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? 😝
Made in the crockpot and was delicious. Question how long to cook an 8 pound brisket in the oven? And an 11 pound brisket in the oven?
Have you tried to freeze leftovers? Wondering if it would defrost okay so I can remake a batch before we go camping
This is my 5th time making this BBQ brisket this fall. We have yet to put it on a roll, but plan to do that. Finishing it on the grill sends it to the next stratisphere. So delicious even before grilling it. Have made it in the instant pot every time, and put in more broth than called for to cover the meat. It’s so tender. Thanks!!
I just made this and it took 1 hour and 15 minutes in the pressure cooker, then I followed the directions for the rest in the oven. It was fantastic! The only thing I will do differently next time (I have 1.5kg of brisket meat still in the freezer after halving it) is to remove a little more of the fat. I was concerned it would affect the flavour, as we all know fat means flavour, but I doubt it will make a difference. I was concerned my partner was going to eat the lot, he loved it so much, but he did leave 1/4 for the next day.
Definitely a keeper recipe!
A crowd favorite for Thanksgiving. This was my first time making brisket and this recipe was pretty straightforward. I forgot to oil the meat before transferring to the oven, so it stuck to the pan a little, but was very moist and bbq sauce was just the right amount of sweet and tang.
Made this last Thanksgiving and making it again by request for this year’s!❤️Delicious! I love your recipes. Enjoyable and straightforward with cooking options! Also, recently tried the pork carnitas- yummy and great as leftovers!
Amazing flavours, recipie easy to follow, looking forward to the left overs.
Made the ‘make ahead’ version of this recipe and it was fantastic.
Putting the brisket and sauce in the fridge overnight after cooking 6 hours on high in the crockpot, allowed the fat in the sauce to solidify, making it easy to remove the next day.
My brisket was 4.5#.
The recipe was so good. The sauce was amazing. We served it with a salad and salt potatoes. We had so much left over, we’re inviting friends over for brisket sandwiches and home fries.
Which method would be best oven or slow cooker? I’m thinking about making this for Thanksgiving.
This was delicious, I’d double the amount of rub next time. The BBQ sause came out perfect. Served with coleslaw and buns.
Excellent recipe, followed exactly. Meat was tender as butter and sauce had just the right amount of heat.
Excellent recipe, followed exactly. Meat was tender as butter and sauce had just the right amount of heat.
Made this exactly as you said and turned out SO delicious. everyone loved it. absolute five stars.
made this a couple times now brilliant Thanks Nagi
The sauce is a Texas style bbq there is so much we saved leftover and used to marinate pork ribs cooked in oven beautiful Thanks again your recipes are always a go to when trying something new
My husband LOVED this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing, Nagi and Dozer! This will be in our dinner rotation for sure!
Hi Nagi, We loved this recipe, absolutely delicious! Only 2 of us so halved the recipe, putting the rest in the freezer 😊
Our brisket was 3.65 pounds and was overcooked at 9 hours. It shredded all up when we tried to slice it. It was still tasty luckily. We used store bought bbq sauce when the homemade sauce from the crockpot wouldn’t thicken.
delicious but without all that sugar! I omitted all the sugar in the BBQ sauce, only used 1/2 cup honey-sweetened ketchup because that’s all I had and then added small can tomato paste and sweetened that with just 1.5 T maple syrup. It came out perfectly sweet for us. There was lots of leftover sauce to make two more briskets!
This was FABULOUS! I did it in the pressure cooker and the flavour was so good. Have marked this to cook again.
I am making brisket for Canadian Thanksgiving and wondered if I could use smoked paprika in the rub and add liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce?