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
Made this Honey Barbeque Brisket and this was the best brisket recipe I have ever tasted outside a barbeque restaurant. My husband loved and and had 2 huge sandwiches. I’m so glad you shared your recipe. I made it as per your direction.
I have been cooking many years and this is great recipe.
So glad to hear that!
I love your work. Thank you for everything. You are a beautiful person and you help others like me cope with my illness. I eat your healthy recipes while fighting stage 3 breast cancer. Your food helps me recover from Chemo and Radiation. <3
Mary, sending you a big hug, strength and blessings through the web! Fight on!
I don’t have a slow cooker. How can I adapt this recipe. Also- what bbq sauce would you recommend?
Hi Shirley! You can cook it in the oven like a normal brisket, just cook it in a covered roasting pan at 300 degrees F. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat (leaner and grass fed cuts of meat may take longer—test for doneness). Brisket will shrink as it cooks. Keep an eye on the liquid levels, if it appears to get dry at any point add water to the sauce. The meat is ready when it is fork tender and very easy to slice. Then you can continue with the sauce instructions described above. After thickening the sauce and adding it back, just pop it back in the oven, raise the temp to 375 degrees F, and heat it up until the sauce is thick and bubbly.
First cut. Do you mean “flat” cut? In the photo, it looks like the flat. Ironically, it has the point shape on one end, and is the toughest part of the full packer whereas the point is the most flavorful and more expensive and harder to find cut.
Just a little background that every brisket cook should know: This cut of beef is best cooked low and slow to turn the tough connective tissue into self-basting gelatin. Unfortunately, most slow cookers on low is actually quite high so check your cook temperatures with a digital thermometer. The meat is DONE when the internal temperature is 203°F, BUT it ‘s NOT FINISHED! It will still be chewy.
When done properly, you should not need anything but a fork to cut brisket. I smoke mine for 9 hours, then wrap in heavy foil and finish in either an oven or a warm grill or the smoker without smoke for another 4-6 hours, which is known as the “Texas Crutch.” Then after several more hours, throw it into a Cambro or a cooler lined with heavy towels, and let it use the carry over cooking to finish tenderizing the meat over the next two hours. Wrapping and holding before serving effects what the slow cooker does for retaining moisture and all that great flavor.
Nice recipe!. 🙂
First cut is another term for flat cut. More helpful info on brisket here: https://toriavey.com/slow-cooker-barbecue-brisket/
Hi- can this be frozen once made? If so, how would you suggest reheating it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lisa, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Yes, this can be frozen. I would suggest reheating in the slow cooker and adding more sauce if necessary.
I am cooking this currently, but with only about 1.5 lbs of brisket. Any ideas as to how long to keep it in the slow cooker on low?
Thanks!
Best to check it after 4-5 hours, and every 30 minutes after, until fork tender.
Can you please share make ahead directions? Thank you
Hi Jodie, make ahead directions would be similar to the ones found in this post: https://toriavey.com/savory-slow-cooker-brisket/
Wow! Tried this tonight for our Hanukkah meal and it was fabulous and SO easy! Everyone thought it was so delicious – great flavor! I actually didn’t do the last step with the cornstarch in the sauce, and while it was a little thin it was so tasty and poured like a thin gravy. Thank you!