Slow Cooked Beef Brisket (Printable Version)

Juicy beef brisket slow cooked and paired with smoky, tangy barbecue sauce for rich home-cooked flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Brisket

01 - 4 to 4.5 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1 tsp onion powder
08 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper

→ For the BBQ Sauce

09 - 1 ½ cups ketchup
10 - ½ cup apple cider vinegar
11 - ⅓ cup firmly packed 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

# Directions:

01 - Pat the brisket thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Massage the spice rub evenly over all surfaces of the meat, pressing gently to adhere.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the brisket on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to turn the meat carefully.
03 - Place the seared brisket into the slow cooker insert, fat-side up.
04 - Whisk together ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt in a mixing bowl until completely smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
05 - Pour half of the barbecue sauce mixture evenly over the brisket. Reserve the remaining sauce in a sealed container for serving.
06 - Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or on HIGH setting for 4 to 5 hours. The brisket is done when it shreds easily with minimal fork pressure and reaches an internal temperature of 205°F.
07 - Carefully transfer the cooked brisket to a cutting board. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain or shredding with two forks.
08 - Skim any excess fat from the surface of the sauce remaining in the slow cooker. Return the sliced or shredded brisket to the slow cooker and toss gently to coat thoroughly in the cooking juices.
09 - Transfer the sauced brisket to a serving platter. Serve immediately with the reserved barbecue sauce on the side for guests to add additional portions as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade BBQ sauce strikes that perfect balance between smoky, tangy, and slightly sweet without overpowering the beef
  • Eight hours of hands-off cooking means you can set it and forget it until dinner time
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day, if you manage to have any
02 -
  • Searing might feel like an extra step, but that crust creates flavor compounds that slow cooking alone can't achieve
  • Letting the meat rest before cutting keeps all those juices inside instead of running onto your cutting board
  • Don't rush the cook time those collagen fibers need hours to break down into tenderness
03 -
  • Trim some of the hard fat cap, but leave at least ¼ inch for flavor and moisture
  • Place the brisket fat side up so the rendered fat bastes the meat as it cooks

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