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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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? 😝
Aldi now sell big ass lumps of brisket like you get from the butcher. It was a winner at our place 🙂
Yep!! And they are great every single time! Especially when we don’t want to cater for 20 million people and my husband buys a 10kg piece for his smoker
Hi Nagi!
Love, love, love your recipes! I struggle with this one as my brisket always turns out dry. I’ve followed the oven and slow cooker instructions and had a bit of better luck with the slow cooker. Any tips?
Thanks!
Really good recipe, and I love that it uses simple ingredients I already have in my pantry. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about is the sauce, too much apple cider vinegar for my taste, will adjust next time. I cooked my brisket in the crockpot on high for about 5 hours (forgot to do it in the morning on low heat). Served with coleslaw, potato salad and corn. Will make again!
Hi Nagi, I am cooking the beef brisket first time, in the oven. I notice the BBQ sauce ingredients in your website vs your book is 1/2 the amount. Which one do I follow?
Holy Moley this brisket is amazing. My first time making brisket and my family said it tasted just like brisket you get at a restaurant or pub. Hands down 10/10 and a must try. I had a 2 kg brisket and cooked it for 10 hrs in the slow cooker. Definitely a weekend dish to put on repeat. I served it with coleslaw and jacket potatoes with butter and cream cheese and it was a winner!!
I plan to make the brisket this week. It looks amazing! Is it possible to use beef tallow instead of an oil?
This looks great, but I’m a little afraid to try it! Does the sauce in this not burn in the crockpot? I’ve just about given up on anything containing sugars (natural or added), like are in both the rub and the sauce, because even on low, it always seems to burn in my crockpot. Any others have experience with this?
Is this the point or flat of the beef brisket? I got a flat but yours looks more substantial. Will the timing be the same for a flat? What is the internal temperature when cooked? Thanks so much!
Can you freeze leftover
The only sauce was good as written, but seemed to be missing something to me. A few drops of liquid smoke did the trick!
I’m sure this is a silly question but I’m going to ask it anyway. If I use a chuck roast instead of a brisket will this still be good? I’m trying to avoid the grocery store. Lol
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I have never made a brisket before, but your recipes are always so easy to follow.
I always buy a 2kg brisket and it is always completely devoured!! Teenage boys!!!
I usually smoke my brisket, but it’s cold outside and I didn’t want to fight it. So, I thought I would look for an inside brisket recipe.
Wowzas! This is absolutely delicious! The flavour is amazing and the texture is melt-in-your-mouth good. I have tried several recipes on this site and have enjoyed them all. This one, however, is my fav.
Thanks for a great way to keep the flavour without freezing my bottom off!
Tonight was my first time cooking Brisket and my husband raved it was one of the best briskets he’s ever eaten! It was moist, succulent and very tasty. We will definitely be cooking this again!
We just got done eating the brisket. I did the recipe exactly how it says.It was amazing. First time I made a brisket. Thank you.We had coleslaw and potatoe salad as sides.
Everyone enjoyed this! It was an extravagant Monday farm lunch. Made in the IP 80 minutes for 1.7kg natural release 1.5 hours because lunch was later than anticipated. I used Chuck and it was very tender. Served with Nagi Asian slaw and fresh baked bread
It’s a keeper. Thank you Nagi 👏
Love this , made it a few times now and family love it , with leftover sauce can you freeze it and use later ?
Thanks nagi.
Followed the recipe. Brisket came out really tasty and moist. However, the sauce never thickened up as described so I ended up adding arrowroot to it to thicken it. So, I never poured it over the brisket.
Just made this for my family and they all said it was The BEST Brisket EVER!! Even hubby has handed over the Brisket cooking reigns to me 😂.
I did everything the same for a 2kg brisket at 10hrs (I used the larger (point) half of the cut not the flat half), except found that after 6 hours, my cut of beef was ready to go into the oven. It even had the ‘jiggle’ factor going 😁.
So I recommend to always check your temperatures, as slow cookers vary …. and I’m so glad I did, even let it stand in the cooling oven for a couple of hours, as we were in the pool and were not ready for it, and it was perfect. Thanks Nagi for another fabulous recipe ❤️
I up scaled this recipe for a catering for camp 2 years ago. Rave reviews from everyone. A favourite meal that is on every menu I’ve planned since then if the budget will allow.
Just wondering would you still cook it for 10 hrs for a 7lb piece ?