Seared Beef Brisket with Mesquite-Smoked Barbecue Sauce
Tender seared beef brisket coated in a smoky Mesquite barbecue sauce, inspired by Texas regional flavors. This beef recipe, ready in about 135 minutes, pairs beef brisket, olive oil, smoked paprika for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 370 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef brisket
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium, diced yellow onion
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Mesquite liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup water
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat 2 pounds beef brisket dry and season evenly with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Step 2: Sear the brisket in the hot skillet for 4-5 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms, then remove and set aside.
- Step 3: In the same skillet, add 1 medium diced yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened and translucent.
- Step 4: Stir in 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add 3/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Mesquite liquid smoke, and 1/2 cup water.
- Step 5: Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until thickened and glossy.
- Step 6: Return the brisket to the skillet, spoon the sauce over it, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours until the brisket is fork-tender and infused with smoky flavor.







