This savory slow cooker brisket is covered in a dry rub that amplifies the flavor. Juicy and fall-apart tender, this easy recipe is a crowd favorite!
I've never really thought about cooking a brisket in a slow cooker. I was always taught to smoke your brisket, but then one day I saw all these recipes for slow cooker brisket and I thought to myself...why not? Slow cooking is a lifesaver when it comes to saving time and making easy dinners!
So, I did.
And it was WONDERFUL!
Just like my stuffed cabbage casserole and these slow cooker short ribs, this beef brisket is made in the crock pot and it's cooked with cabbage! So next time you plan to slow cook a chicken or use the slow cooker to make a pulled pork shoulder, try something different and slow cook a brisket! You'll be amazed at the taste and how easy it is!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
1. It's a perfect fall dinner recipe that's easy to make because you literally set it and forget about it for 7-9 hours in the slow cooker!
2. This beef brisket is fall apart tender and extremely juicy!
3. Leftovers are amazing and taste great when served on bread. It makes the best sandwich!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
For the Beef Brisket Rub:
- Salt - helps enhance the natural flavor of the meat.
- Pepper - adds a subtle spiciness that helps balance out the warmness of the other flavors.
- Brown sugar - light brown sugar adds sweetness to the rub and helps the outside of the beef brisket obtain a subtle caramelized flavor and appearance.
- Ground mustard - adds an unexpected hint of tanginess to the meat.
- Ground cinnamon - for a warm spiciness and a hint of sweetness.
- Ground ginger - contributes a zesty kick to the rub while also adding another layer of warm flavor.
- Ground cloves - adds a hint of bitterness to the rub, creating a more complex flavor and balancing out the sweetness of the cinnamon and brown sugar.
For the Rest of the Beef Brisket Recipe:
- Beef brisket, trimmed- typically a tougher cut of meat, slow cooking it breaks down the tough fibers, leaving you with an incredibly flavorful and tender piece of meat.
- Beef stock - helps to infuse the meat and keep it tender and moist while it slowly cooks.
- Apple cider vinegar - adds a tangy, bright, and acidic flavor to balance out the richness of the meat.
- Worcestershire sauce - adds depth with a savory flavor.
- Onion - slow cooking diced yellow onions with the meat helps infuse flavor into the juices and meat.
- Garlic cloves - use this for a kick of pungent earthiness.
- Bay leaves - infuses the meat with a subtle earthy flavor.
- Cabbage - cooks in the juices for the perfect side dish to serve with the meat.
- Carrots - steamed separately from the meat and served as a side to compliment the meat and cabbage.
- Unsalted butter - steamed with the carrots to add a rich flavor.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📋 Variations
- Brown sugar - substitute light brown sugar with dark brown sugar for a sweeter taste.
- Beef stock - I use regular beef stock, but feel free to use unsalted and add your own salt to reduce the sodium content, if needed.
- Garlic - feel free to use freshly minced or jarred minced if that's easier.
- Carrots - while you can choose to peel the carrots, try leaving the peelings on so you can get extra nutritional value!
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Combine the salt, pepper, brown sugar, ground mustard, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground clove in a small bowl. Using your hands, rub the brisket dry rub over all sides of the meat.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email to receive this recipe, along with weekly food inspiration!
👩🏼🍳 Helpful Tip: For less mess, use gloves when applying the dry rub to the beef brisket.
Step 2: Once the rub has been spread evenly, place the seasoned meat in the pot of the slow cooker.
Step 3: Next, add the beef stock, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onions, garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the crock pot. Then, arrange the cabbage halves over the top.
Step 4: Place on the lid and cook on low for 7-9 hours. You'll know it's done when you insert a fork and it easily falls apart. Transfer the meat to cutting board and slice against the grain.
Now that your mouth has been watering all day long from the rich and savory aroma coming from your kitchen, serve this slow cooker brisket with a large scoop of cabbage and the steamed buttered carrots for a hearty and satisfying meal!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQS
Yes! Cooking brisket for too long will make the meat mushy instead of fall-apart-tender. The optimal time is usually between 7-9 hours.
Similar to checking the doneness for pot roast, at hour 7 of the slow cook remove the lid and stick a fork in the meat. With a slight turn, if the meat easily separates., it's done. If there is any pull at all, the roast needs to cook longer. Check ever 30-45 minutes.
No, the brisket doesn't have to be completely covered in liquid. With a couple of cups of beef broth in the bottom of the container, the meat will become tender and juicy.
💭 Expert Tips
- Use a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker when making beef brisket.
