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? 😝
I love your recipes and was wondering what to do with a piece of brisket I had. Just made this today and it was so tasty and just melted in your mouth. Best sliders ever!
YUM! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! N x
Made this for Mother’s Day with mac and cheese. It was amazing. Meat fell apart and tasted great. The BBQ sauce is also amazing but is very strong (well was for me) so would taste before lathering on. Had some sauce left and froze in ice cube tray to use for burger marinade/baste. Will defo be making again!!!
Hey I was wondering what you would recommend to put on the brisket if I were to make it a sandwich. Coleslaw? Cheese? Pickles? Just looking for some guidance. Thanks!
We had these on sandwiches with more BBQ sauce and a pickle. I served coleslaw on the side. It was excellent!
So easy to make and so delicious! My husband said it’s the best brisket he’s ever had!
I made this last night when family visited with four grandchildren. I made it exactly as shown in the video and it turned out really well, bery yummy and was a big success with everyone. I wondered if it would make much difference if I omitted the last part in the oven since we don’t eat the fat anyway? Could still pour the sauce over sliced meat.
Hi Nagi – just wondering what cooking time you’d recommend for a 4kg lump of brisket – thanks!!
Hi Olivia, I would say around 12 hours on low. N x
Hi Nagi, I loved this 👌🏻 Have you tried with smoked paprika?
OMG, this looks soooo good. I’m planning to make it in InstPot. Should I set it on high? Also, I assume the brisket should be placed straight into the pot, correct? Thank you! Btw, IP has a slow cook setting. Is it worth trying? Thanks a ton!!!
I just made this. I used a 800g brisket from Coles and it came out perfectly. So delicious and so easy!
Should I flip the brisket half way through the cooking process? Cooking it for 10 hours.
Hi Nilu, I don’t bother here 🙂 N x
This brisket turned out amazing. My family loved it! Thank you so much! Will be making it again!
I really want to try this recipe, but my brisket is 5lbs, which is a little bigger than the recipe calls for… Would I need to modify the recipe in any way to accommodate? Thanks so much!
Hi Dafne, yes you can use this recipe, click the servings and scale up until the brisket reaches your weight, all the other ingredients will adjust for you. I mention this weight in the notes too as it will take longer to cook 🙂 N x
Outstanding. I used the oven method following the recipe. The brisket was tender and the sauce was a perfect blend between Carolina and Texas BBQ. Not to sweet and not to sour with just the right amount of kick.
Followed this to a tee with a crock pot then in the oven and it came out PERFECT
Hey, can I just say I love your recipes and everything I’ve tried has always come out great. I went through the oven recipe, and had a question. Do I still need to bake uncovered if I’m gonna finish it off on the grill?
Hi Mishaal, no skip the uncovered bake and finish on the grill instead! I hope you love it! N x
I dont have mustard powder can I use a squirt of mustard condiment
I dropped my mustard powder while making this so only about half of what the recipe calls for got into the pot. I added a little yellow mustard and it was totally fine!
This recipe sounds great!
Hoping to try this weekend but we down have a slow cooker, can I use since top on low heat? I like the idea of cooking for 10hrs rather than 5 in the oven
Can I use white sugar for the BBQ sauce?
Hi Sbusiso – you can, just use 110g of white sugar and add 2 tbsp maple syrup or 1 tbsp of molasses. N x
How big is your slow cooker? Could my 6L take a 2kg brisket do you think?
Yes definitely Bec!! N x
My brisket is 14 pounds! what kind of adjustment would I need to do? Do I need to triple the rub and sauce? What about the cooking time?
Hi Brigitte, I would triple the spice rub and sauce, but cut the brisket in half and cook as two pieces otherwise it will take too long. I’d cook for about 10 hours at this size. N x
Thank you so much for the fast reply! I didn’t have the choice to cut in half as it wouldn’t fit in any pan I own!!! My son bought the meat at a super sale price and went for the biggest piece 🙂 It smells so good in here!
Thanks for the recipe! Planning to cook brisket for the first time this weekend – I’ll use an oven (Aga) – but family not big fans of BBQ sauce, can I skip it altogether or does it need moisture? Can I use vegetable stock plus herbs/spices instead like in your excellent shoulder of lamb recipe? Thank you!
Hi Mina, you need a sauce here to keep it moist. Using another stock and base changes the whole recipe and it will be completely different! You could do something like this with brisket https://promotown.info/slow-cooker-beef-pot-roast%3C/a%3E N x
Making this recipe today. I used a temp probe and cooked it on low to 180°f. My concern is this only took 5 hours to cook a 3lb brisket, not 8-10. Had I not used the temperature probe do you think it would have over cooked if I let it go for 8 hours? Also, it’s about 3 hours too early to eat dinner. What do you recommend doing with the meat for 3 hours to avoid it from drying out?
Hi Michelle, the internal temperature of the meat is irrelevant here, it NEEDS to cook the full time as it goes past being overdone and the proteins break down causing it to be super tender. You’ll need to put it back in the oven!! N x