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If you’re looking for a main dish that screams cozy holidays without screaming for your time, this cranberry holiday beef brisket is a solid bet. Juicy brisket is rubbed with herbs and spices, seared, then roasted low and slow with cranberry sauce, Guinness and tender potatoes. The result is rich, hearty and surprisingly easy to pull off. It’s one of those recipes that makes the whole house smell amazing and the table feel instantly more special.
This cranberry holiday beef brisket is slow roasted with Guinness, cranberry sauce and herbs for a rich, flavorful and festive holiday dinner to impress everyone.
If you love tender brisket, you might also like mesquite smoked brisket, slow cooker brisket or some brisket sandwiches with red onions.
Why You’ll Love It
Hearty and satisfying: This dish is loaded with rich flavor and tender beef.
Perfect for holidays: It looks fancy but comes together easily.
One pan magic: Meat, sauce and sides cook all in one dish.
Festive and flavorful: The cranberry adds sweet tang and seasonal flair.
Cranberry Beef Brisket Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Brisket: A flat cut brisket stays juicy and slices beautifully.
Olive oil: Helps the seasoning stick and adds richness.
Dried spices: Thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper give the brisket savory depth.
Onion, shallot and garlic: These aromatics form the flavor base of the sauce.
Cranberry sauce: Sweet and tart, this balances the richness of the meat.
Worcestershire sauce: Adds a savory umami punch.
Guinness: Deepens the flavor and tenderizes the brisket.
Red potatoes: Cooked right in the pan to soak up all the good stuff.
Dried cranberries: Add chewy texture and festive flair.
Fresh herbs: Rosemary and thyme bring freshness and aroma.
How to Make Cranberry Holiday Brisket
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Season the brisket: Rub it with oil and coat with the spice mix.
Prep the onion: Dice half and thinly slice the other half.
Make the sauce: Sauté diced onion, shallot and garlic, then stir in cranberry sauce, Worcestershire and Guinness.
Assemble the pan: Pour half the sauce into the pan, add sliced onion, set the brisket on top and pour the rest of the sauce over it.
Add sides: Arrange potatoes, dried cranberries and fresh herbs around the brisket and cover with foil.
Finish the dish: Once cooked, slice the brisket and serve with potatoes and sauce.
Substitutions and Variations
Swap the beer: Use beef broth or cola instead of Guinness if preferred.
Make it gluten free: Use gluten free Worcestershire and a gluten free beer substitute.
Add veggies: Carrots or parsnips can roast with the potatoes for extra color and flavor.
Use fresh cranberries: If you want more tartness, swap in fresh cranberries and a little sugar for the canned sauce.
Slow cooker version: Brisket is full of connective tissue which means it requires a long and slow cooking process to come out tender rather than tough. Because of this, it’s definitely a good candidate for your slow cooker or crockpot. It will take 8 or 9 hours to cook on low.
Serving Suggestions
Side dishes: Enjoy garlic butter fondant potatoes or creamy garlic mashed potatoes with your brisket, along with roasted carrots or green bean casserole.
Dessert: Finish the meal with gingerbread trifle or pumpkin slab pie.
How to Store Cranberry Holiday Beef Brisket
Store: Keep leftovers in the roasting pan or transfer them into containers if you prefer (or if you’re short on refrigerator space!) Eat them within 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat it in the microwave or in a warm oven.
Top Tips
Let the brisket rest before slicing: This helps it stay juicy.
Slice against the grain: It makes each bite more tender.
Don’t skip the dried cranberries: They add chewy texture and a burst of flavor.
Use a roasting pan with high sides: It helps contain all the juices and toppings.
Cranberry Holiday Beef Brisket FAQs
Yes, brisket reheats beautifully and the flavors deepen overnight.
No, the beer just adds depth and blends with the cranberry flavor.
Cranberry Holiday Beef Brisket Recipe
Cranberry Holiday Beef Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ Pounds brisket, flat cut
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 yellow onion
- 5 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 14 Ounces cranberry jelly
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ Cup beer, Guinness
- 1 Pound red potatoes, petite
- 1 Cup dried cranberries
- 3 Sprigs rosemary, fresh
- 3 Sprigs thyme, fresh
Instructions
- Remove brisket from the fridge 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook. Combine salt, pepper, dried thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl or ramekin. Rub olive oil on the brisket, then season generously. Let the rest and come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Dice half of the onion, and thinly slice the other half.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Next, add the diced onions, shallot, and garlic cloves to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, then add cranberry, Worcestershire, and Guinness. Stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Pour half the saucepan into the roasting pan. Add sliced onions and place brisket fat side down on top. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the brisket.
