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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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? 😝
Not sure you’ll see this in time, but I’m hoping to do this on high in my slow cooker for 5 hours. Think that will suffice?
Hi Jody, sorry for the delayed reply, how did you go???
Has anyone tried adding a touch of smoke liquid to this?
That would be amazing James!
It was! Incidentally – I’ve eaten brisket many times but found ours to be a bit fatty. Is there a particular style to ask the butcher for? When I commented he tried to sell me Wagyu brisket! At $70 a kilo it’s not an option I’m afraid!
We made this brisket recipe for Father’s Day! Everyone loved it!
I made it in my trusty crockpot.
I used a little corn starch to help thicken the sauce, because everyone was so ready to dive into dinner and couldn’t wait for it to continue to boil. LOL
Delicious!
I’m so happy it was a hit Karen!
First time making brisket and it was so so good! I used the oven method and doubled the Worcestershire and added a tsp of instant coffee granules as per my trusty bbq meatloaf recipe – it was so good!
Wonderful idea Luci, I’ll have to try it!
This was absolutely delicious.
we saved some of the sauce for other recipes, and for general use as a barbecue sauce.
Does cooking the brisket (with the rub) impart a lot of flavour to the sauce? I’d like to make just the sauce, and was wondering if I should ad 1/4 of the rub recipe to it as well.
Hi Stuart, the sauce alone is great without the rub! Perfect to use on other things – N x
Oh my that was really good 1.5kg on low for 6 hrs 1.5 hrs on high. Used recipe except half tsp cayenne and no cumin i hate it. Prepared night before. Thank you very much
You’re so welcome Judi!
I forgot to leave star rating on this awesome review
We made this tonight using the oven method – OMG it was delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe!
Wahoo, that’s great Cass!
Your recipes are so good! Thank you for posting them 🙂
Can I use this bbq sauce for chicken instead of the brisket in a slow cooker ?
Super easy to make and delicious, easy to follow instructions and video.
Thanks so much Cindy!
You should try my mom’s Chow Chow. It’s like a sweet/sour cole slaw
Here’s the recipe:
Mama’s chow-chow
Prepare 2 – 3 days before serving.
1 pkg sauerkraut – drained
½ C minced onion
½ C minced celery
½ C minced green pepper
1 small jar pimento – drained
¼ C cider vinegar
1 C sugar
Heat vinegar and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large covered container and pour the vinegar / sugar over the top. Cover and flip or shake to mix. Place in refrigerator. Shake daily to blend the sauce.
Serve over BBQ sandwiches.
Sounds great Dave!
Have made this several times now. But changed a couple of things that work well, one is do 1 cup of ketchup and half cup bbq sauce and Dijon mustard smeared over instead of the mustard powder. All taste amazing everyone I’ve served it to rave about…
Oh Nagi, I spent hours on this amazing meal only to have 3 of the 4 guests cancel dinner plans with 3 hours to go. Should I freeze all the brisket we have leftover? How? So sad.
Hi Rachel, yes you can portion this and freeze it!
HI Nagi,
Another beautiful recipe!
The beef was so moist and tender and the sauce amazing!I tried other recipes in the past using BBQ sauce, from the shops,, and no comparison!!! Another good one to keep!!! Thank you!!
You’ll be forever converted to homemade now!!
Is the cooking time different with a crock pot vs a slow cooker? Thank you!
Same time Julie ☺️
Is corned beef brisket as good to use?
Dan, I mistakenly picked up a corned beef brisket. I made it today and the flavor is a bit different, but not bad at all. It was so tender a 3lb roast fell apart after 8 hours on low. Can’t wait to enjoy, and to make again with a regular brisket!
Best brisket ever!
Thanks so much Nancy!
Hello Nagi, I can only get brisket that is cut into thick slices at our supermarket, will this still work?
Love your recipes btw:)
Hi Ella, how big are the slices? – N x
Probably about 20-30mm thick slices?
Hi hun! Unfortunately that won’t work for this recipe, needs to be like a roast 🙂 Where are you based Ella? In Australia, brisket is sold at Aldi, Harris Farms, and nowadays at most Woolies and Coles! N x
We made this yesterday and WOW! So tasty and the whole house had the gorgeous smell of the BBQ sauce all day. Just yummy!
YUM! I can just smell it now!
Absolutely delish! My family just loves this and would not change a thing about the recipe. It’s in their Top 5 meals. My tip is to make more of it and have left overs in a roll,on a jacket potato , in a wrap the next day. Perfect!
Happy to hear it Rebecca! And I agree, leftovers are excellent and so versatile! – Nx
I have a piece of ‘Heart Smart’ topside that is very lean sitting in my freezer. Would it be suitable for this recipe?
Hi Katie, it may turn out dry if it’s a lean cut of meat unfortunately – N x