Instant Pot Brisket

The Instant Pot is the perfect way to prepare brisket is you don’t have hours to slow cook. You’ll be blown away by how moist and flavorful my Instant Pot Brisket is!

I’m not going to lie, this cut is a tricky cut of beef and lovely as a slow braised brisket recipe. For that reason, many stay far away. For those folks, I am here to tell you that the Instant Pot is the ultimate way to make brisket fast!

Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the chest of the cow. Because it is a tougher cut, it is nearly always slow cooked, whether it be braised, simmered or smoked. If slow cooked properly, the connective tissue breaks down resulting in fork tender beef.

It is also known for being a large cut of beef, commonly sold in 3 and 4 pound increments. It is also a staple of Texas BBQ.

Making brisket in the Instant Pot combines the best of all these worlds. It speeds up the slow cooking process, allowing those connective tissues to dissolve in a fraction of the time.

Another way to make any meat melt-in-your-mouth is to slice it against the grain.

This literally shortens the fiber because you literally cut them. Here is a nifty picture to show how to slice against the grain.

A light bating with a meat mallet also helps to break down those fibers before cooking even starts. The simmer liquid, a quick homemade BBQ sauce, imparts flavor and also serves as the slightly sweet dressing sauce.

Brisket is commonly sold in two types of cuts: the first cut (known as the “flat”) is the most common and is leaner, the second cut (known as the “point”) is a fatty cut, resulting in ultra tender beef

If you want to save even more time, use a bottled BBQ sauce instead of my quick homemade BBQ sauce. Adding Liquid Smoke is going to give you the illusion a long smoked brisket without the hassle.

Even if you use a bottled BBQ sauce, a few drops of Liquid Smoke will still give you that freshly smoked flavor. 

Here are a few more homemade BBQ sauce recipes you might enjoy:

• Cola BBQ Sauce
• Chipotle Honey BBQ Sauce
• Classic Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Cran-Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Questions you might have about how to make Pressure Cooker Brisket:

Are brisket and london broil the same thing? No, they are not, they are two different cuts of meat. London Broil is comes from the top round or bottom round part of the cow and is typically cooked with a quick broil to medium rare or medium, hence the name.

Brisket, on the other hand is from the front plate of the animal, and is generally slow cooked to break down fibers and is cooked to a medium well or well done. 

What are brisket “burnt ends”? Oh, burnt ends are the bomb!!! Burnt ends are the ends of the brisket that get good and charred during the smoking or grilling process. However, since this recipe is made in an Instant Pot, I am sad to tell you that you won’t get any. 

Smoked brisket burnt ends are typically a little more expensive when you find them at restaurants because each piece of meat only produces two and the basic laws of supply and demand make these in demand and much more expensive.

Some people love them and others wonder what all the fuss is about. 

Can brisket be overcooked? Yes, any meat can be overcooked. You really need to find the sweet spot of cooked before it gets rubbery. The first rule is to pay attention to the size of your cut.

If the recipe calls for 3 pounds and you throw in a 1 pound roast, chances are the cook time is too long and vice versa with a large cut of meat. 

Brisket is a tougher cut of meat in general. Make sure you get a reputable cut of meat and tenderize it before cooking. Salt and the slow cooking process will also break down fibers to make it more tender.

Use of a liquid is also imperative. Make sure you look for these aspects in any brisket recipe. 

I tell ya, I am hesitant to order brisket even at BBQ joints because it is the most commonly overcooked piece of beef there is and even some “experts” serve dry brisket. It is pretty hard to find that sweet spot, but pressure cooker brisket is one of the best ways to do it. 

Instant Pot Beef Brisket

4.42 from 29 votes

Instant Pot BBQ Brisket is the perfect dinner idea! Brisket will stay moist and offer loads of flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Pressure Building: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• Garlic press
• Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Liners
• Whisk
• Meat Tenderizer

Ingredients

Beef Brisket:

• 2 pound Certified Angus Beef Brisket
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup beef broth
• ½ red onion
• 2 garlic cloves , lightly smashed

BBQ Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Combine Kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl.
• Using a meat mallet, tenderize both sides of the brisket, then massage with Kosher salt mixture. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for BBQ sauce including ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Liquid Smoke, chili powder, white pepper, celery salt and yellow mustard.
• In the inner pot of your Instant Pot, combine onion, garlic and beef broth. Lay tenderized beef brisket on top and then cover with 1/2 of BBQ sauce mixture, set the rest aside for serving.
• Lock the lid in place and set to Manual, high pressure for 60 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing remaining pressure.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining BBQ sauce in a small sauce pan. Keep warm until serving.
• Remove to a cutting board, slicing thinly against the grain.
• Serve slices topped with reserved BBQ sauce.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 585 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 49 g, Fat: 17 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 140 mg, Sodium: 2563 mg, Potassium: 1193 mg, Sugar: 47 g, Vitamin A: 610 IU, Vitamin C: 6.8 mg, Calcium: 66 mg, Iron: 5.6 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Anne

Calories: 585

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to cook brisket, instant pot bbq brisket

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