Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce

User Reviews

5.0

1,662 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    15 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 hrs

  • Total Time

    10 hrs 15 mins

  • Servings

    8 - 10 people

  • Calories

    476 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    American

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce

Video above. Beef brisket slow cooked until tender, then finished in the oven to get that gorgeous caramelisation, basted with a homemade BBQ Sauce that the brisket is cooked in. Slice it and serve as part of a hearty Southern style supper or pile it up high on sliders!

I Made This!

1,246 people made this

Save this

997 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings
  • 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 
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. Mix Rub ingredients. Rub all over brisket. If time permits, leave for 30 minutes – 24 hours in the fridge, but I rarely do this.
  2. Combine BBQ Sauce ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix then add the brisket – squish it in if needed, like I did (see video).
  3. 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)
  4. Remove brisket onto a tray.
  5. 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).
  6. 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)
  7. 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.

Notes

  • Beef - This recipe will work on any slow cooking cut of beef but it works best with brisket because it holds its shape once slow cooked until tender, so it can be sliced. See post for more info. Best sub is chuck beef roast that's rolled and tied. 
  • AUSTRALIA: Best to get it from a butcher so you can ask for a thick cut which is best. Woolies and Aldi sell rolled brisket which is thinner. Harris Farms also sells brisket but they are small pieces. Recipe will work for these, see notes below for cook times for different weights.
  • 2a). Cook time - The cook times provided yields a tender brisket that is sliceable but tender so the slices tear easily, as demonstrated in the video. Don’t stress too much about cook time - brisket is a cut of beef that holds together pretty well even cooked to the point of being shreddable. So even a 1.5kg / 3 lb brisket slow cooked for 10 hours should still be sliceable. Brisket that isn’t tender is tough and chewy but if you pull it out too early, don’t worry, just keep cooking!
  • SLOW COOKER on HIGH: Same recipe, 4.5 hours for 1.5 kg / 3 lb or 5 hours for 2 kg / 4 lb. Follow same directions.
  • PRESSURE COOKER: Same recipe, 1 hr 15 minutes for 1.5 kg / 3 lb or 1 hr 30 minutes for 2 kg / 4 lb. Follow same directions. If you've got an Instant Pot, add 1 cup water (otherwise you get the burn notice) and might need to reduce sauce slightly at end. Natural release, or wait 15 minutes then quick release
  • OVEN: Click here for directions.
  • 2b) DIFFERENT SIZES: For a 800g - 1 kg / 1.6 - 2 lb piece of brisket, I would still slow cook for 7 to 8 hours on low because the cook time is more about brisket width rather than length. 
  • For a 2.5 - 3 kg / 5 - 6 lb brisket, I would slow cook for 10 hours on low.
  • How to serve - See in post for what to serve this with. For Sliders, I use soft rolls (brioche buns are pictured in the post) with Coleslaw (or try this No Mayo Coleslaw - it's excellent!)
  • or try this 
  • No Mayo Coleslaw
  •  - it's excellent!)
  • Finish on BBQ: fantastic chargrilled flavour: Brush grills with oil, then preheat BBQ to medium. Place beef on the grills and leave until browned, then turn the beef over and brown the other side. Baste the beef generously and turn, then baste again. Do this repeatedly until there is a nice caramelised glaze on the brisket, then remove.
  • MAKE AHEAD: Slow cook the brisket but do not bake, then transfer into a storage container with the cooking liquid (don’t reduce it down) and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer brisket only into a baking dish and cover. Bake at 180C/350F for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Then turn up oven to 200C/390F, remove cover and proceed with recipe to brown and baste the brisket surface. Transfer sauce into saucepan and warm – you may not need to reduce. Use for basting per recipe.
  • SERVINGS: I usually budget for 250g/8oz of raw meat per head, to err on the side of caution. This shrinks to about 200g / 6.5 oz per head once cooked. That's a generous pile on rolls!
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming a 2 kg / 4 lb beef brisket with some fat on the surface (i.e. not trimmed of all fat), 10 servings, assuming all the sauce is consumed.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 269g Calories 476cal (24%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 66g (132%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 5.6g (28%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7.1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.7g Cholesterol 198mg (66%) Sodium 756mg (32%) Potassium 824mg (24%) Fiber 0.6g (2%) Sugar 20g (40%) Vitamin A 550IU (11%) Vitamin C 3.1mg (3%) Calcium 10mg (1%) Iron 6.5mg (36%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8- 10 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 476 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 269g
Calories 476cal 24%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 66g 132%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 5.6g 28%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7.1g 42%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.7g 35%
Cholesterol 198mg 66%
Sodium 756mg 32%
Potassium 824mg 18%
Fiber 0.6g 2%
Sugar 20g 40%
Vitamin A 550IU 11%
Vitamin C 3.1mg 3%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 6.5mg 36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

1,662 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (3 reviews)

Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (219 reviews)

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

American
4.7 (54 reviews)

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (57 reviews)

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

American
0.0 (0 reviews)

Root Beer BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket

American
5.0 (6 reviews)

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

American
0.0 (0 reviews)

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe

American
5.0 (297 reviews)

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

American
4.7 (18 reviews)

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

American
4.7 (285 reviews)

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (30 reviews)

Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (69 reviews)

Slow Cooker Cranberry Beef Brisket

American
5.0 (3 reviews)