Slow Cooker Beef Brisket (Print version)

A flavorful low-and-slow beef brisket with aromatic veggies and a savory sauce for comforting meals.

# What you need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 (4 lb) beef brisket, trimmed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 large onions, sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 3 large carrots, cut into chunks
05 - 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks

→ Sauce and Seasonings

06 - 1 cup (8 fl oz) beef broth
07 - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) barbecue sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
11 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
12 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnish

15 - Chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Pat the brisket dry with paper towels, then season all sides evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
02 - Place sliced onions, carrot chunks, and celery chunks at the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter minced garlic over the vegetables.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together beef broth, barbecue sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, dried thyme, and any remaining smoked paprika.
04 - Position the brisket atop the layered vegetables in the slow cooker. Pour the prepared sauce uniformly over the brisket.
05 - Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 hours, or until the brisket is tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork.
06 - Remove the brisket and transfer to a cutting board. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into desired portions.
07 - Skim excess fat from the slow cooker juices. Serve brisket slices with cooked vegetables and spoon sauce over top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The meat becomes so tender it falls apart with a fork, and you barely have to think about it while it cooks.
  • Your house smells incredible the entire day, which honestly feels like part of the cooking itself.
  • It feeds a crowd or gives you multiple meals from one simple setup.
02 -
  • Slicing against the grain is non-negotiable—cutting with the grain creates chewy, stringy bites, while going across the grain gives you that fork-tender texture everyone expects.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the brisket at the 7-hour mark; some cookers finish in as little as 6.5 hours, and overcooked brisket becomes mushy rather than tender.
  • Save the cooking liquid even if you skim fat—that sauce is liquid gold for sandwiches, and it keeps in the fridge for a week.
03 -
  • For deeper flavor, sear the brisket in a hot skillet for three minutes per side before adding it to the slow cooker—the browned crust adds complexity that slow cooking alone can't achieve.
  • Use a meat thermometer; brisket is done when it reaches 190°F internally, which is more reliable than time and prevents that mushy over-cooked situation.

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