Slow cooker BBQ brisket is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! This brisket starts with a homemade spice rub, and then is slow cooked in a homemade barbecue sauce. The slow cooker provides the perfect low and slow cooking method and makes this a super easy recipe!
This slow cooked brisket recipe is my friend’s signature recipe. I’m so glad she introduced me to it because it’s always delicious and easy to prepare. I usually serve it in challah rolls to make BBQ brisket sandwiches. It’s equally good served as slices on a plate with the BBQ sauce gravy. It’s really tasty served with potato salad, cole slaw, and applesauce.
BBQ brisket is great to serve for a weekday dinner or casual shabbat. It’s a great option for the summer months when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen with the oven. Serve it for variety during the week of Passover, for a casual meal in the sukkah during Sukkot, or shredded on top of potato latkes for a fun Hanukkah treat.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Really easy recipe - Just rub the brisket down and add it to the slow cooker with BBQ sauce. The slow cooker does all the work!
- This is a flexible recipe! If you don’t have any of the spices, it’s fine to leave out a couple and the recipe will still turns out well. For example, you can leave out celery seed and mustard powder if you don’t eat seeds during Passover.
- No oven required, so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen.
- Great for making ahead of time - it gets even more flavorful the next day!
What is brisket?
Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the lower chest of a cow, under the chuck roast. It starts out as a tough cut of meat, but with the right preparation (low heat and a long cook time), it becomes juicy, flavorful, and tender.
There are two different cuts of brisket, the first cut (or flat cut), and the second cut (or deckle). The first cut is more lean, whereas the second cut is marbled with more fat.
The best cooking methods for brisket are low and slow. Cooking brisket at a low temperature over a long period of time helps break down the collagen and connective tissues in the beef, making the final dish tender and flavorful. So this brisket recipe is the perfect dish for making in the slow cooker!
Check out Brisket for more information.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Jump to Recipe- Beef brisket - You will need an approximately 3 pound brisket for this recipe. It is fine if its a little bigger or smaller. A 6 quart slow cooker can hold up to a 4 pound brisket.
- Dry rub - For the homemade spice rub recipe, you will need Diamond kosher salt, chili powder, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and celery seed.
- Ketchup - forms the base for BBQ sauce. A substitute for all or part of the ketchup is chili sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar - This gives the homemade BBQ sauce a tang. You can substitute with white vinegar.
- Wright’s liquid smoke - Liquid smoke is a great product that gives food the flavor of being cooked on a wood burning smoker, without all the flames. It is perfect for giving your brisket a smoked meat flavor even though it's cooked in the slow cooker. Liquid smoke is the key ingredient in my Apple Pan Hickory Burger Sauce recipe. If you need a substitute for liquid smoke, try ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika in the rub mix instead.
- Worcestershire sauce - This sauce adds an umami flavor to the BBQ sauce. An alternative is soy sauce, A1 Sauce, or coconut aminos in an equal measurement. Otherwise, it's OK to leave this out without replacing it if you haven't skipped other ingredients.
- Brown sugar - The sugar balances the acidic ingredients and gives a little sweetness to the BBQ sauce. Overall, the sauce is not too sweet.
Step by Step Photos
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
Jump to RecipeThis slow cooker beef brisket recipe is so easy!
The night before, mix the spice rub together, and then rub the spice mix all over the brisket, coating it completely on both sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
You can also make the sauce the day before by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small container and stir until smooth. Store covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
When you are ready to cook, place brisket flat and fat side up in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the brisket.
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours until it is fork tender.
Serve warm with extra sauce on top. Serve this brisket on challah or brioche buns, or as a main dish with sides like potato salad, cole slaw, and applesauce.
How to cut a brisket
The way you cut a brisket is important for keeping it tender.
The best way to cut a brisket is against the grain.
First allow the brisket to rest on a cutting board for at least 15-20 minutes.
To cut the brisket in slices, locate the grain of the meat. These are the lines you see running in one direction through the meat. You want to cut across these lines (grain), not parallel to them.
Cutting brisket against the grain further breaks down the muscle and results in a more tender brisket.
If you want to shred the brisket, use two forks to pull the meat apart. It's easiest to get the brisket to shred while it is still hot.
Top Tips
- It’s best to let the brisket marinate with the dry rub overnight before cooking, but if you are short on time, you can do as little as 30 minutes.
- Cook brisket with the fat cap side up for tender and juicy brisket.The fat will melt into the brisket as it cooks and keep it moist.
