Description
This Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Beef Brisket recipe features a tender and flavorful brisket slow-cooked to perfection with a sweet and tangy honey BBQ sauce. It’s an easy, hands-off main course perfect for feeding a crowd or a family dinner, with a rich blend of spices and a homemade sauce that is thickened to coat the meat beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Brisket and Seasoning
- 1 medium-large beef brisket (about 5 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Honey BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup molasses
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
Sauce Thickening
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare Slow Cooker and Sauce: Lightly grease your slow cooker and place the beef brisket inside. In a small bowl, whisk together all the honey BBQ sauce ingredients except the cold water and cornstarch, then set the sauce mixture aside.
- Season Brisket: Stir together the garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Rub this seasoning mix evenly all over the brisket, ensuring it’s well coated.
- Cook Brisket: Pour the prepared sauce over the brisket in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 hours until the brisket is tender and cooked through.
- Thicken Sauce: Carefully pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, stir the cornstarch into the cold water until dissolved to form a slurry.
- Finish Sauce: Pour the cornstarch slurry into the boiling liquid in the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and stir continuously until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.
- Shred and Serve: Shred the brisket meat with two forks in the slow cooker, then pour the thickened sauce back over the shredded beef. Stir well to combine and serve hot.
Notes
- The BBQ sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use, which helps save prep time.
- If you prefer a spicier kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix.
- For best results, allow the brisket to rest for 15 minutes before shredding to retain juices.
- You can serve this brisket with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, or cornbread for a full meal.
- Use a leaner brisket cut if you want to reduce fat content, but cooking time may vary slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
