Baked Corned Beef has a delicious crispy crust with a rich, tender, and juicy center. You’ll love how easy oven baking a delicious corned beef brisket is!
Baked Corned Beef Brisket has a delicious crust an absolutely delicious flavor.
We will show you how easy it is to bake a fork-tender corned beef brisket in the oven.
No St. Patrick’s Day dinner would be complete without Corned Beef!
We always kick ourselves and wonder why we don’t eat it all year long. It’s that good!
Why oven-baked corned beef?
For years we cooked our beef brisket under liquid either in a dutch oven, on top of the stove, or in a slow cooker. Both ways were pretty much just boiling it.
It’s a super easy way to make a fall-apart corned beef.
However, the entire texture and flavor was the same inside as it was on the outside.
Once we tried baking our brisket we never went back to boiling it.
The roasted brined exterior is crispy delicious and the meat is tender and juicy.
It also slices up beautifully for a show-stopper presentation.
What is Corned Beef?
Have you ever wondered how this brisket got known as Corned Beef?
“Corning” is a form of curing and has nothing to do with corn. In times before refrigeration, meat was dry-cured in coarse “corns” of salt. I’m a foodie geek because I just love these little history tidbits.
The Corned Beef we buy today is a beef brisket that has been brine-cured in spices and curing salt which gives the corned beef brisket that deep pink hue.
How to pick out the perfect Corned Beef Brisket
Beef Briskets can vary from about three pounds up to a very large brisket. The size will not determine the quality of the outcome.
A whole brisket is cut into either a “Flat” or Point”. Both bake beautifully but here’s the difference.
- Point is a rounder thicker piece of meat. It generally has more fat marbling so is very flavorful.
- Flat can also be referred to as round and is a thinner piece of meat and it’s a little leaner. It’s easier to slice so it makes a nice presentation.
They’re both delicious so don’t stress if you don’t know the difference or don’t have the option of one versus the other.
Also, briskets aren’t delicate pieces of meat so don’t overstress ruining it.
When you’re planning on the size of brisket you want to serve, it’s helpful to know that a traditional serving is considered about 3/4 pound per person.
Baked Corned Beef FAQ’s
Do you have to rinse off the brining liquid before cooking?
We always rinse the brining fluid off of the meat. This removes extra salt.
Rinsing will not change the flavor of the meat since the whole piece has been brined.
Do you cut the fat off of the Brisket?
The fat cap can be very thick. We trim the fat within one inch of the meat. Leaving some fat adds flavor.
How to bake Corned Beef in the oven
- Rinse the brining fluid off and pat the brisket dry.
- Trim the fat cap within 1 inch of the meat.
- Place a grate in the bottom of a roaster or baking dish.
- Place the meat on top of the grate fat side up and sprinkle it with the seasoning packet if desired. We generally do. However, you can make your own brine and seasoning too.
- Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with water level with the bottom of the grate (directly under the brisket).
- Cover the pan with the lid or aluminum foil for two-thirds of the baking time.
- Remove the lid or foil.
Vegetables can be added to the brisket. They will need approximately 1-1/2 hours to bake.
How long to bake
Briskets like a longer cooking time. We cook our brisket for 1 hour per pound for a 2 to 3-pound brisket. A larger brisket (4 to 6 pounds) will take 3 to 3 1/2 hours. It’s safe to eat when it reads 145°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
However, briskets are a fatty cut of meat and this fat needs to render “cook into the meat” so additional baking is best. I usually bake to 185+. If the meat looks like it’s getting to crispy, it’s going to dry out. Put the lid back on before you get to this stage.
Tips:
- Make sure you let the brisket rest after removing it from the oven so the juices are redistributed and don’t just run out of the meat.
- If you want shredded corned beef instead of sliced, you can cook it up to an internal temperature of 185°F to 210°F.
- You can up your temperature to make it bake a little quicker but don’t bake it below 325°F for food safety concerns.
Slicing tips
Let the brisket rest before slicing. It will hold the juices if you let it sit 15 to 20 minutes.
Make 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices across the grain. If you cut the meat with the grain it will shread.
Storing tips
According to the USDA corned beef should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and used within 3 to 4 days. Brisket can be frozen and should be used within 2 to 3 months.
