3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef Brisket

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Amazing, tender corned beef brisket cooked in the oven with just three ingredients. All you need is tangy and flavorful Dijon mustard, brown sugar for the flavor balance, and corned beef, of course! This brisket is flavorful, easy, and comes out so tender.

There are many more ways to enjoy corned beef like in a Reuben Sandwich or Reuben Dip.

sliced corned beef brisket next to unsliced piece.

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It’s been so many years of me making this delicious corned beef brisket recipe and my husband and I are still completely in love with it. This is one delicious (and totally easy) corned beef and I don’t think we’ll grow tired of it.

This corned beef made in the oven is not just flavorful but also incredibly tender and juicy. It’s the whole package, no matter what you want to do with it after. As good as Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket is, this oven baked version is still my family favorite. And I absolutely love that I only need 3 ingredients to make it.

The aroma that fills your kitchen as it cooks really is wonderful. Get your side dishes ready while it cooks because you will want to dig in the moment it’s out of the oven. And make sure to make enough to have some leftovers! This corned beef is perfect for making Reuben sandwiches, Reuben egg rolls, and so much more!

What Is Corned Beef Brisket?

Corned beef is simply a beef that was cured in salty brine for several days. The process of curing the beef (and other meats) was originally done to preserve it with salt. The term “corned beef” is synonymous to “pickled beef” because the brine used for corned beef is similar to the pickle brine.

Traditionally, corned beef is made with a brisket cut of beef. Since it is a tough cut of meat, it’s best to cook it for a long period of time at lower temperature to make it tender. Sometimes, beef round or rump is used instead of brisket.

You can make your own corned beef by curing a brisket in salty brine in the refrigerator for about 10 days. After curing, you can cook it with additional spices, beef stock, and even beer.

The most traditional dishes that use corned beef are: Reuben sandwiches, corned beef and cabbage, and corned beef and potato hash.

Ingredients You’ll Need

labeled ingredients to make the corned beef brisket in the oven.

Corned Beef Brisket – make sure to get uncooked corned beef brisket. I like to get closer to 4 lb. one so that we have leftovers. Remember, you can easily increase the amount of Dijon mustard and brown sugar to cover a larger brisket.

Dijon mustard – make sure to use Dijon mustard, NOT yellow mustard. Some other gourmet mustards can be used, just try not to use ones with competing flavors.

Brown sugar – it’s okay to use either light or dark.

How Long To Cook Corned Beef In The Oven?

Calculate cooking time for the brisket to be about 60 minutes per pound. Cook corned beef brisket covered in aluminum foil but not too tight, leave some room between the brisket and the foil.

After the time is up, open the aluminum foil and briefly place the brisket back in the oven under the broiler. Make sure that the brisket is at least 8 inches away from the broiler. If you have an option between high and low broil, choose low broil and keep an eye on it.

After you take it out of the oven, take it out of the roasting pan as well. Make sure to give the brisket about 10-15 minutes to rest before slicing.

closeup of sliced corned beef brisket on wooden plate.

How To Make Corned Beef Brisket In The Oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F and either get 1 large sheet of aluminum foil and two overlapping ones. The goal is to be able to completely cover the corned beef brisket loosely and create a pocket inside. Fit the foil in the roasting pan.

collage of two images of pulling corned beef out of the pot of water and placing onto baking dish.

Bring the corned beef to boil: To get rid of some of the excess salt in the brisket, don’t skip this step. Take the beef out of the package, discard the seasoning packet, and rinse it in an empty sink under cold running water.

Place the brisket into a pot and fill it with cold water until brisket is covered. Bring the water to boil and once it starts to boil, turn it off, and take the brisket out (1). Place the blanched brisket into the prepared roasting pan (2).

collage of two images of adding Dijon mustard to the brisket and then added brown sugar.

Rub and wrap: place the brisket onto the aluminum foil in the pan. Rub it with a generous layer of Dijon mustard (3) on all the sides and the sprinkle brown sugar evenly all over the top and sides (4).

Bring the aluminum foil together and close it, covering the brisket loosely, leaving a little space between the brisket and the foil.

corned beef wrapped in foil in roasting pan.

collage of two images of corned beef brisket in the oven before and after baking.

Cook: bake the brisket for about 2 hours and then take it out and open the foil (5). Turn on the broiler to low and put the brisket back in. Let the top caramelize but don’t walk away far, keep an eye on it (6).

Let the corned beef brisket rest on the cutting board for about 10-15 minutes before slicing it.

top view of sliced corned beef brisket in the board.

Recipe FAQs

Why do I have to bring the corned beef to boil first?

Since corned beef is cured in salt brine, it contains quite a bit of salt. So bringing the corned beef to a boil in a pot of water, gets some of the saltiness out. It will decrease the amount of salt in the brisket and therefore make it less salty.

Can I add potatoes or cabbage while cooking the corned beef brisket?

You absolutely can add some potatoes and if you wish cabbage and carrots to the brisket. Since beef will take MUCH longer to cook than vegetables, you will need to cook the brisket for a while first. Baby gold potatoes will need about an hour of total cook time, covered and uncovered. So set aside about an another hour at the end of meat’s cooking time to cook potatoes.
If your potatoes are larger, you can always cut it in half.
If you wish to add cabbage, cut the head of cabbage into 4-6 wedges and place them around the meat. Depending on the size of the cabbage wedges, it would take 45-60 minutes.
You can see the steps and get the idea of how to cook it in my Baked Corned Beef Brisket and Potatoes recipe.

How to store and reheat the corned beef brisket?

Store leftover cooked brisket in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should be good for 3-4 days.
To reheat the sliced of corned beef brisket, I recommend doing it in the oven to preserve the juiciness. Wrap some slices in foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F just until heated through.

Serving Suggestions

With a Side Dish: serve it with sides like mashed potatoes, Colcannon, fried cabbage, and roasted potatoes.

Make something else out of it like:

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