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Home » Brisket

Slow Cooker Brisket – Reinventing Sandy’s Sweet and Sour Recipe

by Beth Lee · Published: Sep 3, 2020 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024

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pinterest image showing platter of brisket plus 3 of the steps to make it

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.

For ease of browsing, here are all my main dish recipes in one place.

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).

A brisket searing in roasting pan.

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.

Tools to Use!

  • Knife
  • Cutting Boards
  • Slow Cooker
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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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platter of sliced brisket with potatoes and carrots with serving fork and gravy pitcher

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
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Main Courses
Cuisine Jewish Holiday Cooking
Servings 10 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 571kcal
Keyword Brisket, Jewish holiday cooking, slow cooker
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Beth Lee in red apron looking at vegetables on cutting board

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  1. Dori Stern

    May 06, 2024 at 10:04 am

    Would it work if I used tomato paste instead of the ketchup?

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      May 06, 2024 at 10:21 am

      Hi Dori! Good question. So tomato paste is just cooked down tomatoes and is super thick. Ketchup has a more liquid consistency and has some vinegar and sugar and onion powder added. So as a substitute for the ketchup, I'd add a bit of vinegar, and a little bit of honey or maple syrup to the tomato paste to not only loosen it up but to mimic the ketchup flavor. Other possible additions - a touch of salt (if the tomato paste doesn't have any in it already), maybe a dash of onion powder, or even a splash of worcestershire sauce. Let your taste buds guide you. Mix the tomato paste up in a small bowl with the vinegar and a bit of sweetener and taste it. If you like it, then you're good to go! Let me know if you have any other questions and how it comes out!

      Reply
  2. Jan Brockway

    April 03, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    Can I use pomegranate molasses to substitute the braising liquid in my slow cooker? How much do you suggest? Love you

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      April 04, 2023 at 8:17 am

      Hi Jan, do you mean sub pomegranate molasses for the beer? I do have a pomegranate molasses braising liquid brisket recipe. It says it's for a pressure cooker, but I've done a traditional braise with it and it worked out great. I am sure it would work in the slow cooker as well! https://omgyummy.com/instant-pot-brisket-pomegranate-molasses/ Let me know if that answers your question!

      Reply
  3. Laura

    September 04, 2020 at 10:53 am

    I think the only way you haven't made a brisket is smoked on the grill, Beth! I have to try it in the slow cooker. Sounds so easy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      September 04, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Well you will have to teach me the smoked version - deal?

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Beth!

I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

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