Best air fryer brisket with a dry rub is here! Beef brisket in air fryer Ninja Foodi or Cosori comes out fork tender and juicy every time. If you loved our pressure cooker brisket, this goes a step further to the YUM.
If you’ve ditched your oven for the summertime, you’ll love air fryer brisket. No need to heat up your entire house to get this popular cut of beef to tender and delicious. Using our brisket dry rub and a little broth will create the best meal ever. Just one of many air fryer recipes for beginners you’ll love. (affiliate links present)
Brisket in Air Fryer
Yes we do love our oven baked brisket but when it is hot hot outside there is just no way I am going to add more sweat into the house. Using your Ninja Foodi or other hot air machine brand is the answer right about now. You may have only thought it was meant for the grill or smoker but oh no my friends.
Can brisket be cooked in an air fryer?
Yes, and we’re here to explain exactly how we did it right here. In this small enclosed hot air basket you will be surprised to see just how fast you can break down those connective tissues. Once that is done a knife will slide right thru so it’s fork tender just like you want it. Just a few hours is all you need for perfection.
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- My Favorite Air Fryer is a Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
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- This is the best air fryer cookbook. It’s important to know and remember how to preheat air fryer for best results.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
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Air Fryer Beef Brisket
That depends. If you are cooking small pieces like steak bites they can be air fried to tender in under 10 minutes. A roast is closer to half an hour and a brisket recipe like this one is a few hours to break down the connective tissues and get to fork tender.
If this (on the expensive side) beef cut is a bit intimidating because you don’t want to screw it up, I get you. I was there with you the first time I bought one at the store but over the years I have learned what works and what is ehhh. There is a wide range of sizes as far as this cut goes too, 3-4 pounds is just about right for this.
One thing is you only have a certain amount of space. My Cosori air fryer and Foodi are both around 6 quarts, if yours is smaller then you’d need to accommodate for that. You want it to sit flat without bunching up so the thickness is the same all the way across.
Ninja Air Fryer Brisket
We are going to start with the seasonings so those can really bake on with the crust. This “searing” will lock in the juices before wrapping in aluminum foil and getting nice and tender. There really isn’t a worry of it sticking in your air fryer basket but you could lightly spray before adding your protein inside. This is what you’ll need to get started;
- 3-4 lb. beef brisket with a nice fat cap if possible
- this is not for air fryer corned beef that has been marinated, working on that cut as we speak
- Some stock or beef broth
- Chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- And brown sugar will add some sweetness
I have used our tri tip dry rub on this other times and that is amazing as well. If you have your own favorite combo for beef or would rather used a bottled combo then by all means use that.
Slow Cooked Beef Brisket in Air Fryer
Ok here we go my friends. I have a quick step by step here but you can print the recipe card at the bottom too.
- Mix together spices and brown sugar and rub on brisket.
- Place brisket in preheated air fryer, fat cap side up, and cook at 350° for 30 minutes.
- Lift out meat at this time. Place brisket in foil, fat cap side up.
- The best way to wrap the brisket is to place two pieces of foil that cross over each other.
- Pour in broth. Fold up the sides so that the beef stock / broth will not leak out.
- Place again in air fryer and cook at 300° for 2 hours or until thickest part of brisket temp registers 195°. (timing will vary depending on size and thickness of meat)
- Remove, allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving with broth over the top.
I am currently working on the “other brisket”, corned beef brisket and will share that very soon as well in case you want to make both. St. Patricks Day just isn’t right without either one of these with air fryer cabbage on the side.
The Ideal Internal Temperature for Brisket
You do not want to overcook this or it will be dry. Remember that once you remove meat from the heat source it will continue to rise about 10 degrees as it rests. Therefore if you want it at the ideal air fryer brisket temperature it is 195 degrees F. You’ll want to remove it when it reaches about 180-185 F.
Leave in the foil to stay warm while it rests. Then you’ll be ready to slice which you will want to do against the grain. This is important to further break down those connective tissues so it is not chewy in any way.
If you do have leftovers choose one of our leftover brisket recipes so you get two meals out of one! Like our brisket mac and cheese you might find a new favorite meal using meat that wasn’t eaten the first go around.
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Air Fryer Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb beef brisket
- 3/4 c beef broth
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf crushed
Instructions
- Mix together spices and brown sugar and rub on brisket. Place brisket in preheated air fryer, fat cap side up, and cook at 350° for 30 minutes.
- Lift out meat at this time. Place brisket in foil, fat cap side up. The best way to wrap the brisket is to place two pieces of foil that cross over each other. Pour in broth. Fold up the sides so that the beef stock / broth will not leak out.
- Place again in air fryer and cook at 300° for 2 hours or until thickest part of brisket temp registers 195°. (timing will vary depending on size and thickness of meat)
- Remove, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving with broth over the top.
Robin L Furman
Sunday 24th of September 2023
I am cooking a 3-4 lb. beef brisket, following the recipe exactly, but am a bit confused. With the aluminum foil, do I use it like a bowl with the broth or do I put th broth in, then the beef, and wrap it up (foil packet), I used the foil as a bowl.... 2ndly, my Ninja duo only goes to 1 hour on air fry. So I did air fry as stated and am using the bake/roast setting for the 2 hours. It smells awesome and i hope i have done it correctly, because a you said it's a very expensive cut of meat!
Lex
Monday 21st of August 2023
Thank you for testing this recipe, I used my own rub but for the rest followed your recipe and the result was better that expected, juicy, tender brisket with a really good gravy from the stock and meat juices.
The Typical Mom
Monday 21st of August 2023
OH good, glad it was a hit
Chris
Sunday 18th of September 2022
I just am trying a corned beef version that is smaller seasoned with Montreal Steak Spice I got from Costo. I have it wrapped in foil and because it is smaller will try the airfryer part for 10 mins each side to get it crispy then re wrap in the foil and at the lowest temperature for an hour. Now at Costco they get the prime cuts and will be interested in trying this on a bigger cut of meat.