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You are here: Home / Recipes / Juicy Beef Brisket

By Karina 50 Comments Filed Under: Beef

Juicy Beef Brisket

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Juicy Beef Brisket cooked low and slow until tender, basted in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce with a kick of garlic and optional heat! SLOW COOKER, OVEN, INSTANT POT OR PRESSURE COOKER METHODS INCLUDED!

Filled with amazing flavour, this beef brisket recipe is deliciously easy to prepare. Rubbed with the best dry rub and smothered in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce, this is the stuff food dreams are made of.

Juicy Beef Brisket cooked low and slow until tender, basted in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce with a kick of garlic and optional heat! | cafedelites.com

BEEF BRISKET

The best Brisket is full flavoured with spices to make the beef shine. A fool-proof recipe with a delicious homemade rub and barbecue sauce that will totally knock your socks off.

Brisket is a beef cut from the breast section of the animal and normally sold boneless. Because brisket is a tough cut of meat, it yields the best results when slow cooked or braised in a slow cooker.

A rare cut, Brisket is unlike other beef cuts like chuck or short ribs where the beef falls apart and shreds. For instance, when slow cooking for hours, it holds its shape and slices easily instead of shredding.

Therefore, it is the perfect cut to slice and pile into sandwiches, sliders or serve on its own with a good heaping of mashed potatoes.

How to cook brisket | cafedelites

HOW TO COOK BEEF BRISKET

Firstly, you’re going to start with an incredible spice mix to rub all over your beef brisket. Don’t let the semi-long list of spices deter you! This is where all of the flavour comes in without any need of marinating.

All you need is:

  • Garlic and onion powders
  • Paprika (mild or smoky)
  • Salt and black cracked pepper
  • Cumin
  • Ground Chili or Cayenne powder (optional for a kick of heat).

In addition, you’re going to drizzle your brisket all over with olive oil to let that rub spread nice and evenly.

(FOR FULL RECIPE, SEE RECIPE BOX BELOW).

HOW DO YOU MAKE BEEF BRISKET TENDER?

The best place to get your brisket tender and juicy without drying it out is the slow cooker. It is absolutely fool-proof and perfect for first-timers OR for lovers of slow cooked beef.

Whip up your barbecue sauce and pour half of it all over your beef — you’re going to use the remaining half for later when basting! Let it cook low and slow for 8 to 10 hours.

Lastly, for crispy, charred edges, you’re going to broil or grill it in the oven to caramelize the edges and create a beautiful crust on the meat. I love mixing the pan juices leftover in the slow cooker bowl into the remaining barbecue sauce to baste the brisket in for the ultimate flavour!

Slow cooker beef brisket | cafedelites.com

WHAT SIZE BRISKET SHOULD I BUY?

For this recipe, use a 4 pound cut (or 2 kilo). If you have a larger or smaller cut, you won’t need to alter the measurements of spices or sauce because there is plenty to go around. The more the merrier!

Usually uncooked weight equal to 1/2 pound (or 1 kilo) per person is the suggested way to go. You can always ask for two pounds extra to allow for delicious leftovers.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF BRISKET?

You can substitute other beef cuts for this recipe, like a boneless chuck roast, blade roast or even short ribs.

Juicy Beef Brisket cooked low and slow until tender, basted in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce with a kick of garlic and optional heat! | cafedelites.com

MORE BEEF RECIPES

Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe)
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Beef And Guinness
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Beef Brisket

Juicy Beef Brisket cooked low and slow until tender, basted in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce with a kick of garlic and optional heat! Double up on incredible flavour with an easy to make dry rub first, then smothered in a mouthwatering barbecue sauce.
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 4 hrs
Resting Time: 10 mins
Total: 4 hrs 10 mins
Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

BEEF BRISKET SEASONING:

  • 4 pounds (2 kg) beef brisket
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili or Cayenne powder (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

SAUCE:

  • 2 cups (500ml) barbecue sauce
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 - 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

