Get ready to fall in love with this pulled BBQ brisket slow cooker recipe! Just imagine tender juicy brisket infused with all the yummy BBQ flavors you love. But, made with just a fraction of the work, thanks to your trusty crock-pot.
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This simple dish is a delicious winner. Juicy, shredded brisket in a perfectly tangy bbq sauce. It is super easy to assemble and serve making it a household favorite.
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📝Shopping list
To make this amazing crock pot brisket recipe you these simple ingredients available in any grocery store:
Sauce Ingredients:
- ketchup
- dark brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- molasses
- dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- black pepper
- salt
Meat
- brisket - first or flat cut
OPTIONAL
Optional
- liquid smoke - to taste
Best cut of beef
There are generally two cuts of brisket in most markets. The first cut or "flat" and the second cut, or the "point". The second cut will generally be a little less expensive because it contains much more connective tissues and fat marbling. The second cut will also shred easier.
If you prefer more meat, the first cut is the way to go. If you like a fattier beef, the second cut is for you.
A first cut or "flat" of brisket.
🔪Instructions
This great recipe just involves a few simple steps:
Preparing your slow cooker
Prepare your slow cooker by coating it with a non-stick agent. Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings.
NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface. Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick coating. Check your slow cooker's manual if you have any concerns.
Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.
Cooking
🥩Add all ingredients, except brisket, into greased slow cooker
🥩Stir to thoroughly mix
🥩Place brisket into the sauce mixture. Turning it to make sure it is fully coated in sauce. It should ultimately sit with the fat side up.
🥩Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
🥩When cooking is finished, remove the brisket from your slow cooker and allow it to rest for a few minutes. It should shred relatively easily with two forks. I prefer to discard most of the fat prior to shredding. But you can decide to keep as much or as little as you like.
🥩Return shredded brisket to your slow cooker and allow it to cook on low for an additional 30 minutes or so. This will allow it to become even more tender and soak up the yummy sauce
🥩I like to add a few tablespoons of liquid smoke at this stage. I recommend tasting the sauce and adding that to suit your preference.
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🍽Serving suggestions
Slow cooker pulled BBQ brisket can be served a ton of mouthwatering ways. Here are a few:
- BBQ brisket Sandwiches: Whether served on kaiser rolls, brioche buns, or even pretzel rolls, this shredded beef makes a juicy, sloppy, amazing sandwich!
- Tacos or Wraps: Fill tortillas or tacos with bbq beef brisket. Then toss on some toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and pickled red onions for extra amazingness!
- Loaded Baked Potatoes: Top baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower with this delicious, saucy slow cooker beef brisket for an amazing treat.
- BBQ Brisket Nachos: Layer tortilla chips with pulled BBQ brisket, shredded cheese, black beans, jalapenos, and diced tomatoes. The more you add, the more drool worthy it gets!
- Slow Cooker Brisket Sliders: Serve the pulled BBQ brisket on slider buns for a fun and portable appetizer or party food.
- Brisket Bowl: The best way to use leftover brisket? Pile it high in a bowl alongside quinoa, black beans, fresh chopped veggies, and avocados.
Have you served your slow cooker bbq brisket differently? Please share it with us in the comment section below!
🔁Substitution ideas
Looking to switch this recipe up a bit? Here are some alternatives:
- Swap out brisket for a large chuck roast. The flavor of the meat will be different, but equally delicious!
- Add a tablespoon or two of chili powder to the bbq sauce to dial up the heat
- Add onion powder and soy sauce to the sauce to vary the flavor.
Storing
Store leftovers of your crockpot brisket recipe in an airtight container or bag. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
For best results, allow frozen leftovers to defrost overnight in the refrigerator prior to reheating.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
😉Hints & hacks
- Cooking brisket low and slow is what turns a tough cut of meat into a tender, juicy, delicious meal. It will always turn out best when slowly cooking it all day on the low setting.
- This slow cooker brisket recipe assumes you want to make homemade barbecue sauce. If you are crunched for time, you can use a bottle or two of store-bought sauce. Just make sure you have enough sauce to cover about halfway up the sides of the brisket.
- I often use a slow cooker liner when making this dish. This is a fully optional step, but it makes clean up super fast and easy!.
- This is a great dish if your people will be eating at different times. After the cooking time, turn your slow cooker to low and everyone can have a warm and filling meal, no matter what time they are ready to eat.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- Always double check to make sure your slow cooker is on and plugged in!!! There is nothing worse than coming home to a slow cooker that was never properly turned on.😞
📖 Recipe
Pulled BBQ Brisket Slow Cooker Recipe
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- Mixing Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups ketchup
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3½ - 4 lb brisket
- liquid smoke to taste(optional)
Instructions
- add 3 cups ketchup, 2 cups dark brown sugar, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup molasses, 2 tablespoon dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 teaspoon salt to greased slow cooker
- stir all ingredients well to fully combine
- add 3½ - 4 lb brisket into the sauce and turn it over a few times to fully coat. Leave it with the fat cap facing up.
- cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the brisket pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Once fully cooked, you can choose to remove the fat cap.
- shred the brisket removing extra fat and gristle as you go.
- Taste sauce and add liquid smoke to your taste (optional)
- Stir shredded beef fully into sauce and allow to cook a little longer for extra tenderness.
Final Step
If you love this recipe, please let everyone know by giving it a star rating and leaving a comment. This will help my business to grow and allow me to keep on testing and sharing free recipes with you.😊
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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sandra macdonald says
Hi Susan....I really enjoy your website and your recipes, but I have one question.....why do you now just list the recipes by name, rather than adding the extra step of - eg - "Dad'll really enjoy this" or "He'll always ask for seconds on this". It means I have to click into the recipe, decide whether or not I like it, click out of it and repeat this all through the list. Most people know just from the title of a recipe whether they would use it or not, so why go through thr extra "teaser" step?
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Hi Sandra,
It sounds like you are talking about my emails and not the recipes on this website. If this is the case, I will be using all different formats going forward to share recipes by email. Thank you for your feedback on the most recent format!