Slow Cooker Brisket: Ideal for the Jewish Holidays

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Slow cooker brisket with this classic sweet and sour gravy will quickly become your favorite brisket cooking technique as your house fills with the comforting aromas of this delicious dish.

Prefer to use an instant pot or braise in the oven? Check out the instant pot or traditional braised method for this same recipe.

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Large white platter of slow cooker brisket, potatoes and carrots with a serving fork and striped blue napkin.

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To be honest, I was a bit incredulous and hesitant to make my mom's brisket recipe in the slow cooker. When I became the family brisket maven, I first learned to braise my mom's recipe in the oven.

Then I converted it to the Instant Pot and she couldn't tell the difference. So why bother with the slow cooker? Well, it's nice to be able to modify your cooking techniques to match your schedule and equipment at hand. And sometimes the slow cooker is just the best way to go.

What's so great about slow-cooked brisket?

The slow-cooked brisket texture and flavor won me over. The vegetables were just perfectly cooked and the meat was so tender and flavorful.

I even brought it to my mom, the original brisket maven in our family, and she had no idea it wasn't traditionally braised. She was singing its praises for days.

And while you certainly can dump all the ingredients in and walk away for eight hours, a couple extra steps really elevate the final dish.

A quick sear of the onions and beef adds so much savory goodness. And adding the vegetables halfway in, yields a perfect toothsome result.

Ingredients for this recipe

A collage of brisket shots showing the main ingredients needed for the recipe including beer, cranberry sauce, ketchup, brisket, onions, carrots and potatoes. — *The ingredient list for this slow-cooked beef brisket is not long or complicated. Most of the time I have all the elements on hand and just need to pick up the meat!*

Ingredient notes

Beer - heavy dark beer is ideal but any beer will work except perhaps for a fruity or exceptionally herby IPA
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce – canned is fine or use my homemade cranberry jam!
Ketchup – I have been buying lower sugar versions but whatever you have – even a jarred chili sauce will work.
Brisket – When you buy a four to five pound beef brisket, it is usually trimmed and ready to use. Don’t try to trim all the fat off – it’s important to leave some on while cooking.

Steps to make slow-cooked brisket

Step 1: Mix the sauce ingredients - the beer, ketchup and whole berry cranberry sauce.

A stainless steel bowl with whisk showing the brisket sauce for the slow cooker.

Step 2: Sauté the onions (you can skip this if you're in a hurry but it's a great flavor boost).

Fresh sliced onions browning in roasting pan.

Step 3: Sear the meat on both sides (You can place the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and use the same pan. As above, you can skip this if in a hurry but I highly recommend browning the meat if you can).

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Step 4: Place the onions in the slow cooker first, then top them with the brisket, fat side up and pour the sauce over it.

Uncooked brisket meat in red slow cooker with sauce poured over it.

Step 5: Set the slow cooker on low and set the timer to four hours to remind you to add the vegetables.

Partially cooked brisket meat in red slow cooker.

Step 6: After 4 hours, add the vegetables and set your timer for 2 more hours for cutting the meat.

Carrots and potatoes added to slow cooker with brisket and sauce in the pot.

Step 7: At 6 hours in, remove the meat to a cutting board and slice across the grain. Do not cut in the same direction as the grain (see video) or you will turn your super tender meat into chewy meat.

Sliced brisket on wooden cutting board with slicing knife.

Step 8: Place sliced meat back in the slow cooker and cook for about one more hour.

Finished and sliced brisket and vegetables still in red slow cooker.

Brisket in slow cooker right after the vegetables were added.

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Recipe tips:

To keep the prep to a minimum, buy your brisket trimmed from a butcher counter. Take note of the size of your slow cooker so you can find a piece that will fit right in. But if not, simply cut the brisket to fit before you sear it and place it in the pot.
Out of beer? Substitute some beef broth!
Making it ahead? I like to store most of the sauce separately from the meat. Then the fat is easily removed. Drench the meat with a bit of sauce before you refrigerate it though.
Want to intensify the sauce flavor even more? You can boil it down and you will have an even more scrumptious gravy to serve with the meat and vegetables.

Large white platter of slow cooker brisket, potatoes, carrots. Served along with striped napkin, fork and blue pitcher of gravy.

Common questions:

Why is my brisket tough?

1. If you sliced the brisket with the grain, instead of against/across the grain, it will be hard to chew even if you cooked it the right amount of time.

2. If you didn't cook it long enough, brisket will be tough. It needs a lot of time for the connective tissue to break down. Then it will be soft and easy to chew.

Can I make the brisket ahead of time or freeze it?

Brisket is a perfect dish to make a day or two ahead of time or even to freeze. When you refrigerate it, the fat will congeal and be easy to remove. And the flavor settles in even more. It also freezes well so you can plan ahead for a holiday or just store away some comfort food for a rainy, lazy day.

Why is brisket eaten for Jewish holidays?

It is a popular dish to serve at Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover! Lots of reasons - some tied to Ashkenazi traditions and the accessibility of cheaper cuts of meat. But in modern times, it's the tradition AND the convenience. Brisket can be made ahead so you don't have to do all the cooking on the day of an event or celebration. It's also easy to add vegetables to the dish to make it a one pan meal.

What else to serve with the brisket

Homemade Matzo Ball Soup
Traditional Challah
No-Rise Orange and Anise Challah
Roasted Delicata Squash
Potato Kugel (leave the potatoes out of the slow cooker)
Noodle Kugel
Got leftovers? Make a brisket sandwich!

Sliced brisket on blue trimmed plate with knife and fork and blue gravy pitcher.

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Slow Cooker Brisket

Beth Lee

Slow cooker brisket will quickly become your favorite brisket cooking technique as your house fills with the comforting aromas of this delicious dish. Prefer to use an instant pot or braise in the oven? Check out the instant pot or traditional braised method for this same recipe.

4.63 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 30

Course Main Courses

Cuisine Jewish Holiday Cooking

Servings servings

Calories 571 kcal

Ingredients

12 ounces dark beer but any will do
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce canned or homemade
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
4-5 lb brisket
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces baby carrots or sliced carrots optional
12 small red white, or fingerling potatoes optional

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Instructions

Combine beer, ketchup, and cranberry sauce in a medium bowl and whisk together (leave a bit of beer to deglaze the pan you brown the brisket and onions in)
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or roasting pan on medium heat. Add sliced onions to pan. Brown the onions, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Remove to bottom of slow cooker pot.
Turn heat to medium high. Salt and pepper the brisket and brown it on both sides - about 5 minutes per side.
Place brisket on onions in the slow cooker, then pour beer mixture over brisket. Cover, set the temp to low and cook for 4 hours.
At 4 hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Cook for 2 more hours.
Remove brisket from slow cooker and slice the meat across the grain. Put the slices back in the slow cooker.
Cook for about one more hour, checking the tenderness of the meat and the carrots and potatoes.
You can now either serve the brisket immediately or let it cool uncovered for about half an hour and refrigerate it up to 2 days. You can also freeze the brisket for later use.

Video

Notes

To keep the prep to a minimum, buy your brisket trimmed from a butcher counter. Take note of the size of your slow cooker so you can find a piece that will fit right in. But if not, simply cut it to fit before you sear it and place it in the pot.
I like to use Guinness dark beer but any dark beer or a pilsner will do.
Out of beer? Substitute some beef broth!
Making it ahead? I like to store most of the sauce separately from the meat. Then the fat is easily removed. Drench the meat with some sauce before you refrigerate it though.
Want to intensify the sauce flavor even more? You can boil it down and you will have an even more scrumptious gravy to serve with the meat and vegetables.