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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.
For a healthy and easy-to-make recipe, try my Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap. Trust me, you are going to LOVE this one.
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.
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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.
I’ve made a brisket for Christmas the previous two years using different recipes. This year I decided to use this recipe, and it did not disappoint. Everything turned great. I cooked it in the oven as directed. The meat was incredibly tender and the sauce was bursting with flavor. I’m going to have to look for reasons to use this recipe more than just once a year. Thanks!!
Great recipe!
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
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.
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.
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!
This is a very very very delish recipe – I did the Oven Method – bake then broil – SO juicy and tangy!!
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?
Absolutely scrumptious
Hi my brisket is only 2.5 lbs should i cut the time in half in the slow cooker?