- When buying brisket, ask the butcher to trim the excess fat or do it yourself. It naturally has fat marbled in the meat to help add tenderness as it cooks. You want to trim any large chunks of fat off the outside of the meat to avoid a greasy finish as it cooks.
- When cutting any meat, always cut against the grain. It's important to break the muscle fibers so the meat becomes easier to chew. When it's done, it will be so tender that it will start to fall apart. Your knife should be able to easily cut against the grain without resistance.
- Don't cook the carrots with the brisket. When meat is done, pull out a separate pan and steam the carrots with the melted butter and remaining salt and pepper until tender. Serve with the onions and cabbage that cooked with the meat. Then top it all off with the au jus from the slow cooker.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, along with the juices. When reheating, add meat and the juices to a small pot on the stove, cover, and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
🥘 What To Serve With Beef Brisket
If you tried this slow cooker brisket or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
📧 Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter, so that you don’t miss out on any of my delicious recipes!
Slow Cooker Brisket
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
For The Dry Rub
- 3-4 lb Beef Brisket, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
For the Brisket
- 1 cup beef stock
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 head cabbage
For the Carrots
- 1 lb baby carrots
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Smoked Brisket Rub Instructions
- Combine 1 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoons pepper, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves in a small bowl.
- Rub mixture over all sides of brisket. Once rub has been spread, place the brisket in the pot of slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Brisket Instructions
- Add the beef stock, 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 quartered medium onions, 4 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves to the slow cooker.
- Arrange cabbage halves over top of the brisket. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or until beef is very tender. Once the beef is done, transfer beef to a cutting board and cut against the grain ensuring to discard the bay leaves.
Steamed Carrots
- Add 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter to a pot. Add the chopped carrots and steam with ¾ teaspoon of salt until tender.
- Serve the brisket with the cooked onions, cabbage, carrots, pouring the au jus on top.
Notes
-
- Use a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker when making beef brisket,
-
- When buying your brisket, ask the butcher to trim the excess fat or do it yourself. Brisket naturally has fat marbled in the meat to help add tenderness as it cooks. You want to trim any large chunks of fat off the outside of the meat to avoid a greasy finish as it cooks.
-
- When cutting any meat, always cut against the grain. It's important to break the muscle fibers so the meat becomes easier to chew. When the brisket is done, it will be so tender that it will start to fall apart. Your knife should be able to easily cut against the grain without resistance.
-
- Don't cook the carrots with the brisket. When the beef brisket is done, pull out a separate pan and steam the carrots with the melted butter and remaining salt and pepper until tender. Serve with the onions and cabbage that was cooked with the meat. Then top it all off with the au jus let over.
-
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, along with the juices. When reheating, add meat and the juices to a small pot on the stove, cover, and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email to receive this recipe, along with weekly food inspiration!
Charles Simmons
Amanda, I tried smoking a 2lb Brisket Flat yesterday on my gas barbecue. I started it at 2pm no higher than 250. By 5pm the meat temperature was only 135 degrees. I continued until 9pm when it stalled at 150degrees.I wrapped it in tin foil and continued until it reached 180derees. I let it rest for 10 minuteds then I carved it up against the grain and it was actually very moist,tender and delicious. So today I'm going to reheat it and have it tonight.
My question is did it take so long to cook because I used my barbecue.?
I think my next one will be the slow cooker way and also just barbecue it.
Charles
Amanda Mason
Hey Charles!! Thanks for posting these questions! When smoking a brisket, it typically takes 60-90 min. per pound. Key word "typically". There are so many factors that go into smoking meat. Things such as the outside temperature, how well and consistent the temperature is maintained in the smoker, the heat source, etc. To answer your question, yes - I think what took so long for your brisket is that you were using your gas bbq. But there is no "wrong" smoker to use. I've known people who strip the paint off of filing cabinets and turn it into a smoker lol! Always smoke to the internal temperature of the meat and never time. And...the stall will slow down the time too. Sounds like it turned out amazing! Did it have a good smoke ring? Smoking low and slow is key...sounds like it was successful!! Let me know what other questions you have!!
B D
This is delicious. Confession-used a smaller brisket but still used all of the spice mixture (love 'warm' spices' on beef), used full amt of liquid too. Had to cook it 8 hours. Served next day, sliced and warmed up in sauce. Most definitely a repeat dish. Thank you.
Amanda Mason
Hi there! SOOO glad you loved it so much!! I do love the flavors, as well and they remind me of fall and winter time. Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out and let me know what other recipes of mine you try!! I cant wait to hear!!
Kiwi
This is a must recipe. for the beef lover like myself
Amanda Mason
Thank you!! I'm so glad you loved it! Let me know what other recipes of mine you try! I an't wait to hear!!