This Instant Pot Brisket Recipe makes tender beef brisket that’s full of smoky, rich flavor that rivals the low and slow BBQ pit taste we all love. It’s easy to make in the Instant Pot and won’t disappoint.
You really don’t need a low and slow BBQ pit to make amazing brisket at home. In fact, all you need is an Instant Pot and about a quarter of the time needed to cook it on the barbecue or in the oven. The meat turns out super tender and moist. I almost can’t wait to pile it up on a bun with BBQ sauce.
Why You’ll Love It
- Beef Brisket can be used in so many different dishes. You can slice it just like a beef roast, served with any side dish you like. You can pile it up on a brioche bun to make those delicious brisket buns pictured above. You can chop it up and serve it on a bed of French Fries for the best poutine you’ve ever tasted, or you can add it to a salad for a tasty low-carb lunch. The possibilities are endless.
- Cooking a brisket in the Instant Pot cuts down the cooking time considerably. You still get the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat you expect but with a fraction of the cooking time.
Raquel says: 
Superb! So easy to make in the instant pot!
Anaiah says: I love cooking with my instant pot and this recipe was so easy to make!
Which Cut of Brisket to Buy
Brisket comes in two different cuts, if you’re lucky enough to have a butcher nearby where you can find both. You can either choose the flat cut or the point cut. Flat cuts are typically leaner and trimmed of fat, whereas there is a good layer of fat or fat cap on the point cut.
The point cut is my favorite cut because I believe that all that fat leads to great flavor. More fat means juicier, scrumptious meat. Even if you choose to remove a lot of the fat before eating it, it’s nice to have the option of leaving it on for cooking.
On a brisket, the fat is concentrated in a thick layer at the top. The fat renders when the meat is cooked, sinking into the meat to add flavor. When you serve it, you can either leave the remaining fat on or trim it off. The choice is up to you. If you don’t like cooking all that fat, stick with a piece that is more trimmed.
What Size Brisket to Buy
If you have a butcher, you can usually ask for whatever size brisket you need. It’s usually available in the meat section of your grocery in a 2- to 4-pound size. But they can come up to 12 or 14 pounds.
For 2-4 people, a 2-pound brisket is just right. It won’t leave a lot of left overs though, so we always go for a 3-pound brisket for 2 people. Then we can make more meals from it.
It’s possible to cook up to a 4-pound brisket in a 6 qt Instant Pot. Any larger than that and it doesn’t fit well in the pot. You could go up to a 6-pound brisket if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot.
» You might also like Instant Pot Flank Steak.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef brisket – 3 pound point cut beef brisket. See above for more information on what cut and size of brisket to look for.
- Cooking oil
- Beef broth – Beef broth is the liquid of choice because it helps add flavor along with helping to build pressure. You could use vegetable broth or water as well.
- BBQ sauce – You can use your favorite store bought sauce or try this homemade version.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion, sliced.
- Wet spice rub – Olive oil, liquid smoke, paprika, salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, and onion powder.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
- Whisk – A whisk or wooden spoon will help you get the brown bits off the bottom of the pot before pressure cooking.
- Cutting board
- Sharp carving knife
Helpful Tips
- It’s best, if you can, to allow the brisket to marinate for at least 30 minutes to lock in the flavor. You can marinate it for up to 24-hours, if you have the time.
- Searing the brisket on all sides gives the meat a nice browned and flavorful crust. If at all possible don’t skip this step. It adds so much flavor.
- Because of the spices in the rub it could begin to burn on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- When deglazing the pot be very careful adding liquid. It will steam up immediately and can burn your arm if you’re not careful.
- Always slice it the brisket against the grain.
Instant Pot BBQ Brisket
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Carving knife
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1 kg) beef brisket
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) beef broth
- 3/4 cup (215 g) BBQ sauce
- 1/2 onion sliced
For the rub
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) onion powder
Instructions
- Take the brisket out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry and lay flat. Cut binding strings and trim down the fat cap, if there is any.
- Mix the rub ingredients together in a bowl. Rub evenly on all sides of the meat.
- Turn on the saute mode on the Instant Pot. Add the cooking oil. When the pot is hot, add the brisket and brown on both sides, around 4 minutes per side. After 8 minutes turn off the Instant Pot. Remove the brisket to a plate.
- Add the beef broth to the pot and whisk to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the BBQ sauce and whisk to combine.
- Return the brisket to the pot. Scatter the onions on top.
- Close the lid and set the vent to sealing. Set to 75 minutes on high pressure. Once the time is up, allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the pot. Strain any excess oil from the top of the sauce. Turn on the saute mode and allow the sauce to thicken, whisking occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- If desired, brown the top of the brisket under the broiler for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with the sauce.
Notes
- It’s best, if you can, to allow the brisket to marinate for at least 30 minutes to lock in the flavor. You can marinate it for up to 24-hours, if you have the time.
- Searing the brisket on all sides gives the meat a nice browned and flavorful crust. If at all possible don’t skip this step. It adds so much flavor.
- Because of the spices in the rub it could begin to burn on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- When deglazing the pot be very careful adding liquid. It will steam up immediately and can burn your arm if you’re not careful.
- Always slice it the brisket against the grain.
Nutrition
Wet Rub
It’s easy to make a homemade wet rub for this brisket. The wet rub allows the seasoning to infiltrate the meat and make a delicious browned crust on the meat when you sear it.
The ingredients for the rub are:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Generously slather on the wet rub to coat the brisket. It’s best if you can allow the brisket to marinate for at least 30 minutes to lock in the flavor. You can marinate it for up to 24-hours, if you have the time.
Related Posts:
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Like this recipe? We’d love for you to share it on your Pinterest boards! Click to follow our Pinterest boards so you can find all our recipes! You can also find us on Facebook!
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
Superb! So easy to make in the instant pot!
This Instant Pot Brisket Recipe is making my mouth water!
Pork brisket is my favourite!
Looks so amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
I love cooking with my instant pot and this recipe was so easy to make!
Easy AND fabulous! A real crowd pleaser! Not sure why cooking times are so long. I cook smaller pieces & find that it’s tender enough at only 20 minutes! for a super-quick, chunky 3 lb, cut-up brisket.
What changes should I make to your receipe to use my 8 qt.instant pot? Thankyou. Richard Atkinson
The only difference would be to add more beef broth. I’d add 3/4 cup of broth for the 8-quart pot.
the recipe says to add liquid smoke to the bbq sauce, but not how much. If i want it to have a really strong, but not overpowering, smoky flavor, how much should I add?
A little bit goes a long way. We recommend adding 1 teaspoon so start out. You can always add more if it’s not strong enough for you.