Instant Pot BBQ Beef Brisket

Sliced beef brisket sits on a brown plate. It has been drizzled with a red barbecue sauce. A bowl of sauce sits on the side.

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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot BBQ Beef Brisket

This Instant Pot brisket is fall-apart tender and perfectly seasoned with a slightly spicy BBQ dry rub!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Author: Cassy Joy Garcia

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub:

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, use a mild chili powder blend if you prefer less spice
2 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Brisket:

1, 3-4 pound trimmed beef brisket
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 cup beef broth or water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
BBQ sauce, for serving

Instructions

Whisk together all ingredients for the dry rub until fully incorporated.
Cut brisket into 3-4 equal pieces, then season the brisket with the dry rub mixture, making sure it's applied liberally and applied to all sides.
Add the butter or oil to the Instant Pot, and turn to "saute" mode.
Once hot, add the beef to Instant Pot in two batches, searing brisket for 3-4 minutes per side until browned, then remove from pot. Note: searing the beef all at once will cause overcrowding and will prevent the beef from browning nicely.
Once all beef is browned, pour in the broth and scrape the browned bits on the bottom with a whisk, then add the beef back to the pot.
Close the instant pot, making sure the valve is set to "sealing" rather than "venting." Set to cook on high pressure for 70 minutes.
Once the brisket is finished cooking, let the Instant pot release pressure naturally (about 15 minutes) until the lid easily opens.
Slice the beef against the grain and serve with BBQ sauce. Garnish with sea salt and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

If you'd prefer to use your own spice rub, you'll need about 3 tablespoons.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

If you'd prefer to use a slow cooker you don't need to cut the brisket into pieces. Simply sear the whole brisket on the stovetop, then transfer to the slow cooker and add 2 cups of beef broth. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until the brisket pulls apart easily with a fork.

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