If you don’t have time to make our Smoked brisket flat with dry rub, you can use your slow cooker instead. A dump and go meal that requires very little prep but gets it nice and fork tender while you’re at work. If you love low and slow the old fashioned way, give this a whirl.

What seasonings go best with Brisket?

This time we used both a bottle of barbecue sauce and our popular Tri Tip Dry Rub for flavor. I like to make this mixture in bulk and store it in a container since we use it on a number of different meats. Then I can just spoon on however much I want at the time and save the rest for later, no measuring required that way = saves time.

I would say that the texture of this outcome is similar to our Instant Pot brisket recipe. It is essentially steamed to get tender which means there isn’t a crust on the outside that some people deem as necessary. Now you can transfer it to a baking sheet when done with a bit more sauce on top to caramelize under the broiler if you want.

If you wanted to skip the middle man and go straight to the sheet pan, this is how to cook Fall-Apart Brisket in Oven using the same rub and sauce, it will take about the same amount of time that way but will have a different texture on the outside.

Ingredient Notes

This time I bought a really large beef brisket at the grocery store because it was a smoking deal as you can see here above. What I did was make it into two different meals {so it would fit} which meant a 20 dollar meal with this expensive cut, huge win!

To keep it moist I added 1 bottle bbq sauce {20 oz} on top which had a bit of spicy to it but sweet too. You need something to add flavor and create steam. The meat will exude some drippings which will add to the liquid necessary to steam it so that is all you need.

with Dry Rub

To make this sweet and savory rub you will need some light brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, chili powder and paprika. You could use bottled (why???), ours or just go with the sauce of your choice itself. I like it all, like lots and lots of flavor is what I want when I eat beef period. A lot like our Crockpot BBQ Beef recipe except that is a much smaller piece and shreds when done easily.

How Long to Cook Beef Brisket in Slow Cooker

As always the cook time will vary. Some pieces may weigh the same except the fat to protein ratio is always going to be a bit different, in the end this cut of meat has a lot of connective tissue and needs a LONG period of time for slow cooking or any other method of cooking. You will need a minimum of 8 hours even for a small brisket.

Can you cook a frozen brisket in slow cooker?

I have not attempted this cut with our frozen roast in slow cooker yet. I think it would take too long so I would say no unless you used a smaller piece {closer to 2-3 pounds} and followed the temp and timing of the link above.

Tips for Success

Mix together dry rub seasonings and rub all over.
Pour in half of sauce inside the pot and spread out evenly.
Lay brisket on top with the fat pad on top. This method is best so the melted fat can keep the rest of the piece moist.
Pour sauce on top of meat and spread out so it is nicely coated well and kept moist
Close lid and set to low until it is easy to slice against the grain easily. If it gives you any pull or doesn’t slide right in it needs more time.

How do you know when brisket is done?

It is all about texture, the ideal internal temperature is 195°F to 205°F or 90°C to 96°C. Once I hit 8 hours I used a sharp knife and slit the center just to see how easily it slid thru. It wasn’t as easy as I wanted it to be so I let it go another hour. I do recommend the fat flap should be on the top. Reason for that is that that’s where the flavor is. Once you are secure brisket is cooked, always allow it to rest for 20 minutes at least before slicing.

How to crisp the outside when done

If you want to crisp the outside layer just a bit you can put on a baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes just to brown and caramelize the sauce. There was plenty left on the top but if yours slid off you could pour more bbq on too to coat.

How do you thicken the drippings?

You would use the same technique as our how to make gravy from drippings. Either boil down or for quicker add a bit of whisked cornstarch over medium high heat.

How do you reheat leftovers

Ok so if you want a bit of crisp then like our air fryer brisket I would pour sauce over the top and air fry for a few minutes at 380 F or so. If you wanted to keep it as moist as possible, pour sauce into a pan or pot and add your meat. Heat over medium flame until warmed to your liking.

This would be the same as you would with meat from our Slow Cooker Corned Beef Brisket recipe too. You don’t need a lot of heat and don’t want much as it can dry the meat out so just enough.

Recipes Made with Shredded Brisket

If you wanted it shredded you’d need to go all in for 10 hours if it is this size. Slice thin or use forks to shred and put right back into all of that sauce in the slow cooker. Then serve over a bed of mashed potatoes, over rice, make brisket mac and cheese or on slider buns! We have made this oh so many times that I went ahead and made a whole list of ideas here in our recipes with brisket leftovers roundup.

Crockpot Brisket