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? 😝
This was ridiculously amazing!! Will be a family staple for sure
Do you need to sear the beef brisket first?
So so good! My husband LOVED it. Another excellent recipe Nagi.
Love this recipe! Have made this brisket a few times now and always have left over sauce even when i cooked a 2.6kg brisket, so not sure why in the cookbook the sauce ingredients are doubled, I ended writing over the amounts in my cookbook to reflect the recipe on the website.
Love all your recipes, the flavours are always just right, thanks Nagi.
Wow! I made this for tonight’s dinner served in rolls with coleslaw with a side of fried potatoes and a green salad. It was awesome! Family loved it!
Thank you Nagi for making it possible for me to make a brisket too! YES! Followed the recipe for a 4lb brisket with one of our favorite sauces, and it was so tender and so good. Finishing it in the oven gave it a little bark and extra flavor. We served it sandwich style stacked on sweet slaw. Fabulous!
Does anyone know how long this BBQ sauce will keep in the fridge for?
Hi Jason, I know your comment is as old one but we had so much left over sauce that we froze it in small glass jars and grab a jar out every now again. Once defrosted, ours keep for about 5 days in the fridge… well thats how long they last before we finish them anyway!
Hi Lauren. Thanks for replying. Much appreciated! I’ll do that next time.
Hey Nagi! I have a “Rolled” beef brisket roast. Do you recommend keeping it rolled or should I unroll for this recipe? Planning to cook it tomorrow. Thanks!
This is an absolute winner! Cooked it for Sunday lunch with the family and not a scrap left. My son even took home the leftover sauce. Well done Nagi!
Made this yesterday for Sunday dinner. Followed the recipe in the cookbook for the most part. The spice level with 1t cayenne was perfect. Have a ton of sauce leftover. Planning to save for BBQ shredded pork. The sauce was amazing. Restaurant quality IMO.
*interesting point that someone made below that cookbook sauce is 2x. I like having extra but for some it might be wasteful.
This was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I made this today using my “Instant Pot” in the SLOW COOKER mode, High setting, 3 lb. brisket for 4 hours.
Made today! First time making a brisket cut and your recipe was easy and delicious. Curious if I can freeze leftovers?
The brisket was next level! Not difficult either. Adore the BBQ sauce. Thank you for a wonderfully easy, tasty recipe.
fantastic recipe and loved the easy step by step instructions….. I plan to put this on my meal rotation….
About to make your BBQ Brisket and we were wondering if it would add favor to sear the meat before we put in the slow cooker.
Any reason why mine turned out stringy more like a roast not like slices as you show in your vid
I made this tonight. Wow what a flavour bomb. Cooked my 800gm piece of brisket for 5 hrs. Served with potato chunks cooked in oil, corn on cob and my coleslaw. Another of your numerous recipes I have made and love. Thank you Nagi and Dozer❤️
Can I do this with a whole chook?
Delicious! I recommend doing the “make ahead” recipe. This allows you to skim off most of the fat before using the sauce for basting and saucing. So good!
I made this to exact recipe. Sauce never thickened. So tried to do cornstarch, still didn’t thicken. However I did have to use Splenda brown sugar. Yes my other half is a type 2 diabetic. So I am sure that the sugar free ketchup I used did not help. Cornstarch did not help either. But brisket did taste great. Wish we had more type 2 recipes.