SLOW COOKER:

  • Spray inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place brisket in slow cooker bowl.
  • Combine seasoning ingredients together and pour over the brisket. Drizzle with oil and rub the seasoning all over the brisket. 
  • Mix sauce ingredients together and completely cover brisket with half of the sauce. Refrigerate remaining sauce to use later.
  • Cover brisket with lid and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-5 hours. 
  • When brisket is tender, transfer onto an oven tray (or baking sheet), lined with parchment paper or foil. 
  • Pour 1/4 cup of juices from the slow cooker bowl into the remaining sauce. Baste brisket with sauce and broil (grill) in preheated oven at 400°F (220°C) for about 10 minutes or until beginning to char and crisp on the edges. Baste again and broil (grill) until sticky and charred on the edges.
  • Rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat before serving.
  • To serve, slice brisket thinly across the grain and serve with remaining barbecue sauce.

PRESSURE COOKER:

  • Spray inside of a pressure cooker bowl with cooking spray. Place brisket, fat side up, into the pot and season brisket as above.
  • Mix sauce ingredients together and completely cover brisket with half of the sauce. Refrigerate remaining sauce to use later. Cover and seal according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Set to Manual at High Pressure and cook for 1:30 hours. 
  • Quick release to remove steam and pressure, then unlock and carefully remove the lid. Set brisket onto oven tray and continue the recipe as above (FROM STEP 6).

OVEN METHOD:

  • Season brisket as above and place into a roasting tray.
  • Add 1 cup beef broth and 1 cup water to the base of the pan. Cover tightly with foil and cook at 350°F (175°C) for the first hour.
  • Reduce temp down to 300°F (150°C) and continue cooking for a further 3-4 hours, or until fork-tender.
  • Pour 1/4 cup of juices from the roasting tray into the remaining bbq sauce. Baste with sauce and broil (grill) in preheated oven at 400°F (220°C) for about 10 minutes or until beginning to char and crisp on the edges. Baste again and broil (grill) until sticky and charred on the edges.
  • Rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat before serving. To serve, slice brisket thinly across the grain and serve with remaining barbecue sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 813mg | Potassium: 979mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5.3mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Terry says

    November 14, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    Great recipe!

    Reply
  2. BlessedOut says

    October 28, 2020 at 5:50 am

    I haven’t tried it yet but the fact that you gave SOOOO many options on how to cook it and it looks and sounds AMAZING… I’m already droolin’. We have a sale on brisket in my town right now and I’ve never tried cooking it before so I googled and this was the first thing to come up. Now I HAVE to try to make it! haha

    Reply
  3. Dawn Howard says

    September 28, 2020 at 7:03 am

    5 stars
    This is my second time making this recipe and both times there were NO leftovers! I’m not a huge fan of brisket, but this recipe changed my mind! DO NOT skip finishing this off in the oven. It’s worth the extra time to get that nice crunchy “bark” on the outside! Served this with garlic Parmesan potato wedges.

    Reply
  4. Debra Parker says

    August 08, 2020 at 8:12 am

    5 stars
    I’m just trying your recipe today. It looks and smells delicious! Cant wait to take it out of the oven.
    Just an fyi for your listed portions per person…
    a kilo is over 2 pounds, 2.2 lbs. to be exact.
    A quarter kilo,(250 grams) is roughly half a pound.

    Reply
  5. Cheryl says

    June 21, 2020 at 9:46 am

    I’m making this for Father’s Day tomorrow. I’m using the rub only to marinate the meat overnight. Then into the crockpot first thing in the morning while I make my DH breakfast. I’m loving that I don’t have to heat my house up all day in S Fla!

    Reply
  6. Stephanie Valkema says

    May 30, 2020 at 1:23 am

    This is a very very very delish recipe – I did the Oven Method – bake then broil – SO juicy and tangy!!

    Reply
  7. Michelle says

    May 20, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    If you change the barbecue sauce are you still putting all the ingredients fo the sauce this says too? Or are you just using a bbq added with the rest of ingredients?

