Posted on
by 
11 Comments This brisket salad is one of those recipes that’s absolutely worth the wait. The brisket slowly cooks in a rich tomato and spice sauce until it’s so tender you can pull it apart with two forks. Combined with crisp romaine lettuce, sweet roasted corn, black beans, juicy tomatoes and a creamy avocado dressing, it makes a hearty salad that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.
I first fell in love with this kind of salad while living in Los Angeles. Local diners often serve generous Mexican-inspired salads topped with slow-cooked brisket, and after ordering it one too many times, I knew I had to recreate it at home. The result? I honestly don’t miss the restaurant version anymore!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Salad
This isn’t your average green salad. The combination of fresh vegetables with melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef makes it filling enough for dinner while still packing in plenty of vegetables. It’s also a great recipe to prepare ahead, as the brisket tastes even better the next day.
The recipe is originally from Ellen from in My Red Kitchen.
Recipe Ingredients
For making the brisket you will need the following ingredients. Make sure to check the exact ingredients in the recipe card below
- Brisket – the perfect cut for slow cooking. Chuck roast also works if brisket isn’t available.
- Tomato sauce – creates a rich cooking sauce while keeping the meat juicy.
- Dried herbs and spices – onion, parsley, turmeric, celery salt, sea salt and black pepper give the beef plenty of flavor.
For the salad:
- Cheddar cheese – optional, but highly recommended. Cotija or feta are delicious alternatives.
- Romaine lettuce – provides a crisp base. Little Gem or iceberg lettuce are good alternatives.
- Roasted corn – fresh, frozen or canned all work well.
- Black beans – add fibre and make the salad even more filling. Kidney beans are another good option.
- Cherry tomatoes – for freshness and sweetness.
- Avocado dressing – creamy and full of flavour. A cilantro-lime dressing also works well.
How To Make Brisket Salad
- Place the brisket in an oven dish.
- Mix the tomato sauce with all the herbs and spices and spread over the meat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Cover the dish with foil and cook the brisket for about 6 hours until it easily pulls apart with two forks.
- Remove the meat from the oven and shred or slice it.
- Toss the romaine lettuce with the roasted corn, black beans and cherry tomatoes.
- Add the avocado dressing and mix well.
- Divide the salad over bowls, top with the shredded brisket and finish with grated cheddar.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store the brisket separately from the salad for up to 4 days. Assemble the salad just before serving to keep everything crisp.
Freezer: The cooked brisket freezes very well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat before serving. The salad itself is not suitable for freezing.
FAQ Brisket Salad
Yes! In fact, it’s even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop. Also the whole preparation of the brisket takes a lot of time so you will have to make the brisket in advance.
Chuck roast is an excellent alternative and also becomes beautifully tender after slow cooking.
Absolutely. Skip the cheese or use less dressing while keeping all the vegetables for a lighter version.
Definitely. The shredded beef is also delicious in tacos, burritos, wraps or on baked potatoes.
Other Ways to Use Shredded Brisket
Making a whole brisket takes a little patience, but the good news is that you’ll have plenty left over. And trust me – you won’t mind! The tender shredded beef is incredibly versatile and makes meal prep for the next few days a breeze.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use leftover brisket:
- Tacos – Fill warm tortillas with brisket, avocado, pickled onions and a squeeze of lime.
- Loaded nachos – Scatter the meat over tortilla chips with cheese, black beans and jalapeños, then bake until bubbly.
- Sandwiches or burgers – Pile the brisket onto a toasted bun with coleslaw and your favourite BBQ sauce.
- Burrito bowls – Serve with rice, grilled vegetables, corn, black beans and avocado for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Stuffed baked potatoes – Top a fluffy baked potato with shredded brisket, cheddar and sour cream.
- Quesadillas – Add brisket and cheese between two tortillas and toast until golden and crispy.
- Pizza topping – Use it on a homemade pizza with red onion, mozzarella and a drizzle of barbecue sauce.
Because the beef is cooked so slowly, it stays wonderfully juicy when reheated, making it perfect for quick lunches and easy dinners throughout the week.
If you want to know how to prepare a brisket in a smoker? Check out this post.
More Summer Favorites
Crunchy and delicious coconut lime shrimps recipe
How To Make a Porchetta Recipe (Italian pork roast)
Brisket Salad with Shredded Beef
Ingredients
Shredded beef
- 2 lbs brisket
- 1 14 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp dried onions
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Salad
- 2 heads of Romaine shredded
- 1 cup corn roasted
- 1 14 oz can black beans rinsed
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes sliced
- ½ serving [Avocado salad dressing|
- grated cheddar to taste
Instructions
- Place the brisket in a oven dish.
- Mix the tomato sauce with the spices and dried herbs and spread it out over the brisket. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) and bake the brisket for 6 hours, covered with aluminum foil until the brisket is all soft and tender and delicious. You can carefully flip over the brisket after 3 hours of cooking time, but this isn’t necessary. You can test if the brisket is ready by pulling it apart with two forks. If it feels moist and tender and separates easily, it is ready. If you feel some resistant, place it back in the oven and bake for at least 45 minutes (and max 2 hours).
- Place the meat on a cutting board when it’s ready. Slice it with a sharp knife, you will also see it falls apart easily. That’s what you want!
- Make the salad by tossing the romaine with the corn, tomatoes, black beans and onion.
- Add the avocado salad dressing and stir to combine.
- Add grated cheddar to taste en serve the salad on deep plates or in wide bowls. Divide the shredded beef on top and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
In the past, we also used to enjoy dining out every weekend and occasionally even multiple times during the week. However, due to the soaring prices of restaurant meals nowadays, it has become too expensive for us to continue this habit. On a positive note, though, this situation has motivated me to improve my cooking skills 🙂 Yesterday, I decided to try making this Brisket salad for the first time ever. To my delight, it turned out absolutely delicious! The only modification I made was omitting turmeric from the recipe because I didn’t have any at home. Although I briefly considered substituting saffron instead, in the end, I decided against it. It would be great to explore more recipes similar to this one 🙂
I stumbled across your site, loved your blog (the first food blog with a recipe I have bothered to read, I normally scroll down!) This recipe is exactly what I am looking for and I’m going to do it for friends tomorrow… I think I might add a bit of choula sauce 🙂
Thanks … I’ve booked marked you for another read of your site 🙂
That’s a nice hearty salad. I am drooling over the brisket!
Thanks Thao… Can’t wait to make it myself.. 😉
Oh yes, that looks utterly divine!
Janie x
I would have to agree on that one… 😉
Simone! When did you move to LA?? Are you there permanently?
The dish looks scrumptious!
O lol Magda… I’m still in Holland. This is a guestblog by Ellen who did move to LA!
Haha I didn’t realize it! Good to have you still in NL 🙂
Looks amazing! What kind of cut should i search for in the supermarket in the netherlands?
That would best be “klapstuk” It’s quite an old fashioned piece of meat but the butchers should know how it is called these days.. 😉