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.
Nutrition
I will try making this tonight, I will post my results 🙂
Not roast lol brisket half asleep and still trying to plan tomorrow’s dinner.
Good Morning I’m going to try this recipe Sunday so stay tune, I will let you know,but it sounds like it’s going to be a big hit.
Good afternoon,
Did you try this dish and how did it turn out for you?
Please sign me up! Enjoy your website!
I made it and it was soo yummy, easy, and tasted like it came off of a grill! I was surprised how great it was! The step by step made it very simple! Thanks!
Delicious, a snap to prepare, and the leftover options are nearly endless! It was almost hard to sleep as the smell of simmering bbq filled our apartment. Brisket for breakfast? You bet! Thank you for this simple, easy to follow and fool-proof recipe.
You’re welcome Meg! 🙂
I just bought deckle brisket to make this for Rosh Hashana this year! I’m nervous though because the butcher didn’t have 5 lb piece of meat, so I bought two 2.5 lb packages. Do you think I can still put them together in the crockpot? I have a 6.5 quart crockpot, and I can’t imagine how all that meat is going to fit without it overlapping. Would it be ok to overlap and sit almost on top of each other if there was sauce in between? Thanks!
Hi Leah! Don’t worry one bit, I’ve done this on many occasions. They will shrink up a lot as they cook, so some overlap is definitely ok. Not a problem at all!
Hi Tori, I’m cooking for my boyfriend for the first time and found this recipe that seems like it’ll be sure to impress him. I hope!
Do you have a particular BBQ sauce you’d recommend or even a recipe? My go-to sauce is usually sweet baby rays but you’re obviously the chef extraordinaire here so I could use your advice! Thank you!
Sweet Baby Ray’s will work great Heidi! No need to make a homemade sauce, unless you want to make a special effort. I also like Bone Suckin’ Sauce. If you do decide to make your own, make sure it’s a sweet sauce with a touch of spice for best results.
Made this for our family Memorial Day dinner and it came out perfect! Everyone loved it and raved about how good it was. It has already become a family favorite. Easy and yummy. Thank you sooo much!
Awesome Betty, so happy to hear that!
I made this yesterday. So very good. I cooked a 3 lb roast on high for 5 hours came out fantastic.
Glad you liked it Nicole!
This was absolutely delicious! Fun and easy to make. My husband tried one bite and said wow which makes me smile every time! My daughter loved it too.
Tori-
Do you have a particular brand of honey bbq sauce that you use?
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I always cook my brisket in my Le Creuset dutch oven. For people that don’t have a slow cooker this is definitely an option. I do 30 minutes at 350 without the lid and 3 hours covered at 325. I cool it overnight in the fridge and it slices easily the next day. I put it into a pyrex, pour the sauce over it, and reheat it at 325 for an hour or until we eat. It is a great meal to serve a group of people for dinner since all of the work is done ahead of time. My foolproof recipe:
salt and pepper on the brisket
1 bottle of Heinz chili sauce
1 Tbs of molasses
2 large sweet onions sliced
After it cooks, remove the meat from the pot. Use an immersion blender in the pot and blend up all of the onions into the sauce. You can pour the sauce over the meat and refrigerate them overnight together or keep the sauce separate and skim off the fat in the morning.
I have been making this recipe for years now and I can’t wait to try yours!
I LOVE this recipe as does my husband and 4 young kids! I have used different cuts of meat for this recipe and have never been disappointed.
Tori,
This brisket looks so delicious. It’s a recipe that I’ll definitely have to keep in mind for the upcoming summer. Yesterday I tried your honey apple challah and it was devoured by my family. Glad you put in the flexitarian bit because I wondered how you stayed in shape. Hope to see more flexitarian recipes and menus this year!
Flexitarian and Mediterranean diet, plus moderation… works for me! 🙂
Tori,
I came across your recipe and can’t wait to try it. We love Santa Maria BBQ and haven’t had it since we moved in 2008. This will be my first brisket … wish me luck. Thanks for the great recipe.
Happy New Year!
Tori,
Ive been making a similar recipe without the sauce and just using a dry rub that is simply dry mustard, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder with NO liquid. Until I tried this I thought the former was the best brisket. This wins hands down. I cooked a 6lb brisket a week ago and had a party platter for 20+ of pastrami, corned beef, whitefish, bagels etc etc. The brisket was gone before my wife got a chance to even taste it. I even used an fairly inexpensive BJ’s brisket that had quite a bit of fat. Cooking a smaller one right now using first cut brisket and we’re not sharing this one. BTW, if you live near Oneonta NY you should try Brooks Barbecue Sauce right out of the bottle.
Happy New Year!
So happy you like it JB! Happy New Year 🙂
Hi Tori, I have a 6lb brisket in the crockpot as I type this note, but I’m nervous because the meat doesn’t entirely fit in the slowcooker. So, I cut it halfway and shove both big slices in the crockpot. Is that okay? Will they shrink? I’m afraid that the whole thing won’t cook.
Hi Nikki, the brisket will shrink as it cooks. Did you add a little more sauce (your brisket is a pound bigger than the recipe says)? I’d add 1/3 cup more sauce. Then check it after four hours, it should be shrinking up and fitting better. By the way I have 7 pounds of brisket in my very large slow cooker right this minute, making the same recipe you are!
This was so fantastic! I made 6.5 lbs of brisket for 10 adults and not a trace of meat was left! So delicious! I may never make brisket in the oven again!
Yay!
Made this today and it was soooo easy and delicious! I have been searching for a a recipe like this. Spent all of Saturday making one of Ina gartens recipes that got fabulous reviews and I would never make it again. Too much work little payoff. This recipe however motivates me to cook with a delicious result like this. There is nothing worse than spending the time and it doesn’t come out good. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow and am serving these sliders at my Hanukkah party. Yay!
Hi Karen, thank you for the lovely note. So happy to hear you enjoyed this one! I test all of my recipes multiple times to ensure that they are excellent. The reward is hearing comments like yours. 🙂
I just got 6.5 quart my slow cooker and want to do this brisket recipe just for three people. I bought a 3 pound first cut brisket. How much time would this need to cook for? Any other adjustments? Thanks for your input!
Hi Enid, I have never made that small a brisket with this recipe. My suggestion is to check it around 6 hours and continue checking till the meat is tender enough to flake with a fork. Enjoy!