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 recipe sounds delicious..we are cooking for a large amount of people and will be using a 5kg piece of brisket, and are after pulled brisket using a slow cooker. How long do you recommend in the slow cooker for 5kg. If the meat is precooked, would you shred the beef after cooking or reheating?
For 5 kg I think 12 hours should be enough 🙂 Meat is always best shredded when warm – too hard to shred once cool!
Is that 12 hours on high or on low for the 5kg?
Low!
Hi Nagi, I want to try this recipe but 4+ hours in the oven is looong. I realise a few of your recipes has pressure cooker v slow cooker options. I live in Singapore and don’t have much kitchen space but in your opinion, if I had to buy a pressure cooker v slow cooker, which one would you recommend and any particular brand you have tried and swear by?
HI Elaine! I have a Breville Fast Slow Cooker which is a slow cooker and pressure cooker in one, I have had it for almost 10 years and I swear by it! 🙂
This was such a delicious recipe! I generally make brisket the old fashioned way with brown gravy, NOT ANYMORE! Followed the recipe to a “T”. 5 pounds of brisket were gobbled down by my three men with none to spare. (good thing I was able to eat a piece while slicing) Ha Ha! Thank you Nagi for sharing this delicious recipe with us!
So glad you enjoyed it Tina! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 N x
Love it, it is my ‘go to’ recipe for brisket now.
That’s great to hear Ben! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
Nagi, my hero, I have cooked this many times, looooove it, easy and super great taste.
Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed this Ai! Thank you for letting me know! N x
great rub recipe. I get a great price for smaller briskets at my local store. The frist time I made this I used a 2lb brisket in the slow cooker. Put it in two long and it became shredded bbq beef. which was ok, I trying it again with a 2lb brisket again. This time I’m going to use the oven . Im wondering if I should omit the water? What temp and time? and just keep an eye on it. Add water as needed. I Im hoping this fine, I would like to slice it . Also, The first time I made the bbq sauce I added about 1/3 cup of red cooking wine. I loved the sauce.
Love that you enjoyed this Jeff! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Hi Nagy,
New to your site. Love your recipes! So far, have made the one pan sausage & potatoes that makes it own gravy and the brisket. I was hesitant to make a brisket as I had never done so before, but it came out so delicious!
Many thanks for all you do. And LOVE Dozer…
Maria
Is there any way to not use oven to get the dark spots ? Or is roasting/BBQ it a must after the 10 hour slow cooking brisket ? Or can I just choose back option on cooker. My oven doesn’t work . If so how long to bake?
Hi Korina! Some form of cooking post slow cooking to caramelise the surface adds an extra element of flavour. But if you can’t, it’s still super tasty without doing it! N x
Great recipe. I used a larger brisket than called for, and found it cooked quicker than the recipe stated. It came out tender and juicy. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Served it with oriental coleslaw and smashed potatoes.
Hey! What do you recommend for cooking time of a 5lb brisket?
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! Can’t fault it, so delicious!!!
I had a fair amount of sauce left over but that didn’t bother me!
That’s great Lucinda! Thanks for letting me know! – N x ❤️
OMG. I made this last night and it was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t have apple cider vinegar, so I had to make do with ordinary white vinegar. Also, I omited the cayanne pepper, since I’m a hot and spicy wimp.
I actually started two days ago, but hit a snag. After getting the slow cooker all set up with BBQ sauce on the bottom and rubbed brisket on the top, I discovered my 70s era slow cooker finally bit the dust. Since it was late at night (I had planned to let the slow cooker do it’s magic overnight), I just decided to deal with it the next day and put the whole thing in the fridge.
Long story short, the next day I went the oven route following your alternate instructions to a T. It turned out fantastic! Probably didn’t hurt that the brisket was basically marinating in BBQ sauce all night. Either way, we’re going to have some real tasty BBQ brisket for lunch the next few days. Thank you!
You’re so welcome Wray! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 N x
CAN I use the multicooker bake open to do the oven part?
If it works like an oven you sure can Korina! N x
I made this tonight for my family and they loved it
winner winner beef dinner
Love hearing that! Thanks for letting me know Julia!
Loved the precise instruction , side notes and comments, This will be so useful for beginner cooks. And some of us older folks using slow cookers for the first time.
Glad you find it helpful Beverly! 🙂 N x
Would you tell me where you got the slaw from or share the recipe.
Wow! This came out absolutely fantastic!
Can i just use my favorite bbq sauce instead of making it???
Will slow cooking on high heat still come out as tender and tasty as using low heat? This recipe just looks outstanding and I’m going to try today.
Hi Nagi.
I have a 3kg piece of brisket which I want to cook in my oven, by slow roasting and not braising.
Could you advise on temperature and cooking time please.
I ideally want to create a brisket like the slow cooked barbecued ones from USA but in my oven.
I’m extremely nervous about this as I don’t want to ruin the beef.
Thank you so much, Linda.
Linda …
As a 38 year Texan I have found the easiest, most foolproof way to fix brisket is in a cooking bag in the oven. When it’s done I take it out of the bag and place it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes per side to caramelize the sauce. The entire baking time for a 4-5 pound brisket is anywhere from 6-8 hours on 325° Perfect. Every. Time!!!
My recipe is extremely similar to this one with the exception that I add about 8 ounces of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce in with the homemade the last 30 minutes or so. I also cook my sauce for about 3 hours.
However, that being said, this recipe looks amazing, it’s very hot here, and I’m going to give this a try tomorrow so that I don’t have to turn the oven on! I’ve done ribs in the crockpot and they’re to die for so it should be about the same.
Brisket in a bag! What an idea – I have to try it!
So, I generally don’t like to comment unless I’ve made the recipe as directed, but a wonderful mistake happened tonight and I thought I should share it. My husband brought home a pork shoulder instead of brisket, and I didn’t realize until I had made the rub and pulled the meat out of the bag. I decided to try it anyways, using the instant pot. Shredded the meat, defatted and strained the sauce and it made ah-mazing pulled pork! The sauce is solid. I will definitely try again, using Brisket.
(I also cut the meat into about 5 pieces, cooked at High pressure, around one hour, quick release. In case anyone else’s loved one can’t tell the difference between brisket and pork shoulder 😄)
That’s so great to hear Lindsey! Good mistake to make, it seems! 😂
My family love this recipe too. I’m cooking it for the 2nd time tonight – this time in the oven with 2 pieces of brisket (2.3kg total) in a cast iron pot. I’m hoping 3.5 – 4 hrs will be enough as I started a bit late so I’ve raised the temp to 165C. Added red wine to the water mixture
That’s wonderful to hear Gary! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x