This may sound very un-American of me. But I think the first time I ever ate beef brisket was when I was well into my adulthood and we had just moved to Texas. My husband was in the military and it was my first time living on the other side of the Mississippi River. I grew up in Southern Virginia where pork is the meat of choice for barbecue. We are huge fans of Eastern Carolina style barbecue. If you aren’t from America, then you may net get why I’m making such a point to mention this. Americans love their BBQ. And we are very devoted to the style of BBQ we grew up with. So when I moved to Texas (beef country), I had a whole new experience with barbecue. I dove right in and had to try the beloved beef brisket. Let’s just say that nothing will replace my favorite pork, but beef brisket is pretty darn tasty! It’s a pretty tough cut of meat, and most folks have to cook it for many hours in a smoker to make it tender and flavorful. I don’t have a smoker, but I do have a slow cooker. I can still get a tender and flavorful cut of meat with a hint of smokiness with very little effort. Thank you to Texas for tasty beef BBQ!
Ingredients:3 lb. beef brisket
FOR THE RUB:
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
1/8 tsp. black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE: (see note below)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
Directions:
Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl; chili powder, garlic powder, celery seed & pepper. Rub onto the meat.
Make sure you rub it in good and all over the meat. That’s why it’s called a rub. At this point you can cover it in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight to really deepen the flavors. If you don’t have time to do that, don’t worry, this will still give your meat great flavor.
Place brisket into bottom of the crock pot.
Combine all the sauce ingredients and stir together well.
Alex is my trusty assistant here showing off the BBQ sauce to all you fine folks. As I said above, if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand for this BBQ sauce, just use a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Pour sauce all over the brisket, coating evenly.
Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.
When ready, remove meat and cut the brisket across the grain, making thin slices. See diagram below. When you cut across the grain, it gives you a tender cut of meat. This brisket is going to be so amazingly tender when it comes out. I have a hard time cutting it sometimes because it is so tender.
At this point, I like to drizzle a bit of the liquid that is left in the slow cooker on top of the cuts of meat.
Enjoy!
Crock Pot BBQ Beef Brisket
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hr
Total Time
6 hr 10 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 405 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef brisket
- FOR THE RUB:
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp celery seeds
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl; chili powder, garlic powder, celery seed & pepper.
- Rub onto the meat.
- Make sure you rub it in good and all over the meat.
- Cover it in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight to really deepen the flavors.
- If you don't have time to do that, don't worry, this will still give your meat great flavor.
- Place brisket into bottom of the crock pot.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients and stir together well.
- Pour sauce all over the brisket, coating evenly.
Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
- Remove meat and cut the brisket across the grain, making thin slices.
Recipe Notes
Drizzle a bit of the liquid that is left in the slow cooker on top of the cuts of meat. When you cut across the grain, it gives you a tender cut of meat.
Nutrition Facts
Crock Pot BBQ Beef Brisket
Amount Per Serving
Calories 405 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 140mg 47%
Sodium 731mg 30%
Potassium 949mg 27%
Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 7g
Protein 47g 94%
Vitamin A 7.8%
Vitamin C 6.3%
Calcium 2.5%
Iron 28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
That looks delish! I am a fan of BBQ pork, too. Another super simple brisket recipe: Slather prepared mustard all over your brisket, sprinkle on a package of onion soup mix, and add a scant bit of water to your crock, on low, for 8 hours. Magic! I have tried so many of your recipes and they are all fabulous!
My husband devoured this!!
hi there! first time commentor. I too just recently had brisket for the first time and ironically it was in TX too! My son graduated from basic in San Antonio but we flew into Austin to do some extra sight seeing. Someone had recommended Rudy's BBQ and we seriously ended up eating there 3 times! it was a hard toss between the extra moist brisket or the smoked turkey. Both were mouth watering delish. Thanks for the recipe as i don't have smoker either so i'm pumped up to try this recipe.
I seriously did this just yesterday! It was AMAZING and fall-apart tender!
Thanks for the recipe, nothing in the world better then a tendor piece of meat. By the way living in Eastern Carolina does have its perks. Live in Newport NC, home of the largest whole hog cooking contest in the US. 🙂
This looks so good. We love, love, love brisket!
I made my first brisket last night using your recipe. This was so simple and the brisket was very tender. The flavor was perfect and had me wanting to lick my plate! Thanks for sharing!
This look so delicious. I must try I never make such of kind meal in my crokpot (I'm french and the crokpot does'nt be used here in my country). So I will try this this sunday for my family. I think they will love that. Blessings
Thank you Sandra!
