Simple Crockpot Brisket Roast Recipe

How to cook Crockpot brisket roast recipe with barbecue sauce comes out melt-in-your-mouth tender cooked all day. Sliced or shredded this is great served as sliders or with potatoes. Just one of many super easy Crockpot recipes that are family friendly.

Slow Cooker Brisket with Barbecue Sauce

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 pressure cooker 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 Make Fall-Apart Brisket in the 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.

Now I bought this piece at Costco because it was dirt cheap. It was way too big for us to eat in one sitting so I sliced it in half to make this one, half was about 4 pounds. That was about as big as could fit inside the pot anyway, I wouldn’t buy larger than that or it will take over 10 hours to cook.

Crockpot Brisket Ingredients

• 4 lb beef brisket
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce 20 oz

Dry Rub

• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder and salt
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder and paprika

As far as the rub goes 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.

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, the temperature outside will slightly alter how long it will take, and preferences too. By the last I mean that I like mine fall apart super tender while others prefer to have a bit of oomph to slice into pieces instead of shred.

How to Cook Beef Brisket in Slow Cooker

• Mix together dry rub and coat both sides of meat.
• Pour half your bottle of or Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce inside slow cooker.
• Lay brisket on top with fat pad on top.
• Pour remaining sauce on top of meat.
• Close lid and set to low for 8-10 hours.
  • 8 hours will yield a piece you can slice against the grain.
  • If you want pulled beef you will likely need closer to 10 hours to pull it apart, put back into the sauce in the pot to coat.
• If you want to caramelize the sauce on top a bit on the top you can remove from slow cooker and set on a baking sheet. Put into a preheated oven at 400 degrees f for about 10 minutes or until the top is browned.
• If left whole, remove from pot, let rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.

The last steps are only if you want to crisp the outside layer just a bit. Under the broiler works too 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 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.

When it heats up and starts to kinda’ melt off it will drip and ooze down the rest to the bottom of the pot giving the meat more moisture and flavor. You know what you prefer and how easily it should slice. I think sticking it into the thickest part is key to check it out once it reaches the 8 hour point and every 45 minutes or so after that.

Use large tongs to transfer as it will be very hot and a bit slippery as well. If you don’t want to bother broiling just move to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes, covered before slicing.

How do you thicken drippings?

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

How do you reheat leftover brisket?

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.