Description
This Slow Cooked Beef Brisket is melt-in-your-mouth tender, featuring a homemade spice rub and a tangy, sweet BBQ sauce. By starting in the slow cooker and finishing in the oven, you achieve a succulent interior with those irresistible caramelized, sticky edges. With deep savory flavors and a rich, glossy glaze, this brisket makes for an incredible main course or the ultimate pulled beef sandwiches.
Ingredients
Beef Brisket
- 3–4 lb beef brisket
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable/canola oil)
Dry Rub
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
BBQ Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Rub
In a small bowl, mix the dry rub ingredients: brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture thoroughly all over the brisket. (Optional: You can let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 24 hours, or cook immediately).
Make the Sauce
In the slow cooker insert, combine the BBQ sauce ingredients: minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, packed brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Slow Cook
Place the seasoned brisket into the slow cooker with the sauce. Squish it in if necessary to make it fit. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours (for a 3 lb piece) to 10 hours (for a 4 lb piece).
Reduce the Sauce
Carefully remove the tender brisket from the slow cooker and place it onto a baking tray. Pour the liquid remaining in the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and reduce until it thickens to a syrup consistency. Note: It will thicken more as it cools.
Roast
Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C). Drizzle the brisket on the tray with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until brown spots appear.
Baste and Glaze
Remove the brisket from the oven and baste generously with the thickened BBQ sauce. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and baste again, then return to the oven for a final 5–10 minutes until the meat is caramelized, sticky, and browned.
Serve
Transfer to a cutting board. Slice the brisket thinly across the grain (perpendicular to the muscle fibers) and serve with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Notes
Slice Against the Grain: This is the most important step for tender brisket. Look for the direction the muscle fibers run and slice perpendicular to them. If you slice with the grain, the meat will be chewy.
The Sauce Reduction: Do not skip transferring the sauce to a saucepan. The liquid in the slow cooker will be watery; boiling it down concentrates the flavor and creates that sticky, professional glaze.
Fat Cap: If your brisket has a thick layer of fat, trim some of it down, but leave a thin layer to help baste the meat naturally as it cooks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker & Oven
- Cuisine: American BBQ
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving (approx. 6 oz meat + sauce)
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
Keywords: slow cooker beef brisket, bbq brisket recipe, oven baked brisket, pulled beef sandwich, homemade bbq sauce, tender roast beef, crockpot brisket