Easy and juicy beef brisket cooked slowly until tender, and basted in mildly spicy bbq sauce. This brisket recipe comes with slow cooker, oven, and pressure cooker methods to choose from.
Wondering how to easily prepare the best beef brisket on the planet? Look no further!
Simply rub brisket with a tasty dry rub, cook low and slow, and baste with a delish barbecue sauce. My mouth is already watering!
WHAT IS BEEF BRISKET?
It’s a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the animal.
Because it lies in an area that gets heavy exercise, it is tough, and requires slow cooking. Basting or braising (in the oven, slow cooker, or stovetop) are essential to keep brisket meat juicy and tender.
Smoked beef brisket is very popular in Texas where I live. The meat gets a generous amount of brisket rub, cooks for hours over indirect heat from charcoal or wood in a smoker, and then is basted in bbq sauce. It’s Texas Barbecue at its best!
Once the meat is done, it holds its shape and slices with no problem. The tender part is the center, which should be sliced against the grain of the meat.
The ends or tips, cook faster and tend to dry out more quickly. Either cube them to make burnt ends or shred them to make pulled-beef sandwich, tacos, pizzas, and soups.
Brisket itself makes great pot roast (or stewed beef in the UK) and of course, Texas-Style barbecue. But it also makes good corned beef brisket and pastrami.
HOW TO CHOOSE BEEF BRISKET
The best thing is to buy the highest grade you can find. Pick a slab that is USDA Choice, USDA Prime, or Certified Angus Beef. Steer clear of those that have no label or are USDA Select.
Prefer a whole, untrimmed brisket cut with white fat. It costs less per pound and you can trim the meat as you want, helping retain moisture while cooking. Just make sure to keep the fat cap around 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.
Last, look for a cut with a flat section that has an uniform thickness. If too thin, it’ll overcook and dry out.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BRISKET
Here are a few side dishes that go well with brisket:
HOW TO COOK BEEF BRISKET
To make this beef brisket recipe, first prepare the dry rub. Mix…
Then, see respective methods for cooking beef brisket in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, and in the oven.
Another easy dinner recipe to try in a busy weekday is this Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew and this Chipotle Beef Barbacoa… both so yummy!
(SEE FULL RECIPE BELOW)
CAN THIS BEEF BRISKET RECIPE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, you can make brisket a day or two ahead and then refrigerate. The flavor will improve with time.
Refrigerate cooked beef brisket for 3 to 5 days, or freeze for 3 months.
BEEF BRISKET SUBSTITUTES
Although beef brisket has more flavor, you can use other cuts of beef for making a pot roast, such as boneless chuck roast, blade roast or short ribs – but not London broil which is lean and ideal for grilling or broiling.
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EASY AND JUICY BEEF BRISKET
Ingredients
BEEF BRISKET DRY RUB:
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 6 lbs beef brisket trimmed and pat dry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE BARBECUE SAUCE:
- 3 cup barbecue sauce
- 3/4 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- SLOW COOKER METHOD: Spray the bowl of slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. Combine dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Place brisket on a large cookie sheet and season both sides of the brisket with the dry rub and then drizzle with oil.
- Be sure to apply the rub well to both sides with your hands. Place brisket, fat side up, in the slow cooker bowl. Stir sauce ingredients together and cover brisket with half of the sauce. Refrigerate remaining bbq sauce for later.
- Cover brisket with lid and cook on low setting for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. When brisket is tender, place onto a cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil.
- Baste brisket with meat juices from the slow cooker and then with remaining bbq sauce. Broil on top rack for about 8-10 minutes or until charred on the edges.
- Baste with sauce again and let brisket rest for 15 minutes. Slice 1/4 thick, cutting against the grain. Serve with remaining bbq sauce and a side of your choice.
- PRESSURE COOKER METHOD: Spray the inside of pressure cooker with no stick cooking spray. Combine dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Place brisket on a large cookie sheet and season both sides of the brisket with the dry rub and then drizzle with oil .
- Be sure to apply the rub well to both sides with your hands. Place brisket, fat side up, in the pressure cooker. Stir sauce ingredients together and cover brisket with half of the sauce. Refrigerate remaining bbq sauce for later. Cover and seal pressure cooker.
- Set to Manual at High Pressure and cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Quick release to remove steam/pressure, then unlock and remove the lid. Place onto a cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil.
- Baste brisket with remaining bbq sauce. Broil on top rack for about 8-10 minutes or until charred on the edges. Baste sauce again and let brisket rest for 15 minutes. Slice 1/4 thick against the grain. Serve with remaining bbq sauce and a side of your choice.
- OVEN METHOD: Preheat oven to 350° F. Season brisket (see above) and place into a large roasting pan. Mix 1 cup beef broth with 1 cup water and then add mixture to the base of the pan. Cover tightly with heavy aluminum foil and cook for 1 hour.
- Reduce temp down to 300°F and let cook for a additional 5-6 hours, or until tender. Baste brisket with meat juice from the roasting pan and then with remaining bbq sauce.
- Broil on top rack for about 8-10 minutes or until charred on the edges. Baste sauce again and let brisket rest for 15 minutes. Then slice 1/4 thick against the grain. Serve with remaining bbq sauce and a side of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Martina Roy
This is very really unique helpful information. keep it up. Thank you so much!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking
I’m liking the list of sides as much as the brisket! Here in California garlic bread would be another option. A scoop of summer in every plateful of this tender brisket recipe.
Denise Browning
Thank you Deb! Yes, garlic bread would make a great side as well.
JB
Oh my goodness, this was so delicious– so tender you could cut it with just a fork and no knife. And on sandwiches, it was the bomb
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Growing up in Texas, you know I’m going to love brisket and yours looks great.
Millican Pecan
I love brisket and just do not see recipes for making it in the many ways that you have listed here. It looks and sounds delicious! My husband and I are both fans of barbecue, but don’t always have the time to make it. Your recipe makes it possible…thanks for sharing!
Denise Browning
So glad to hear. The pleasure is all mine. Enjoy!
wendy novatkowski
OMG this is the best recipe THANK YOU SO MUCH I made it last night and the Brisket was so tender it was like eating butter and the BBQ sauce was to DIE for even both my kids had extra on there dinner and THEY DO NOT LIKE BBQ SAUCE i would never of thought to put apple cider vinegar in my sauce THANK YOU
Denise Browning
Wow Wendy! You made my day. I am so happy to hear that you and you kids loved this recipe. It is my family’s favorite…every time that I make it disappears quite quickly. Vinegar balances well the sweetness of the sauce — it is the only time when one of my daughters eats bbq sauce. She finds to sweet in general except the homemade version which I always put vinegar enough to cut down the sweetness of the sauce. Thanks a ton for the great review! If you have any questions about this or any other recipe, please don’t hesitate to ask. Have a great weekend!