By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 14
251 cal · 195 min
Grandma's Eastern European Braised Brisket
Recipe GLPR9bfda40c65e017
A slow-cooked beef brisket braised with onions, garlic, and tomato purée in a savory, aromatic sauce. This traditional Eastern European comfort dish is tender, flavorful, and perfect for feeding a crowd. The meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after hours of gentle braising, infused with warm spices and deep tomato flavor.
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Ingredients
3-4 lb beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 whole garlic cloves, crushed
1 to 2 large cans tomato purée
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place the brisket in the pot and brown it on both the top and bottom sides for 3-4 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms. Transfer the brisket to a plate.
In the same pot, add the diced onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
Add the crushed garlic cloves to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
Pour the tomato purée into the pot and stir well to combine with the onion and garlic mixture, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the browned brisket to the pot, nestling it into the tomato sauce. The sauce should come up about halfway to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meat.
Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the brisket is fork-tender and the internal temperature reaches 190°F when checked with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part.
Remove from the oven and let the brisket rest in the pot for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain into thick pieces and serve with the warm braising sauce spooned over the top.
Comments
This is a solid braised brisket that checks nearly every box for a Charlotte home cook. All ingredients—brisket, onion, garlic, tomato purée, paprika—are readily available at any Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, or ALDI, with no special stops required. The cost per serving is genuinely low: a quality 4–5 pound brisket runs $12–18, and the aromatics add less than $3, yielding roughly $1–1.50 per serving for a substantial main course. The 195-minute time is honest—about 45 minutes active prep and onion-browning, then 2.5 hours low oven time with occasional checking. The recipe feeds 14 well, suits weeknight execution (it runs unattended most of the time), and reheats beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep or a crowd. The only minor friction is that brisket is a special-occasion cut for many households, and sourcing a good flat or point piece without luck requires scanning several butcher counters.
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