Usually when you think of beef brisket, you think of meat that’s been smoking or braising low and slow for the better part of a day. Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can have a delicious homemade brisket on the table in just a few hours – without having to babysit it.
The key to any beef brisket worth its salt is a good meat rub and this one is no different. We’re sharing our tried and true rub. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors with brown sugar and chili powder, plus smoked paprika to add that traditional smoked flavor.
What Is Beef Brisket?
Brisket is a cut of meat that is taken from the breast of the cow. Because two major muscles run through the breast, it has a significant amount of connective tissue, which makes it a tough cut of meat. It’s important to know this because it affects not only how you cook this cut of meat but also how you slice it.
Because beef brisket is tough with short tightly packed meat fibers, it is usually cooked low and slow either by smoking, slow cooking or braising to really break down those fibers and tenderize the meat. Cooking it under pressure speeds up the process so you can enjoy your favorite beef brisket any time rather than just those days you have time to watch it. This brings us to the next important step – cutting the brisket once it’s time to serve.
How Should You Cut Beef Brisket So It Isn’t Tough?
You want to slice brisket against the grain – this will ensure that it’s so tender it practically falls apart. To do this, look at the way the fibers in the meat run. You’ll want to cut across them, so each slice is made up of many short, tightly-packed fibers rather than fewer long strands. Take a look at the picture in this post for a great example of how to do this.
What Kind Of BBQ Sauce Should I Use?
I’m including instructions below for a delicious BBQ sauce that we think is perfect for beef brisket. It uses the leftover liquid after pressure cooking to create the sauce. However, we have a whole series with BBQ sauce recipes from across the country so if you’re looking for a different flavor, be sure to check it out. And of course, you could also use the liquid to create a tasty gravy.
Sauce For BBQ Brisket
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- After removing the brisket from the Instant Pot, skim the fat from the remaining liquid using a gravy separator (we recommend this OXO gravy separator). Return 1 cup of liquid to the pot.
- Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and Worcestershire. Set the pot to Sauté and simmer 10 minutes, or until the barbecue sauce is thickened.
- Slather the brisket with barbecue sauce before slicing and serving.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Brisket
Along with extra BBQ sauce, try serving your brisket with coleslaw, baked beans, and roasted garlic potatoes. Enjoy!
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Instant Pot Brisket
Thanks to the Instant Pot, you can have a delicious homemade brisket on the table in just a few hours – without having to babysit it.
Additional instructions above for making a sauce for BBQ brisket.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 and ½ lbs. beef brisket
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup beef broth or our Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika to form a rub. Generously rub all over the brisket, covering all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Unwrap the brisket.
- Set a 6-Quart or larger Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil. When hot, add the brisket and sear on both sides. Remove the brisket from the pot.
- Add the beef broth, onions and garlic to the pot. Place the brisket on top of the onions.
- Lock the lid in place and turn the knob to sealed. Cook under high pressure for 1 hour. When it’s done cooking, do a natural release for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release if needed.
- Remove the brisket from the pot and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Optionally, prepare your sauce while the brisket rests.
- Slice across the grain into ¼ inch slices and serve.
This post originally appeared in November 2019 and was revised and republished in July 2022.
but what about the missing smoked flavor you get from that day long smoking process??
Using a smoked paprika adds in some smoked flavour, Fred. Though it won’t be as smoky, it’s great for when you don’t have all day!