2 hours

4.41 from 65 votes

07.28.19

Updated: 07.21.20

Instant Pot Beef Brisket

Name: Instant Pot Beef Brisket
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 4 lb beef brisket; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp mustard powder; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 tsp cumin (ground); 1 tsp black pepper (ground); 2 tsp salt; 1 cup BBQ sauce (store bought); 1 cup ketchup; 1/4 cup honey; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 3 cloves garlic (sliced); 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed); 1 tsp liquid smoke; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)

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Get ready to make the juiciest, most delicious Beef Brisket in your Instant Pot! In a fraction of the time, you can enjoy this mouthwatering Beef Brisket with an incredible garlic barbecue sauce! No Instant Pot? No problem! This recipe comes complete with instructions on how to make this in your slow cooker or oven as well!

sliced of beef brisket on a cutting board and drizzled with bbq sauce

Many times I think about becoming a vegetarian, but then I make something like this mouthwatering beef brisket and I realize, vegetarianism is just not for me. When it comes to beef brisket, I love mine with tons of flavor, which is why I make mine with a delicious dry rub and a homemade barbecue sauce. You can never have too much flavor, trust me on this.

If you’ve never made a brisket before because you’re scared it will come out dry, worry no more. My recipe is full proof, and you’ll end up with an incredibly delicious piece of brisket every single time. Trust me!

What Is Beef Brisket

If you’ve had a nice pastrami sandwich or corned beef before, then you’ve had brisket. If you still think you’ve never had it, you might wonder where this piece of meat comes from. Brisket is actually a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. Beef brisket really is the king of braised beef!

It’s a large piece of beef that is flavor-packed and it’s ideal for braising and slow cooking because it’s a tough cut of meat. Also, always go with a sear to start to develop the flavor. This really is a step I wouldn’t skip.

This classic slow cooked piece of meat can now be made in your Instant Pot/Pressure cooker for a fraction of the time without sacrificing flavor, and you’ll always still end up with perfectly juicy meat. The meat comes out perfectly tender, almost fall apart and shreddable.

The Instant Pot is perfect for making this piece of meat because you can sear it right there, then pour the sauce over it and cook it on high pressure for 75 minutes and you’re all done. It’s the perfect one pot meal that comes complete with a delicious homemade barbecue sauce that’s out of this world.

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

BEEF

Beef Brisket – An ideal meat for this kind of high pressure cooking with no worry of it drying out.
Olive oil – This is the oil we will use to sear our meat to ensure we lock in flavor and develop a nice crust.

DRY RUB

Seasoning – The old faithful, salt and pepper.
Spices – Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper.

SAUCE

BBQ sauce – Store bought works just fine as a base for our sauce today.
Ketchup – We want some sweetness and some acidity today.
Honey – This will help create a finger licking glaze on our brisket.
Apple cider vinegar – We want to ensure our sauce is nice and tangy, white vinegar can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
Brown sugar – This sugar will create a great depth of flavor as those molasses notes melt into our meat.
Liquid smoke – This is a flavor secret weapon to trick our taste buds into thinking our brisket has been in a smoker all day.
Worcestershire sauce – Some great savory umami flavor will be delivered to our dish through this sauce.
Broth – Low sodium chicken broth to control our sodium and give our recipe some liquid which is essential to cooking with in an Instant Pot.

process shots showing how to make beef brisket in an instant pot

How To Cook Beef Brisket In The Instant Pot

Combine the dry rub: In a small bowl combine all the dry rub ingredients together and whisk well. Rub the dry rub spice mixture all over the brisket.
Prepare the sauce: In a medium size bowl combine all the sauce ingredients together and whisk well.
Turn on the Instant Pot: Turn the Instant Pot to the high saute setting. (See your manufacturer’s guide for detailed instructions on how to use your instant pot). Add the oil and once your instant pot reaches the desired temperature (the timer will start to count down) add the beef brisket.
Sear the meat: Sear the beef on all sides. Should take about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Add the sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the meat. There should be enough sauce to cover the entire brisket, then close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Manual/High Pressure setting and set the timer to 75 minutes.
Remove the Instant Pot lid: Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 15 minutes. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot. Remove the brisket carefully with tongs and set aside. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing into it.
Finish the sauce: Switch the instant pot to the saute setting again (do not put the lid on) and simmer the leftover sauce until reduced by half, should take about 15 minutes. At the same time you can use a ladle to skim some of the fat that’s rising to the top. At this time, taste the sauce and season with more salt if needed.
Serve: Slice the brisket and served with the BBQ sauce.

