A delicious Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket recipe! The meat is cooked in a sweet and tangy homemade sauce that is quite similar to BBQ sauce. As a result, it’s very juicy, tender, and will melt in your mouth. Served on a bun and homemade coleslaw.
The Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket is a wonderful addition to all kinds of dishes. You can serve the pressure cooker shredded beef on a sandwich, salad, tacos, nachos, beans or simply added to rice!
Sliders are one of the most popular summer BBQ or game day recipes to please a crowd. So in this recipe, I am going to show you how I serve this instant pot pulled beef brisket on a bun and homemade coleslaw, a combo that’s sure to win over your group.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket Recipe:
- Can I Make Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket Ahead of Time?
- Best Sauce for Pulled Beef
- Here’s How I cook Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket:
- How Long Does It Take to Cook Pulled Beef Brisket
- Is it OK to cut brisket in half?
- Why is my brisket tough?
- Make in Advance and Storing Leftover
- The Best Cut of Beef for Shredded Beef?
- How Do You Shred the Beef
- What Should I Serve with Pulled Beef:
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket Recipe:
This Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. As a result, this recipe is also great for kids!
One of the best things you will love about this Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket recipe is that you only have to spend 70 minutes of cooking time plus 10 minutes on natural release.
Surprisingly, the meat tastes packed with flavor even though you don’t have to spend hours slow cook the meat.
Additionally, this shredded meat is versatile and can be served in many different ways. It is a perfect addition to any BBQ dishes. You can’t go wrong with this beef brisket!
Can I Make Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket Ahead of Time?
You probably agree that a slow-cooked meat often tastes better the day after cooking it, as it has a deeper flavor. However, the texture always feels better on freshly-cooked meat.
If you are thinking to make this instant pot pulled beef brisket in advance, I would recommend keeping the meat whole. Do not shred it ahead of time as it will then dry out easily.
Best Sauce for Pulled Beef
Now, let’s talk about the sweet and tangy homemade sauce! It’s actually quite similar to BBQ sauce, except it’s less sweet.
Most BBQ sauce recipes call for molasses, but in this recipe, I used a combination of brown sugar and maple syrup to add sweetness to the meat.
The sauce is made of Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, chili powder, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, liquid smoke, garlic salt, cumin, and maple syrup.
Here’s How I cook Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket:
- First, pour in ½ cup low sodium broth or water.
- Second, place all seasoning ingredients into the instant pot.
- Third, add the brisket into the pot.
- Close the lid and turn the manual setting to 70 minutes plus 10 minutes of natural release.
- Once it’s cooked, just turn the release button down, open the lid.
- Then shred the meat using a meat fork.
- Lastly, turn on the “saute” setting to bring the liquid to boil and reduce into a thicker sauce.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Pulled Beef Brisket
In general, it can take hours to prepare pulled meat. To cook pulled beef in the oven usually takes about 4-5 hours or up to 8 hours in a slow cooker. Fortunately, you only need to cook the shredded beef for 70 minutes in an instant pot.
Is it OK to cut brisket in half?
- If your brisket is too big, just cut in half until it fits comfortably in the pot.
- There is a fat layer that separates the two muscles, You have to follow that layer of fat to separate the brisket in half.
Why is my brisket tough?
If the brisket is tough, it's because it needs more time to cook to break down the connective tissue.
Make in Advance and Storing Leftover
You can cook this up to 3 days in advance. Just be sure to store the brisket covered with the gravy. Any leftover can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
The Best Cut of Beef for Shredded Beef?
Any meat cut from the shoulder of the animal (which contains marbling and connective tissue) is great for shredded meat. That’s because this part of the meat softens during cooking. This makes it easy to pull the meat apart into moist, tender shards. In contrast, the closer to the chest the meat comes from, the tougher it is.
Here are some examples:
- Brisket
- Chuck
- Rump Roast
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
How Do You Shred the Beef
Shredding beef is quite easy! First, you need to cook the meat until it is falling-apart tender. Then, use two forks to shred the meat.
What Should I Serve with Pulled Beef:
- Sandwich
- Tacos
- Nachos
- Beans
- Coleslaw
- Rice
Check Out More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes:
- Instant Pot Queso Dip
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
- Instant Pot Great Northern Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Italian Sausage Kale Soup
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pulled Beef Brisket
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef brisket
BBQ Sauce:
- ½ cup water or vegetable broth, (low sodium)
- 1 garlic clove, (minced)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
Dry Rub:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the broth or water into the pot.
- Add all of the dry rub seasoning and BBQ sauce ingredients into the pot and mix well with the broth to create a sauce. (please see the notes below)
- Nestle the meat into the sauce mixture and use a cooking spoon to spread the broth over the meat.
- Lock the lid onto the pot.
- Set to "Manual" and cooking time to "70" minutes. When the cooking cycle is done and beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then turn the PRESSURE RELEASE valve to the VENT position.
- Unlatch the lid and open the instant pot.
- Skim the excess surface fat from the sauce.
- Use a meat fork or two regular forks to transfer the brisket to a cutting board to pull it apart and shred. This is safer than pulling it apart in the instant pot which can be hot.
- Place the shredded meat back into the pot. Then turn the instant pot to the "saute" setting and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce looks like a loose, wet BBQ sauce.
- Turn off the "saute" function. Remove the meat from the instant pot and transfer the sauce into the bowl. The sauce and meat taste great together but are best stored separately as to keep the meat from getting soggy.
- Serve the meat on a bun and add coleslaw. Add additional sauce as desired.
Notes
- Briskets come in two basic cuts. Choose the "flat cut" because it is less fatty than the "point cut".
- If your brisket is too big, just cut in half until it fits comfortably in the pot.
- Don't have liquid smoke? Just skip it 🙂
Nutrition
Alyssa H says
This sounds sooo good! Totally want to make this. YUM!
Lisa Favre says
I totally have an Instant Pot so I'll have to try out your delicious recipe. I've never made pulled beef before.
Kathy says
That looks so amazing! I have got to try out your recipe. I love that you made this with slaw. Yum!
Ruth I says
I have instantly fell in love with this. It looks super tasty and juicy as well. This is m type of dish.
Cathy Mini says
This is really good and a perfect treat this coming weekend campout. I love it. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
Lynndee says
My mouth's watering just by looking at these pictures. I think this is also good paired with steamed brown rice. Yum!
Heather says
Wow, this recipe looks so good. I can't wait to give it a try!
Jeff says
Incredible!!! Meat came out fork tender to scored right at 70 minutes! Family loved it!
Rika says
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for trying and taking the time to share your feedback. I am glad that you and your family loved it.
Best,
Rika
Hannah says
We love this recipe! My favorite thing about it is that you don't use prepared BBQ sauce! As a mom who likes to make our own sauces to avoid chemicals and sugar I love recipes that don't use pre-made ingredients! I also omit the sugar and syrup and this is still tasty. I've used various cuts of beef too and it's always yummy. We make this one 2-3X a month and enjoy the leftovers!
Rika says
Hi Hannah,
I'm so glad you like the recipe! It's awesome that you appreciate making your own sauces without all the extra stuff. Skipping the sugar and syrup but still enjoying it is fantastic! And switching up the beef cuts sounds deliciously versatile. Making it 2-3 times a month and having leftovers sounds like a winning routine. If you ever want more recipes or tips, just give me a shout.
Best,
Rika
Jouline Saykali says
Is it the same cooking time if I use a chuck roast?
Rika says
Hi Jouline,
Apologies for the delay in responding. If you're using a chuck roast, you can set the cooking time to 50 minutes.
Feel free to ask if you have any further questions.
Best,
Rika