Savory Slow Cooker Brisket – The Best Brisket Recipe with Onion, Garlic and Spices Made in the Crock Pot. Includes Recipe with Step-by-Step Video. Kosher for Passover.
Want to know one of my biggest prep secrets for making the best brisket during the holidays? Two words – SLOW COOKER, or CROCK POT, if you’re so inclined! With my stove and oven in overdrive, there is nothing better than having a brisket slowly cooking in the background while I deal with everything else. It frees up oven space, and the results are every bit as tender and delicious as brisket in the oven.
We usually cook brisket for Passover. For larger Seder meals we have hosted in the past, I have been known to plug in four slow cookers at the same time, borrowed from family and friends! Over time I learned to make a couple of briskets ahead– the flavor improves when the meat sits in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving. It’s also easier to slice the meat cold, and reheating is a breeze.
Is Brisket Healthy?
While not exactly “healthy,” brisket does indeed have some surprising health benefits! You might be surprised to learn that researchers at Texas A&M have found that brisket does have some unexpected health benefits. According to Dr. Stephen Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist, brisket has high levels of oleic acid, which produces high levels of HDLs, aka “good” cholesterol. Oleic acid produces HDLs which may lower your risk of heart disease, while lowering LDLs, aka “bad” cholesterol. I recommend buying organic grass fed brisket when you can find it, and choosing a cut that is not too lean. Grass fed cuts tend to be lean, so choose a fattier cut if you can find it – and skip the trimming.
Should You Wrap a Brisket?
When storing brisket, it’s a good idea to wrap it to seal in the juices. After it has a chance to cool, brisket should be wrapped in plastic wrap (or an eco-friendly wrapping option of your choice). Never use aluminum foil, which can react to acid in your sauce. If reheating in the oven, foil is safe to use. I prefer to use parchment topped with foil on the roasting pan, so that the foil doesn’t come into contact with the meat.
I’ve offered make-ahead directions for cooking the brisket below, as well as instructions for serving straight from the slow cooker. Either way, you will love this brisket… it is fork tender and flavorful, with delicious pan juices… everything the best holiday brisket should be!
Check out my separate tutorial for all things brisket here. For more Passover recipe ideas, hop on over to my Passover Recipe Index, where you’ll find delicious inspiration for a variety of dietary restrictions, including Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Gluten Free, Vegetarian and Vegan diets.
What Should I Cook With Brisket?
Looking for some side dishes to pair with your brisket? Here are a few delicious ideas!
Oven Roasted Roasted Root Vegetables
Butternut Squash and Crispy Kale Bake
More Brisket Recipes
Here are some other tested, tasty brisket recipes for you to try.
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Video by Entice Films
Savory Slow Cooker Brisket
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound brisket , first cut recommended
- 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 whole onions sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne ; if you are very spice sensitive, just use a pinch
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch, optional (use potato starch for Passover)
You will also need
- Slow cooker, large skillet, immersion blender (optional)
NOTES
Instructions
- Place half of the chopped onions, 5 of the garlic cloves and the bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the meat lightly with black pepper and salt. If you're using a kosher salted brisket, or if you are salt sensitive, skip the salting here -- there will be plenty in the sauce after cooking.
- Note about this next step-- if you're in a hurry you don't need to brown the brisket before placing it in the slow cooker, just mix the spices with the water and pour over the brisket in the slow cooker. However, if you do have time to brown it first the flavor will be much better! Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan and heat a large skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke.Brown the brisket on both sides—it will take a few minutes per side. A large brisket may overlap the edges of the skillet; you can brown it in stages, letting half the brisket overlap the edge, then adjusting it to brown the other half. Make sure you get some nice dark brown bits on there, it really adds to the flavor.
- Once the brisket is browned, place it in the slow cooker on top of the onions and garlic.
- Drain the fat from the skillet, leaving behind any brown bits in the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove. In a small bowl, mix together the water, 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, turmeric and cayenne. Pour the water and spice mixture into the skillet and heat over medium until hot and bubbly, using the liquid to deglaze the pan and loosening brown bits gently from the bottom of the skillet with a spatula.
- Pour the contents of the skillet over the brisket.
