25 Most Delicious Sides for Brisket

updated Apr 8, 2024
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Serving bowl of smashed potatoes with serving spoon on table. Bright blue tablecloth, some kosher salt in a small bowl, a plate with a serving of potatoes, and a bottle of wine and a glass of wine peeking in
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Andie McMahon

Beef brisket is one of those rare dishes that sits squarely between homey comfort food and sophisticated classic. It’s comfortable on a weeknight dinner table and as the centerpiece of a holiday feast. Beef brisket can be slow-roasted in the oven, set in the slow cooker, or braised in an Instant Pot, where it quickly becomes fall-apart tender. If you don’t have an outdoor smoker, you can still make delicious and tender Texas-style brisket in your oven.

Sure, there are a few mistakes to avoid when cooking brisket, but one of the trickiest parts can be deciding what to serve with brisket. It’s always tasty served with roasted potatoes or potato salad, but don’t forget the veggies! Crunchy cabbage slaws, roasted veggies, and tangy salads are all great choices.

We think choosing two to three sides from this list below can help you set the ideal table for a beef brisket dinner whether it falls on a Wednesday night or it happens a special occasion.

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Smashed Garlicky Potatoes

Potatoes are boiled then roasted to get a mixture of browned, super-crunchy bits and creamy spuds in every bite. They're a great side to serve with Sweet and Tangy Slow-Cooker Brisket.

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Air Fryer Green Beans

Air fryers are great for cooking green beans (fresh or frozen). This easy side dish can be personalized with your favorite spices and seasonings that you already have on hand in the pantry.

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Ginger Cabbage Slaw

Whip up this quick and simple slaw as a bright side to your slow-cooker brisket.

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Classic Potato Salad

Master the classic side dish made with tender red-skinned potatoes, crunchy celery, and hard-boiled eggs. It's the perfect side for smoked beef brisket.

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Vegetarian Baked Beans

Sweet and smoky baked beans is a classic side to serve with smoked brisket or oven-baked Texas-style brisket.

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Roasted Cauliflower Salad

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but salads are not just an assortment of raw vegetables! One of the most common misconceptions with salads is that you have to eat a little pile of leaves. This roasted cauliflower salad says otherwise.

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3-Ingredient Garlicky Red Potatoes

Thick chunks of red potatoes are tossed with a generous dusting of garlic powder, then finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon before they hit the table. Serve with Instant Pot Brisket for an easy meal with the family.

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Roasted Asparagus

Simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon, it’s the easiest way to prepare the spring vegetable as an easy side to slow-cooked brisket.

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Air Fryer Butternut Squash

For crispy and tender butternut squash in a fraction of the time, use your air fryer.

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Lemony Shaved Brussels Sprouts

It's a 10-minute side dish that's easy to serve alongside slow-cooked brisket.

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Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

Turn to your air fryer for this impossibly crispy and easy side dish.

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Avocado-Corn Salad

Fresh sweet corn, creamy avocado, and juicy tomatoes shine in this flavorful side dish for oven-baked Texas-style brisket.

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Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas

This wildly easy vegetable side dish comes together in less than 15 minutes. Pair it with Slow Cooker Brisket and Onions for a meal the whole family will love.

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Crash Hot Potatoes

This easy method for crispy smashed potatoes will be your new go-to side dish for beef brisket.

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Roasted Root Vegetables

A simple formula for roasting any mix of root vegetables — be it carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, or rutabagas.

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Cucumber Salad

Serve this bright and tangy salad alongside smoked brisket or oven-baked Texas-style brisket at your next barbecue!

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Make-Ahead Holiday Salad

Layer crunchy greens, sweet date-pickled onions, and crisp fried shallots up to a full day in advance for the ultimate make-ahead salad.

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Potato Pancakes

These super-crispy potato pancakes only need five ingredients.

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Ginger-Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

These roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes are gingery gems on a plate with classic beef brisket.

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Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

It only takes a handful of ingredients to turn this funky-looking root vegetable into a bursting-with-flavor veggie side.

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Classic Latkes

Admittedly, latkes are an extra-special side to make alongside brisket, given how labor-intensive they can be. We recommend putting your brisket in the slow cooker and picking easy vegetables. That will free you up to focus on making the most perfect, crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside latkes.

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Tzimmes

The Ashkenazi Jewish side dish tzimmes is a celebration of stewed root vegetables perfumed with orange and lightly sweetened with brown sugar and dried fruit.

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Fluffy Potato Kugel

Think of potato kugel as a little like a latke casserole. Grated potatoes and onions are folded with eggs and then baked until golden-brown. The top is crisp and the interior is tender and moist. It makes a generous side dish, ideal for serving a crowd alongside classic beef brisket.

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Italian Potato Salad

This mayo-free potato salad is made extra colorful thanks to green beans, cherry tomatoes, and lots of fresh herbs.

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