- Surround the sides of the brisket with potatoes, dried cranberries, and fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs. Cover with foil.
- Place onto the oven on the center rack and roast for 4 hours.
- Slice brisket and serve with potatoes and sauce.
Notes
Slice against the grain: It makes each bite more tender.
Don’t skip the dried cranberries: They add chewy texture and a burst of flavor.
Use a roasting pan with high sides: It helps contain all the juices and toppings.
Nutrition
This cranberry holiday beef brisket brings everything you want in a festive roast. It’s juicy, tender, flavorful and perfect for cozy winter nights or holiday gatherings. The sauce is rich and balanced with just the right amount of sweet and savory. Add potatoes, dried cranberries and fresh herbs, and this brisket Christmas dinner menu option offers a great holiday meal in one pan that’s as tasty as it is impressive.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
How long do you cook in crockpot? The weight of my meat is only 2.5 lbs.
I have not tried this recipe in the slow cooker so I can’t say with certainty. However, I would think 6-8 hours on low. Have a meat thermometer on hand to check every half hour from 6 hours onwards.
How long do you rest before cutting?
I usually wait about 15 minutes for something like this recipe.
Could you do this in a pellet smoker? If so, how would you adjust?
hi! I Love making brisket in my smoker but I have not tried this one yet. If you try it out, please let me know. I will add this to my list to try out in the coming months though.
The cranberry and Guinness combo was incredible—I’ll definitely make this again for New Year’s!
I tried this even if it’s not yet holiday and it didn’t disappoint! Can’t wait to make this again on holiday season! ❤️
Such a delightful recipe! Loved every bite, definitely making again.
Could this be done in the crock pot?
Yes, you could do this in the slow cooker or even in a smoker. Both are great options for brisket. I have not made this particular recipe in the slow cooker, so I don’t know what time it would be. I would say 8 to 10 hours but do check with meat thermometer before removing.
Made this for Christmas Eve. It was just so good! 10/10 recipe!
We couldn’t find a suitable sized brisket so we bought a tri tip instead. Other than cooking time, which should be less, are there any other changes to the recipe that you’d recommend?
You should just adjust cooking time for the meat that you have. Everything else can stay the same.
This sounds amazing and I’d like to make it for Christmas. However, I have a large family and would need to double the size of brisket. Would that change the cooking time?
Hi Brandi, great question. When cooked in the oven, brisket should take about 80 to 90 minutes per pound. However, it’s not that straightforward because the shape and thickness of the brisket also impact the total cooking time. The best thing to do is calculate roughly how long it will take and then check it a half hour before you expect it to be done. Use an internal thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part. When it reaches 190 or 195⁰F, the meat is done. Tent it with foil and let it sit while you finish off the side dishes. Hope that helps! Enjoy your brisket!
I want to make this for Thanksgiving this year, but I’m wondering how to change it if my brisket is not flat-cut. I have a brisket from our last beef share, and if it is flat cut, it was rolled up to be frozen. Will a non-flat-cut be a problem/cook differently?
Hi Andy, it depends what cut you actually have. The point (as opposed to the flat-cut) is fattier and then you have the tip. From your description you might have a flat-cut or you might just have a “flat” piece of brisket. If you’re making this for Thanksgiving you might want to invest in a flat-cut brisket in case the timings are way off with whatever kind of cut you have.
We smoked a lot of brisket in the summer but this recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving. I know that’s a few weeks away so this was a kind of “trial run” and it came out so succulent and juicy, and the flavor was spot-on.
We made it for Christmas dinner – it was delicious and everybody had seconds! I added some white wine to the pan sauce and boiled it down, then added a flour and pan juice slurry to make a thin gravy that was delicious on the meat and potatoes. Great recipe!
So good to hear! Happy Holidays!
yum! i love brisket. will be trying this with cranberry