- Top brisket with the remaining sliced onions and garlic cloves. Cover and cook on low for 8- 10 hours, or until fork tender. Tenderness will increase as it cooks, so take it out when it's tender to your liking. Most people like it very tender but not so soft that it is falling apart. You want it firm enough to slice but tender enough that the edges shred with a fork.I recommend making this brisket ahead; allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 nights will improve the flavor. If you would like to do this, check the notes section for the “Make Ahead Directions.” If you are not making ahead, continue reading.
- Remove brisket from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, skim fat from the surface of the cooking sauce.You may strain the sauce to separate the solids out and discard— if you do this, return the sauce to the slow cooker, mix together 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (use potato starch for Passover) with 1 tbsp of cold water, and stir it into the strained liquid in the slow cooker. Alternatively, you may thicken the cooking sauce by first removing the bay leaves, then using an immersion blender to blend the sauce with the garlic and onions directly in the slow cooker (careful, the liquid is hot-- protect yourself with a towel and take care with more delicate ceramic slow cooker inserts).
- Once your sauce is ready, cut fat cap off the brisket.
- Then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain.
- Return slices to the slow cooker and cover with sauce. Heat the meat slices on high setting in the sauce for 30-60 minutes more until sauce is hot, bubbly and thickened around the meat. Serve sliced brisket hot with sauce.
Nutrition
I love this recipe!! One question… what type of onions do you find work best? Vidalia/sweet? White? Yellow?
I usually use yellow, but any of the above will work just fine!
Hi Tori,
I have always enjoyed your recipes. I do have a question about this one. Can this be made ahead of time and frozen? We have such a large crowd cooking ahead of time is always helpful, thanks!
Hi Gail! I don’t typically freeze brisket, but this post has some good pointers: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-freeze-and-reheat-leftover-brisket-255514 I would just be sure to freeze some of the sauce you make for it, as it might become dry upon reheating – and will need broth or sauce for best flavor.
Absolutely simple and delicious!!
You’re site and especially this recipe have become my “go-to” when it comes to Kosher and Jewish delicacies but I have to ask one thing.
You write that you can strain out the solids and discard while making a “gravy” from the liquid gold. I usually strain out the solids and remove the bay leaves but while I do make a gravy with the liquid I actually serve the delicious cooked down onions and garlic and eat with the brisket (along with a homemade horseradish).
Is there anything wrong with serving/eating the cooked down solids or am I okay to do that. Thanks for your help and for all the delicious recipes you provide!
Nothing wrong at all! It’s purely a matter of preference.
My family prefers savory to sweet, but I had a hard time finding a recipe that did not include soy sauce. This is the perfect recipe – tons of garlic and healthy turmeric. I have yet to have leftovers!
It’s hard to get any type of reaction out of my husband, especially about food. I made this for my family on Christmas and when I asked how it was he replied, “I’d roll around in it if I could.” And my son asked if I could make it again the next night. Thank you so much for a delicious and easy holiday meal recipe that I can make ahead of time! I’ll be making this again next Christmas…if not sooner.
Ha! Fabulous.
I have made this recipe at least 5 times over the past year. It is excellent! I love the flavor of the braising liquid, and the beef is always super tender. The beef rendered about 3 cups of braising liquid so I needed more starch to thicken, but otherwise this was incredibly delicious. Your directions are clear and very helpful to ensure success. Thank you Tori!
Glad to hear it!
I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit. I was wondering if I could cook it on high for only 4-6 hours if I were in a hurry. Would this be possible with a smaller (3lb max) cut?
Yes on the high cooking – but take care if using a leaner cut, grass fed and trimmed/lean brisket really does best with low and slow for most tender results. For a traditional first or second cut, the fast cook will work just fine.
Any thoughts on replacing the water with beef broth and/or red wine?
You can do either! I prefer the more savory flavor that comes from using broth, rather than wine, but that’s a personal preference. If you’re watching sodium intake, you may want to use low sodium broth. It’s such a small amount of liquid, that I usually just use water – it makes its own delicious broth as it cooks.
This recipe is phenomenal. I have used it not only for brisket but for pot roasts following the same directions and it comes out tender, juicy, and flavorful every time without fail. This is my go-to recipe for when we have guests over for dinner. Thanks for sharing! ❤