Instant Pot Brisket (Pressure Cooker Brisket)

Name: Instant Pot Brisket
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 3/4 cup beef broth; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons paprika; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground mustard; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 1/2 cup ketchup; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 2 teaspoons ground mustard; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon liquid smoke; 3 tablespoons molasses; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

September 3, 2018 by Kathy 103 Comments

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Last updated on May 10th, 2019 at 12:53 pm

Instant Pot Brisket – 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!

This beef brisket recipe starts with a simple dry rub, it is quickly seared in the instant pot and then cooked 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 meat is fork tender and totally addicting! Trust me, it was hard not to keep eating it while slicing it.

I will be answering some of the most common questions I get about Brisket and cooking brisket in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker.

What is Brisket?
How To Make Instant Pot Brisket?
What to serve with Brisket?
What Setting Do you Use To Cook Brisket in an Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker?
I am getting a “burn” error message, what do I do?
How long to cook the brisket in the Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker by pounds.

What 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 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.
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 helps to keep the meat juicy.
If needed, cut the brisket in 2 smaller pieces that will comfortably fit in your instapot.
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!
Mix the BBQ sauce ingredients and set aside.
Turn the instant pot to “saute” and sear the meat on both sides, until browned.
Add the garlic and saute for about a minute.
Turn the pressure cooker to “warm/cancel”. Add the broth, BBQ sauce and mix to combine.
Set the instant pot to “meat” and set the timer for 90 minutes.
When done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release.
Remove the beef brisket for the pressure cooker. Let it rest, covered for about 5 minutes.
Turn the instant pot to “saute” and reduce the BBQ sauce for 5 to 8 minutes.
Slice the brisket and served with the BBQ sauce.

What to Serve with this Brisket?

I like to serve this instant pot brisket stuffed in a soft roll (yes, to the best brisket sandwich ever!!) and also sliced alongside this Creamy Cilantro Lime Coleslaw , Garlic and Herb Cheesy Smashed Potatoes, and a big sliced of this Skillet Jalapeno Cheddar Sweet Potato Cornbread. Now that is what I call the perfect supper!
You can also serve it with:
Crispy Roasted Greek Potatoes
Maple Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Best Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Corn with Orange Honey Butter

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.

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.

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 90 minutes.
6 to 7 pounds brisket: Cook on high pressure for 105 to 110 minutes.

Kathy’s Notes

Smoking a 4 lb brisket takes at least 4.5 hours. This Instant Pot Brisket cooks in 90 minutes!
If you love brisket, take a look at my mouthwatering and super tender Beer Braised Beef Brisket Recipe (with Vegetables). It is the ultimate comfort food dish!

Things You May Need

Instant Pot
My Pressure Cooker
Santoku Chef’s Knife
Garlic Powder

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Instant Pot Brisket slices smothered in BBQ sauce on a cutting board

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