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BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket

BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket is cooked low and slow in the crock pot until tender, basted with a homemade brown BBQ Sauce that the beef brisket is cooked in, and then broiled to get that gorgeous BBQ caramelization.

This easy beef brisket slow cooker recipe yields 6 servings and is great if your having guests over but if your cooking for two the leftovers make great lunches.

Slice it and serve with sides or pile it up high on sandwich rolls or sliders!

a platter filled with Slow Cooker Beef brisket topped with BBQ Sauce and text reading slow cooker beef brisket recipe at zonacooks.com
BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket
a bun filled with thin sliced bbq beef brisket topped with creamy coleslaw
Beef Brisket Sandwich

Beef brisket is a cut from the chest section of the animal. It is usually sold boneless. Brisket is a tough cut of meat making it is best when braised (meaning simmered in a small amount of liquid), either in the oven, the slow cooker, or on the stove top.

Untrimmed beef brisket is one of the least expensive cuts of beef you can buy. When cooked low and slow, it loses about half its weight in meat, but few things are better than barbecue beef brisket.

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How to cook Beef Brisket in a slow cooker

In a bowl mix together the dry rub ingredients. 

dry rub spices and seasonings in a white bowl

Rub the mixture all over the brisket then place it in a 6 quart slow cooker Crockpot. Click for a 6 quart Crockpot.

a raw beef brisket covered in dry rub seasonings

In another bowl, combine the BBQ Sauce ingredients.

a bowl filled with homemade orange bbq sauce

Slowly pour the BBQ sauce over the brisket in the crockpot.

a crockpot filled with beef brisket and orange bbq sauce
Slow cooker BBQ beef brisket

Slow cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Place the BBQ beef brisket on a broiler pan. Click for a broiler pan.

a cooked beef brisket on a broiler pan

Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat and reduce until it thickens, about 10 – 15 minutes.

a pan filled with orange bbq sauce cooking

At the same time, preheat the broiler to high.

Baste the brisket generously with the smoky BBQ sauce. Broil for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes.

a cooked beef brisket covered in orange bbq sauce on a broiler pan

Remove from the oven and baste again, then return to the broiler for 1 1/2 – 2 more minutes until it caramelizes. Watch so it doesn’t burn or overcook.

Slice the crockpot beef brisket thinly against the grain.

a fork holding a bbq brisket in place and a chef knife cutting thin slices off the end of it
Thin Sliced Beef Brisket

Serve with remaining BBQ Sauce. Check out this article on the importance of cutting beef against the grain.

a crock pot Beef brisket with BBQ Sauce half sliced on a plate
Best BBQ Beef Brisket

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Yield: 6 servings

BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket

a bun filled with thin sliced bbq beef brisket topped with creamy coleslaw

BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket is cooked low and slow in the crock pot until tender, basted with a homemade brown BBQ Sauce that the beef brisket is cooked in, and then broiled to get that gorgeous BBQ caramelization. Slice it and serve with sides or pile it up high on sandwich rolls or sliders!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef brisket (thawed)

For the dry rub:

  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the BBQ sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon liquid smoke

Instructions

  1. In a bowl mix together the dry rub ingredients. 
  2. Rub the mixture all over the brisket then place it in a 6 quart slow cooker Crockpot. Click for a 6 quart Crockpot
  3. In another bowl, combine the BBQ Sauce ingredients and slowly pour it over the brisket in the crockpot.
  4. Slow cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
  5. Remove the brisket to a broiler pan. Click for a broiler pan.
  6. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat and reduce until it thickens, about 10 - 15 minutes.
  7. At the same time, preheat the broiler to high.
  8. Baste the brisket generously with the BBQ sauce. Broil for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and baste again, then return to the broiler for 1 1/2 - 2 more minutes until it caramelizes just a bit. Watch so it doesn’t burn or overcook.
  10. Slice the brisket thinly against the grain and serve with remaining BBQ Sauce. 

Notes

  • This is terrific served as a meal with sides or piled high onto a sandwich or slider rolls. Top the BBQ brisket with coleslaw for another delicious option.
  • The brisket will lose about half it's weight when it cooks.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 533Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 1029mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 45gProtein: 34g

Nutrition information is a guideline only, is calculated automatically by third party software, and absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.

Did you like this recipe?

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slow cooker smokey bbq beef brisket on a tray
Slow Cooker Smokey BBQ Beef Brisket Dinner for Two

Diana Feinmel

Sunday 21st of November 2021

Can you use bottled BBQ sauce?

Zona

Monday 22nd of November 2021

Hi Diana, yes you can use bottled BBQ sauce. I would still do all of the other steps though including simmering the liquid in step 6. Thanks for your question and enjoy :)

HSV

Wednesday 27th of January 2021

My husband and I love this recipe!!! Made it for a whole party of people before. My husband hates vinegar though so next time I make it he wants me to tone it down and only do a splash, not a half cup. Any suggestions?

Zona

Wednesday 27th of January 2021

Hi HSV, the apple cider vinegar is important both for the flavor and to help tenderize the meat. If you need to substitute it other acids to consider are other vinegars, lemon juice and orange juice. You could also using half of the vinegar and half lemon or orange juice. I hope one of these choices works for you.

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