Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

This Slow Cooker Beef Brisket recipe features juicy, fall-apart tender beef, flavourful vegetables, and a rich red wine gravy. With baby potatoes and vegetables cooked right alongside the beef, it’s essentially a complete dinner in one pot. Hands-off and family-friendly, it’s perfect for chilly days and special occasions!

I love autumn and all the cosy flavours that come with it. So, naturally, as soon as the weather starts to cool, I bust out my slow cooker to make beef and mushroom stroganoff, slow cooker steak pie, leek and potato soup, and this beef brisket recipe. 

This recipe does take a little bit of prep before everything goes into the slow cooker, but I promise it’s worth it. Browning the beef and softening the vegetables first gives you SO much more flavour, then your slow cooker takes over and does all the hard work. The result is tender shredded beef, soft buttery potatoes and loads of rich gravy!

Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Recipe

• Fall-apart beef: Brisket was made for low and slow cooking! After 8-10 hours, it becomes incredibly tender and easy to shred.
• Proper gravy: No watery slow cooker sauce here. Red wine, beef stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and gravy granules create a rich, savoury gravy.
• A complete meal: I've added baby potatoes, carrots, celery and optional peas, so you really don't need much else with it.
• Family-friendly: Tender shredded beef, potatoes and gravy are always a winner in my house.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and details.

• Beef Brisket: I use a large beef brisket joint. Don't worry if it looks quite fatty to begin with. Some of that fat helps keep the beef succulent during its long cooking time, and you can remove excess fat when you shred the meat.
• Beef Fat/Tallow: This is my preferred option for browning the brisket because it enhances the beef flavour. That said, olive oil or another neutral vegetable oil works too.
• Balsamic Vinegar: This adds a subtle touch of sweetness, and the acidity helps tenderise the beef while balancing the rich flavours. 
• Tomato Purée: This adds richness and depth to the gravy. 
• Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce: Both bring plenty of savoury, umami flavour to the gravy.
• Veg: Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic create a classic base for the gravy and soften down into the sauce as they cook, adding a bit of texture and sweet, savoury notes. Then, I include baby potatoes and peas for a complete meal. The peas are optional, but I love stirring them in right at the end for a little colour and extra veg.
• Red Wine: This adds richness and depth to the gravy. Cooking substantially reduces the alcohol, but you can use extra broth or a red wine stock pot if you prefer not to cook with alcohol. 
• Plain Flour: This helps begin the thickening process before everything goes into the slow cooker so you don’t end up with an overly runny gravy. 
• Dijon Mustard: You won't end up with a mustard-flavoured gravy. It just adds another layer of flavour and a little acidity.
• Bone Broth: This forms the bulk of our cooking liquid. I love using bone broth for even more beefy flavour. 
• Gravy Granules: This is my final secret to getting that lovely thick gravy rather than the thin, watery sauce you sometimes get from a slow cooker.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Brisket 

1. Brown the beef. Season the meat well with salt and pepper. Then, sear it in beef fat or oil until it’s browned on all sides, and remove it from the pan. 
2. Deglaze. Add mustard, tomato purée, balsamic, soy sauce, and Worcestershire to the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the meat. Don’t skip this! Those little bits add so much flavour to the gravy! 
3. Combine. Add the chopped potatoes and the liquid to a slow cooker.

4. Soften. Melt butter in the pan, add herbs, celery, carrot, and onion, and let the veg soften before adding garlic. Continue to cook just until the garlic is fragrant.
5. Reduce. Then, pour in the red wine, allow it to reduce by half, stir through the flour to thicken the sauce, and add the bay leaves and beef stock to the slow cooker. 

6. Cook. Cover and cook on low until the beef brisket is fork-tender. If it’s still tough, continue cooking! Shred the meat, remove the bay leaves, and skim the fat off the top of the gravy. Add the remaining ingredients, and continue to cook on high until the veg is tender and the gravy is slightly thickened. Enjoy warm! 

My Top Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

• Don't skip searing the beef. Technically, could you throw everything straight into the slow cooker? Yes. Would it taste as good? Absolutely not! Browning creates so much extra flavour.
• Cook it on low if you can. Brisket benefits massively from a long, slow cook, so my preference is 8-10 hours on low, which allows lots of time for the connective tissue to break down, creating tender, juicy, flavourful meat. 
• Keep the potatoes chunky. Tiny pieces of potato won't stand much chance after 8-10 hours in the slow cooker. Halve small baby potatoes and quarter larger ones.
• Refrigerate before skimming. This is optional, but I find that if I refrigerate the gravy before skimming the fat, it’s much easier to remove.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Because I've added baby potatoes straight to the slow cooker, this can easily be served as a complete meal. Personally, I'd add some extra greens and call it a day. Tenderstem broccoli, green beans, cabbage or roasted vegetables would all be lovely. 

If you're feeding a hungry crowd, though, I wouldn't say no to a big spoonful of clapshot for soaking up all that gravy. And obviously, some fresh crusty bread for mopping up the plate never goes amiss.

Storage and Reheating

Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. Like a lot of slow-cooked dishes, I actually think the flavours are even better the next day!

• Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. 
• Freeze: Transfer the cooked brisket and gravy to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. I prefer freezing it in individual portions so I can pull out exactly what I need.
• Reheat: Defrost frozen brisket thoroughly in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Add a small splash of beef stock or water if the gravy has become too thick.

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