This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Juicy, fall-apart Beef Brisket cooked low and slow in a rich, garlicky barbecue sauce with just the right touch of heat. Whether you’re using a slow cooker, oven, Instant Pot, or pressure cooker, this recipe delivers big flavor with minimal fuss.
This is the kind of beef brisket recipe you’ll want to make on repeat. Tender, saucy, and packed with bold, smoky flavor. Rubbed with a flavorful spice mix and smothered in a homemade BBQ sauce, it’s everything you crave when you’re learning how to cook brisket the easy way.
What Makes This Beef Brisket Work
This beef brisket is cooked low and slow, allowing the tough cut to break down until it’s unbelievably tender and juicy. The flavorful dry rub adds a smoky, savory base, while the garlic-spiked barbecue sauce caramelizes beautifully as it cooks.
Whether you’re learning how to cook beef brisket for the first time or you’re a seasoned pro, this method is foolproof. With options for the slow cooker, oven, or Instant Pot, you can make it your way and still end up with melt-in-your-mouth results every time.
What Goes Into This Beef Brisket
This beef brisket recipe is all about building deep flavor with simple pantry staples. A bold dry rub and a garlicky, slightly spicy BBQ sauce come together to create a truly unforgettable dish.
Here are a few of the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Beef Brisket: About 4 pounds of brisket, the star of the show. Choose one with good marbling for maximum tenderness.
- Spice Rub: Garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and a hint of chili or cayenne for a smoky, savory base.
- Barbecue Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce and amp it up with garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and olive oil.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Beef Brisket With A Slow Cooker
- Prep Brisket: Spray the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the brisket inside the bowl and set aside.
- Season: In a bowl, combine all the dry seasoning. Drizzle the brisket with olive oil, then rub the seasoning all over the meat.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Pour half over the brisket and refrigerate the rest to use later.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the brisket is tender. Transfer to a foil-lined baking tray.
- Broil: Mix 1/4 cup of slow cooker juices into the sauce, then baste and broil at 400°F (220°C). Baste again and broil until crisp.
- Rest and Serve: Let brisket rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. Serve with the reserved barbecue sauce.
Pair your tender beef brisket with a classic Macaroni Salad for a creamy, cool contrast to the rich, smoky meat. For something lighter, a Honey Lime Fruit Salad adds a sweet, refreshing balance.
You can also serve it with a Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad, a flavorful mix of crisp greens, smoky bacon, and tart-sweet fruit that complements every bite.
Recipe FAQ’s
A 4 pound (2 kilo) brisket works perfectly for this recipe. As a general rule, plan for 1/2 pound (or 1 kilo) per person—plus a little extra if you want leftovers.
If brisket isn’t available, try a boneless chuck roast, blade roast, or even short ribs. These cuts also turn tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow.
No searing is required for this method, especially in the slow cooker. The long cook time develops plenty of flavor and tenderness on its own.
You might also like
Get a free eBook!
Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and receive recipes straight into your inbox!
Beef Brisket
Ingredients
BEEF BRISKET SEASONING:
- 4 pounds beef brisket
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili optional, or Cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
SAUCE:
- 2 cups 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this in the Slow Cooker. It was AMAZING! My family loved it! It is a Winning Recipe for certain!
Have made this brisket multiple times and it’s always a winner!
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!! I’ve been making brisket for 50+ years and this recipe is definitely the winner!
I will say that it is hard to ruin a brisket and that almost any seasoning will work if you roast it low and slow. However, this recipe is BY FAR the best. I had Euchre Club at my home last weekend and decided to give this recipe a try. There were 8 of us in total and every single person, including me, could not stop raving about the taste and texture of the brisket. They went back for seconds and thirds until there was nothing left. I highly, highly recommend you try this recipe!! Take it from a “seasoned” brisket maker, this one is amazing!
Hi Linda, that’s absolutely wonderful to hear! It sounds like your Euchre Club gathering was a big success, and the brisket was a hit with everyone. Thank you for sharing your experience and the glowing recommendation!
This recipe was absolutely amazing, and we used leftovers to make Fajitas, will definitely be making again.
Absolutely amazing! coming from a Southern girl who is PICKY about her brisket, this was one of the best I’ve ever had. I used a 6.5 lb brisket in the crockpot and it cooked PERFECTLY! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
ZOMG! Made this on a whim with some brisket we had in the freezer and family is gaga in love! So so good! Thanks so much! We especially love the kick from the cayenne in the sauce.
This was a huge hit. Every recipe I have tried of yours is fantastic. Highly recommend!
All I can say is OMG this beef brisket recipe is incredible! Hot , cold and any temperature in between the brisket was finger licking good! I started with my favourite Barbecue Sauce, “Cattle Boys, Chipolte Maple Bacon.” I grow my own hot peppers, so I used 2 tsp. of ground Jalapeno pepper instead of cayenne and the heat was just PERFECT. I don’t generally write reviews unless a recipe or product surpassed my wildest hopes and in this case this Beef Brisket recipe did so much more than that. You just have to try it. You won’t be sorry!
Just made this today with the oven instructions. I left the dry rub on overnight (minus the olive oil) and it tasted great. I could only find a 2 lb brisket and adjusted the cooking time following the general rule of 1 hr and 15 min for each pound of brisket so I cooked it for 2.5 hrs and it probably was 15-20 min too long so a tiny bit overcooked, but very tender. For others using a small piece of meat, I recommend cooking it at 300° for about 65 min for each pound and check the internal temperature is around 200°.
I should have not used the top rack for the broil because things got a little smoky, so I’ll use the middle rack next time and add some more broth and water mixture to prevent burning of the sauce in my roasting pan while keeping the meat juicy.
Thanks for sharing 3 different cooking options – I really hummed and hawed which option but very happy with the oven!
This was delicious and beyond easy! Do yourself a favor and make extra! This makes great sandwiches the next day! Yummmy!!!