Brisket is a staple in American culture, particularly in the Southern states. It's a cut of meat from the lower chest of the cow, and it's often seasoned with a dry rub and smoked.

But is brisket healthy or not? Does it depend on how it's prepared? And does the sourcing matter? 

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical research to give our take on whether or not brisket is healthy.

We'll share our thoughts on the healthiest way to prepare brisket, and discuss whether or not sourcing and certifications like USDA Organic really matter in terms of the healthiness.

Key takeaways:

• Brisket is rich in vitamins and minerals
• Non-smoked brisket is healthier than smoked brisket
• We consider brisket from grass-fed cows to be healthy

Is Brisket Itself Healthy?

Before discussing preparation and sourcing, let's quickly overview the nutritional benefits of beef brisket.

Brisket is a leaner cut of meat than some other cuts like ribeye, which means it's higher in protein per-serving. 

Higher marginal protein intake may be associated

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with improved physical strength and performance in older adults.

Beef is one of the nutritionally richest foods available.

A medical review published in the Nutrients journal reported that beef consumers had higher blood levels of calcium, phosphorous, potassium, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc than non-consumers.

We consider all whole foods to be healthy options in the context of a balanced diet, so we consider brisket itself to be healthy, given that it's rich in nutrients and unprocessed.

Is Grass-Fed Brisket Healthier?

We consider grass-fed brisket (and all cuts of grass-fed meat) to be healthier than brisket from conventionally-raised animals.

Grass-fed cuts have a more optimal fatty acid ratio than cuts of meat from conventionally raised animals, as we documented in our Butcher Box review article.

This means that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which is associated with inflammation in the body, will be more optimal in grass-fed brisket.

A medical review published in the Nutrition Journal also documents how grass-fed beef is richer in "cancer-fighting" antioxidants like glutathione than grain-fed beef.

We Tried Brisket Ourselves

As the author of this article, I wanted to incorporate brisket into a healthy meal myself to try it.

I've actually never eaten brisket before; I usually purchase ground beef because it's cheaper and more convenient.

I bought nearly a pound of brisket from my local Whole Foods and cooked it in a crock pot for five hours with salt and pepper.

The taste and flavor was a lot better than the ground beef I usually get: there was a thicker, more meaty and tender texture, and the crock pot cooked it perfectly.

I ate the brisket by itself first, but then had some fruits and vegetables after to make a balanced meal.

There was no grass-fed brisket available at my local Whole Foods. If there were, I would probably buy this once in a while to mix it up. But I plan to stick to exclusively grass-fed meat moving forward, for health reasons.

What's the Healthiest Way to Prepare Brisket?

Although smoking seems to be the most common way to prepare brisket, it's not the healthiest.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, smoked meat intake is associated with a higher risk of cancer (presumably on a dose-dependent basis).

This is because the process of smoking meat creates carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the extreme high-temperature processing.

A 2022 medical review reported that boiling, pan-frying and roasting were associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes compared to other methods of cooking meat.

This is likely due to the lower temperatures used, which suggests steaming may be an equally good option.

Adding marinades, spices and herbs can make brisket even healthier, because these compounds can have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as we documented in our article on Indian spices.

Pan-frying a grass-fed brisket and using spices, herbs and marinades is the healthiest way to prepare brisket in our opinion.

Healthy Brisket Dry Rub Recipe

A YouTube creator named "Hip Hip Gourmet" has a video with a brisket dry rub recipe that looks tasty and is rich in nutrition and antioxidants:

Conclusion

Brisket, like all animal meat, can be a nutritious and healthy option when prepared the right way.

Red meat is particularly rich in iron and B-vitamins, so unless someone is avoiding it for religious or moral reasons, there's no reason to avoid it (in moderation) for health reasons in our opinion.

Grass-fed brisket will be healthier than grain-fed brisket due to the improved antioxidant and fatty acid profile.

Cooking brisket on a pan at medium temperatures will be healthier than smoking it at high temperatures.

Using plenty of herbs, spices and marinade will further boost the health benefits of brisket, by adding micronutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds.