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? 😝
can I just cook it in the slow cooker or do i have to cook the rest of it in the oven?
Love your recipes! Just picked up sliced beef brisket from my local supermarket. I am not that familiar with this cut and am wondering if your Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce recipe would work with this cut. Any modifications suggested?
Nagi, thank you so so much for this recipe. I am usually hopeless in the kitchen and my family was so pleasantly surprised at how great this brisket turned out. I can’t wait for your book to be released here in Canada!
Made this twice in the oven now for a crowd. Was larger quantities, 5kg – 6 hours at 160C fan oven, and 7kg – nearly 7 hours at 160C fan oven. Roasted for 10mins at 200C to caramelise it. PERFECT both times!! 💯
Went through plenty of foil to keep it wrapped up. After caramelising I put it on a carving board with more foil & a towel wrapped over it & let it sit until I was ready with everything else, approx 1 hour. It passed the “pull test”😅
Hi Nagi, is there tips how to prevent bbq sauce from burnt taste? After i reduce it on sauce pan, it tastes burnt
The brisket was beautifully tender and flavorful, however we found the sauce way too sweet, even after leaving out most of the sugar (due to all the sugar in the ketchup). The second time I made it I left out all the sugar and half the ketchup and used a can of passata instead, and it was perfect.
Omg Nagi, this is a vegetarians worst nightmare. Big bold meaty flavours in a fantastic BBQ sauce.
How something so delicious can be made so easily.
The aromas during the cooking made the neighbours soooo envious.
An absolute winner, thanks Nagi
Made the beef brisket in bbq sauce. What a wonderful recipe!!! Full of flavour and meat just falls apart. Will definitely make again YUMMO
I am planning on slow cooking my brisket. However, I accidentally marinated for 24 hours as I figured I had the time. Obviously I did not read your instructions correctly. Is it okay to still cook the brisket in the slow cooker for the recommended 8 hrs? Thank you!
Genius recipe! So easy to make and so delicious! I would reduce the sugar (both in the rub and the sauce) the next round because my kid complained it was too sweet (but I loved it). Also, instead of putting it into the oven after slow-cooking I used a blowtorch to char the surface, which added a nice smoky fragrance and didn’t dry out the meat.
There was no mention of letting the brisket rest, which is an important step. Based on other comments it served up well though. How long did you wait before slicing?
The flavour of the sauce was amazing with a nice tang. The brisket was fall apart tender taking it out of the slow cooker, however, the oven cooking made it dry and firm essentially ruining it. If I were to do this again I would quickly grill/broil to achieve the caramelisation rather than continuing to cook in the oven
The flavours were fantastic. The meat held together and has a great texture but was still tender. Everyone loved it . Thanks for another great recipe.
This brisket is great. I have tried a few times to make brisket but this recipe is the only one that turned out for me. The brisket is delicious. Thank you for sharing:)
Hey, how long should I cook this if I half all the ingredients? 1/2 the time as well? Thanks!
Wonderful recipe. The sauce was so tangy and full of flavor… I slow cooked this recipe for 8 hours on low, and rather than basting it in the oven for the extra half hour, I baked it for 15 minutes until it was thick and gooey on top and then shredded it entirely. I reduced the sauce in a pan and slowly spooned it onto the meat to get it juicy (until it couldn’t hold any more sauce within the meat). Delish… served with homemade coleslaw and curly fries (dipped the fries in left over sauce too… so good)
I’ve made this recipe twice – first time followed the recipe implicitly and was a huge success. The second time was for Christmas lunch. I gave the brisket 2 days ‘resting’ in the rub and then slow cooked it for 12 hours in the smoker with apple chips, rested for 3 hours in an esky and reduced the BBC sauce. A huge hit !
How long should I cook a 6.9 pound brisket for in a slow cooker?
Just in case I can’t fit my 6.9 pound brisket in the slow cooker, how long should I do it in the oven?
I have a 6.9 pound brisket. I want to do it in the slow cooker so about how long should I cook it for?
Just made the brisket Tonight, it was delicious. Only problem was there wasn’t enough.
Definitely keeping this recipe for future use. Thank you 😊