Beef Brisket
Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten Free, Iron rich, Nut free, Protein rich, Soy free
About the recipe
This is one of my most POPULAR recipes, loved by all! So yummy to share with your baby, the meat is tender and soft and they just love it!
This is one of our most popular recipes from our book Toddler to Table, and for good reason! There’s something so comforting about a slow-cooked brisket — especially one that’s this flavourful and flexible. Whether you’re serving it over mash, tucking it into wraps, or just eating it straight from the pan (no judgement here), this recipe makes the most of one of the most affordable and nutrient-dense cuts of beef.
And the best bit? Once it’s in the oven or slow cooker, you can forget about it for hours and come back to the most tender, fall-apart beef. Big win for busy days and growing families!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze in portions for up to 3 months — perfect for batch cooking.
- Reheat in a pan, microwave, or oven until piping hot throughout.
Age Suitability:
Suitable from 6 months+, when your baby is managing soft, shredded textures.
The brisket is soft, moist and iron-rich — ideal for baby-led weaning or spoon-feeding when finely shredded into mash or rice.
Serving Suggestions:
This beef brisket is incredibly versatile and can be served in so many ways depending on your family’s preferences. Here are a few of our favourite ideas:
- With mash: Serve over mash potato or cauliflower for an iron-rich, comforting combo. Add a side of steamed greens or peas for extra colour.
- In wraps: Shred the brisket and serve in flatbread or soft wraps with yoghurt, avocado, and fresh herbs for an easy family-style dinner.
- Tossed through pasta: Mix into cooked pasta with a bit of the sauce and top with grated cheese.
- Stuffed into baked potatoes or sweet potatoes for a hands-off dinner that still feels hearty.
- Add on top of pizza
- Turn it into a nourish bowl — serve the shredded brisket over rice with avocado, cucumber sticks, and a spoon of yoghurt or hummus.
- Make brisket quesadillas — sandwich the brisket with some grated cheese and mashed sweet potato between two soft tortillas. Toast in a pan until golden, then slice into toddler-friendly triangles. Delicious with avo or plain yoghurt on the side.
Ingredients
1.3–1.5 kg beef brisket
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
400g diced tomatoes
100g tomato paste
1 cup orange juice*
1 cup beef or chicken bone broth
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Spice Crust
Try garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, sumac — or whatever you love. Measure with your heart to make a ‘crust’. Don’t stress, you can’t go wrong.
Method
Preheat oven to 130°C (fan-forced).
In an oven-safe casserole dish (approx. 4L), heat a little oil and brown the brisket on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Add garlic and onion to the same dish and cook until soft and caramelised.
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, orange juice, broth, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce.
Return the brisket to the dish — the liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat.
Sprinkle your chosen spice blend generously over the top.
Cover with a lid and bake for ~6 hours, or until fork-tender.
Shred with two forks through the sauce.
Optional: For a stickier, more reduced sauce, return to the oven uncovered at 180°C for 20-30 minutes
Slow Cooker Instructions:
No need to brown unless you want extra flavour — just toss everything straight into the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 5–6 hours, until soft and shreddable.
If sauce is too thin, you can remove the lid for the last 30–60 mins or transfer to a pan or oven safe dish and into the oven on 180C fan-forced for 30-40 minutes to reduce.
Ingredient Swaps:
Orange juice: delicious substituted for pomegranate juice, or 1/2 cup marmalade. You can also just sub for more broth if avoiding fruit juice.
Worcestershire: Use coconut aminos or tamari + a splash of vinegar for a soy-free/gluten-free alternative.
Bone broth: Sub for stock if preferred.
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