Sous Vide Brisket (Ultra Tender!)

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Juicy Sous Vide Brisket is slow cooked for 48 hours and grilled for just 10 minutes to form a perfect brisket crust! This recipe is moist, tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Using the sous vide method is a hands-off way to prepare brisket, and you don’t need to worry about overcooking it or drying it out. The controlled temperature of the water bath ensures your brisket is perfectly cooked every time.

We love this brisket thinly sliced and piled on sandwiches (like this sous vide pastrami) alongside these parmesan truffle fries, or served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and air fryer carrots. 

You could say that our sous vide cooker is used a lot when it comes to preparing beef recipes. Being able to take the guesswork out of cooking meat and achieving just the right temperature and texture is the reason why we love our sous vide so much!

After you’ve tried this brisket, be sure to check out these sous vide beef cheeks, sous vide London broil, sous vide pot roast, ginger soy sous vide tri tip, or sous vide picanha.

Check out the sous vide brisket web story!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Why this recipe works

1. As brisket is a tough cut of beef, it’s ideal for slow cooking in a sous vide water bath. After 48 hours, you’ll be guaranteed a tender brisket that’s perfect for sandwiches or weeknight family dinners!
2. While you need to plan ahead to cook your brisket, you only need two ingredients and there’s very little active time. Just let your seasoned brisket sit in the fridge overnight, then the sous vide does the rest (except for a little grilling at the end)!
3. It’s a great recipe for entertaining or meal prep. Since briskets are large cuts of beef, this recipe is perfect to feed a crowd or to be enjoyed for lunches and dinners during the week.

What is brisket?

Brisket is a cut of beef from the breast area of the cow. It's a large, tough and inexpensive cut but can become soft and tender when cooked slow and low. This includes braising, slow cooking, smoking or immersion cooking.

There are actually two different cuts of brisket - the flat cut and the point cut. The flat cut is the most common type you’ll find in grocery stores and it’s the type you’ll want to use in this recipe.

Ingredients

You’ll need a 3-5 pound brisket. Make sure the size you buy fits the container you use for your sous vide water bath. If it's too big, just trim it to fit.

We’ll use 3-4 tablespoons of mesquite seasoning to flavor the beef. You can also substitute any type of seasoning you prefer, or just keep it simple with salt and pepper.

Step by step instructions

Coat the brisket with the seasoning and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 135F degrees.

Use a vacuum sealer to vacuum seal the bag, or use the water displacement method described above.

Place the bag in the water bath and cook for 48 hours.

Remove from the water bath and place directly in an ice bath for 15-30 minutes.

If cooking immediately, remove from the ice bath at 15 minutes.

If refrigerating for later or freezing, leave it in the ice bath for 30 minutes to cool completely.

Heat a grill over medium heat and add the brisket. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, until a crust has formed.

Remove, let cool slightly, then slice and serve.

Expert tips

1. You’ll want to make sure to remove the air from the bag to avoid bacteria entering the bag. This is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped.
2. For the best results, let the seasoned brisket sit in the fridge uncovered overnight. 
3. Since the brisket will be cooking for 2 days in the water bath, you’ll need to ensure the water level stays high enough to cover the brisket. If the water evaporates, just add more or cover the water bath with foil to help minimize evaporation.
4. If air gets in the bag while the brisket is cooking, just cut open the sealable bag, remove the air and reseal it with the vacuum sealer.
5. Don't leave the brisket on the grill for more than 5 minutes per side as it will overcook. This is just the right amount of time to form a crust without drying out the brisket.
6. For the best crust, use some paper towels to pat your brisket dry before placing it on the grill. You can also add more seasoning at this point, if you prefer.
7. Instead of mesquite seasoning, you can use your favorite kind of seasoning or just use salt and pepper.
8. For a smoky flavor, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the brisket.

Common questions

Make ahead and freezing instructions

You can cook this brisket in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer.

To do this, make sure you let the brisket fully cool down in the ice bath for 30 minutes. Then, place the unopened bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge.

To reheat the brisket, place it in a 135F degree water bath for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. Cook it on the grill for 5 minutes per side, then slice and serve.

Serving options

• Pile it on slices of homemade bread for sandwiches or mini brioche buns for sliders.
• Smother it in homemade barbecue sauce.
• Serve it like you would a classic roast beef dinner.
• To change it up, pair it with spicy mac and cheese or crockpot au gratin potatoes.
• Enjoy it with grilled corn, parsnip fries or honey balsamic Brussels sprouts.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!