Slow Cooker Beef Brisket (Printable View)
Tender beef brisket slow-cooked with vegetables in a rich, savory sauce for an effortless family dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 3 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
04 - 2 large onions, sliced into rings
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
07 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
→ Sauce
08 - 1 cup beef broth
09 - 1/2 cup ketchup
10 - 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
11 - 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
13 - 2 tsp smoked paprika
14 - 1 tsp dried thyme
# How-To Steps:
01 - Rub the beef brisket generously with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides, ensuring even coverage.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned brisket for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until a deep brown crust forms. Transfer the seared meat to the slow cooker.
03 - Layer the sliced onions, minced garlic, carrot pieces, and chopped celery underneath and around the brisket in the slow cooker insert.
04 - Whisk together the beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and dried thyme in a bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
05 - Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the brisket and vegetables. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours until the meat offers no resistance when pierced with a fork.
06 - Carefully remove the cooked brisket from the slow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Slice the meat thinly against the grain for maximum tenderness.
07 - Skim any excess fat from the cooking liquid if desired. Arrange the sliced brisket and vegetables on serving plates and spoon the warm sauce generously over the top.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce develops such incredible depth you will want to drizzle it over everything
- Eight hours of hands-off cooking gives you restaurant-quality results with zero fuss
- Leftovers somehow taste even better nestled between crusty bread
02 -
- Searing might feel like an unnecessary step but it creates depth you cannot achieve any other way
- Slicing against the grain is absolutely crucial or the meat will be tough despite being perfectly cooked
03 -
- Do not lift the lid during cooking or you will add precious time to the already long process
- Let the cooked brisket rest in a warm place, tented with foil, so the juices redistribute