- If you are a little short on time, cook on high for the first 2 hours, then switch to low for 6 hours. Total cooking time of 8 hours. 1 hour on high equals 2 hours on low. Brisket tenderizes by cooking low and slow, so cook on low for as much of the time as you can.
- Don’t stop cooking until the brisket is fork tender.
- If the sauce is watery after cooking, boil it down a little in a small pot on the stove. It will depend on how much liquid the brisket gives off.
- It's fine if the brisket is a bit bigger or smaller (2-½ to 3-½ pounds).
- Do not cook this brisket and sauce in a regular oven at 350ºF. The sauce will burn.
Make Ahead
This slow cooker BBQ brisket recipe is really tasty the day it is made. However, it's even better the next day!
I prefer to cook it the day before, cool, then refrigerate overnight. This way the fat rises to the top and hardens as it cools. It makes it very easy to remove the layer of fat with a fork when cold. I put fat in a disposable container and throw it away because the fat can clog up the pipes of the kitchen sink.
Reheat brisket in the oven when you are ready to serve.
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Store leftover brisket in the refrigerator in a rectangular baking or casserole dish covered with aluminum foil for 3 days. Pour some of the sauce over the brisket to keep it moist. Store the rest of the sauce in a separate jar.
How to freeze: Freeze cooked brisket in a freezer safe airtight container in the freezer for 3-6 months.
How to reheat: Take brisket out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes so it's not ice cold. Reheat brisket covered in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. You can take the foil off for the last 5 minutes. The brisket is ready when warm throughout and the sauce is lightly bubbling.
Do not put a frozen glass container into a hot oven or else the glass can break.
What to serve with brisket
- Potato Latke Muffins (Mini Potato Kugels)
- Grandma's Coleslaw
- Aunt Rose's Potato Salad
- Crispiest Potato Latkes
Frequently Asked Questions
It is best to slice a brisket against the grain to further break down the meat and keep it tender.
In the slow cooker, the brisket will take about 8-10 hours on low to cook. If you have the temperature on high, it will take less time, but brisket is best when cooked low and slow.
If your brisket comes out tough, it needs more time to cook. Make sure you are cooking with the fat cap up for maximum juiciness and flavor. If your brisket looks dry, add more BBQ sauce over the top.
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Recipe
Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pound brisket
Spice Rub:
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Homemade BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Wright's liquid smoke
Instructions
- Ideally the night before (but right before is fine too), mix the spice rub in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix on both sides of the brisket. Cover and refrigerate overnight if time allows.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup or medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or can mix right before cooking).
- Just before cooking, place the seasoned brisket flat and fat side up in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the brisket.
- Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Brisket is ready when it's fork tender. I find that it takes the full 10 hours of cook time.
- When finished, remove the brisket and let it rest on a cutting board for 15-20 minutes before cutting. To cut the brisket into slices, remove the fat cap from the top of the brisket. Slice the brisket against the grain (lines) of the meat. Your knife needs to cross the lines in the meat and must not be parallel.
- To shred the brisket for shredded beef sandwiches, you can cut right away. Hot brisket tends to shred rather than slice.
- Serve warm with extra sauce on top. Serve in challah or brioche sandwich rolls, or serve on a plate with side dishes.
Notes
- If you are short on time, cook on high for the first 2 hours, then switch to low for 6 hours. Total cooking time of 8 hours. 1 hour on high equals 2 hours on low. Brisket tenderizes by cooking low and slow, so cook on low for as much of the time as you can.
- It’s best to let the brisket marinate with the dry rub overnight before cooking, but if you are short on time, you can do a half hour.
- If the sauce is watery after cooking, boil it down a little in a small pot on the stove. It will depend on how much liquid the brisket gives off.
- It's fine if the brisket is a bit bigger or smaller (2-½ to 3-½ pounds).
- Do not cook this brisket and sauce in a regular oven at 350ºF. The sauce will burn.
- It is easier to skim the fat off after the brisket and sauce have cooled in the refrigerator.
- How to store: Store brisket in the refrigerator in a rectangular baking or casserole dish covered with aluminum foil for up to 3 days. Pour some of the sauce over the brisket to keep it moist. Store the rest of the sauce in a separate jar.
- How to freeze: Freeze cooked brisket in a freezer safe container in the freezer for 3-6 months.
- How to reheat: Reheat brisket covered in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. You can take the foil off for the last 5 minutes. The brisket is ready when warm throughout and the sauce is lightly bubbling.
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