Slow cooker BBQ brisket is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! This brisket is seasoned with a homemade spice rub, then slow cooked in a homemade barbeque sauce. The slow cooker provides the perfect low and slow cooking method, which makes this a super easy recipe!
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.