The scent of barbecue brings a flood of memories rushing back to me… memories of family and friends, some now departed, and the fun we had at my great uncle’s cattle ranch in the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo, CA. I have farmers on both sides of my family, and my childhood was full of Santa Maria-style barbecue cookouts. Uncle Dennis and his friends would stand over a huge iron oak-filled fire pit, slowly smoking the meat till it was tender and perfectly done. Aunt Pauline would make vats of ranch beans and salad. She’d spread French bread with copious amounts of garlic butter. Just before the meal, Uncle Dennis would throw the bread onto the fire pit till it soaked up the smoky oak flavor and grill marks were seared in. With the scent of garlic bread and barbecue in the air, we’d dig into the feast.
I miss those sunny afternoons. I miss sitting with my family and chatting about this, that and the other thing. I miss my Aunt Pauline and her sister, my Grandma Carolyn. What a blessing to grow up in a small town, surrounded by a loving family. Simple pleasures. Now that I live in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, I appreciate it all the more.
While I grew up adoring those barbecue cookouts, my diet has changed quite a bit over the years. Now I eat flexitarian style, meaning the majority of my nutrition comes from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. That said, once in a while my family craves meat. Every month or two we indulge in some organic steak or brisket. Sadly I don’t have a giant iron oak-filled fire pit in my back yard, so this has become one of my go-to recipes for preparing barbecue-style beef brisket. The slow cooker keeps the meat from drying out, and it requires very little effort… just set it up in the morning and let it slowly cook all day long. The meat cooks up meltingly tender. The longer you cook it, the more it takes on the consistency of tender chipped beef, which I love. The idea originally came from a friend who recommended that I slow cook a brisket smothered in barbecue sauce. Over time, I’ve added some seasonings to the method to enhance the flavor. This recipe has been perfected over time; it was one of the first recipes I ever posted on my blog, but I am resharing it today because the modifications take it from good to awesome. It couldn’t be easier. Stick it in the slow cooker in the morning, and by the time you get home you’ll be minutes away from a hearty and satisfying meal. Serve with mashed potatoes or a baked potato and a salad on the side. You can also pile the beef onto hamburger buns and make barbecue beef sandwiches.
This brisket will fill your home with the scent of barbecue, so be prepared. I actually love the smell… it reminds me of afternoon cookouts, my small town childhood and the love of my family. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Note: this recipe is gluten free if you use a certified GF honey barbecue sauce.
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Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Brisket
Ingredients
- 5 pounds beef brisket, first cut
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use 1/2 tsp for more heat)
- 1 1/2 cups honey barbecue sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
NOTES
Instructions
- Sprinkle brisket with salt and pepper. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl. Dry rub both sides of the brisket with the seasoning mixture.
- Stir together the honey barbecue sauce and brown sugar.
- Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the seasoned brisket, fatty side up, into the slow cooker. Don't worry if it's a little big for the cooker, the brisket will shrink as it cooks. Cover the top o the brisket with the remaining sauce.
- Cover the slow cooker and set heat to low for 9 hours, or until fork tender.
- When the brisket is cooked, remove it carefully from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board.Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a large bowl and let it cool.
- Slice off the fat cap from the top of the brisket and discard.
- Flip the brisket over so the leaner side faces upward. You'll be able to see the direction of the meat grain better on this side. Slice the brisket against the grain, at a slight diagonal, creating thin slices of meat.
- Skim the fat that has risen to the top of the sauce in the large bowl. It will appear lighter in color than the sauce, like droplets of oil on the surface. Skim as much fat as you can.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1 tbsp of water till completely smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the bowl of sauce and stir to combine.
- Pour half of the sauce back into the slow cooker. Layer the slices of brisket meat on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the brisket.Turn slow cooker to high for about 1 hour, till the meat and sauce are heated through and the sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Keep on warm setting till ready to serve.
- Note: the longer you cook this brisket, the more it will take on the texture of shredded or "chipped" beef. If you'd like for the meat to retain its sliced shape, no need to return the meat to the slow cooker. You can reduce the sauce quickly in a saucepan on the stovetop, then pour it over the slices in a casserole dish before serving. The leftovers make great BBQ beef sandwiches.
jenny says
Brisket was fantastic! Cooked it the day before, refrigerated it and removed the fat. Then made some extra Honey BBQ sauce and had it on the keep warm function on crockpot from Friday evening till it was served Saturday lunch. Served it with Kaiser rolls I’d made and it was a hit! THANKS!
Michelle B. says
That looks D-lish! We are beef eaters so I’ll definitely be trying this recipe.
Irene Solnik says
How many servings will this make?
Tori Avey says
6-8, but if you’re serving it on hamburger buns it will stretch a lot further.
Tammy says
do you use “liners” in the crock pot when you cook?
Tori Avey says
Hi Tammy– no, I try to avoid heating plastic around my food as much as possible.
jenny says
How would you adapt this recipe for Shabbat lunch if it was started on the Friday before sundown?
It would be great to serve the bbq brisket on challah rolls!
