thinly. Add oil to dutch oven and turn heat to low. Cook onions and apple together in your dutch oven until transparent, about six minutes. Remove from dutch oven and place them in a bowl while you sear your brisket.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear brisket in hot oil until browned on both sides. Make sure brisket is fat side up. While it slowly cooks, the fat melts, and trickles over the rest of the meat, enhancing the flavor.
Whisk the marinade together in a bowl.
Add cooked apples and onion on top of brisket. Feel free to add potatoes, carrots, turnips, or any other vegetable you wish to serve. Add fresh rosemary sprigs. Drizzle the marinade mixture all over brisket.
Add lid and lace brisket in a preheated oven and bake at 250 degrees for five to eight hours, or until very soft and tender.
How does apple cider and apple cider vinegar help brisket:
You might have heard about the importance of using apple cider vinegar when making brisket. Apple cider vinegar is usually spritz onto brisket while it smokes. Spraying increases moisture on the surface, allowing for better smoke absorption but also reducing maximum bark formation. This recipe is made in a dutch oven and is not smoked, therefore, the apple cider and apple cider vinegar in our marinade are just for flavor.
Make it a meal:
I add potatoes, apples and carrots right into my dutch oven to cook together. See notes in recipe card.
How to store brisket after it’s been cooked:
Store brisket in your refrigerator for up to five days in an air tight container.
Store brisket in your freezer for up to three months in an airtight containrer or sealed bag.
The recipe:
Dutch Oven Apple Cider Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 3 pound beef brisket
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 medium - large onions sliced
- 1 apple sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon worechester sauce
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F or 121 degrees C
- Make a marinade by combining your minched garlic, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, worechester sauce, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper and rosemary in a medium sized bowl and mixing well.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to your dutch oven. On the stove top, cook your apple and onion slices on low until they are very soft and translucent. About six minutes. Remove from dutch oven and place in a bowl while you sear your brisket.
- Add the remaining oil into your dutch oven. On medium heat, sear your brisket on both sides (4-6 minutes each side). Make sure fat side is facing up inside of your dutch oven. Turn off heat.
- Scoop your apple and onion mixture on top of the brisket.
- Add your marinade over the brisket, apples and onion.
- Cover and let cook in your oven for 5-8 hours, or until very soft and tender.
- Let brisket rest for 10 minutes prior to serving.
If making this ahead, what’s the best way to reheat it before serving?