Hi Brandie,
I am new to this as well and desperately want to make your brisket for a gathering of 8 adults.
How would I adjust the ingredients and cooking time? The Internet suggests 1 lb per person because the meat will reduce to 1/2 after cooked. I’m good with 8 bs, but how long do I cook it and how do adjust the goodies?
Thanks !!
Karie from Canada
If your crock pot is big enough you should be able to fit it all in. Just double the rest of the ingredients and maybe increase your cook time for another hour or so. Hope your guest enjoy 🙂
Love this
I tried this recipe yesterday and I must say it was absolutely delicious, the flavor was incredible and the meat very tender. I was a bit nervous it wouldn't be tender but to my surprise it was. I added a 1/2 of a Sam Adams beer into the crockpot about 2 hours before it was done. The husband had two helpings and said make it again! So glad I found your website it's awesome!!
Sincerely,
Sharon
Thank you so much Sharon! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know how it turned out for you!
I found you on Pinterest and have tried a few of your recipes and they have all been amazing! Including this one. Trust me not all of my Pinterest meals come out great but yours always do. Thank you so much. P.S My family thanks you too 😉
Alia, that means so much! Thank you! I am so thrilled you are having success with the recipes you have tried. I hope I can continue to bring you lots more recipes that your family will love!
can you then put on the grill for a few minutes?
Well, the meat comes out so tender that it may be difficult to switch it over to the grill.
Cooking a brisket using your instructions and recipe right now. Oh, can't wait to wake to the smell!
Hope you loved it Lisa!
If using the BBQ sauce, it won't burn? I don't have to stir it or anything?
Rebekay, nope, no need to stir it. However, if you are home with it then you could certainly stir it around if you want.
I was born in Texas & still live in Texas so I've definitely had my fair share (or probably more!) of brisket over the years. It's one of my favorite meats. But we've always cooked them in a smoker or in the oven & I'd never even thought to try one in the crock pot. I've pinned your recipe & the next time we cook a brisket (probably next week) I'm going to put it in the crock pot. Thanks for sharing!
Would this work with a London broil?
I just have a question about the meat itself…Brisket typically has a layer of fat on one side. do you trim it off before you cook it in the crock pot? When I cook it in the oven, I put the fat side up so it's really juicy.
Anonymous, yes this would work with any type of roast.
Also, you could certainly put this in the crock pot with the fat side up. I don't trim it off, I just let it cook in it's juices. But you can cook it just like you are used to! 🙂 Hope that helps!
Made this today and the slow cooker is now empty! Not even any leftovers. It's a winner. Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe. We are retired military (AF brat and wife) and I lost my recipe for crockpot brisket somewhere along the way. Now that we are living in Virginia it is hard to find a place that knows just how to make it. Definitely going to be making this soon!
Yay – thank you Cassie!! Love, love hearing that!
Melissa, I hope you LOVE it!
Simple and everyone loved it. Thanks.
I don't have any bread to do sandwhichs or potatoes…what kind of sides would be good with this?
What is liquid smoke & where can you buy it? I’m in New York & have never heard of it. Thanks!
Hi Teresa! You will usually find it on the grocery aisle where the gravy is located. It’s in a small bottle and in my experience, it is usually on a top shelf. Hope that helps! (a little goes a long way with liquid smoke) 🙂
Has anyone tried searing the meat in a pan to get a crust that could mimic the bark you would get in a smoker?
I made this trepidation as I am a certified moron in the kitchen. Every piece of meat I touch seems to spontaneously turn into shoe leather. This was the exception! I volunteer providing meals to veterans at the Veterans Hospital and their families staying at Fisher House. I barely got any of the 6.5 lbs I cooked and there was a lot of foot traffic going back for seconds and thirds. Am now adding it to my repertoire!
Oh Cheryl, that just makes my heart smile. Bless you for being such a kind soul and I am so glad you love this recipe!
I am so happy to have found this recipe on Pinterest. I have been to America several times in the past. I love the flavours of American food as much as I love the country. I am going to make this recipe tonight . Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m from Australia
Hi there. It’s my first time making a brisket in a slow cooker. I just wanted to ask if this recipe ends up with the beef well done. I’m making this for my girlfriend and she isn’t partial to having pink in the middle. If it’s rare, how long should I cook to achieve well done?
Hi Caulin! I’m sure she will love it 🙂 This will cook it to well done. However, it won’t be dry as if it were cooked under a broiler on the grill. It will be fall-apart tender. Hope that helps! Good luck!
Can I cook on high for 4 hours?
Love this recipe. We already cooked it once..and now today we cooking it again.
Yay!! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know Mercan! 🙂