Instant Pot Brisket Recipe - Texas Style (2024)

Brisket is the king of beef in Texas. My experience and steps in learning the best Instant Pot Brisket Recipe recipe and technique.

The day I got my Instant Pot, I knew I had to make Instant Pot brisket and Texas-Style. The goal was to test different methods to see which one was the best technique for brisket tenderness.

Learning to use a pressure cooker to cook brisket can be a challenge. I have done the work for you. The testing helped me learn what is possible with brisket cooked in a pressure cooker. What happened was a delicious beef brisket recipe.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

What is Brisket

The brisket cut of beef is cut from the steer's front part. Located around the chest area. This cut of meat is usually smoked at a low temperature of around 250 degrees for 8 to 20 hours.

The brisket is comprised of 2 muscles, The-Point and The Flat. The flat is the most common, and the point is the smaller of the two muscles. The point is where the extra moist slices come from.

Ingredients

Pressure cooker brisket is a new way for most to cook brisket, all done within a short period of time. Using a quality dry rub on the brisket is the first step. You'll see our free recipe below. Next is a high-quality stock to help protect the meat while it cooks.

Here's a look at the brisket I purchased. I used The-Point for today's Instant Pot Brisket.

Texas BBQ Dry Rub Recipe

• 1 ½TablespoonChihuahua, Mexico Smoked Salt (optional)Substitute: place kosher salt in a large tin and smoke your own salt using an indirect fire on low heat of 200-225 degrees for a few hours.
• 1TablespoonSea SaltIf you do not have smoked salt, use a total of 2 ½ Tablespoons of sea salt. Or more if the brisket is very large.
• 1TablespoonSan Antonio Chili Powder -Normal chili powder is OK.
• 1TablespoonNew Mexico Chili Powder- Normal chili powder is OK.
• 1TablespoonBlack Pepper
• 2teaspoonCumin
• 2teaspoonPaprika
• 1teaspoonCoriander
• 1teaspoonGarlic Powder
• 1teaspoonOnion Powder
• 2teaspoonHerbs de Provonce -contains savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
• 1teaspoonRed Pepper Flake
• 2TablespoonTurbinado Sugar

The Stock or Beef Broth

The liquid added to the Instant Pot is an opportunity to add more flavor and protect the brisket while it cooks. Adding too little beef broth or beef stock is a mistake made by many.

Homemade beef stock in culinary school was referred to as liquid gold.

Make your own liquid gold; check out our post on making homemade beef stock

Can You Quickly Cook Brisket?

Excellent question. Pressure cooker brisket is the quickest method to tender beef. Next would be smoking it low and slow or using a slow cooker recipe method like a crockpot.

Following the steps below will help ensure your beef comes out just the way you like it. Tender...

🍲 Pressure Cooker Brisket

My first few mistakes with the Instant Pot offered me perspective and a feel for how the Instant Pot pressure cooks. Cooking over the stove, we get to feel the heat from the stove, and we can see what’s cooking in front of us.

The Instant Pot is the opposite, you have to trust you’ve made the right decision before you put that lid on and set your timer.

This is where y’allget to join me in my lesson of learning to master the Instant Pot. I’ll be making all the mistakes for you. Explaining what worked and what I learned from the mistakes.

First Lesson With Instant Pot Beef Brisket Recipe

Here's what I tested, setting options...

• Using the sauté option allows you to cook with the Instant Pot like you would over the stove. The potheats up, and you can cook with the lid off.
• Control the heat with the three settings of LESS, NORMAL, and MORE.
• Inspect the photo below of the control panel. You can see the temperature settings located below the clock timer.

Second Attempt At Instant Pot Beef Brisket

• I salted the brisket on all sides.
• Sear the brisket on all sides, taking your time and sealing in the flavor.
• Add either beef stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth. I added enough to go partly up the sides of the meat.
• This would be normal braising technique liquid levels, but not with Instant Pot brisket using pressurized cooking. The Instant Pot needs the extra liquid to help protect the meat while cooking.
• I cooked the brisket on high-pressure using the “MORE” heat option for one hour.
• Mistake: This might have worked with more liquid added) Overcooked the Brisket
• (TIP: Do not use the “More” heat option for cooking meats over 20 minutes in the Instant Pot)

📖 Instructions

This Worked

Step 1: Begin by seasoning the beef brisket with salt and your favorite barbecue dry rub. Or try our "now free" Texas BBQ Dry Rub recipe.

Allow the seasoned beef brisket to come to room temperature on the counter. If your beef brisket is too large to fit in the Instant Pot, cut it into manageable-sized pieces.

Step 2: Sear the beef brisket using the sauté option with the temperature set to "High." Use a high-smoke oil like peanut oil or canola oil. Do not use olive oil. Olive oil's smoke point is too low.

Step 3: If you would like to add vegetables to the Instant Pot, this would be the time. After searing, transfer the brisket. Change the temperature from "High" to "normal." Sauté the vegetables with a selection of onions, carrots, and celery. If the oil looks over-used from the searing, remove it and add new oil.

Once the vegetables have been sautéed, add the brisket back to the Instant Pot. At this point, season the brisket with black pepper. In Texas, we love black pepper with meat. Very traditional. Yet, adding it before searing can cause bitterness.

Instant Pot Brisket Settings

• Select the high-pressure setting on the front panel.
• The Instant Pot temperature needs to be set to "Normal" heat.
• Adjust the timer to 1 hour and 15 minutes, (75 minutes).
• Some prefer a cooking time of 60 minutes.

Step 4: Add the stock to the IP. I suggest using beef stock or chicken stock. Add enough liquid to cover the brisket by ⅔ of the way up the side.

Pressurizing the Instant Pot

First off, the IP is a very safe kitchen device.

Begin by placing the lid on top and securing it into place.

Safety Tip: Make sure the plastic O-ring is inserted within the lid.

With the lid secured, move the valve on the lid to "Sealing."

The Instant Pot will automatically turn on with the lid in place. You will see the display screen say, "ON."

Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the timer will appear and start to count down.

Quick Release

When the timer goes off, you will hear a series of beeps. Now What?

Time to pressure release. Move the lid valve from "Sealing" to "Venting."

TIP: Don't use your hands as the steam is still hot. Use an object like a fork or a knife to move the valve.

Next, the Instant Pot will start to de-pressurize.

Take note of the small circle on the lid. This is the pressure pin. If the pin is pushed outward, the pin is level with the top of the lid. In this photo, you can see the pin is lower down inside the lid. This shows you the pressure has been removed and it is safe to open the lid.

Allow the Instant Pot brisket to cool down and rest for 5 to 10 minutes inside the Instant Pot before removing the lid.

Next, place the Instant Pot brisket on a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into the meat. This will help make sure the meat stays tender. Slice brisket against the grain.

Instant Pot Brisket FAQs

How Long Does Beef Need To Cook In The Pressure Cooker?

Today, we will cook a pressure cooker brisket and have it done within 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes). If you cut the beef into smaller pieces, around 2 to 3 inches, the cooking time can be reduced to 45 minutes.

Does Brisket Get More Tender The Longer You Cook It?

The brisket is considered a tough muscle requiring long cooking times and tenderness. But a pressure cooker is the way to go if you do not have 8-plus hours to smoke it low and slow on a BBQ pit.

Pressure-cooking brisket for longer than the time stated in this post will result in overcooked and tough beef.

Instant Pot Recipes To Try

• Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs - Fall Off The Bone
• Teriyaki Beef Sirloin Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Roast With Chimichurri Sauce
• Instant Pot Traditional Texas Chili

📖 Recipe