App First Foods® Database Gift Toddlers Book

Beef Brisket

Meat

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Yes

Common Allergen

a slab of brisket before being cooked for babies starting solids

When can babies have brisket?

Brisket, when well-cooked, may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. For information on different cuts and preparations of beef, check out ground beef and steak.

Brisket is a cut of beef from the front of the cow. Whole brisket contains two portions of meat separated by a layer of fat, though it is often sold in cuts: the flat cut (also called the first cut) and the point cut (or second cut). The flat cut is leaner, while the point cut is marbled with fat. Both cuts are naturally tough, and hundreds of years of culinary experimentation have resulted in a range of cooking methods to make it so tender that it falls apart. Brisket can be braised, boiled, grilled, smoked, or stewed, and it is used across cultures, including barbecue of the American South, corned beef of the United Kingdom, pot roasts of Eastern Europe, and phở of Vietnam.

How do you serve brisket to babies?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

a Solid Starts infographic with the header "How to Cut Brisket for Babies": strips for 6-8 mos, shreds for 9 mos+, and bite-sized pieces for 12 months+

6 months old +:

Serve strips of brisket that are approximately the width and length of two adult fingers pressed together. Baby will mostly just suck and munch on the meat, and may not consume much, and that’s okay. Serving brisket in a sauce, not dry, can make it easier to manage in the mouth. If a big piece tears off in baby’s mouth, take a deep breath, stay calm, and give the child a chance to work with the food. Do not place your fingers in baby’s mouth, as this can push food back further in the throat and increase the risk of choking. In most cases, if the piece of food is too big, babies spit it out or the gag reflex helps thrust it forward and out of the mouth.

9 months old +:

Serve finely chopped or shreds of brisket on their own for baby to practice picking up with their pincer grasp, or mixed into other foods, such as mashed plantains, potatoes, or soft grain dishes like congee or polenta. Let baby get messy by scooping with hands, or offer a pre-loaded spoon to introduce utensils. Alternatively, keep serving long strips of brisket for baby to practice taking bites from.

12 months old +:

Continue with finely chopped or shredded brisket, or serve brisket chopped in larger pieces to pick up with a utensil. When you go back up in size to larger pieces, expect spitting: toddlers often spit meat out at this age if they feel they cannot chew it.

Videos

Eunoia, 7 months, eats shredded brisket

Cooper, 11 months, eats shredded brisket

Broly, 14 months, eats shredded beef brisket.

Is brisket a choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Meat like brisket can be firm and challenging to chew, which are qualities that increase the risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve brisket in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Is brisket a common allergen?

No. Brisket, as a form of beef, is not a common food allergen, although allergic reactions to beef have been reported. Certain tick bites (mainly the Lone Star tick in the continental United States, but other ticks in different parts of the world), are associated with the development of an allergy to galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (“alpha gal”), a sugar which is present in all non-primate mammalian meat. This results in a delayed allergic reaction 3-8 hours after red meat, such as beef, is consumed. However, some individuals with alpha gal allergy also react to small amounts of the sugar present in dairy products, gelatin, or organ tissues (such as liver) from mammals. Alpha gal allergy is more prevalent in the southeastern United States, but is starting to become more common in other areas as the geographic distribution of the Lone Star tick expands. While uncommon, individuals with a dairy allergy may also have a slightly increased risk of being sensitive to beef. However, studies suggest that in individuals with confirmed allergy to beef, a large percentage are also allergic to cow’s milk.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity for the first few servings and watch closely as baby eats. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the serving size over time.

Is brisket healthy for babies?

Yes. Brisket is rich in protein and fat, as well as iron, zinc, selenium, choline, and vitamin B6. Together, these nutrients support growth, brain development, energy to play and explore, healthy red blood cells, taste perception, immune health, hormone function, metabolic processes, and more. Babies need increasing amounts of iron starting at the 6-month mark, when their reserves become depleted, and brisket offers a great source of dietary iron at this stage of baby’s life.