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 cooked this for a family gathering everybody raved about it. Your website was handed out to all. Your recipe site is so well laid out. Nagi you should be proud of it.
Brisket is in the slower and looking sublime. At what point should we baste with the sauce? Should we flip it? Should we have kept strings in? Thanks!
Sooooo friggin tasty 🤤
Thanks so much Kelsi!
This is the recipe of all recipes ! Amazing flavours ! Served it in brioche rolls with coleslaw and I got high fives from all the family. Thanks again for another winner Nagi.
Perfect Karyn, sounds like you nailed it! N x
Hi Navi, thank you for this fantastic recipe. I made it a couple of weeks ago & it was delicious, especially on the sourdough buns my hubby made. Whilst it sliced perfectly it was tender enough to pull apart with a couple of forks. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you to you & Dozer!
This was unbelievably good! Like, close-your-eyes-and-savor good!
I love hearing this – thanks Chrissy!
Nagi ANOTHER winner here! I put this on early on Sunday morning, had the day to myself then served up to the family for dinner.
I only put 1tsp of cayenne pepper in the sauce & found the spicyness just perfect.
Leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Perfect Rebecca! I hope you got a chance to put your feet up 😉
Not only was this Brisket the best I’ve ever had but I enjoyed the recipe even more. I love the way it covered every detail on how to cook, cut, make ahead and reheating, etc. It never left me wondering what to do next and my Brisket was the hit of the Super Bowl. BRAVO!!!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear!!!
Hi Nagi! I was in the butchers the other day when I saw some beef brisket on offer and because I remembered seeing your wonderful recipe, I decided to grab a few kilos. Anyway, the thing is that they are individual pieces (size of your hand) with bone. Do you think cooking time should still be the same?
I make the make ahead version in the pressure cooker yesterday, ate today. Omg words don’t describe how good this is. A hit for the whole family.
I made this and served it on rolls with coleslaw. It was delicious. The day before I cooked it, I was getting my hair cut and the conversation turned to BBQ and smoking. One of the other customerd appened to be a BBQ master and told me that brisket must be cooked to a mimimum internal temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit to break down the fibres. I followed his advice and it was perfect.
I’m making this recipe for the first time to serve tomorrow for Super Bowl Sunday! Choosing to make it today (house smells great!), day before, and wanting to confirm that I should skim off the fat tomorrow before heating the meat and reducing the sauce? Thank you!
For me it doesn’t matter. I just eat around the fat. But my husband doesn’t like that it gets in the way.
Skimming the fat before or after reheating should make little difference in flavor.
Thanks Melinda! I ended up removing the fat from the top of the sauce and removing most of the fat cap before slicing. Next time I’ll remove more of the fat before cooking and the rest before reheating. I like cooking brisket the day before serving … always more delicious! All our guests yesterday raved about the brisket and I’m enjoying leftovers today!
I only find a corn beef brisket can I use that for this recipe
Hi Jenn, corned beef isn’t suitable for this recipe – you can use a different cut of beef, just follow the recipe notes 🙂
Love this, all the recipes on this site are delicious.
Thanks so much Lindsay ❤️
Hi Nagi! I’m wondering if I can use the bbq sauce recipe for your pork ribs (the one with balsamic vinegar) because that sauce is just BOMB….could it work for this brisket or stick with the recipe here? Thanks!!
100% yes! Enjoy!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Have used at least 20 of your recipes and they are all ridiculously awesome!
I’m a 52 year old Dad and needed a hobby, you make me look like a pro in the kitchen so thx! Do you need to trim any fat off the brisket prior to cooking? Not sure coz “fat is flavour” after all.
Agree. Haven’t cooked a recipe that didn’t work and wasn’t 100% delicious. I’ve been a keen cook all my life and Recipe Tin Eats is the first place I search for inspiration.
Thanks so much Grant!! And depends on how much fat there is on the brisket – I tend to leave a little on but if there’s an excessive amount I trim it slightly. N x
A+! This recipe is outstanding! Low effort and tastes better that 95% of the brisket I’ve had at ‘real’ bbq joints.
Let me be clear. I’d eat this sauce on cardboard. Do not substitute other barbecue sauce. I cooked a 3 pound brisket 10 hours on low that I had left in the run for 24 hours. Delicious.
Thanks Rachelle ❤️
Thanks for this recipe Nagi! Actually, thanks for ALL your recipes – they are all amazing! We tried this recipe about 4 weeks ago and it was a major hit, so much so that the husband and kids have asked for it again (hey, I am NOT complaining) – soooo Saturday we’ll be enjoying this again. Btw, I cooked it on a hooded gas bbq, indirect heat at 140°c for approx 8hrs, basting regularly with the bbq sauce. Thank you
Excellent! Thank you for the recipe.
Oh my goodness this is absolutely amazing and yummy, , I will definitely be making it again.
You’re so welcome Patti!
Amazing! Another family favourite.
Thanks Nagi!
Another winner!!!! Next time I will be trying it with a bigger piece of brisket for more leftovers. Followed the recipe and turned out great. Finished it on the bbq which gave it that charcoal flavour. Awesome! Thank you.