    Reply
  8. Margi says

    April 12, 2020 at 5:53 pm

    Absolutely scrumptious

    Reply
  9. Frank Daniels says

    April 07, 2020 at 9:30 am

    5 stars
    Hi my brisket is only 2.5 lbs should i cut the time in half in the slow cooker?

    Reply
  10. Ann says

    March 23, 2020 at 6:39 am

    Making this recipe today and smells great but WARNING be sure to use adequate liquid for instapot pressure cooking or you will get the “burn” message on the screen and it will automatically turn off and you have to fix the problem!

    Reply
  11. Erika says

    March 21, 2020 at 10:55 am

    5 stars
    My brisket is only 2 lbs should I shorten the cooking time in the instant pot? Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Kayla says

    March 19, 2020 at 2:25 am

    I’m trying to make this with 2 pounds of brisket. Do I still use the same cooking time for the pressure cooker?

    Reply
  13. Madison says

    March 18, 2020 at 1:56 am

    For the oven method, do you leave it covered the entire time??

    Reply
  14. Simon (UK) says

    March 15, 2020 at 1:46 am

    5 stars
    Always wanted to cook US style brisket, since seeing it on programs like man v food etc. Tried this recipe, and now I’m seriously thinking about moving to the US if this is how the food is. Soooooo good!

    Reply
  15. DEF says

    March 09, 2020 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    First time making brisket and this technique worked great. I used a broiler pan with water in the bottom but the meat on the tray above it, so it was not soaking in the water. Meat is tender and delicious and the spice rub gave a nice flavor. The real star is the meat itself, which is really an exquisite cut and perfect example of the “low & slow” technique.

    Reply
  16. Lane Brettschneider says

    February 05, 2020 at 4:02 am

    Hi! I’m going to make brisket for the first time and can’t wait to use this recipe! My brisket is only 2.75 lbs – do I need to reduce the cook time at all or will it be the same?

    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Kristen Matheson says

    February 01, 2020 at 1:20 am

    5 stars
    Ya’ll this brisket………. Hands down the best thing I’ve ever cooked in my life!!! I did the crock pot version but I will be trying the instapot version soon! The only sad thing is I literally had zero leftovers, 4lb brisket GONE in 15 mintes.

    Reply
  18. Maryse says

    November 17, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! My husband and I made this tonight in the crock pot (with a dash of botled smoke.) We will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  19. Brandi says

    October 14, 2019 at 7:04 am

    Fat side down or up?? Which would give the best results?

    Reply
  20. Sam says

    September 29, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Sweet baby rays is the only way to go. A crockpot brisket? I’m from west Texas and would get slapped if I ever tried that. Even if you don’t have a smoker the oven is better. I marinate all night. Season however you want next day. I cook it really high, about 425 until really browned on both sides for about an hour. Then I cover with foil and turn down heat to about 225 and cook for about 2 hours until done. That’s for a big brisket. Less time if smaller that way you get a little char that’s what makes brisket good.

    Reply
    • Karina says

      September 30, 2019 at 8:11 am

      Awesome! The best thing about cooking is that we can do what fits our own lifestyle and preferences. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Krista Hahn says

    September 23, 2019 at 4:58 am

    5 stars
    We’ve made this twice now and it’s been great both times! The only thing I changed the second time was not adding 1/4c of the cooking juices to the BBQ sauce. I added a 1/4c of water instead and mixed it well, The reason being is the cooking juices have a lot of fat in them so if you end up refrigerating the BBQ sauce later, it gets a layer of fat on the top…and then no one wants to eat it. 😉 Very good, thank you!

    Reply
  22. Liz W says

    July 18, 2019 at 4:30 am

    5 stars
    I am usually terrible at cooking brisket. This is the first time I got it right, and boy was it delicious! A winner for sure if you like flavor.

