To-die-for Beef Brisket that really makes the most out of this cut of beef! This Slow Cooker brisket is cooked in a simple homemade BBQ sauce until it’s deliciously tender and infused with incredible flavour. Serve with a side of Coleslaw or Macaroni Salad and steamed corn. Or pile high onto rolls and make sliders!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Beef Brisket recipe!
I really am not a girls’ girl when it comes to food. I don’t gaze in wonder at stunningly decorated multi-tier cakes. I don’t ooh and aah over pretty little chocolates. I have no interest in learning how to make candy.
But I do go gah-gah over sights like this – a giant hunk of flavour loaded brisket.
I’m all class. All class. 😂
Cooking brisket – in brief
What is brisket? A cut of beef that needs to be cooked slowly to break down the connective tissues. The unique thing about this cut of beef is that it can be slow cooked so it’s fork tender, yet is still sliceable. It also has a better beefy flavour compared to other slow cooking beef cuts like chuck.
Is there another name for brisket? There’s no other name for raw brisket, that is the name of the cut. But you will see it sold in stores already prepared in the form of corned beef, pastrami and silverside which is brisket that’s been brined.
What cut of meat is similar to brisket? There is no cut of beef with the same cooking qualities. For this recipe, the best substitute for beef brisket is rolled chuck, like you use for Pot Roast. Otherwise, try the Beef Ribs or Pork Ribs version of this recipe – both terrific!
How long does it take to cook? 8 to 10 hours in the slow cooker on low, 1 hr 15 minutes in a pressure cooker, or 5 hours in the oven at 320F/160C.
Is brisket supposed to be pink? No. Cooked plain brisket should not be pink, if it is, it is massively undercooked and will be tough. You cannot eat brisket rare. HOWEVER, pastrami and corned beef are pink even after cooking due to the special curing salt they use (like bacon).
How to make slow cooker Beef Brisket
It’s a straight forward beef brisket recipe though there is a fairly long list of spices because we’re making a homemade rub and homemade BBQ Sauce here. Totally worth it – there’s no bottled sauce that compares to this!
Spice Mix – We start off with a spice rub. No need to marinate because we’re slow cooking it – the long cook time essentially has the same effect as marinating. If we were roasting it, I’d recommend marinating it.
Slow Cook – place the ingredients for the homemade BBQ Sauce in the slow cooker (vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and spices), add the beef and leave to slow cook for 8 to 10 hours.
Caramelise crust – After this, all that’s required is a few minutes in a hot oven (or even under the grill/broiler) to caramelise the crust;
Reduce sauce – Meanwhile, simmer the liquid in the slow cooker to reduce it down to a syrupy sauce consistency <– This right here is our homemade BBQ Sauce!
What is beef brisket?
Brisket is a cut of beef made for slow cooking, not fast cooking. It’s unique characteristic compared to other slow cooking cuts of beef is that it holds its shape even after hours and hours of slow cooking and can be sliced.
When you slow cook other cuts of slow cooking cuts of beef like chuck (like in Beef Stew), gravy beef (an Australian beef cut) and short ribs, they “fall apart easily because there is more connective tissues running throughout the meat which breakdown with slow cooking.
However, as you can see in the photos in this post, brisket holds together and can be sliced. But the slices are ultra tender and could be shredded easily, see? 🙂
Is brisket suitable for shredding?
Brisket does shred well, but I prefer using chuck beef or ribs for shredding for recipes like slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu, Shredded Beef Chili and Shredded Mexican Beef.
Those cuts have more fat running through the meat and so the shredded pieces are nice and juicy. Though brisket has a layer of fat on the surface, there actually is not that much fat or connective tissues running through it, so if you shred it then it’s pretty lean.
What to serve with beef brisket
For this particular recipe, I’m keeping this Slow Cooker Beef Brisket whole and slicing it. Serve up a hearty Southern style supper with sides of Homemade Southern Style Baked Beans, Corn Bread (or try my favourite Corn Bread Muffins!), Creamy Corn Casserole, classic creamy Coleslaw or this No Mayo Coleslaw (it’s excellent!), Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad or mashed potato.
Or pile it onto sliders – this is the way I usually serve it because brisket is a perfect recipe for feeding a crowd! – Nagi xx
MORE GREAT THINGS TO PILE ONTO SLIDERS
• Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Shredded Chicken
• Easy Homemade Pastrami
• Chili – and Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Chili
• Cubanos (Cuban Subs with Mojo Marinated Pork, from the “Chef” movie)
• Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork Sliders
PS If you love beef, don’t miss this Beef Pot Roast and Prime Rib / Standing Rib Roast recipes!
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb beef brisket (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or a neutral oil like vegetable, canola)
Rub:
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
BBQ Sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml ketchup
- 1/2 cup / 110g brown sugar , packed
- 2 tsp EACH black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste re: spiciness)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Mix Rub ingredients. Rub all over brisket. If time permits, leave for 30 minutes – 24 hours in the fridge, but I rarely do this.
- Combine BBQ Sauce ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix then add the brisket – squish it in if needed, like I did (see video).
- Slow cook in slow cooker for 8 hours (1.5 kg / 3 lb) to 10 hours (2 kg / 4 lb). (Note 2 for pressure cooker and click here for oven)
- Remove brisket onto a tray.
- Pour liquid in slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat and reduce until it thickens to a syrup consistency (it thickens more as it cools).
- Meanwhile, drizzle brisket with oil then roast in a 200C/390F oven for 15 minutes until brown spots appear. Remove then baste generously with Sauce, then return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove and baste again, then return to oven for 5 – 10 minutes until it caramelises and looks like the photos. (See note for BBQ option)
- TO SERVE: Slice brisket thinly across the grain and serve with remaining BBQ Sauce. This is terrific served as a meal with sides or piled high onto rolls with Coleslaw as sliders. See Note 3 for more ideas.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Brisket recipe originally published July 2017. Updated to improve writing, and created separate recipe card for oven baked brisket directions. No change to recipe – much loved by readers as is, I wouldn’t dare!
