This is by far the BEST Beef Brisket I have ever had! Juicy and tender on the inside with a delicious outer crust, what is there not to like. Also, it is Whole30 approved, Keto-Friendly, Gluten-free and Paleo...Now do I have your attention? And with only 6 ingredients and a basic slow cooker or crockpot, anyone and EVERYONE can make this easy Beef Brisket!
Mr. Grumbles and I have smoked several briskets in the past with varying degrees of success.
We have ended up with either a brisket slightly too dry or slightly undercooked.
This is especially disappointing when, after over 10 hours of smoking a piece of meat, you do not end up with the result you were hoping for.
NOT ANYMORE!
By using a slow cooker, this beef brisket recipe is an absolute game-changer.
Tender, moist and ridiculously easy, this slow cooker beef brisket is the only way I will ever make brisket again!
What I don't like about making a brisket on a smoker:
- I don't feel comfortable leaving my house for any extended periods of time when we use a smoker
- You need to constantly check on the temperature
- It is hard to gauge when the brisket is done
- It can end up pretty dry
- You can't use any of the leftover juices to make a sauce
What makes this the BEST Beef Brisket Recipe?
- I have made it over a dozen times and it ALWAYS turns out great
- It requires only 6 ingredients
- It is easy and delicious
- you can "set it and forget it"
- even though it is made in a slow cooker, you still get that perfectly charred outer crust
- it is Whole30, Paleo, Keto and Gluten-free
- it effortlessly produces the perfect "au jus" right in the slow cooker
- it produces the moistest and most tender brisket
What is an "au jus" sauce?
These French words literally translate to "in juice". Typically, it uses Worcestershire or soy sauce along with the drippings from the cut of beef that is being cooked.
To keep this "au jus" Whole30 approved (you can read more about the Whole30 diet in this post), I wanted to eliminate any soy or Worcestershire sauce.
For this recipe, all you have to do is remove the drippings from the slow cooker and wait for them to cool. Once cooled, remove the top layer of fat and save it for later in an airtight container in the fridge.
Place the remaining liquid and onions in a high-speed blender and blend on high for about 1 minute or until all the ingredients have been broken down.
Return the "au jus" to a saucepan and bring it to a boil or place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it until it just begins to boil.
You can either pour the "au jus" over the sliced brisket before serving or serve the sauce in a small serving bowl for everyone to dip their beef brisket.
What are the Instructions for The BEST Beef Brisket Recipe made in a slow cooker?
- Trim any excess fat from the brisket (you can the fat cap and placed it in the freezer and when you have time, you can make pork cracklings and lard)
- Add the brisket to a large bowl and rub ½ cup of my Onion Soup Mix all over the brisket.
- Slice 2 LARGE onions and placed them in the bottom of the slow cooker along with one cup of beef broth.
- Place the brisket on top of the onion layer.
- Spread 4 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard all over the top of the brisket
- Set the slow cooker on low for 9 hours
- Once the brisket is done, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place an oven rack on the upper ⅓ part of the oven - place the baking tray with the brisket on the oven rack
- Turn the oven to Broil "High" and watched as the brisket started to crackle and develop the charred crust.
How do you slice a beef brisket?
There are 2 ways to slice a beef brisket.
-
If you cut against the grain of the meat, you end up with slabs of meat like this:
-
If you prefer to get more of a "pulled" look, simply rotate the brisket and slice or pull along the grains of the brisket.
How do I make an "au jus" for the BEST Beef Brisket Recipe?
- Wait until the drippings from brisket had cooled and removed the top layer of fat
- Combine the onions and the remaining liquids in a high-speed blender and pureed the mixture on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Take the sauce and either heat it in a small saucepan or in the microwave until it is heated through
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions:
- If you don't want to make my Whole30 Onion Soup Mix, you can the Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
- If you don't have any Dijon Mustard, you can use any type of mustard
- If you like your brisket REALLY charred, add 1-2 tablespoon of brown sugar or brown sugar substitute (such as Lakanto Golden)
- make sure that you let your brisket come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting in the slow cooker
- try to find a brisket that is even in thickness
- check your brisket at the 8-hour mark and every 30 minutes thereafter - you want your brisket to cook to about 180 degrees - remove it from the slow cooker and place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the crust begins to char
- after cooking the brisket, wrap it in foil and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing
- the briskets' internal temperature will rise by at least 10 degrees while it rests
- the perfect temperature for pulled brisket is about 195-205
- for large briskets, add an additional 1 hour for every pound of brisket
You can serve the BEST Brisket Recipe with the following sides:
Low Carb Skillet Cheesy Corn BBQ-Style
Keto Maple Bacon Broccoli Salad
PrintThe BEST Beef Brisket Recipe- Only 6 Ingredients and a slow cooker!
This is by far the BEST Beef Brisket I have ever had! Juicy and tender on the inside with a delicious outer crust, what is there not to like. Also, it is Whole30 approved, Keto-Friendly, Gluten-free and Paleo...Now do I have your attention? And with only 6 ingredients and a basic slow cooker or crockpot, anyone and EVERYONE can make this easy Beef Brisket!
- Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs brisket, trimmed of fat
- 2 large onions
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup dry Onion Soup Mix
- 4 tbsp dijon mustard (or any mustard of choice)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional - added at the end to help with browning under broiler)
Instructions
To make the Best Beef Brisket:
- Slice the raw onions and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the broth over the onions.
- Place the brisket in a large bowl and cover the top and bottom with ⅔rds of the dry onion soup mixture. Place brisket, fat side up, in the slow cooker.
- Spread the Dijon mustard over the top of the brisket and sprinkle the remaining ⅓rd of the dry onion soup mixture over the top.
- Set slow cooker on low for 9 hours.
- When brisket is cooked, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and place it in a large roasting pan. If using, sprinkle brown sugar over brisket. Set the brisket on the top ⅓rd of the oven and turn the broiler on high for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the brisket as it can easily burn.
- Remove from the oven and set aside for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
To Make "Au Jus":
- Allow the drippings to cool completely. Skim the fat off the top of the drippings and discard.
- Pour onions and remaining broth in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Taste and add any additional salt or pepper if needed.
- To serve, pour over brisket or place in a small side bowl for dipping.
NOTES
Notes
- If you don't want to make my Whole30 Onion Soup Mix, you can the Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
- If you don't have any Dijon Mustard, you can use any type of mustard
- If you like your brisket REALLY charred, add 1-2 tablespoon of brown sugar or brown sugar substitute (such as Lakanto Golden)
- make sure that you let your brisket come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting in the slow cooker
- try to find a brisket that is even in thickness
- check your brisket at the 8-hour mark and every 30 minutes thereafter - you want your brisket to cook to about 180 degrees - remove it from the slow cooker and place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the crust begins to char
- after cooking the brisket, wrap it in foil and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing
- the briskets' internal temperature will rise by at least 10 degrees while it rests
- the perfect temperature for pulled brisket is about 195-205
- for large briskets, add an additional 1 hour for every pound of brisket
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 9 hours
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 244
- Sugar: 0
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Protein: 32
Cat
The onions go in first, the dry "onion dip mix" is coated all over the brisket. Then, you slather mustard over the brisket and sprinkle more dry onion mix over the mustard.
I think you are confusing the raw onions with the "dry onion soup mix"!
Hope this helps!
Lisa Mergler
Your directions are very confusing - put onions and broth in crockpot. Put brisket in bowl, put onions and broth over it. Put brisket in crockpot…what??? Why not just put it all in the crockpot and spread mustard on the meat? What am I not understanding here?