Beef Brisket: Best Instant Pot Recipe Ever

Beef Brisket

Beef brisket is a staple during the holidays and at BBQ joints in Texas and throughout the U.S.  This large cut of beef requires low and slow cooking.  But, who has time to wait anymore?  Speed up your cooking time by cooking your beef brisket in an Instant Pot or an electric pressure cooker.  

Whole beef briskets have two main muscles with a total average weight of 12 pounds.  The flat-cut is the easiest section to cook, so use it for this recipe. The other section is the called the deckle, can be easily removed, and perfect for grinding into ground beef.  However, this section is quite fatty (in a good way), so you may want to mix in some of the lean, flat-cut to balance out the beef to fat ratio.  Pro tip: 60/40 smash burgers are the bomb! And, that ratio, will never be found in supermarkets.

This recipe is perfect for those interested bulk meat purchases and batch cooking.  

Equipment Needed

Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker

Meat Grinder attachment to Kitchen-Aid (for other recipes)

Prep Time: 24 hours, Cook Time: 2 hours, Serves many people

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion
6 garlic cloves
1 (3-pound) beef brisket, preferably flat-cut
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup low-sodium beef broth
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup worcheshire
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
⅓ cup ketchup
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Step 1

Trim off the surface fat from the brisket if the fat is more than 1/4-inch thick. Cut the brisket in half to fit in the Instant Pot and rub the brisket pieces with salt and pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.

Step 2

Thinly slice 1 large onion and place in a medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the Instant Pot cooker with the sauté function until shimmering. Add the brisket (sear in batches if needed) and sear undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the brisket and brown on the other side, 5 to 6 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate.

Step 3

Add the onion, garlic, and big pinch of kosher salt to the pressure cooker and sauté until onions are tender, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pot, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beef broth, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, liquid smoke, ketchup, brown sugar, herbs, and spices. Return the brisket to the pot, overlapping the pieces if needed.

Step 4

Pressure Cook at High pressure for 75 minutes and Natural Release for 15 minutes. Remove the lid carefully.

Step 5

Carefully open the pressure cooker and let cool for 30 min or until easy to handle. If serving now, transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let cool an additional 10 minutes. Slice across the grain in thin slices and serve with onions and sauce.

For another day…

Transfer the brisket from cutting board to the fridge and let cool, uncovered until center reaches 38-degrees. Remove from the fridge, wrap in plastic or place in freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 21 days. Take out of the freezer the day prior to serving to allow for proper thawing. Thinly slice the brisket and place in oven-proof serving dish. Mix bbq sauce with some chicken or beef stock, pour over the brisket and heat in 400-degree oven until warmed through. Serve immediately.