Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Name: MOUTHWATERING BBQ BRISKET MADE IN A CROCKPOT: Plus Homemade BBQ Sauce & Sourdough Buns
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 kg beef brisket, excess fat trimmed, some fat left on for flavour; 240 ml barbecue sauce; 120 ml beef stock; 0.5 tsp liquid smoke; 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper; 360 ml light brown sugar; 300 ml tomato ketchup; 120 ml apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp yellow mustard; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper

A no-smoker, no-babysitting take on barbecue brisket. Marcy dumps a rubbed 4 to 5 lb brisket onto a bed of barbecue sauce, beef stock and a hint of liquid smoke, then lets the slow cooker do all the work on low for eight hours. She also shares her homemade barbecue sauce, which makes exactly two cups: one for the crockpot and one for the finished sandwiches. Serve on soft buns with the rendered sauce spooned over the top.

Ingredients

For the brisket

2 kgbeef brisket, excess fat trimmed, some fat left on for flavour
240 mlbarbecue sauce
120 mlbeef stock
0.5 tspliquid smoke

For the spice rub

1 tbsplight brown sugar
1 tbspsmoked paprika
1 tsponion powder
1 tspgarlic powder
2 tspsalt
1 tspblack pepper
1 tspdried oregano
0.25 tspcayenne pepper

For the homemade BBQ sauce (optional, makes 2 cups)

360 mllight brown sugar
300 mltomato ketchup
120 mlapple cider vinegar
1 tbspyellow mustard
2 tspsmoked paprika
1 tsponion powder
1 tspgarlic powder
1 tspkosher salt
0.5 tspblack pepper

Method

If making the homemade barbecue sauce, put the brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine, set over medium-low heat, and whisk continuously until it just comes to a simmer. Take it straight off the heat, let it cool completely, then cover and chill (ideally overnight). This makes two cups, one for cooking the brisket and one for the sandwiches.
~15 min
Combine the light brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, oregano and cayenne in a small bowl, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. This is the rub.
~3 min
Trim excess fat from the brisket, leaving some on for flavour. Cover the joint completely with the rub on all sides, using it all. If you have time, wrap the rubbed brisket tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight.
~10 min
In the slow cooker, stir together the barbecue sauce, beef stock and (if using) liquid smoke.
~2 min
Lay the rubbed brisket on top of the sauce (not the other way around, so the rub isn't washed off). Cover.
~1 min
Cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender. Make sure the slow cooker is actually plugged in before you head out for the day.
Lift the brisket out, slice or shred, and spoon over some of the rendered sauce from the pot. Pile onto buns with extra barbecue sauce to serve.
~5 min

Frequently asked

Do I have to make the homemade barbecue sauce?

No. Marcy uses her homemade one but says a good shop-bought sauce works just as well. You need one cup for the pot and another cup for the sandwiches.

Can I use a different cut of beef?

The recipe is written for a 4 to 5 lb brisket, which is the cut that gives you that fall-apart pull. Beef chuck also does well in a slow cooker but will give you shredded beef rather than sliceable brisket.

Is the liquid smoke essential?

It's optional. Half a teaspoon adds a light smoky note that mimics the smoker Marcy skips; leave it out for a straight barbecue-sauce flavour. A little goes a long way, so don't push past a teaspoon.

Can I do this on high instead of low?

Marcy only demonstrates low for 8 hours in the video. Brisket is tough enough that it really benefits from the long low cook, so stick with low if you can plan around it.

Do I need to sear the brisket first?

Not for this recipe. It's a deliberate dump-and-go: the rub is the crust, and eight hours in the sauce does the rest.

Extraction notes (transparency): Brisket weight given as a 4 to 5 lb range on camera; defaultServings estimated from the brisket size (not stated in the transcript). Homemade BBQ sauce is presented as a sub-recipe you can skip in favour of shop-bought. Sourdough buns are mentioned only as a possible pairing and were not demonstrated, so they are not part of the recipe.