Life Of Dozer
So. Much. Sand.
Anyone for a puppy kiss? 😝
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes & I’ve got a stack of printed recipes on top of my fridge from your wonderful website. I also have your first book & I’m hoping that someone buys me the new one for my birthday (which is next Tuesday). But I have to tell you, that Silverside & Brisket aren’t the same cut of beef. My father was a butcher & I could tie sausages from age 10. The best way to prepare silverside is brined or brined & smoked, (think Rueben sandwich) … I love your work. I hope Dozer is strong & staying on the diet.. We have a 12 year old border collie who thinks she’s a labrador/golden retriever – all she thinks about is food. I am very soft when it comes to a sad look that says: “can I have a treat?”
Any reason why the online recipe vs the cookbook one have very different amounts of sauce? The recipe and instructions are the same, and both are for 1.5-2kg brisket, but the cookbook calls for double the sauce ingredients. Given all the sauce goes into the slow cooker at the start, seems like this would have an impact. Thanks.
Thank you Nagi I’ve been wanting to try a slow cooked brisket for so long but it terrified me . But your recipe was easy to follow and turned out perfect may family loved it so much my husband licked his plate clean ♥
Not so sure about the cook times. I did 8 hours in a crock pot and it was pretty well done. Can’t imagine cooking it more. It’s delicious though. I rarely repeat recipes from one week to the next but this one is SUPER yummy. I put the brisket on pita bread with a skosh of garlic hummus. It’s like crack!
I just did a 1.5lb for 6hrs + the oven bits and it’s tough as nails 🥺. This is about the 8th brisket I tried and nearly all end up the same. I’m thinking 4.5hr might be sufficient for 1.5lb?
I have a 9 lb brisket. Would the cooktime in a slowcooker be the same?
Holy COW! (pun intended) I found a brisket at my grocer for 50% off (which they are quite often, I have just never knew what to do with it?!?) and in the economical climate in Canada, I couldn’t resist. So I google a recipe and here I am. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. My family and I were completely floored by how good this turned out. I did it in the slow cooker and we finished it on the Big Green Egg. The BBQ sauce is ridiculously good (I ran out of onion powder on the rub so used fresh onion) and I will be using it on my BBQ chicken this weekend, it’s THAT good. Honestly the best brisket I have ever had. We served it on fresh dinner rolls with homemade cole slaw. Chef’s Kiss! Bravo.
Wow, so good! The family loved it. Turned out so tender.
I halved the sugar in the sauce and it was still sweet enough for my taste.
Had this for dinner tonight! The meat was so soft and the sauce was amazing! Thanks Nagy.
How long does the BBQ sauce keep? I have lots left 😃
Mine is in the slow cooker now the sauce is so tangy Im worried I followed the recipe book which is twice the BBQ sauce for the same amount of meat in the recipe on the website and cookbook. The cookbook sauce is double the amount of the ingredients on the website recipe 😢
Super yum. I’d never made brisket before because I don’t own a smoker… and boy oh boy am I going to make this again! Thanks Nagi, for making my food dreams come true!
Oh, and I didn’t include the sugar in the rub, and replaced the sugar in the sauce with honey… worked great!
Super yum. I’d never made brisket before because I don’t own a smoker… and boy oh boy am I going to make this again! Thanks Nagi, for making my food dreams come true!
Oh, and I didn’t include the sugar in the rub, and replaced the sugar with honey… worked great!
Super yum. I’d never made brisket before because I don’t own a smoker… and boy oh boy am I going to make this again! Thanks Nagi, for making my food dreams come true!
Trying the Brisket right now it sims to really be good after I finish cooking it Thank you
Hi Nagi. I’m a big fan and cook many of your recipes. On Monday I cooked your 12 hour lamb shoulder roast and it was wonderful. It inspired me to buy a brisket to do the same thing. Then I thought I’d check to see if you had a slow cook brisket recipe, which of course you do. I was surprised though that the lamb recipe was 12 hours at 110C in an oven and the brisket was 160C for 5 to 6 hours in an oven. I thought they would be about the same. Are you able to explain why there’s such a difference?
Hi, Im all ready to make this for visiting family in 2 days. How would it go with cauliflower cheese and roast veg on the side, do you think? 🙂
I made this (again), and it was awesome (again). I served it with pasta, simply because my partner had made a batch of pasta this afternoon, and though it sounds weird the shredded meat and sauce was absolutely sublime mixed with fettuccine.
Best brisket.. melt in your mouth. I will turn it half way to stop parts drying out next time. Just delicious, thank you!!!
I made this last night which was ideal for a cold stormy night in Auckland. Don’t normally use this cut of meat, but it was delicious. Served it with roast vegetables.Absolutely love your website with the videos, clear instructions and notes. Best food website.
In my comment my rating showed 4 but it was meant to be 5!!
This was my first time of cooking a brisket and what a tasty meal it was. Accompanied with a red Shiraz this brisket was cooked in a slow cooker for at least 7 hours (like a previous reviewer, 5 hours it was ready but I let it go longer). After the oven procedure I actually used the grill for the last 5 minutes just to get the real caramelisation! Served with mashed swede and potato with carrots and brussel sprouts. The sauce was delicious and have another meal ready for tomorrow! Thank you Nagi for such a tasty recipe. P.S. love Dozer!
I pressure cooked this with onion, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot in with the brisket, then stirred them into the sauce, then some rice for 15 minutes, thickened it up and yummo, winter food.