Instant Pot Brisket (Pressure Cooker Brisket)

This Instant Pot Brisket is the easiest, quickest and most delicious beef brisket recipe! This tender, melt in your mouth BBQ brisket is sure to become one of your favorite instant pot recipes ever!

Brisket is definitely one of our favorite meals. From baked brisket to smoked brisket, this fairly inexpensive cut of beef is delicious and a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, beef brisket can take a long time to get tender. Thankfully, pressure cooking brisket cuts the cooking time significantly making brisket a meal you can make even during busy weeknights.

Instant Pot Brisket

This beef brisket recipe starts with a simple, yet flavorful dry rub. The beef is quickly seared and then cooked in the instant pot smothered in the most delicious and easy homemade BBQ sauce! Definitely a pressure cooker recipe you will make over and over again.

The juicy and incredibly tasty brisket is fork tender and totally addicting! Trust me, it was hard not to keep eating it while slicing it.

Brisket cooked in the instant pot/pressure cooker cooks at a fraction of the time than brisket cooked in the oven. It is also a perfect meal to serve during holidays or on special occasions.

What Cut Of Meat Is Brisket?

• Brisket is a tough cut of beef that comes from the breast of the animal. It is one of the most inexpensive cuts of beef and when cooked properly it becomes tender and is incredibly tasty.
• A whole brisket has two parts. The flat and the point or deckle.
• The flat is the leanest part, and most available at supermarkets. The point or deckle has a bit more marbling. The marbling helps in keeping the meat juicy, making this part of the brisket the one preferred by most pit masters.

How To Make Instant Pot Brisket

For this easy recipe you can use either part of the brisket – the flat or the point/deckle. I could only find the flat at my local market so that is what I used.

1. Trim some of the excess fat from the brisket. If you use the flat – the leanest part – make sure you don’t remove all of the fat. The fat cap helps to keep the meat juicy.
2. If needed, cut the brisket in 2 or 3 smaller pieces that will comfortably fit in your Instapot.
3. Rub the spice mix all over the brisket. At this point, you can cook your brisket or wrap it and let it sit refrigerated for up to 24 hours. I must admit I never do this. I am always in a rush to cook my brisket in the pressure cooker!
4. Mix the BBQ sauce ingredients and set aside.
5. Turn the instant pot to “saute” and sear the meat on both sides, until browned.
6. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute.
7. Turn the pressure cooker to “warm/cancel”. Add the broth, BBQ sauce and mix to combine.
8. Set the instant pot to “meat” and set the timer for 90 minutes.
9. When done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release.
10. Remove the beef brisket from the pressure cooker. Let it rest, covered for about 5 minutes.
11. Turn the instant pot to “saute” and reduce the BBQ sauce for 5 to 8 minutes.
12. Slice the brisket and serve with the BBQ sauce.

What Setting Do you Use To Cook Brisket In An Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker?

I set my Instant Pot to the “Meat/Stew” setting, then set the timer for 90 minutes. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have this function, choose “Pressure Cook” and set the timer to 90 minutes.

How Long To Cook The Brisket In The Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker By Pounds?

• 2 to 3 pounds brisket: Cook on high pressure for 55 to 60 minutes.
• 4 to 5 pounds brisket: Cook on high pressure for 75 minutes.
• 6 to 7 pounds brisket: Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes.

What Should I Serve With Beef Brisket?

I like to serve this instant pot brisket stuffed in a soft roll (yes, it makes the best brisket sandwich ever!!). Here are other great side dishes that go great with beef brisket:

• Charro Beans
• Garlic and Herb Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
• Artichokes Instant Pot
• Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Cook Asparagus

I Am Getting A “Burn” Error Message, What Do I do?

Although this has never happened to me, I have heard from some of my readers that had this issue. Apparently some instant pot models are very sensitive and when the little bits of food or seasonings get stuck on the bottom of the pot, the program detects this as a possible burn issue and tells the program to display the error message.

To prevent getting this error: After you sear the meat, deglaze the pot by adding the broth and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula. You want to remove as much of the brown bits as possible. This will only flavor the sauce! Win-win!!

If you get a burn error: When your pot is locked and pressurized, first depressurize the pot – open the valve and release any pressure, then carefully open the lid because any escaping steam can burn you. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to remove any brown bits that are stuck.

Can Instant Pot Brisket Be Made Ahead?

Absolutely! Brisket actually tastes better the longer it sits in the flavorful sauce or cooking liquid.
Store in an airtight container, covered with sauce and refrigerate for 2-3 days.

To freeze brisket, wrap it tightly with a double layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Then place in a resealable plastic bag. Freeze the sauce separate in a resealable bag.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.