How To Feed A Loon

  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Asian
    • Breads and Doughs
    • Cajun / Creole / Louisiana
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Comfort Food
    • Delectable Desserts
    • Entrees / Mains
    • Instant Pot
    • Italian
    • Pizza
    • Rubs, Spices and Sauces
    • Soups & Salads
    • Sides
    • Seafood
    • Southern
    • Mexican / Tex-Mex / Cal-Mex
    • Thanksgiving
    • Vegetarian
  • Videos
    • Recipe Videos
    • Web Stories
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
  • **Premium Access**
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Game-Day Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Premium
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Game-Day Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Premium
×
Home » Recipe Index » Comfort Food

Slow Cooker Chopped Brisket Sandwiches

Published: Sep 24, 2019 · Modified: Mar 2, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

2526 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Bluesky
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Homemade barbecue sauce being drizzled out of a glass bottle onto chopped brisket that is sitting on a toasted bun.

If you’re in the mood for authentic BBQ flavor, you’ve come to the right place.

Just because you don’t have a smoker, that doesn’t mean you can’t still make a chopped BBQ beef sandwich that will honestly rival any BBQ joint, just about anywhere! The BBQ Beef Rub and Homemade BBQ Sauce are key to delivering the classic taste. And your slow cooker does most of the work for you!

A close-up view of a slow cooker chopped brisket sandwich with barbecue sauce drizzled over the top of the meat with a couple of pickle slices and a thinly slice of onion on top, too.

How To Make Slow Cooker Chopped Brisket Sandwiches

 

NOTE: If you liked this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Remember to click the little ‘bell’ icon so you’ll never miss a new video. Thank you!

The Equipment and Ingredients You Will Need

Once you’ve put together the BBQ rub and the BBQ sauce, it’s smooth sailing! Make the rub and sauce up to several days in advance. Better yet, make a double batch, so you won’t have to make it again when you are ready for another round of sandwiches! Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand

Slow-Cooker – You’ll need a large 6 or 7-quart capacity, which are the most common sizes.
BBQ rub – You can go with store-bought, but homemade is easy and is perfect for that classic BBQ flavor.
Brisket – You’ll want the flat portion of a beef brisket. Trimmed of excess fat. It’s okay to cut the brisket in half and place the two pieces on top of each other in the slow cooker.
BBQ Sauce – Like the rub, homemade makes all the difference.
Beef stock – Or broth.
Buns – If you’re feeling adventurous, you could make hamburger buns from scratch, or, just pick up a quality brand from the supermarket. Lightly toasted adds amazing taste and texture.
Toppings – Hamburger pickles and thinly sliced onion are traditional and so good!

EXPERT TIP: Use your fingers to press the rub into the meat. You may not use all of the rub. The meat should be nicely coated with the rub before placing it in the slow cooker.

A person wearing black cooking gloves pressing a barbecue rub into a brisket flat that has been cut into two pieces.

Tips for Making Perfect Slow Cooker Chopped Brisket Sandwiches

Well-Marbled Brisket Is Best – The marbling is streaks of fat and adds amazing flavor to the brisket. No need to get an expensive cut (get “Choice” not “Prime”) because it will cook down and become melt-in-your-mouth tender.

“Low And Slow” Delivers Amazing Results – Cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours. After about 8 hours, check the pot, you may need to add some more beef broth to keep the bottom from burning. You should be able to easily shred the meat with two forks.

Prepare Homemade BBQ Sauce – Homemade is the way to go for this brisket. You’ll probably want to double the recipe so you’ll have plenty on hand to allow guests to add as much sauce as they want to their sandwiches.

Shred, Toss, and Cook Some More – After you’ve shredded and chopped the cooked brisket, you’ll want to add it back into the slow cooker with more BBQ sauce. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes to infuse the BBQ flavor into the brisket.

A person pouring a barbecue sauce mixture over a large seasoned brisket that is sitting in a large slow cooker.

How To Serve

After the brisket has been shredded and placed back in the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce, it’s getting close to serving time.

After 30 minutes of cooking on HIGH, turn the setting WARM.

It’s not necessary, but we find toasting the buns adds a wonderful texture and complements the meat wonderfully. Be sure to have plenty of BBQ sauce for guests to add even more to their sandwiches if they desire. Warming the sauce is a nice touch, and is how most beloved BBQ joints do it.

Two images with the first being a person using a large knife to chop cooked and shredded brisket and then another image of the chopped brisket in a slow cooker with that person pouring barbecue sauce over the meat.

Other Amazing Slow Cooker Recipes To Try

If you love cooking in your slow cooker as much as we do, then we feel certain you and your family will absolutely adore this collection of recipes:

Classic Beef Stew
Italian Beef Braciole
Mississippi Pot Roast
Baby Back Ribs
Pulled Pork
Dublin Coddler (with Sausage, Potatoes, and Bacon)
Provencal Chicken Stew
Coconut Chicken Curry
Chicken Chow Mein
Baked Beans
Corn on the Cob

These are all slow cooker gems, for sure. But, in the meantime, isn’t this catching your eye?

