This Easy Slow Cooker Brisket Is Fall-Apart Tender

I have a dear friend who decided that his one cooking achievement would be to master smoked brisket. For years, he dutifully cooked brisket after brisket, trying different techniques. As a Wisconsin native, he even built his own smoker from a metal drum and emblazoned it with the Packers logo.

My husband and I tasted many of his efforts, and while none were abject failures, our friend would be the first to admit when the brisket didn’t turn out as he’d hoped. Now that he has 10-plus years of brisket practice under his belt, his smoked briskets turn out gorgeous and buttery-tender with the perfect smoke ring and burnt ends so good that eating them is a quasi-spiritual experience.

My takeaway? I’ll probably never smoke a brisket myself. It’s too much work, too much uncertainty, and too much meat to mess up.

Slow Cooker to the Rescue

What I will do, however, is use my favorite brisket cheat code: the slow cooker. Brisket is an unusual cut in that part of it (known as the “point”) is fatty, but another part of it (the “flat”) is lean. Brisket is also a very tough cut, loaded with connective tissue, which explains why it’s so hard to smoke to perfection. 

The slow cooker solves the latter problem, allowing you to cook the meat low and slow (and hands-off!) in a moist environment that prevents it from drying out. It’s not quite the same as a smoked brisket, but you’ll end up with perfectly tender meat and a luscious sauce with minimal stress and no babysitting.

A smoky rub gives the brisket a well-rounded, savory, tangy-yet-sweet classic barbecue finish that will be a winner for any crowd. 

Brisket Flat vs. Brisket Point

A full packer brisket will never fit in a slow cooker. At grocery stores, you’ll usually see the brisket turned into two cuts: the flat and the point. A small flat will fit perfectly in your slow cooker. The flat is evenly shaped—again, great for a slow cooker—while the point is rounded.  The flat has less marbling than the point, but it responds very well to slow cooking and slices beautifully. 

What Is the Secret to Juicy Brisket?

Cooking the meat fat side-up does two things. It protects the flat, which dried out quicker than the point. It also renders the fat cap, basting the meat as it cooks and keeping it moist. Rendered fat means the brisket is infused with both flavor and moisture.

Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Brisket

• Don’t water down the flavor: The slow cooker traps all the steam from food while it cooks; the food you’ve added to the slow cooker will also release juices. Because there is very little evaporation, you only need to add a small amount of liquid to your slow cooker. If you add too much liquid, the flavors you've worked hard to build will taste watered down.
• Across the grain: Slice the brisket across the grain to shorten the muscle fibers, making the brisket more tender and easier to chew. The “grain” on a brisket flat is easy to identify. Look for lines/fibers running parallel to each other.
• Cornstarch substitute: If you don’t have cornstarch available, potato starch or arrowroot work well, too.

Serving Slow Cooker Brisket

This brisket deserves to be served with a bevy of barbecue sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and mac and cheese. Or serve it (and its sauce) over pillowy mashed potatoes. The brisket also makes an outstanding sandwich. Pile it on a bun and slather it with hickory barbecue sauce.