Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

Slow cooker BBQ brisket is a delicious set-it-and-forget-it recipe that delivers flavor with minimal effort. Beef brisket cooks low and slow with your favorite BBQ sauce and a simple rub. The result is a mouthwatering dish that’s perfect any day of the week. Instructions to make this tasty BBQ brisket in the Instant Pot are also included.

Ingredients For This BBQ Brisket

• Brisket: This recipe calls for a 3-pound brisket however you can use up 4 pounds of meat.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your preferred BBQ sauce!
• BBQ Rub:  Again you can use your preferred BBQ rub. If you don’t have one, I provide you my homemade blend in the recipe box.
• Beef Broth: 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth.

How To Make BBQ Brisket In The Crockpot

Prepare the brisket:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the homemade BBQ rub ingredients until well blended. Rub the seasonings all over the brisket until evenly covered.

Slow Cooker

1. Pour broth into the slow cooker.
2. Add the prepared brisket, fat side up.
3. Pour BBQ sauce on top of the brisket.
4. Cook HIGH 4-5 hours, LOW 8-10.
5. Remove brisket from the slow cooker. Either cut against the grain or shred the meat. Return the brisket to the slow cooker until ready to serve.

Instant Pot

1. Turn the on the pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add oil and the  prepared brisket and sear a few minutes on both sides until browned. Remove brisket and set aside.
2. Pour broth into the pressure cooker and deglaze by scraping off any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add brisket back into the Instant Pot, fat side up. Pour BBQ sauce on top.
3. Select manual setting. Adjust to high pressure & and set time for 25 minutes per pound of meat. Naturally for about 10 minutes, then quick release for remaining pressure.
4. Remove brisket from the Instant Pot. Either cut against the grain or shred the meat. Return the brisket to the Instant Pot until ready to serve.

FAQs & Tips

What is brisket?

Beef brisket is a cut of meat from the breast of a cow. It’s a tough cut of meat to cook with but the great thing about the slow cooker or pressure cooker (Instant Pot) is that even the toughest cuts will be cooked to melt-in-your-mouth tender.

What if my brisket doesn’t fit in the appliance?

Depending on the size & shape of the brisket you use, you may have to cut it into pieces to get it to fit into the appliance.

Can you use another cut of beef?

Sure. If you don’t want to use brisket, you can substitute a beef roast like chuck roast or rump roast.

How do you choose a BBQ Sauce?

The BBQ sauce really makes or breaks the recipe in my opinion. If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, use whatever sauce you want! I tend to use my homemade BBQ sauce. It’s both paleo and whole30 compliant. If you’re following a low-carb lifestyle, G Hughes is my go-to store bought brand.

Should you sear the brisket beforehand?

 For the Instant Pot, it’s  included as an instruction. For the slow cooker, searing your meat before adding it to the slow cooker is listed as optional. As you can see, I did not sear my brisket beforehand. I will always leave this as a recommended but optional step. I have made plenty of briskets and roasts in the slow cooker without searing them beforehand and they came out just fine.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Slow cooker or Instant Pot brisket can not only be made the day ahead of time and reheated, some might argue that it’s actually better that way. After it cools, I put the entire slow cooker or Instant Pot base right in the refrigerator. The next day, you will be able to easily remove the fat that has hardened. This is also a good time to slice against the grain if you’re going to do so because the meat is easier to cut cold. To reheat, add the brisket back into the slow cooker or Instant Pot and reheat on the warm setting. If you’re using a Crock-Pot brand of slow cooker, did you know that the base is oven safe? Yup, you can pop the entire base in the oven for temperatures up to 400 degrees.

How do you serve this?

Brisket is a cut of beef that is traditionally served by slicing against the grain. It can also be shredded too. If I’m eating the brisket the day I cook it, the meat is usually so tender that it falls apart I take it out the slow cooker. When that happens, I just shred it down. When I make the brisket a day ahead & cool it overnight in the frig, I usually slice the brisket against the grain. The meat is cold & firm which makes it’s easy to cut. Same taste regardless of how you serve it. The brisket can be served plated with sides, in lettuce wraps to keep it low-carb, paleo, whole30 or on a bun.

How do you store leftovers?

Store leftover crockpot BBQ brisket in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

What size slow cooker did you use?

I use a  6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

Notes About This Recipe

• Jazz this BBQ brisket recipe up by adding sliced onion or even bell peppers.
• When done cooking, you should be able to easily remove any remaining fat with a fork or knife.

Brisket Recipes 

• Brisket

• Horseradish Brisket (Passover Brisket) 

• Holiday Brisket

• Brisket Chili

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

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Slow cooker BBQ brisket is a delicious set-it-and-forget-it recipe that delivers flavor with minimal effort. Beef brisket cooks low and slow with your favorite BBQ sauce and a simple rub. The result is a mouthwatering dish that’s perfect any day of the week. Instructions to make this tasy BBQ brisket in the Instant Pot are also included.

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds brisket, fat trimmed
• 1/4 cup BBQ rub (see below for homemade)
• 2 cups BBQ Sauce
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot only)

Homemade BBQ Rub 

• 4 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

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Instructions

Prepare the brisket:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the homemade BBQ rub ingredients until well blended. Rub the seasonings all over the brisket until evenly covered.

Slow Cooker

1. Pour broth into the slow cooker.
2. Add the prepared brisket, fat side up.
3. Pour BBQ sauce on top of the brisket.
4. Cook HIGH 4-5 hours, LOW 8-10.
5. Remove brisket from the slow cooker. Either cut against the grain or shred the meat. Return the brisket to the slow cooker until ready to serve.

Instant Pot

1. Turn the on the pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add oil and the  prepared brisket and sear a few minutes on both sides until browned. Remove brisket and set aside.
2. Pour broth into the pressure cooker and deglaze by scraping off any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add brisket back into the Instant Pot, fat side up. Pour BBQ sauce on top.
3. Select manual setting. Adjust to high pressure & and set time for 25 minutes per pound of meat. Naturally for about 10 minutes, then quick release for remaining pressure.
4. Remove brisket from the Instant Pot. Either cut against the grain or shred the meat. Return the brisket to the Instant Pot until ready to serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 469
• Sugar: 2.1 g
• Sodium: 800.2 mg
• Fat: 16.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 8.9 g
• Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 73.2 g
• Cholesterol: 184.7 mg

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