Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
Barbecue brisket is especially tempting with a dark, sticky outside and tender slices underneath. The smoky rub gives the beef plenty of flavor before the sauce joins in. Give it its rest, then slice across the grain and enjoy that savory crust with each piece.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 360 min
- Total
- 435 min
- Original yield
- Serves 10
- Ingredients
- 19 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Massage in the rub paste
Mix the paste first and rub it over the whole brisket before its optional marinating period.
2. Keep the fat side up
Set onion halves in the cooker, add brisket fat-side up and pour the combined sauce over it.
3. Watch the final browning
Keep a close eye on the brisket under the broiler and remove it when a darker bark forms.
Get to know the ingredients
Halved onion
Cut the onion in half and place both halves at the bottom before adding the brisket.
Stock or water
Low-sodium beef stock or water are listed for mixing with barbecue sauce and soy sauce before cooking.
Optional cayenne
Cayenne is optional in the rub paste, so include it only if you'd like that extra heat.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 10. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Rest, then slice across the grain
Cover the browned brisket with foil for the stated rest, then slice against the grain and serve.
A little more help as you go
Separate fat from the sauce
Pass the cooking sauce through a fat separator and discard the fat before using the sauce to baste.
A longer rub rest is allowed
The directions allow marinating the rubbed brisket ahead for the listed one-to-twenty-four-hour window if desired.
A few questions you might have
Is the cooker set to low?
Yes, the directions give a low setting with a weight-dependent cooking range and an internal thermometer check.
What temperature ends the slow-cooker stage?
The directions say to stop cooker cooking at 175 degrees Fahrenheit before transferring the brisket for browning.
Do I baste with plain barbecue sauce?
Use the fat-separated cooking sauce to baste the brisket on the prepared baking pan before broiling.
Can I use a wire rack for browning?
The directions allow a broiler-safe wire rack, with a foil-lined baking pan also given for the brisket.
Does the temperature rise while resting?
The resting direction notes a further rise in internal temperature while the brisket rests covered with foil.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: littlespicejar.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
