If you’re looking for a way to cook a beef brisket to help it become its best self—tender and still full of flavor, of course—you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we share preparation and cooking tips for cooking brisket in a Crock Pot, plus a simple recipe that you can start with right away.
Get your slow cooker ready, and enjoy.
Why Brisket Is Ideal for Slow Cooking
To understand why beef brisket works well for slow cooking, you need to first understand a little science behind beef.
You probably already know that some beef cuts are tougher to chew than others. Why is that, though? It usually comes down to where that cut of meat comes from. Generally speaking, beef cuts taken from areas of a cow that move a lot, like the shoulder area and legs, tend to have more muscle than those taken from non-exercised areas, like the ribs. More muscle makes the meat tougher to chew.
The brisket comes from the upper arm and breast area of a cow. As you’d expect, that area moves a lot and is, therefore, relatively muscular. So, the brisket becomes a somewhat tough cut of meat unless it’s cooked in a way that breaks down its toughness.
Slow cooking is that way. When you cook with low heat over a long period of time, the connective tissue in the meat has time to break down. This creates a tender brisket that barely requires chewing to enjoy.
Preparing the Brisket
There are only a few steps you need to take to prepare your brisket for the slow cooker.
First, remove the brisket from the refrigerator and pat it completely dry. Trim any excess chunks of fat from the outer edges of the brisket, if desired, but leave thinner strips of fat intact. They’ll cook down in the slow cooker and add flavor to the brisket.
Then, mix together any spices you want to use. Brush a small amount of oil on the brisket before rubbing the spices along all sides of the meat.
Now, preheat a large skillet with one tablespoon of oil or butter over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Use tongs to hold the brisket up on its side to sear the outer edges as well.
Finally, spray the slow cooker liner with cooking spray before setting the brisket inside to cook. Use this time to cut and prepare any vegetables or sauces you want to add to the slow cooker if desired.
Crock Pot Brisket Tips
Making brisket in your Crock Pot isn’t very difficult to learn how to do, but there are still some tips and tricks you should keep in mind to get the best results.
- It needs plenty of time to cook. Make sure you have at least eight hours to spare if you plan to slow cook a beef brisket. It takes about this much time for the connective tissue in the meat to tenderize. If you notice that your brisket is difficult to shred or slice, it probably needs another 30 minutes to an hour in the slow cooker.
- Still, cooking too long isn’t a good idea. Leaving brisket in the slow cooker all day—we’re talking 10-12 hours or more—can lead to a mushy brisket, which is a far cry from the tender-with-a-little-bite brisket that you were probably looking for. Eight to ten hours is usually ideal for beef brisket.
- Don’t trim too much fat. Brisket still needs a little fat left on it to reach its full potential in terms of flavor and texture. Take too much fat off when preparing it, and you may end up with a slightly chewy brisket. Try to leave some fat on the brisket, only removing larger chunks that won’t cook down all the way in the slow cooker.
- Let it come to room temperature. If you have time to do so, leave the brisket at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before seasoning and searing it. Doing so helps it heat more evenly in the slow cooker. When time is up, pat it dry and season the brisket.
Recipe Variations
Below, we provide an easy recipe to start with so you can learn to cook brisket in a slow cooker. However, there are a lot of ways to enjoy this dish, so you can experiment as you become more comfortable with a basic recipe.
One way to switch up your Crock Pot brisket recipe is to use different spices to create various flavor profiles. If you want your end result to be spicier, opt for some cayenne pepper or red chili pepper flakes. Or, if you want a classic roast with potatoes and vegetables, lean more toward traditional spices, like garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and basil.
You can also experiment with the liquids you add to your brisket. Some cooks add barbecue sauce to the Crock Pot instead of beef broth to make shredded brisket sandwiches, for example. Others create a teriyaki-style glaze with apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and liquid smoke.
Crock Pot Brisket Recipe
Try this slow-cooker brisket recipe in your Crock Pot. It takes about 8 hours, so make sure you have plenty of time to spare to let it cook low and slow all day.
Ingredients
- 2-4 lb beef brisket
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
- Pat the brisket dry. Mix all seasonings together (salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, cumin). Spread a thin layer of olive oil on the meat. Then, spread the spice mixture on all sides of the brisket.
- Preheat a skillet with butter or oil over medium-high heat.
- Sear the brisket for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Sear the outer edges, too.
- Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray. Spread the sliced onion along the bottom of the Crock Pot. Add the beef brisket on top of the onion.
- Mix together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Pour the mixture over the beef.
- Cook on low for 8 hours, or a maximum of 10. Flip the brisket over to the other side halfway during the cooking process.
- Rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before shredding or slicing.
Notes
If you want to add barbecue sauce to your brisket, you can do so after it finishes cooking in the slow cooker. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the brisket to an oven-safe dish and baste it with barbecue sauce. Roast for about 10 minutes until the sauce caramelizes.
Conclusion: Cooking Brisket in a Crock Pot
You have the tools to cook brisket in your slow cooker, so the rest is up to you. Remember that the entire process of prepping and cooking brisket in the Crock Pot takes around 10 hours, so it’s best to prepare everything and start cooking in the morning, if possible, to have the brisket ready for dinner.
Crock Pot Brisket FAQs
Crock Pot Brisket
Ingredients
- 2-4 lbs beef brisket
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
- Pat the brisket dry. Mix all seasonings together (salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, cumin). Spread a thin layer of olive oil on the meat. Then, spread the spice mixture on all sides of the brisket.
- Preheat a skillet with butter or oil over medium-high heat.
- Sear the brisket for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Sear the outer edges, too.
- Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray. Spread the sliced onion along the bottom of the Crock Pot. Add the beef brisket on top of the onion.
- Mix together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Pour the mixture over the beef.
- Cook on low for 8 hours, or a maximum of 10. Flip the brisket over to the other side halfway during the cooking process.
- Rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before shredding or slicing.