I grew up in the midwest, where we always ate pork barbecue. After moving to Texas, I was introduced to brisket (it’s all about the beef here). After marrying a Texan, I decided that I should try to tackle the beef BBQ thing myself. The crockpot really makes cooking brisket so easy!
For best results, use a small brisket. I have found that larger pieces of meat overwhelm the crockpot and don’t cook down as well. Also, fat around the meat is good (it will help the meat to become tender and it will peel off easily after cooking) but try to avoid buying a brisket with a lot of fat marbling throughout (fat running through the piece of meat is much harder to remove after cooking).
Brisket Barbecue
- small brisket (3-4lb)
- 18 oz barbecue sauce
For the Rub:
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- salt
- pepper
Don’t worry about trimming up the meat, any fat around the piece of meat will easily come away from the meat after cooking (and the fat will help to keep the meat moist while cooking). Sprinkle brisket generously with salt and pepper. Mix together other dry ingredients and rub into meat. For more flavor, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in fridge over night.
Make your own barbecue sauce or grab your favorite bottled sauce. Place brisket (fat side up) in a crockpot or slow cooker and pour half of sauce over meat. Cook on low for 9-10 hours. The meat should release juices that keep everything moist, but if the crockpot seems to be drying out, mix together a little barbecue sauce with some water and add that to the crockpot. You can tell that meat is done when it shreds easily with a fork. When ready, pull meat out of the crockpot to cool before cutting. The meat really was so tender, I couldn’t get it out of the crock pot all in one piece.
If you want shredded meat, use two forks and pull meat apart. For chopped meat, slice thinly across the grain. You can pour the rest of barbecue sauce over meat, or serve it on the side.
I’m not usually a big fan of beef but this was so good (it’s my husband’s new favorite), I’ll definitely be making it again. I hope you try it, brisket really shouldn’t be intimidating!
If you end up with any leftover barbecue meat, try my BBQ Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese!
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Haha… in Australia everyone is also about beef and lamb (especially lamb!!! It’s seen as a national dish over here!) but my favourite is still always pork. It’s so delicious; my favourite is probably braised pork ribs in homemade BBQ sauce (mmm!). This dish does look incredible though. I’ve never eaten brisket, but I think I’d be one very happy camper if I had a plate of this to devour. Thanks for sharing the recipe! x
Nice recipe! Thanks for sharing this.
I made this exactly as the directions the meat is very dry not what I expected. I think adding soda would help this to break down the brisket while it’s cooking. I will try that next time now I have to figure out a way to make it ok for dinner tonight..
I’m sorry to hear that. There are many good variations for cooking pieces of beef, but this slow cooker method has never failed me!
Hmmm ok :-)thank you for getting back to me!! I think I’ll just try adding coke next time see if it helps
How long do you cook it for?
For this small brisket (3-4 pounds) I cook it on low for 9-10 hours.
I Made this today and we LOVED it! I followed the measurements exactly and the suggestion of using a smaller cut of meat- it was amazing! I was cautious with the barbecue sauce, didn’t want to cheapen the taste of the meat and rub.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, thanks for commenting!
Mouth watering after reading through your post.
I love the first picture the most.
Always fascinated by the smoked or BBQ meat chopped.
Thanks Sean!
I slow smoke whole packers on a smoker at an hour per pound using indirect heat and a slight bit of skill from my grandpa. Tonight’s I am marinating a small flat using your re pie to see how it turns out. My wife and I nearly slobbered everywhere with the mouth watering picture you presented. Wish me luck for tomorrow.
How many did this serve?
How many does this serve?
It depends on brisket size… the general rule is 1/2 pound meat (pre-cooked weight) per person, so a 4 pound brisket should cook down to be around 8 servings. Hope this helps!
I just have to let you know this has become our GO TO brisket recipe!! I have made it at least five times! I tried many recipes before and they weren’t right. Thanks for posting. My husband and friends all LOVE it!