Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Brisket

This Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Brisket is as tender, juicy, and flavorful as it gets! It’s an easy, melt-in-your-mouth beef recipe, and a festive beef dinner idea for the Holidays. Also works great for busy families that are always on-the-go!

An Easy BBQ Beef Brisket Recipe

Who knew that the key to making a perfect beef brisket was your slow cooker? You’ll never want to cook another brisket without one. This crock pot dinner is easy to make and full of explosive flavor.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it makes plenty of servings. So if you’re not feeding a crowd, that means leftovers for everyone! This brisket will make for multiple delicious meals and take loads of stress out of meal planning.

What is Brisket?

Brisket is an ultra tender and flavorful cut of beef that comes from the breast of a cow. It takes longer to cook than other cuts of meat, but the way it melts in your mouth is more than worth it!

Brisket also does a fantastic job of holding its shape once it cooks. It’s easy to slice, shred, and use in all sorts of meals. Plus, this slow cooker method makes it easier than ever to cook your brisket perfectly.

Recipe Ingredients

• Boneless Beef Brisket
• Brown Sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar for your spice rub.
• Paprika: Use sweet or smoked paprika depending on your flavor preferences.
• Kosher Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Dried Parsley
• Fresh Black Pepper
• Dried Oregano
• Ground Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Barbeque Sauce: Add your favorite bottled barbeque sauce or try my easy homemade recipe!

How to Make Beef Brisket in the Slow Cooker

1. Make Spice Rub: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the spice rub ingredients. You will probably have excess spice rub – save it to use later on pork, seafood or chicken.
2. Prepare Beef: Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle the spice rub onto the meat; rub it in with your fingers.
3. Let Stand: Let the meat stand on your kitchen counter for 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. If you’re keeping it in the fridge, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Add Sauce to Slow Cooker: Pour the barbecue sauce into the slow cooker.
5. Brown Meat if Desired: At this point, you can decide if you want to brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker or not. To brown the meat, coat a skillet with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add your brisket to the skillet and sear it on both sides until browned.
6. Add Meat to Slow Cooker: Remove brisket from the skillet and place it inside the slow cooker. Turn to coat with the bbq sauce.
7. Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 10 hours, or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.
8. Remove & Slice: Remove brisket from the slow cooker and place it onto a cutting board. Cut it against the grain into thin slices.
9. Serve & Enjoy: Stir the sliced meat back into the slow cooker and serve.

Tips for the Best Brisket

• Use Homemade Barbecue Sauce: I highly recommend making this Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce for your brisket. The flavor is unbeatable!
• Cook on Low: It’s better to cook your beef on LOW for a longer period of time to achieve maximum tenderness. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can cook your brisket on high for about half the time.
• Brown your Brisket: Browning your beef on the stove before cooking it in the slow cooker will help the outside of the meat get a little crispy.

Serving Suggestions

• Season Beef Ahead of Time: If you really want to intensify the flavor of your brisket, refrigerate it in the spice rub overnight. Just make sure to let it stand on the counter for 30 minutes before cooking.
• Shred Beef: Instead of slicing your brisket, you can shred it and add it to tacos, sandwiches, nachos, etc…
• Serve with Baked Beans: My Homemade Maple Bacon Baked Beans make a delicious side dish for beef brisket.
• Serve with Macaroni Salad: This hearty beef recipe also tastes amazing with my Creamy Macaroni Salad!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate leftover brisket in a covered container with the excess juices from your slow cooker. It will stay good for up to 3 days, and it’ll taste even better after a day or two of soaking in the fridge!
• Set your beef on the counter for about 30 minutes before you reheat it. You can reheat your brisket in the slow cooker, the oven, on the stove or even in the microwave.