Our favorite gadgets
Oven-Baked Corned Beef doesn’t require much equipment. Here are a few of our recommendations.
- Roaster with rack – did you see my grates? They’re a billion years old!
- Instant-read thermometer – a must-have for cooking meat or even baking bread!
Recipes for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
- Roasted Cabbage and Carrots
- Brown Bread Rolls
- Mini Bailey’s Cheesecakes
- Pistachio Pudding Trifle
- Roasted Carrots with Orange Glaze
- Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Pin it!
We buy just as big a beef brisket as we can find so we can make these amazing leftovers:
I hope you’ll stop back and let me know how your corned beef brisket came out!
How to Bake a Corned Beef Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 lbs Corned Beef Brisket with seasoning packet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and put a grate (roasting rack) in the bottom of a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold the meat.
- Rinse the corned beef to remove packing liquid and additional salt. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Trim the fat cap within 1-inch of the meat and put it fat-side up on the grate. Fill the bottom of the pan with water up to the edge of the grate. Place the meat on the grate and sprinkle it with the seasoning packet.
- Cover the pan with a lid or foil. Bake the meat covered for 2 hours. Remove the lid and roast for an additional 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer reads 185°. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and cabbage can be added the last hour and a half.
- Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes and then cut across the grain.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
If you enjoyed this baked corned beef brisket, I think you’re going to love our oven-baked beef brisket recipe too.
Sam
Saturday 26th of March 2022
Making this now and not sure I’m messing it up or not - I only have a 1.6 lbs flat, so thought I would do that math on that for timing. So little over 30 minutes covered with the water On the bottom. Currently have it uncovered getting that crust until internal 145 temp, but not sure what result I will get. Let me know what you think
Julie Menghini
Sunday 27th of March 2022
Sam, I hope this turned out for you. I would do about 30 per pan half of the time covered and half uncovered with water just covering the bottom. With the temperature, you can definitely cook a brisket to a much higher internal temp because the fat will render while cooking. The 145 is a minimum and cooking to 185 would be perfectly fine. With such a small piece of meat, I would definitely watch it closely. If it appears to start drying cover it back up to finish cooking. Let me know how it went.
Liz
Friday 25th of March 2022
I used your method cooking three roasts at the same time. WOW! So much better than stove top or slow cooker. Even the leftovers stayed moist and tender. I did cook the veggies separate in a deep cast iron skillet. Taking some drippings for the roast and veggie broth.
Julie Menghini
Friday 25th of March 2022
That sounds amazing, Liz! I like cooking the veggies separately too and your tip for adding broth and drippings is excellent! Thank you for sharing!
Greg
Friday 18th of March 2022
We had done away with the vegetables years ago. It was always about the sandwiches and breakfast hash for us. I had seen some recent postings about roasted corned beef and found your site via a browser search.
I started with a 4# CB brisket. I thoroughly rinsed and then soaked for 1.5 hours. I patted dry and generously black peppered. Placed on rack and used a 50/50 mix of chicken broth and water to just below the rack.
Followed your 2 hours covered and 1 hour uncovered. 15 minute rest and slice. The taste, texture, ability to slice and mild exterior crust made it superb. I will not be returning to boiled or crock-pot version again. Thank you Julie!
Julie Menghini
Friday 18th of March 2022
Greg, thank you so much for such an uplifting comment! You really made my day! I appreciate you providing the details of what you did, and soaking it would be an excellent idea. Even a rinsed brisket can still be salty to some palettes.
KATHRYN
Friday 18th of March 2022
It was the best that I have ever made, I did slather it with spicy mustard. I did take the beef out after two hours and cooked just the vegetables until almost done at 420 degrees. Then added beef back in for 15 minutes. It was very good.
Julie Menghini
Friday 18th of March 2022
Thank you so much, Kathryn! I'll add your mustard variation to my post. That would be delicious.
Kristin
Thursday 17th of March 2022
I'm sorry to say this was a complete flop! Such a bummer, but the meat was incredibly tough. I was going to do it in the crock pot and wish I had. Will NEVER bake a corned beef chunk of meat again!
Julie Menghini
Friday 18th of March 2022
I'm sorry it didn't work for you, Kristin! If it was tough, it probably needed more time to cook. Corned beef is tough until it has a chance to render. I appreciate you letting me know why it didn't work for you so I can address your results.