Instant Pot Brisket

Brisket is a hearty cut of beef that requires time and technique to tenderize, making it one of the best cuts for braising and slow cooking. While you’ll see beef brisket served as corned beef in the spring and smoked down in Texas, the classic holiday beef brisket is typically braised in a sweet and tangy gravy. (To learn more about brisket and get tips for buying it, check out our brisket for beginners guide.)

Classic beef brisket is a time commitment: It takes hours for it to turn fork-tender in the oven or slow cooker. Cook it in your electric pressure cooker like your Instant Pot, however, and you can serve the same sweet and sour brisket in a fraction of the time.

Beef brisket is a staple on the holiday table, and for good reason: Its ample size feeds a crowd, and it’s relatively inexpensive. But what you save in dollars you make up for in hours — brisket is notoriously tough, and takes a long time to tenderize when slow cooked in the oven or in the slow cooker. So what’s the best and quickest way to cook classic beef brisket? In an Instant Pot!

Brisket cooked under high pressure in the Instant Pot is ready in about 1 1/2 hours. It’s the quickest method to get classic beef brisket on the table.

You’ll start by browning the beef right in the pot to build the base of flavor, then you’ll soften the onions and add the tangy liquid that will cook the brisket and form a delicious gravy.

You’ll need less liquid for an Instant Pot brisket than what’s required for a traditional braise. Here, we’re combining equal parts beef broth, red wine vinegar, and ketchup to give the brisket its notable sweet and tangy flavor.

• Beef brisket: Look for a 3-pound brisket, preferably flat-cut.
• Beef broth: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade beef broth.
• Red wine vinegar: This gives the brisket its tangy flavor.
• Ketchup: Don’t be tempted to substitute tomato paste for the ketchup — this classic condiment adds concentrated tomato flavor and sweetness.
• Light brown sugar: Use light brown sugar for the brisket’s signature sweet flavor.
• Dried herbs and spices: We like dried thyme, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder.

1. Sear the brisket. With the pressure cooker on the highest Sauté function, sear the brisket until browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate.
2. Add the onion. Sauté the onions until tender, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pot, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the beef broth, red wine vinegar, and ketchup. Along with the brown sugar, dried herbs, and spices.
4. Return the brisket to the pot. Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal.
5. Cook the brisket. Set to cook for 70 minutes under HIGH pressure. It will take 5 to 7 minutes to come up pressure.
6. When the cook time is up. Let the pressure naturally release, 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully open the pressure cooker and transfer the brisket to a cutting board.
7. Slice the brisket. Slice the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and serve with the onions and gravy.

To properly slice brisket, cut the it against the grain. The grain refers to the direction that the muscle fibers are aligned, which are long and stringy. By cutting against the grain, we want to cut through the fibers and shorten them, which helps the slices of brisket to be more tender. To cut against the grain, hold your knife perpendicular to the fibers and slice.

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• Kosher: For kosher cooks, make sure the ketchup is corn-syrup free.
• For a smooth sauce: Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Return the onions and garlic to the Instant Pot. Pour gravy into a fat separator, then pour the gravy back into the Instant Pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth.

• Make ahead: The brisket can be cooked up to 3 days in advance. Store the brisket covered with the gravy. Reheat with the gravy in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil in a low oven.
• Storage: Leftovers keep well for up to 5 days. Store the beef covered in gravy to keep the meat moist.