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Italian Beef Brisket

| Budget Friendly, Make-ahead Meals, Red Meat, Freezable Meals, Slow Cooked, Members only

This Italian beef brisket is one of those slow-cooked meals that feels both deeply nourishing and effortlessly elegant. It’s the kind of recipe I turn to when I want something grounding, comforting and incredibly satisfying without needing a long ingredient list or complicated prep. Gentle herbs, slow heat and time do all the work here,…

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Middle Eastern Beef Brisket

| Make-ahead Meals, Red Meat, Freezable Meals, Slow Cooked

This Middle Eastern beef brisket is a flavour-packed dish that transforms a budget friendly cut of meat into a tender, aromatic feast. It is really quick to prepare, but does require a lot of time to cook, so plan ahead for this meal.

The basic recipe will leave you with a ‘pulled’ style of meat which you can serve with salad, in a burger, wrap or tortilla, or on a bed of creamy mashed potato. The tahini sauce adds a lovely earthy-citrus hit to balance the richness of the meat. I hope you enjoy this really versatile and very satisfying meal.

Health benefits

Beef brisket is rich in protein and essential nutrients like iron and zinc, which are vital for overall health. The combination of spices not only adds depth of flavour but also provides antioxidant benefits, while tahini adds healthy fats and calcium, making this dish both nutritious and satisfying.

Ingredients

To make this Middle Eastern beef brisket, you’ll need a blend of spices (smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves), a 1 kg beef brisket, chicken stock or bone broth, onion, garlic cloves, and a simple tahini sauce made with hulled tahini, lemon juice, and water.

How to make Middle Eastern Beef Brisket

Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F) and mix the spices, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the brisket with the spice blend and place it in a Dutch oven or casserole dish. Add sliced onions, garlic, and pour in the stock until it almost covers the meat. Cover tightly and slow cook for about 4 hours, turning the brisket halfway through. Finish by uncovering and increasing the heat to caramelise the meat for about 20-30 minutes, then drizzle with homemade tahini sauce before serving.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this brisket buffet-style or on a platter, allowing everyone to create their own meals in lettuce cups, tortillas, or over grains (like couscous or rice). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze shredded meat for future meals. Reheat gently in the oven or on the stove with a splash of broth.

Vary Middle Eastern Beef Brisket to suit your dietary needs

This pulled beef recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and grain-free. For those with specific dietary needs, you can easily modify this recipe: omit the onion for fennel, replace garlic with chilli flakes for a kick, or substitute tahini with almond butter for a sesame-free option. Additionally, feel free to adjust the spices according to your flavour preferences! 

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

For more delicious, easy to make slow cooked meals click HERE.

Middle Eastern Beef Brisket - this budget friendly, easy to prepare meal is versatile and delicious. Gluten-free, dairy-free & grain-free.
Print Recipe
4.74 from 38 votes

Middle Eastern Beef Brisket

This Middle Eastern Beef Brisket features on my dinner table very regularly. I love it because I can simply prepare it and then let it slow cook in my oven so dinner is done when I'm late home from after school activities. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
  • 1 kg beef brisket (approx.)
  • 370 ml chicken broth or stock (1½ cups) or water
  • 1 onion/s - halved and sliced
  • 2 clove/s garlic - sliced

Tahini Sauce

  • 3 tbsp hulled tahini 
  • 1 lemon/s (small) juice
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • Pinch sea salt
  • water - to thin sauce
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced).
  • In a small bowl mix together the spices, salt and pepper.
  • Rub the beef with about 1½ tablespoons of the spice blend to coat it and place in a medium sized Dutch oven, casserole dish (with a lid) or roasting pan. Place the remaining spice mix in a small jar for your next brisket.
  • Add the garlic, onion and pour over the stock (it should cover or almost cover the meat).
  • Cover with a lid or foil wrapped tightly to seal.
  • Cook for about 2 hours, turn the meat and cook for another 2 hours (approx. total 4 hours cook time). Remove from the oven and rest with the lid on for 30 minutes.
  • It is cooked perfectly when the meat easily pulls apart. If you have a larger or particularly tough cut it may need a slightly longer cook time
  • If there is lots of excess liquid int he pot, remove the lid or foil and turn the oven up to 200°C. Pull the meat apart and cook for approximately 20 minutes to caramelise and thicken the sauce (only if required).
  • To make your tahini sauce, combine all of the tahini sauce ingredients together. Add the water tablespoon by tablespoon until you have a slightly runny sauce that can be drizzled over the meat.

Slow Cooker

  • This can certainly cooked in a slow cooker. However, as the speed and temperature varies between the many brands of slow cookers, base the amount of liquid you add and the cook time on a similar style of recipe in the guide book for your specific slow cooker. The general rule of thumb is to halve the liquid and double the cook time, but understanding your own slow cooker is the best guide.

Serve this buffet style so you can build your own meal. Here are some ways we eat this...

  • In a lettuce cup with julienne vegetables
  • In a burger, wrap or tortilla with lots of salad/grated veggies
  • On a creamy mashed potato or cauliflower puree with steamed green vegetables
  • Over rice, quinoa or cous cous.
  • Or any way you like really

Make-ahead

  • Re-heat (covered) in a low oven until just hot or in a pot with a splash of bone broth.

Store

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Shredded meat can also be frozen.

Grab Bag Formula Method

  • If you've done the **Grab Bag Formula Short Course, this is the method to convert this recipe...
  • Place the beef brisket, spices, seasoning, stock, onion and garlic into your Grab Bag. Carefully seal your Grab Bag. I close most of the seal then press out as much air as I can then complete the seal. Place the Grab Bag in the freezer.
  • To cook, remove the Grab Bag from the freezer, place on a baking tray and thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Tip the contents of the Grab Bag into a large oven proof dish (with a tight fitting lid) or Dutch oven. It may still be a bit frozen; that’s okay.
  • Place the lid on the pot, set your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced) and cook for about 2 hours. Turn the meat and cook for another 2-3 hours (total 4-5 hours cook time). It is cooked when the meat easily falls apart when pulled at. Remove the lid and turn the oven up to 200°C. Pull the meat apart and cook for approximately 30 minutes to caramelise and thicken the sauce.
  • ** The Grab Bag Formula Short Course is available to purchase for just AU$46 HERE.
    OR
    If you are a full-access Well Nourished Family member, the course is included in your membership and you can access in the members portal - HERE.

Notes

Onion-free

Replace the onion with a small bulb of finely diced fennel.

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with a pinch of chilli flakes. 

Sesame-free

Replace the tahini with almond butter.

 

This recipe is a firm family favourite. If you like it as much as we do, add a comment or rate this recipe.Â