Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket is a delicious, budget friendly dinner or holiday menu idea. Briskets are best when cooked low and slow. Here, the robust sauce has an acidic component (red wine vinegar) to tenderize the meat while infusing the beef with flavor.

Meggan’s notes

The secret to meltingly-tender, juicy brisket is to cook it “low and slow.” As a classically-trained chef, I’ve studied different cuts of beef and how prepare them for best results. Braising brisket in a robust cooking liquid infuses it with flavor while tenderizing the beef, and doing it in the slow cooker means you can cook it all day long without firing up your oven.

While even plain water can get the job done. I like to add flavor every step of the way. Browning the brisket itself adds a caramelized flavor and a crispy texture around the edges. Cook onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the leftover fat from the brisket to capture that flavor. A splash of red wine vinegar deglazes the pan. For added flavor boosters, add whole grain mustard, bay leaves, and sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary.

After that, give the brisket plenty of time to cook low and slow in the crockpot. I like to slice it against the grain to serve, but it will be tender enough to shred, too. Serve this brisket dinner with your favorite sides (I love olive oil mashed potatoes) and colorful vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and broccoli.

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Brisket: Look for flat cut brisket which is rectangular in shape and has a fat cap. If your brisket doesn’t fit in the Dutch oven for browning, cut it in pieces and sear in batches.
• Salt and pepper: Always taste your recipes at the end to adjust for seasonings. I keep a pint jar of “tasting spoons” next to my stove just for this purpose.
• Olive oil: My favorite brand is Cobram Estate 100% California Select extra virgin olive oil.
• Onions, carrots, and celery: Mirepoix, a delicious mix that is 50% onion and 25% each carrot and celery.
• Garlic
• Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes and their juice add terrific flavor.
• Red wine vinegar: Use this to deglaze the pan. The acid cuts through the richness of the fat in the brisket and tenderizes it in the process, too.
• Whole grain mustard: Or substitute brown mustard.
• Bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme: These sturdy herbs stand up to the intensity of all-day slow cooking.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

1. Pat brisket dry and season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Brown beef on all sides until a deep brown crust develops, about 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker.

3. To the Dutch oven, add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in tomatoes, red wine vinegar, mustard, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.

5. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beef.

6. Cover and cook until the beef is fork tender, on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. 

7. Remove brisket to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice brisket thinly across the grain.

8. Arrange a platter, and drizzle with juices from the slow cooker. Serve with olive oil mashed potatoes if desired.

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket tips and variations

• Yield: This Slow Cooker Brisket recipe makes about 6 cups of brisket, enough for 6 servings, 1 cup each. The exact shrinkage of brisket depends on your specific cut, with brisket losing 30% to 50% of its original weight (i.e., a 5-pound brisket may end up as 3 or 3 ½ pounds cooked brisket by the end, which is 6 to 7 cups brisket).
• Make ahead: Make this brisket recipe up to 3 days in advance. Reheat on the stove or in the slow cooker until the brisket and cooking juices reach 165 degrees.
• With barbecue sauce: Start with a simple marinade and then let your crockpot do all the work. At the end, slather on your favorite barbecue sauce (I suggest my Sweet Baby Ray’s copycat bbq sauce).
• Braised beef brisket: In a robust cooking liquid that both flavors and tenderizes, make beef brisket in the oven for dinner or your next holiday gathering.

How to Store Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Store leftover brisket covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze the cooled leftover brisket in freezer-safe containers. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stove or in the slow cooker to 165 degrees.

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Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

By Meggan Hill

Briskets are best when cooked low and slow. Here, the robust sauce has an acidic component (red wine vinegar) to tenderize the meat while infusing the beef with flavor.

Servings 6 servings (1 cup each)

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 481

5 from 1 vote

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 5 pounds beef brisket (see note 1)
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 large onion peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
• ▢ 2 ribs celery chopped
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic smashed
• ▢ 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
• ▢ 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• ▢ 1 sprig fresh thyme

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Instructions 

• Pat brisket dry and season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Brown beef on all sides until a deep brown crust develops, about 7 to 10 minutes (work in batches if necessary). Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
• To the Dutch oven, add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes, red wine vinegar, mustard, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beef.
• Cover and cook until the beef is fork tender, on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove brisket to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice brisket thinly across the grain, arrange a platter, and drizzle with juices from the slow cooker.

Notes

1. Brisket: Look for flat cut brisket which is rectangular in shape and has a fat cap. If your brisket doesn’t fit in the Dutch oven for browning, cut it in pieces and sear in batches.
2. Yield: This Slow Cooker Brisket recipe makes about 6 cups of brisket, enough for 6 servings, 1 cup each.
3. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 56gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 266mgPotassium: 1042mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4081IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 5mg

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