Slow Cooker Option

Beef brisket was meant to be slow cooked, so if this is your preferred method for cooking it, here’s how.

Combine the dry rub: In a small bowl combine all the dry rub ingredients together and whisk well. Rub the dry rub spice mixture all over the brisket.
Prepare the meat: Place your brisket fat side down in 6 quart slow cooker. Pour the rub over the brisket then rub it all over.
Prepare the sauce: In a medium size bowl combine all the sauce ingredients together and whisk well.
Cook the brisket: Cover brisket with the slow cooker lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
Rest the brisket: Remove the brisket from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for a good 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
Finish the sauce: Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and simmer until reduced by half, should take about 15 minutes. At the same time you can use a ladle to skim some of the fat that’s rising to the top. At this time, taste the sauce and season with more salt if needed.
Serve: Slice the brisket and served with the BBQ sauce.

Oven Option

Beef brisket is great because you can also make it in an oven, so don’t worry if you don’t have an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker, I’ve got you covered.

Combine the dry rub: In a small bowl combine all the dry rub ingredients together and whisk well. Rub the dry rub spice mixture all over the brisket.
Prepare the meat: Place your brisket fat side down in a 13 X 9.5 inch baking dish.
Prepare the sauce: In a medium size bowl combine all the sauce ingredients together and whisk well.
Bake the brisket: Preheat your oven to 300 F degrees. Pour the sauce all over the brisket making sure it’s all covered with sauce, cover it with foil and bake covered for 4 hours. After 4 hours, uncover the brisket and bake further for another 30 minutes uncovered. Remove the brisket from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for a good 15 minutes to 30 minutes. This will ensure the juices stay in and your brisket doesn’t dry out. Reduce the sauce in a saucepan, for about 15 minutes, until it reduces in half. Finally, slice up and serve with sauce.

sliced up beef brisket on a cutting board

Slice Across The Grain

After you remove the brisket from the Instant Pot, you’ll want to cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for a good 15 minutes to 30 minutes before slicing into it. When you slice it, you’ll always want to be slicing it against the grain and into 1/4 inch slices. Just make sure that each piece has a good piece of that delicious seasoned bark, there’s a lot of flavor there.

Other Meat Cuts You Can Use

Two different cuts of brisket are available:

Beef Brisket Flat Half – also called a thin cut, flat cut, first cut or center cut. This cut is usually the pricier of the two.
Beef Brisket Point Half – also called front cut, point cut, thick cut or nose cut. This cut is the less expensive of the two and usually has more fat, but also more flavor!

If you can’t find beef brisket you could always use a boneless chuck roast or even short ribs, but I strongly recommend going to your butcher to find a nice piece of brisket.

overhead shot of beef brisket sliced up on a cutting board

How To Serve

I love slicing my brisket and serve it on a good dark rye bread or on some freshly made dinner rolls. Here are some great sides to serve with this brisket, for the ultimate experience.

Make Ahead

Brisket is perfect for making ahead, and I might even go as far as saying to it tastes even better the next day, since all these awesome flavors have a chance to develop and come together. So when you’re storing this, make sure you store it with the sauce on, let that sauce penetrate the meat and do its thing. It’s really a great thing!

How To Store Leftovers

FRIDGE

Brisket will keep fresh for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

FREEZER

To freeze just wrap the meat in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing for 2 months. Just be sure to thaw overnight in the fridge before warming in the oven.

a sandwich with beef brisket slices cut in half and a side of coleslaw

More Must Try Beef Recipes:

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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