Beer Glazed Brisket In The Slow Cooker
With flavorful dry rub and a tasty craft beer, you really can’t go wrong with tender brisket in the slow cooker. Prep everything in the morning and savor sliced brisket for dinner – you’ll have enough to feed a crowd or plenty of leftovers for later!
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You don’t have to be a BBQ pitmaster to make melt-in-your-mouth brisket! The slow cooker is the best tool for making juicy, tender meats in simple ways that free you up to cook other sides or relax at the end of the day. The next time you want to eat out or order in, remember how easily you can make beer-glazed brisket for the ones you love.
What’s To Love About This Recipe
- Brisket usually requires some advance planning for special occasions. However, with this slow cooker recipe, you can prepare it in minutes, and it will be ready by dinner any day of the week!
- This is generally a more expensive cut of meat, but you can stretch it for several meals. Freeze the leftovers for lots of other meals like tacos, sandwiches, nachos, or enchiladas.
- The combination of homemade dry rub and a crisp beer creates such a deliciously complex taste. The low and slow cooking allows the meat to absorb every bit of flavor!
- If you like, use the juices left in the slow cooker to make a tasty gravy to serve with the meat or over potatoes and other sides.
- The dry rub seasoning is easy to pack on to the meat and provides plenty of flavor. You can swap out the beer for beef or chicken broth if you like – it will still taste delicious.
What is brisket?
Beef brisket is cut from the cow’s lower chest, right above the legs. This muscular area is very dense and full of connective tissue.
Proper cooking techniques are necessary to make sure that muscly, tougher meats are edible and enjoyable. The brisket needs to be braised (cooked in liquid) to fully break down the muscle fibers. When this is done well, you will achieve the most delicious, mouthwatering meat!
At the grocery store, brisket is often sold in two cuts – the point or the flat. Together, the two pieces are called the “packer” cut. The point (as the name implies) is a slightly pointed tip of the meat containing more fat, and the flat is a rectangular piece that may have a layer of fat on one side.
Check out this resource for good visuals on brisket cuts.
Ingredients Needed
How do 3 ingredients sound? It doesn’t take much to make a perfectly tender and well-seasoned brisket in the slow cooker.
- Beef brisket – I recommend using the flat, which is leaner than the point. Trim additional fat if needed, but if you leave some fat, it adds flavor during cooking. Just remove any extra fat before serving if you wish.
- Homemade Beef Brisket Dry Rub – I’m a huge fan of homemade seasoning blends that include only the good stuff! This beef brisket dry rub uses a generous amount of brown sugar and a hint of smoky paprika. It adds just a touch of spice with some chipotle chili powder – the best combination!
- Beer – Use any beer you enjoy – I chose a gluten-free option. Since you’ll probably purchase the beer in a 4 or 6-pack, choose a variety that you might want to drink, too! Also, if you’d prefer not to use beer, you can use beef or chicken broth instead.
How To Make Brisket In The Slow Cooker
With a quality piece of meat and your slow cooker, brisket is so simple to prep and cook!
- Press a small amount of the dry rub into the bottom of the brisket (side with the layer of fat) and place it in the slow cooker.
- Carefully pour the beer around the bottom of the brisket.
- With your hands, press the remaining rub into the top of the brisket.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours. (Note: Although the high setting will work, for the best texture and flavor results, cook on low.)
If desired, mix up a savory gravy by straining the slow cooker pan drippings into a saucepan. Then, add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch) and whisk until thickened.
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Brisket
Any of your BBQ favorites would be delicious with homemade brisket! Coleslaw, mac’ n cheese, and Slow-Cooker Baked Beans are a must!
Add some buns or rolls to create brisket sandwiches or serve thick slices of brisket alongside Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes. And, of course, sour pickles are the perfect addition to your plate.
Another meal option is a side of Oven Roasted Carrots and Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes with sliced brisket. The beer-glaze gravy would be perfect to drizzle over the meat and a scoop of potatoes. With such a great main protein, you have unlimited options!
Storing and Reheating
Even though brisket is a more expensive cut of meat, this amount will leave leftovers for the fridge or freezer! This single recipe will stretch for many meals.
Store leftover brisket in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
I love making a large brisket for dinner and then saving leftovers to freeze for tacos, nachos, or sandwiches later. Store in small portions in the freezer, sealed in bags or airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Slow Cooker Beer Glazed Brisket
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3- pound flat beef brisket
- ⅓ cup Homemade Beef Brisket Dry Rub
- 6- ounce beer
Instructions
- Press a small amount of the rub into the bottom of the brisket and place in slow cooker
- Carefully pour beer around bottom of brisket
- Press remaining rub into top of brisket
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- If there is a lot of extra fat, you can trim it before cooking. It is also fine to leave some fat during cooking for added flavor. Trim it before serving if you wish.
- This recipe allows for the brisket to cook on either low or high, but you will achieve the best results for tenderness and flavor on low.
- Optional – Strain the slow cooker pan drippings into a saucepan. Add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch) and whisk until thickened. Glaze slices of brisket with the gravy!
- To cook in the Instant Pot, add ingredients as instructed and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. Allow a natural pressure release and let the brisket rest for a few moments before slicing.
- I made this recipe in my 4-quart multi-cooker on low for 8 hours.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Brisket FAQs
- Do you cook brisket fat side up or down in a slow cooker? I cooked the brisket fat side down to allow the seasonings to stay on and flavor the meat while cooking. This eliminates the need to add the rub and let the brisket set in advance.
- Does brisket have to be covered in liquid in the slow cooker? You do not need to fully submerge the brisket in liquid. Just a little added liquid in the slow cooker is all you need to seal in the juices and create a braising environment for the meat.
- How do I know when my brisket is done? To ensure the brisket is done, use an instant-read meat thermometer. It should reach at least 203 ℉ to easily slice or shred it.
- Should I sear the brisket before putting it in the slow cooker? You can always sear the brisket first if you prefer. However, I have found that searing is an extra step for cooking and cleaning that doesn’t result in a flavor difference.
- Should I shred the brisket or slice it? Shred or slice the brisket, depending on how you plan to serve it! Slice it to serve plated with veggies or potatoes, or shred it for meals like tacos or sandwiches.
I used Troegenator Double Bock from Troeg’s. Made the entire kitchen smell like a confectionary for a week. The meet was moist and tender, and the seared sides tasted a bit of chocolate as a result of the flavors of that beer. I added cumin and cayenne to the recipe and it added a small kick that worked out great. This pairs really well with carmellized onions.
I have cooked meat with wine before, but never beer. However, I would definitely be interested in trying out this slow cooker recipe, because I am always trying to come up with some excuse to use my crock pot. When I first saw this recipe, though, I was a little worried that the alcohol might not cook out entirely, but since you cook it for over 8 hours I think that I shouldn’t have to worry about that. Just in case, though, at what point in this process do you think that the alcohol will be completely cooked out? I plan on feeding this to my family and would rather just have the flavor of the beer remain.
Hi Faylinn! While I generally only recommend any recipes with adult beverages be served to adults only 🙂 I will say that in order to help reduce the alcohol content in this recipe you could allow it to simmer for several minutes on a lower heat uncovered after deglazing the pan. This should help, although how you can be sure you have removed all alcohol? I’m not sure there’s an easy way to know. Let me know how it goes!!