In short, there are three ways to reheat brisket: in an oven, with sous vide method, and in an air fryer.
Beef brisket is quite a demanding piece of meat. You know what we mean. There are not many quick recipes for this piece of meat. You have to bake it slowly and gradually to get that delicious reward in the end: soft, tender, and juicy meat.
The problem with BBQ briskets is that you always have a significant amount of leftovers, even when you have fed all your family members well.
If you have ever tried to heat a pork or beef brisket, you know that in the blink of an eye, they turn into laborious and dry stone. Just like with the original roast, you have to be wise and patient to get that juicy and soft brisket slices.
We promise that with a few real tips, you can have an equally delicious lunch for your family, even with leftovers.
Reheating Beef Brisket In An Oven
Once again, the oven proves to be the best friend of reheating. Indeed, you will achieve the best results with the help of the oven by slowly heating the beef. You will manage to preserve its juiciness and softness. So, whenever you have the chance, we suggest you opt for an oven.
Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 325 °F
As we said earlier, patience is the key to success for warming up a brisket. Do not succumb to the temptation to increase the temperature because the meat will dry out and become difficult to chew. Set the temperature to 325 degrees and let it heat up.
Step 2: Prepare the Meat, Moist it and Wrap it in a Foil
First, allow the leftover meat to rest at room temperature. If you put the meat directly from the refrigerator to reheat, you run the risk that the colder parts remain insufficiently warmed.
Preferably, set aside for 20 minutes and let the meat temper. Then, place brisket slices in a baking tray and add to it the baking sauce or leftover cooking juices you have. Cover everything well with aluminum foil to retain moisture. You can even put two layers of foil to be extra sure.
Step 3: Bake for 20 Minutes to One Hour
The reheating time will depend on whether your smoked brisket is already sliced or you are reheating the whole piece.
If you have sliced beef, the time will be approximately 20 minutes to half an hour. If you heat the entire piece, you will likely need to leave the brisket in the oven for 45 minutes or even an hour, depending on the size of the piece.
In any case, if you have a thermometer, you can easily check if the meat is ready. It should have an internal temperature of 160 degrees when sufficiently heated.
Warming Up Brisket With Sous Vide Method
Sous vide is a technique that perfectly preserves the moisture and juiciness of the meat you are heating. The downside is that it really takes a long time, and you have to be patient until the right temperature is reached.
So, if you are planning a fast warm-up, forget about sous vide. Otherwise, there are sous vide devices, and the process is much easier if you have one. But if you don’t have a machine and want to try the technique, a plain pot of water will do the trick.
Step 1: Let your Brisket Rest at Room Temperature
It is important to let your meat rest for a while at room temperature in order to achieve even heating. Also, if you have frozen your brisket, first, you have to defrost it, let it temper a bit, and then start reheating.
Step 2: Heat up the Water
Fill your sous vide machine or ordinary pot with water and let it heat up to 150 to160 degrees. Water should never be boiled. The water temperature should be maintained throughout the heating time.
Step 3: Seal up the Brisket in a Vacuum Bag
Vacuum-seal the plastic bag that you have placed your brisket in. You can add some gravy if you desire, but the sous vide technique will preserve moisture even without extra sauce.
The vacuum sealed bag must be of good quality and durable, so that, it does not burst during the heating process. The water must never come into contact with the meat.
Step 4: Put the Meat to Heat in Water
Put the meat in warm water and let it heat up. The brisket will be ready when it reaches the same temperature as water, which is 160 degrees. The time length itself will depend on how big the pieces are.
The process will be speeded up significantly if you cut the beef into slices first before putting it in the plastic wrap. You can also separate them into multiple bags if you have a lot of meat. After the meat is heated, take it out of the bag and serve.
Heating Up Leftover Brisket In An Air Fryer
An air fryer is a very reliable way to heat leftover brisket, but it has one significant drawback. Hot air has a high chance of drying out your meat, making it tough and unchewable.
If you imagined that this kitchen appliance would be able to heat your food in a few minutes, as is the case with other meals, we have to disappoint you again. There is no quick reheating of leftover brisket. Abandon that idea now.
Here are valuable tips on how to heat beef brisket in an air fryer to retain all its juiciness and tenderness.
Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer to 370 °F
You don’t need to turn on the air fryer to the maximum possible temperature, but a rather high 370 degrees will be necessary. As the heating lasts longer, you don’t want to further extend that time by lowering the temperature.
Step 2: Prepare the Meat, Moist it and Wrap it
The same advice applies as with other methods. Leave the meat to sit at room temperature before putting it on the heat. If you have frozen brisket leftovers, be sure to thaw them well first.
If you haven’t already, the key is to cut the brisket into slices. The meat is a large and compact piece, so the heating needs time to penetrate the meat’s core. It will be easier if you have slices.
Although it is possible just to lay the meat in a basket and heat it, you could risk everything drying out and becoming very hard and not at all juicy. So put each slice in a separate piece of aluminum foil. Inside, add beef broth or leftover juices you have and wrap them up. Arrange each piece nicely in the fryer basket.
Step 3: Cook for 15 to 20 Minutes
It will take at least 15 minutes for the meat to heat up, and even then, there is a good chance that it is not hot enough.
So turn on the air fryer for 15 or immediately for 20 minutes. After that, take out the meat and review if it is hot enough in the core. You can use a meat thermometer to check.
The temperature should be at least 160 degrees throughout the entire piece of meat. If more heating is needed, turn it back for an additional 5 minutes. When it is well heated, serve immediately.
FAQs
Can I reheat brisket in a microwave?
Sorry to disappoint you, but the result will not be good if you choose to nuke the brisket. The microwave will inevitably dry out the meat and make it unchewable. So, if you want a juicy beef, you have to take enough time to reheat it. There are no good quick solutions in this case.
Can I reheat the brisket in a slow cooker?
Yes, a slow cooker is a good way to reheat a brisket. The good thing is that you can put the meat to heat up and carelessly leave it without paying much attention. The bad thing is that it will take 4 hours to warm up your beef. We advise you to add sauces to the meat during the process, to preserve the juiciness of the meat.
How do you store brisket leftovers?
If you want to consume them in the next two or three days, you can put sliced brisket leftovers in the refrigerator. If you plan to eat them in just a few weeks, be sure to freeze them. The advice is to put a whole piece of meat in the fridge or freezer if you have the chance. That way, you will preserve the juiciness better.
Be sure to separately keep the sauce you have as well because you will need it for reheating.
Can you reheat brisket in boiling water?
Yes, you can reheat brisket in boiling water by placing the sealed or vacuum-sealed brisket in a pot of boiling water. This method, known as “boil-in-bag,” helps retain the meat’s moisture and prevents it from becoming dry during the reheating process.
Conclusion
As you could read in our tips, unfortunately, there are no quick methods to reheat brisket. Therefore, we advise you to give yourself enough time to prepare a quality lunch from the leftover beef you have. One of the more reliable and faster ways is using the oven, and you will surely get great results. This way, the meat will be delicious and juicy and will be best when served with these delicious brisket sides.
Tanja is great lover of healthy eating and lifestyle, she has been editing TV series about nutrition and health for years. She also engaged in food production in the family business, mainly focused on fruit processing without destroying vitamins and minerals. She believes that quality nutrition is one of the key ingredients of a happy and healthy life.
