Slow Cooker Brisket after a Dry Brine

We dry brine a beef brisket overnight in the fridge and then slow cook it in a crock pot most of the day with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery and onion. The dry brined brisket slow cooks in its own juices and all those lovely veggies, herbs and aromatics until the beef it super tender and perfect for a blustery evening. This slow cooker brisket (after a dry brine) is set-it-and-forget-it with only minimal prep and fabulous results!

Slow Cooker Brisket

Listen, if you found your way over here from the parent site, GrillinFools.com, then you are probably cringing at this slow cooker brisket. Brisket is supposed to have bark and a smoke ring and cook all night low and slow in a smoker. And that’s the way I prefer my brisket, but sometimes, I just don’t want to go outside and cook. Sometimes I want to come home, ladle some comfort food out of a crock pot into a bowl and sop up the residuals with a chunk of crusty bread. 

For those that have never ventured into the world of smoked meats, I have a few brisket recipes for you:

• Butcher Paper Brisket
• Beef Tallow Brisket
• Injected Brisket
• And my favorite BBQ of all time: Brisket Burnt Ends

And if you happen to be lucky enough to have leftover brisket, may I suggest:

• Biscuits and Brisket Gravy
• Dutch Oven Brisket Chili
• And stay tuned for Air Fryer Egg Rolls with Brisket and Mac (coming soon)

BUT, if you are into slow cooker/crockpot recipes:

• Beyond Easy Mississippi Pot Roast
• Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in a Crockpot
• And my favorite-est of all the comfort foods (albeit not in a slow cooker), Chicken Pot Pie.

If you are wondering why I don’t call it a crock pot instead of a slow cooker, it’s because of SEO. Slow cooker works better for this recipe but we will use both interchangeably. 

Slow Cooker Brisket after a Dry Brine Ingredients

• 1 oz onion soup mix
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt 
• .5 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 lb piece of beef brisket
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs
• 8 whole garlic cloves, skinned
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (substitute baby carrots to save some time)
• 1 lb golden baby potatoes
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2.5 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Dry Brine Directions

In a small bowl, combine the soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper:

Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the brisket and rub it into the meat:

Place the dry-brining brisket in the fridge overnight in order to allow the seasoning to penetrate the fibers of the beef.

Slow Cooker Brisket Cooking Instructions

The next day, chop all the vegetables, but leave the skinned garlic cloves whole as well as the thyme sprigs and bay leaves:

Place the meat, fat cap side down, into a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker.

Add the thyme sprigs, garlic, and bay leaves on top of brisket. Then, add the carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion over top.

In a bowl, whisk together the stock, Worchestershire sauce and cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.

Pour the liquid into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8 hours until the brisket is tender to slice, but not falling apart.

Remove the brisket from the crockpot and transfer to a cutting board, fat cap side up.

Also, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Finally, thinly slice the brisket against the grain. 

Slice Against the Grain

If you slice the brisket with the grain, it will be very tough. Simply find the direction the meat fibers run and then slice thin across those fibers and the brisket will be super tender. 

Serve alongside the cooked vegetables and the gravy from the slow cooker.

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Slow Cooker Brisket after a Dry Brine Recap

This scratches that comfort food itch quite nicely. So, if you find that chunk of brisket marked down for quick sale, or a bottom round roast or a shoulder clod (etc), this recipe will be money every time. And if you don’t have time for the dry brine, just season and cook that chunk of beef with the rest of the ingredients. 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or send me an email.

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Recipe Card

Slow Cooker Brisket after a Dry Brine

Slow Cooker Brisket - Dry brine brisket, slow-cooked in a crockpot with garlic, herbs, carrots, potatoes, and onion and cooked all day till tender and juicy.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Servings: 6 people

Course: Comfort Food, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 oz Onion soup mix
• 1 tbsp Light brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
• .5 tsp Fresh black pepper
• 3 lbs Beef brisket
• 8 sprigs Fresh thyme
• 8 cloves Garlic
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 lb Carrots, peeled, and cut into 2 inch pieces Substitute baby carrots
• 3 stalks Celery, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 Large, sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2.5 cups Beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch

Equipment

• 1 Crockpot

Method

 

Dry Brine (optional)

1. Combine the onion soup mix, brown sugar, salt and pepper and coat the brisket entirely. Place in the fridge overnight.

Prepare the Slow Cooker Brisket

1. Place the brisket, fat cap down into a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker. Add the rest of the dry ingredients on top.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the beef stock, Worchestershire sauce and cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8 hours until the brisket is tender to slice, but not falling apart.
4. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board, fat cap side up. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain. Serve alongside the vegetables, drizzled all over with the gravy from the slow cooker.  Enjoy

Scott Thomas

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