Savory Slow Cooker Brisket
User Reviews
4.9
378 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
30 mins
-
Cook Time
8 hrs
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Total Time
8 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
402 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Savory Slow Cooker Brisket
Report
Savory Slow Cooker Brisket uses a large beef brisket seasoned with garlic, onions, and a mix of spices including paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper for subtle heat. The meat is optionally browned before slow cooking with bay leaves to develop deep flavors and a tender texture. The slow cooker method lets the brisket become tender and infused with the aromatic sauce, which can be thickened or blended for a smoother finish. This dish suits a make-ahead approach and can be sliced cold then reheated with its sauce for serving.
Description
Savory Slow Cooker Brisket features a 4-6 pound first cut beef brisket cooked low and slow alongside whole garlic cloves, sliced onions, and bay leaves. The dry spice rub incorporates kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Browning the brisket before slow cooking enhances the flavor but is optional. The beef slowly braises with a small amount of water and olive oil, allowing the spices and aromatics to meld into a rich sauce.
The resulting brisket is tender and richly flavored, with an aromatic sauce that can be strained or blended with the garlic and onions for thickness. After cooking, the brisket can be chilled, sliced thinly against the grain, and reheated in the sauce to retain moisture and flavor. This preparation ensures the meat remains moist and flavorful during serving.
This recipe is practical for advance preparation, allowing the cook to make the brisket and sauce ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze, then reheat slices when ready. Removing solidified fat from the sauce before reheating improves the final texture and taste.
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Ingredients
- 4-6 pound beef brisket first cut recommended
- 10 whole garlic peeled, cloves
- 3 whole onion sliced
- 3 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you are very spice sensitive, just use a pinch
- 1 tablespoon corn starch optional (use potato starch for Passover, or potato starch
You will also need
- Slow cooker, large skillet, immersion blender (optional)
Instructions
- Place half of the chopped onions, 5 of the garlic cloves and the bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the meat lightly with black pepper and salt. If you're using a kosher salted brisket, or if you are salt sensitive, skip the salting here -- there will be plenty in the sauce after cooking.
- Note about this next step-- if you're in a hurry you don't need to brown the brisket before placing it in the slow cooker, just mix the spices with the water and pour over the brisket in the slow cooker. However, if you do have time to brown it first the flavor will be much better! Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan and heat a large skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke.Brown the brisket on both sides—it will take a few minutes per side. A large brisket may overlap the edges of the skillet; you can brown it in stages, letting half the brisket overlap the edge, then adjusting it to brown the other half. Make sure you get some nice dark brown bits on there, it really adds to the flavor.
- Once the brisket is browned, place it in the slow cooker on top of the onions and garlic.
- Drain the fat from the skillet, leaving behind any brown bits in the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove. In a small bowl, mix together the water, 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, turmeric and cayenne. Pour the water and spice mixture into the skillet and heat over medium until hot and bubbly, using the liquid to deglaze the pan and loosening brown bits gently from the bottom of the skillet with a spatula.
- Pour the contents of the skillet over the brisket.
- Top brisket with the remaining sliced onions and garlic cloves. Cover and cook on low for 8- 10 hours, or until fork tender. Tenderness will increase as it cooks, so take it out when it's tender to your liking. Most people like it very tender but not so soft that it is falling apart. You want it firm enough to slice but tender enough that the edges shred with a fork.I recommend making this brisket ahead; allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 nights will improve the flavor. If you would like to do this, check the notes section for the “Make Ahead Directions.” If you are not making ahead, continue reading.
- Remove brisket from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, skim fat from the surface of the cooking sauce.You may strain the sauce to separate the solids out and discard— if you do this, return the sauce to the slow cooker, mix together 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (use potato starch for Passover) with 1 tbsp of cold water, and stir it into the strained liquid in the slow cooker. Alternatively, you may thicken the cooking sauce by first removing the bay leaves, then using an immersion blender to blend the sauce with the garlic and onions directly in the slow cooker (careful, the liquid is hot-- protect yourself with a towel and take care with more delicate ceramic slow cooker inserts).
- Once your sauce is ready, cut fat cap off the brisket.
- Then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain.
- Return slices to the slow cooker and cover with sauce. Heat the meat slices on high setting in the sauce for 30-60 minutes more until sauce is hot, bubbly and thickened around the meat. Serve sliced brisket hot with sauce.
Notes
- The brisket and sauce can be chilled overnight or up to two days; skim off solidified fat before reheating.
- Optionally strain or blend the sauce with garlic and onions for a thicker gravy effect.
- Slicing cold brisket against the grain helps maintain tenderness and produce neat slices for serving.
- You may freeze the brisket and sauce up to a week ahead for convenience.
- For a better flavor, brown the brisket in a hot skillet before slow cooking, but this step can be skipped if time is limited.
- Use potato starch instead of corn starch if preparing this dish for Passover.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
402kcal
(20%)
Carbohydrates
6.5g
(2%)
Protein
19.6g
(39%)
Fat
32.8g
(50%)
Saturated Fat
12.1g
(61%)
Cholesterol
78mg
(26%)
Sodium
496mg
(21%)
Potassium
279mg
(6%)
Fiber
1.2g
(5%)
Sugar
1.8g
(4%)
Vitamin A
250IU
(5%)
Vitamin C
5.8mg
(6%)
Calcium
20mg
(2%)
Iron
2.3mg
(13%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 402 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 402kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 6.5g | 2% |
| Protein | 19.6g | 39% |
| Fat | 32.8g | 50% |
| Saturated Fat | 12.1g | 61% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 496mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 279mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1.2g | 5% |
| Sugar | 1.8g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 250IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 5.8mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2.3mg | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
378 reviews
Excellent
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