Lo has always loved BBQ food, but when we lived in Texas, he became obsessed.
Not only did he learn how to smoke meat, but he also realized that his favorite kind of meat is brisket. It’s tender, it’s flavorful, and it’s one of our favorite dishes to make for family dinners, holidays, and special occasions.
It may seem difficult or a little more fancy, but we promise you this crock pot brisket recipe will become a new favorite!
Why we love it:
- Set it and forget it. Simply put all the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook it for 8-10 hours. This is an especially perfect Sunday dinner idea!
- Fork tender. Low and slow in the crock pot makes shredding this tender cut super easy making it a favorite beef dinner idea.
- Pair with your favorite BBQ side dishes. Serve your crock pot brisket on the side of Macaroni Salad, Cornbread Recipe, or your favorite Oven Roasted Vegetables.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) beef brisket – Brisket is typically sold in two different cuts: flat and point. Choose the flat cut, if possible, as the thick fat cap will aid in giving more flavor to your brisket.
- 1 (2-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder – or 3-4 cloves of minced fresh garlic. You can also season with salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles Heinz chili sauce
How to Make Brisket in a Crock Pot
- SEASON. Place 1 (3 pound) brisket in the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 (2-ounce) envelope onion soup mix, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar over the top of the brisket, and massage gently into the meat.
- Pour 2 (12-ounce) bottles chili sauce over the top, covering the meat completely.
- COOK. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and slice against the grain. Pour the sauce over the brisket slices to serve with some Best Mashed Potatoes or a side dish of your choice.
- Allow the crock pot brisket to rest for 10-20 minutes before cutting.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the brisket in the Instant Pot, fat side up. Sprinkle with onion soup mix, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Massage into the meat then add the chili sauce over the top.
- Cook on high pressure for 80-90 minutes, then let naturally release for 15 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the pressure.
Complete The Meal
Side Dishes
Desserts
More Crockpot Dinner Ideas
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Crock Pot Brisket Recipe
Try this effortless crock pot brisket recipe for delectably juicy and tender meat that will melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) beef brisket
- 1 (2-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles Heinz chili sauce
Instructions
- Place 1 (3 pound) brisket in the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 (2-ounce) envelope onion soup mix, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar over the top of the brisket, and massage gently into the meat. Pour 2 (12-ounce) bottles chili sauce over the top, covering the meat completely.
- Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and slice against the grain. Pour the sauce over the brisket slices to serve.
Video
Notes
STORE. Place cooked brisket AND the juices into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 1283mg, Potassium: 885mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 578IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Do I brown the Crock Pot brisket first?
- Browning in a large skillet before putting it in the slow cooker is not necessary, but can add extra flavor. Or broil the brisket on a baking sheet in the oven to get crispy bits.
How much brisket to make per person?
- I recommend ½ pound per person then add 2 pounds to that total to account for those who wish to take a little more. Leftover slow cooker beef brisket makes a delicious sandwich! Just add a homemade BBQ Sauce.
How to store crock pot brisket?
- Place cooled leftovers and liquid into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze this beef brisket recipe for up to 2 months.
I love that it’s easy to make and it’s so good!
How many oz is a serving?
About 4-6 oz.
Its 11pm (west coast time) and I cannot wait to see how this turns out in the morning. I remember, as a young’n, eating brisket med-rare (family traditional recipe), and it was not tasty. I’ll post an update on how it turns out. Cheers!
Yes, we’d love to hear how it turned out!!
This turned out great and I didn’t make any changes to the recipe! I’d like to share it to Facebook but I don’t see that option.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! So glad you enjoyed the brisket. We don’t have an option to automatically share to FB from our site, just to pin to Pinterest. You can certainly copy and paste the website url. We appreciate any and all sharing!! 🙂
So easy and awesome! Better than chopped beef from a barbecue joint!
Oh thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the brisket!
In a crock pot, should the brisket be placed fat side down or up? Article didn’t mention this.
I’d suggest putting it in fat side up. Hope you enjoy the brisket!
Look so easy!!
Cooking this in a few minutes!
What if I don’t have chili sauce?? Can I cook with out or Use BBQ sauce or is this something i can fix up with what I have in pantry?
Ty
If you don’t have the chili sauce, you could sub for ketchup! It would be a bit sweeter and more of a mild flavor. BBQ sauce could work too or even salsa, it would just give a different flavor to the brisket. Hopefully the recipe turned out well for you!
I grew up eating brisket and was never a fan. My mom recently made this and I am now a huuuuge fan. Tender. Delicious. Juicy. Melts in your mouth. When I saw the ingredients I am in disbelief all that comes together to create a brisket masterpiece. It’s in my crockpot now and the family is so excited. This is a must try! My mom marinated overnight so I did the same. Enjoy!!
I’m glad you’ve become a brisket convert! It really can be so juicy and tender when cooked the right way. I’m so glad you liked this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Will this work with a slow cooker instead of a crock pot?
Yes 🙂
We’re not a spicy / chili sauce type family… can I just use BBQ sauce instead? If so… same amount?
I haven’t tried, but I am sure that would taste great! I would just use the same amount as the chili sauce. Enjoy!
What amounts should I use for a 4 lb brisket ?
You could use similar amounts to the 3 lb (original recipe). If you wanted to do 1.5 times the recipe, that would work too! Ex) 1 1/2 envelopes of dry onion soup mix instead of just 1 envelope, 3 tsp garlic powder instead of 2, etc. Hope that helps!