Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe delivers ultra-tender, pull-apart beef blanketed in a rich homemade BBQ sauce—all with minimal hands-on time. Perfect for holidays, game day, or effortless weeknight dinners, this crockpot brisket is smoky, saucy, and guaranteed crowd-pleasing.
Ingredients
- For the Brisket
- 4 lb (1.8 kg) beef brisket, trimmed
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (for searing)
- For the BBQ Sauce
- 1 ½ cups ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses or honey
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Season Brisket – Pat brisket dry. Mix all dry spices; rub over every surface of the meat.
- Sear (Optional but Recommended) – Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear brisket 3–4 min per side until well-browned; transfer to slow cooker, fat-side up.
- Add Sauce – Whisk all BBQ-sauce ingredients in a bowl; pour over brisket, turning once to coat.
- Slow-Cook – Cover and cook on LOW 10 hrs (best texture) or HIGH 6–7 hrs, until fork-tender.
- Rest & Slice – Move brisket to a board; tent loosely with foil 15 min. Slice thinly against the grain or shred with two forks.
- Thicken Sauce (Optional) – Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan; simmer 10–15 min until glossy and reduced by about one-third.
- Serve – Return sliced brisket to slow cooker, spoon sauce over the top, or serve sauce on the side. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Target Temperature: Cook until the thickest part reaches 195–205 °F (90–96 °C) for fork-tender, shreddable meat.
- Keep Some Fat: Leave about a ¼-inch fat cap—it bastes the brisket during the long cook, keeping it juicy.
- Flavor Overnight: Cool the cooked brisket in its juices, chill overnight, remove solidified fat, then reheat in the sauce for deeper flavor and easier slicing.
- Sauce Shortcut: Strain the cooking liquid and simmer to reduce, or whisk in 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water for a glossy, thicker glaze in 5 minutes.
- Storage & Reheat: Holds 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer (portion with sauce). Reheat gently on LOW with a splash of broth to keep it moist.