Tori Avey says
Hi Jenny, I’ve never done it that way before, but it will probably be ok if you have it on the “warm” setting after the initial 9 hour cook period. Make sure you get a fattier cut of brisket (don’t trim it too much), and I would check it periodically to make sure it’s not getting dry or over-cooked. Try to put it in the cooker as late as possible on Friday before sundown, and if it starts looking dry or overcooked add some water to the cooker. Different slow cookers have different heat settings, and some warm settings will be hotter than others, which is why I suggest keeping an eye on it. In my cooker it would be fine, but your cooker might have a hotter warm setting. Enjoy!
Margie MacKenzie says
Just when I thought it was time to pack up the slow cooker, you publish this great recipe. I see bbq beef sandwiches in my family’s future.
I love both your blogs especially the recent one on Hearst Castle! I love the Central Coast, too.
Thanks, Tori!
Tori Avey says
Aww, thanks Margie! 🙂
Joyce says
Made this but my meat is a little dry. Used kosher meat but my butcher trimmed it and he knows I don’t like fat so maybe he took too much off lol
Tori Avey says
Hi Joyce! Yes, you don’t want to trim all the fat on the brisket, it helps to keep the brisket moist and tender when cooking. First cut brisket is already trimmed, so I don’t trim any of the fat. You can take off most of the fat after cooking, as illustrated in the step-by-step pictures. Next time, leave the fat and trim it after the cooking process, you’ll have a much better result!
Jenn says
I meant deckle – hate self correct!
Tori Avey says
Hi Jen! Deckle will work, but it will produce a LOT of excess fat while it cooks, which means you’ll have to skim quite a bit from the sauce. I’ve never tried it with a roast, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as it’s covered in sauce. Keep an eye to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Don’t fear the brisket cut here, as the recipe is really written for brisket and it will produce an awesome, tender result every time. Enjoy!
Jenn says
Would this work with other cuts of meat as well? Maybe feckless or roast?
Elayne says
My cousin makes the best brisket on Pesach but its such a hard and long process
As a novice cook I know I could do this
Now I have a reason to go by a slow cooker. Not something my Mom used. Thanks can’t wait to make. Could u cook some veggies in the pot with the meat?
Tim says
Don’t EVER quick cook brisket in the oven. Brisket is a tough, fatty cut and must be slow cooked to saturate the meat with emulsified fat and juices from the cut. The minimum amount of time for an oven roast is 6 hours at 250-275. For the best, most tender brisket ever go 8-10 hours (great to do overnight) @ 225-250. Use a 5-7 lb brisket and dry rub it with whatever rub you prefer. Then, place it fat pad side up in a shallow roasting pan and cover with foil. I guarantee you will never want it any other way after that, though this crockpot recipe gives it a run for the money.
Glenda says
I don’t have a slow cooker and don’t want to buy one. Can I bake in the oven at about 325F for 3 hours or so?
Tori Avey says
Hi Glenda– I’ve never made this particular brisket in the oven, but it will probably work. However, you will need to cook low and slow to produce tender results (all brisket should be cooked low and slow). I would cook it at 300 degrees for 5-7 hours. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat. Brisket is ready when it flakes tenderly when pierced with a fork. You can let it cook even longer for a soft, shredded texture. The only thing I would be concerned about is the amount of liquid… slow cookers tend to keep things more moist than the dry heat of an oven. I would check it every hour or so to make sure it’s not looking too dry. If it does, add water to the pan to keep it from drying out. Use a first cut brisket, not super lean, so there is enough fat to keep things moist. At the end of cooking, strain the fat and reduce the sauce on the stove with cornstarch. Good luck!
Peter Kellerman says
Use one of those oven roasting bags to cook the brisket in if you don’t have a slow cooker. Works like a charm!
Kim Beaulieu says
I just love this dish Tori. This would go over so well in my household.
Amy says
I love brisket, but the traditionalist in me thinks its a shanda to ruin it with anything other than onions, broth and spices (paprika and pepper). Sweet brisket…hmm… I’m not sold.
Tori Avey says
Give it a try Amy, I know you will love it!
Jason says
Wow. I’ve never even considered doing biscuit in a crock pot, I’ve always used a smoker. I’ll have to give that a shot.
Kari@Loaves n Dishes says
Looks perfect. The meat is so tender that it just falls apart. I’m thinking this would make great “game day” sammies!
Zoraida Golding says
I do not eat meat, but……. you made me be in tentation!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Barbecue brisket is a favorite, not to mention the amazing smells it creates in the house while making it. This is a sure recipe to knock the socks off everyone.
Tracy says
I made this for my husband tonight and he loved it. I am a vegetarian so I will have to take his word. And he better like it bc he has to eat it a few more times! I made my own BBQ sauce from the neelys recipe and added honey. I didn’t even taste the sauce preheat bc the sauce contains worcestershire sauce. So I have to totally rely on my family’s critique. Thank you!
Eve Goldstein says
Thank you, Tori, for posting this information. It is informative and interesting and important, and the recipes look delicious. I look forward to preparing some of your dishes for my family this holiday season, and your blog has become an enormous resource for me. Keep up the good work!
Eve
Jennifer Jackson says
Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe! It was great to just put everything into the crock pot and have an delicious home cooked meal when we got home.
I used a chipotle pepper bbq sauce and added additional chipotle pepper flakes to give it a kick.