    Reply
  23. Jacinta Walters says

    June 07, 2019 at 7:49 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely beautiful. This recipe is a keeper. Cooked this in the slow cooker yesterday and everybody loved it. I will be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply
  24. Lori says

    June 04, 2019 at 7:24 am

    5 stars
    LOVE this recipe! I’d like to try it with short ribs.. which I have never made before. Any special instructions?

    Reply
  25. Tracy says

    May 14, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    How would I do this in crockpot without bbq sauce?

    Reply
  26. A. Bennett says

    April 21, 2019 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely Delicious!! Made it as a special Easter dinner and it was 5 stars from everyone. Didn’t change a single thing about the recipe but made it with blade roast as it was the only cut available in my small town.

    Reply
  27. Susan CANTOR says

    April 21, 2019 at 7:47 am

    5 stars
    Outstanding!

    Reply
  28. DeeO says

    January 28, 2019 at 4:20 am

    5 stars
    I have been following you for awhile and enjoyed your recipes. Always 5 stars and I can’t wait to eat my brisket tonight!

    Reply
  29. Larry says

    January 23, 2019 at 5:57 am

    5 stars
    Magnificent! We live in the wilds of southern Germany, but I have the slow cooker I packed when I moved here from the States and, with this, it definitely earned its keep. I have several other beef brisket recipes, but yours blows the others away. Great spice mix, and it complemented the barbecue sauce (a mix of three – 2 Bullseye varieties and a Kraft – because the bottles in Germany are small) mixture perfectly. Thanks for the recipe – this is a keeper.

    Reply
  30. David says

    January 22, 2019 at 4:14 am

    Head Country (available online) is also an excellent BBQ sauce, and is very popular here in Oklahoma.

    Reply
  31. Kira says

    January 20, 2019 at 1:33 am

    Can you do this in a pressure cooker? I’m fine waiting, especially if it needs time to get that great taste. I’m just curious because I love my new pressure cooker/InstaPot.

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 9:59 am

      ABSOLUTELY KIRA! Recipe has now been updated.

      Reply
  32. Jo says

    January 19, 2019 at 6:40 pm

    Can this recipe be used with a tri tip?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 10:00 am

      Hi Jo! YES! Just as good.

      Reply
  33. Peggy Belcher says

    January 19, 2019 at 9:11 am

    Could I substitute a large London Broil for the brisket?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 9:34 am

      Absolutely.

      Reply
  34. Nancy Luttrell says

    January 19, 2019 at 9:10 am

    My favorite BBQ sauce for brisket is Woody’s. Great flavor!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 9:42 am

      Thank you for the suggestion Nancy!

      Reply
  35. Tarre Smith says

    January 19, 2019 at 8:14 am

    would an instant pot make this just as tender and flavorful? If so, how long should I cook?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 10:00 am

      Recipe has been updated Tarre!

      Reply
      • David says

        August 15, 2019 at 2:06 am

        Hi would this taste good if eaten cold and thinly sliced like cold cuts ?

        Reply
  36. Traveler says

    January 19, 2019 at 7:26 am

    Re BBQ Sauce. I love, love Sweet Baby Ray’s.

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 9:42 am

      Yes that is a good one also, thanks Traveler.

      Reply
  37. Marie says

    January 19, 2019 at 7:12 am

    Could you make this in the oven?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 10:01 am

      Hi Marie! Recipe has been updated to include oven method.

      Reply
  38. kasey says

    January 19, 2019 at 1:54 am

    5 stars
    do you have a barbecue sauce recipe that you like? can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  39. amy says

    January 19, 2019 at 12:18 am

    what brand of bbq sauce do you use for this? seems like i cant find one that i really like lately so im open to suggestions. thanks!

    Reply
    • Brenda Caldwell says

      January 19, 2019 at 10:36 am

      KC Masterpiece is great. Stubbs is also very good.

      Reply
      • Karina says

        January 20, 2019 at 9:42 am

        Thanks Brenda!

        Reply

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