Slow Cooked Beef Brisket (Print Version)
Tender, juicy beef brisket slow-cooked and coated in a smoky, tangy barbecue sauce for hearty meals.
# What You Need:
→ For the Brisket
01 - 4–4.5 lbs beef brisket, trimmed
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1 tsp onion powder
08 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
→ For the BBQ Sauce
09 - 1 ½ cups ketchup
10 - ½ cup apple cider vinegar
11 - ⅓ cup brown sugar
12 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
13 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 tbsp smoked paprika
15 - 1 tsp garlic powder
16 - 1 tsp onion powder
17 - ½ tsp black pepper
18 - ½ tsp sea salt
# How-To:
01 - Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne (if using). Rub the spice mix evenly over the entire brisket.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket on all sides until browned, approximately 2–3 minutes per side to develop a flavorful crust.
03 - Transfer the seared brisket to a slow cooker, fat-side up.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt until smooth and well combined.
05 - Pour half of the BBQ sauce over the brisket in the slow cooker, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4–5 hours), until the beef is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
07 - Transfer brisket to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
08 - Slice or shred the brisket against the grain. Skim excess fat from the slow cooker sauce, then return the sliced or shredded brisket to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly.
09 - Serve hot with reserved BBQ sauce on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The meat becomes so tender it practically falls apart under your fork
- That homemade BBQ sauce hits the perfect balance between smoky and tangy
- Most of the work happens in the slow cooker while you go about your day
02 -
- Skip the searing step and you will miss out on those incredible browned flavors that make this restaurant worthy
- Letting the meat rest before cutting keeps all those juices inside instead of running all over your cutting board
03 -
- Marinate the rubbed brisket overnight for deeper flavor penetration
- Use the leftover sauce as a dipping sauce or brush it on grilled chicken