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close up image of slow-cooked pulled brisket in a bowl.
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5 from 4 votes

BEST Pulled Brisket (Slow-Cooked)

Cook this pulled brisket in the slow cooker with a delicious BBQ sauce and have shredded beef that melts in your mouth. Serve it in sandwiches, tacos, or on top of mashed potatoes, or pasta. Also, find out the best way to shred brisket!
Course:Main dish
Cuisine:American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 35 minutes
Servings 12 people
Calories510.5 kcal
Cost $ 4.50 per person

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker 8-qt
  • 1 cutting board

Ingredients

FOR THE BRISKET DRY RUB:

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 lbs beef brisket trimmed and pat dry (flat cut)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil or another one such as avocado oil or canola oil

FOR THE BBQ SAUCE:

  • 3 cup barbecue sauce
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon hot sauce or sriracha (plus 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

  • Spray the bowl of slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray.
  • SEASON: Combine dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Place brisket on a large cookie sheet and season both sides of the brisket with the dry rub and then drizzle with oil. Be sure to apply the rub well to both sides with your hands. If you have time, you can marinate the meat for 2 hours in the fridge, wrapped in plastic film.
  • Place brisket, fat side up, in the slow cooker bowl.
  • PREPARE THE SAUCE: Stir sauce ingredients together and cover the brisket with half of the sauce. Refrigerate the remaining bbq sauce for later.
  • COOK: Cover brisket with a lid and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. When brisket is tender, place onto a cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil. Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the beef. It must be at least 175 to 185 F to be tender without breaking apart. Between 190 F to 205 F, it will fall apart tender (this is what we want for pulling the brisket meat easily).
  • LET IT REST: Baste brisket with meat juices from the slow cooker and then with the remaining bbq sauce. Transfer it to a cutting board (without the liquids) and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • SHRED: Then, using two forks shred the meat and discard any large pieces of fat. Add the pulled brisket back to the cooking liquid and let it soak for at least 15 minutes, making the meat absorb more of the flavors of the cooking liquid and become even more tender. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

STORAGE
  • FRIDGE: Store the leftover pulled brisket in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • FREEZER: To freeze it, place it in a plastic freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze it for 2-4 months.
  • REHEATING: To reheat, you can do it covered in the microwave, along with its juices, for 2 minutes or more depending on the portion of your leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 510.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 19.7g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.7g | Cholesterol: 140.6mg | Sodium: 1717.5mg | Potassium: 970.4mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 24.9g | Vitamin A: 648.1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45.2mg | Iron: 5.3mg

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