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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!
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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.
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). 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 and the benefits of 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 sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
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Why this recipe works
- 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!
- 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)!
- 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
- 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.
- For the best results, let the seasoned brisket sit in the fridge uncovered overnight.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Instead of mesquite seasoning, you can use your favorite kind of seasoning or just use salt and pepper.
- For a smoky flavor, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the brisket.
Common questions
This recipe calls for a 3-5 pound brisket. As briskets are large cuts of beef, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying one that will fit the container you’re using for your water bath. If it’s too large, you’ll need to trim the brisket.
Letting the seasoned brisket sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight gives the brisket time to absorb the seasonings. This helps tenderize it and seal in the juices.
For a brisket that holds its texture and easily slices, you’ll want to set your water bath temperature to 135F degrees. If you like a fall apart texture for your brisket, according to Serious Eats, you can set your water bath to 155F degrees and cook it for 24-36 hours.
At 135F degrees, brisket will take 48 hours to cook in the sous vide. After this amount of time, the brisket will be tender and easy to slice. If you cook it longer, the texture will become softer.
Yes! Since the brisket has such a long cook time in the water bath, there’s no need to add additional cooking time.
I highly recommend placing the brisket on a hot grill for 5 minutes per side before serving. This creates brisket's signature crust and adds flavor. If you don’t have a grill, you can also brown it in a large skillet on the stove top or broil it in a large pan in the oven.
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.
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Sous Vide Brisket
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound brisket with fat cap
- 3-4 tablespoons mesquite seasoning substitute any seasoning or salt and pepper
Instructions
- Coat the brisket with the seasoning and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight.
- Heat a sous vide water bath to 135°F 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, you can remove from the ice bath at 15 minutes.
- If refrigerating for later or freezing, leave it in for 30 minutes to cool completely.
- Heat a grill over medium heat and add the brisket. Cook for about 5-10 minutes per side, until a crust has formed.
- Remove, let cool slightly, then slice and serve.
- OPTIONAL: You can also roast it in the oven at 275° for 75 minutes (fat side up) to get that crust after removing it from the water bath. Remove it, wrap it in foil, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.
Expert Tips:
- 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.
- For the best results, let the seasoned brisket sit in the fridge uncovered overnight.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Instead of mesquite seasoning, you can use your favorite kind of seasoning or just use salt and pepper.
- For a smoky flavor, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the brisket.
Nutrition
Ed CV.
This looks great, and I would like to try it for a large group, so I will be using a much larger brisket. DO I need to Sous Vide it longer? I have often been told I don't, that it is not based on weight but rather thickness. Thanks!
-Ed
Danielle
If it's a lot larger, I might add another hour or so, but likely it will be fine since it's such a long cook. If it is a lot thicker, I would add the extra time.
Ed Cohn
HI, this looks great! I am interested in trying this but I will have a much larger brisket. Do I need to sous vide it longer? Thanks!
Danielle
If it's a lot larger, I might add another hour or so, but likely it will be fine since it's such a long cook.
Wayne Deshotel
I love the simplicity of it, has any one tried Liquid Smoke to give it a smoky taste? And how much and how did you apply it?
Danielle
I haven't personally tried it with this cut, but I've done it with ribs. I usually keep it light at about 1/2-1 teaspoon max depending on how smoky you want it. I like just a light smoky flavor.
wayne deshotel
Danielle, I will be doing it tomorrow. Is there any recipe's to use the drippings from the sealed bag after cooking it to make a Au Jus gravy?
Also you mention using 1/2-1 teaspoon of liquid smoke. Do you mix it with anything (water, oil, etc) to give it more volume to coat the entire piece of meat? Also do you do this before putting it on the grill or on the meat before cooking?
Danielle
I would put the liquid smoke on the meat before cooking - just put a few drops all over the meat when putting it in the bag. As the fat breaks down while cooking, it will start to cover the rest of the meat.
As far as the gravy, I would simmer the bag sauce in a small saucepan and add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water) to thicken it. You could also add a couple tablespoons of milk or cream is you wanted a creamier gravy. I would add extra black pepper (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) and adjust the flavor for salt. If you don't have enough liquid, you can always add beef stock.
Brian Deluz
Thanks for writing this! I've been grilling all summer and looking forward to it again this weekend! Excited to try ribs for my next family reunion.
Danielle
That's one of the best things about summer! Hope you love this recipe.
Denise
The Brisket I purchased is only 1.5 lbs. how long should I leave it in the water bath? Thanks!
Danielle
I would probably do 36 hours at least, but you could probably do 40 with good results.
Cynetta
Why is there no fat? Did you or your meat cutter trim it all off and discard it?
Leave it in the case!!
$7.99/lb is NOT inexpensive or cheap!!!
Danielle
This is the way the brisket I purchased came. I did not trim the fat nor do I recommend trimming the fat as that is where the flavor is. As far as the price, it likely depends what part of the country/world you are in, as well as what store you are shopping in. I personally purchase higher quality beef which can be more expensive - this is not required. For the part of the country I am in, $7.99 is a decent price for Choice beef. Can I ask if you made the recipe and what you thought of the result?