Homemade barbecue sauce being drizzled out of a glass bottle onto chopped brisket that is sitting on a toasted bun.

As Texans who have consumed a lot of top-notch BBQ over the years, we can honestly say this slow cooker chopped brisket comes about as close to the flavor you’ll get from a slow-cooked smoked piece of top-notch brisket every single time.

It’s perfect for tailgating, a game day gathering of friends, or a scrumptious Sunday dinner.

These truly are about as delicious of a sandwich as you will ever find. Try adding the chopped brisket to the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich.

But, in the meantime, just look at these sandwiches! Epic!

An overhead view of two slow cooker chopped brisket sandwiches that are topped with pickles and sliced onion and a glass of beer nearby.

Ready to make the best BBQ sandwich this side of the Alamo? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

A close-up view of a slow cooker chopped brisket sandwich with barbecue sauce drizzled over the top of the meat with a couple of pickle slices and a thinly slice of onion on top, too.

Slow Cooker Chopped Brisket Sandwiches

These BBQ sandwiches are truly the real deal. Make the beef rub and the BBQ sauce in advance and then the rest is so easy. You simply won't believe the authentic BBQ flavor of these amazing sandwiches.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: lunch, Sandwich
Cuisine: BBQ, Southern
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours hours
Make ahead - BBQ Sauce: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 463kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Equipment

  • 6 to 7 quart slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups BBQ sauce make ahead of time
  • ½ cup perfect BBQ rub
  • 4 lb brisket trimmed of excess of fat
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 8 hamburger buns toasted
  • 1 medium onion sliced (optional, for garnish)
  • pickles sliced (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  • Prepare the easy BBQ sauce as directed and set aside.
    2 ½ cups BBQ sauce
  • Mix together the perfect BBQ rub and set aside.
    ½ cup perfect BBQ rub
  • Use your fingers to rub the perfect BBQ rub all over the brisket.
    4 lb brisket
  • Place the brisket into the slow cooker. You may need to cut the roast into 2 pieces. It's okay if they overlap.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the prepared BBQ sauce and the beef stock (1 cup). Pour over the meat.
    1 cup beef stock
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours.
  • Carefully remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a large cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat. Save 1 to 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and discard the rest. Set aside.
  • Use a large knife to roughly chop the shredded brisket.
  • Add the meat back into the slow cooker and add another cup of the BBQ sauce along with the reserved cooking liquid. Mix until combined.
  • Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
  • Serve warm with toasted buns, additional BBQ sauce, sliced onions, and sliced pickles.
    8 hamburger buns, 1 medium onion, pickles

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
This chopped brisket can easily be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.  Reheat in the slow cooker (or on the stove or in the oven) until heated through.  Keep on the WARM setting when serving. 
We often double the batch of the homemade BBQ sauce, because it's just so good, and folks usually like to add more to their sandwiches when they assemble them. 

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 986mg | Potassium: 742mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

More Comfort Food

  • An overhead view of a wok filled with fully cooked Korean ground beef stir-fry with a wooden spatula inserted into the side of the food.
    Korean Ground Beef Stir-Fry
  • An overhead view of two fully loaded West Virginia Slaw Dogs resting side by side on a couple of pieces of crumpled brown paper.
    West Virginia Slaw Dog
  • Two Cincinnati Cheese Coney hot dogs sitting on a white dinner plate, both dogs topped with large piles of shredded cheddar cheese.
    Cincinnati Cheese Coneys
  • An overhead view of two side-by-side bowls both filled with a serving of slow cooker lasagna soup.
    Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Comments

  1. Phyllis says

    February 18, 2024 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    I made the brisket, not the pulled pork and it was great!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      February 22, 2024 at 10:59 am

      Woo hoo!!! Brisket and coleslaw is a scrumptious combo!! xo

      Reply
  2. Phyllis says

    February 08, 2024 at 3:32 pm

    making this tomorrow, however there are only two of us so I had butcher cut a 2lb flat brisket. Will it take 11 hours to tenderize since it is half the size?

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      February 09, 2024 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Phyllis, 8 to 9 hours will be perfect! We hope you enjoy it! Let us know!! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
      • Phyllis says

        February 09, 2024 at 12:56 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks Kris, it’s in the pot now. Made cole slaw to go with it! smells so good!

        Take care and happy your new proofer is doing a good job!

      • Kris Longwell says

        February 18, 2024 at 2:58 pm

        Yay! We hope you enjoyed the sandwiches! And woo hoo for homemade coleslaw! (I’m guessing you made the pulled pork and not the chopped brisket?)…and woo hoo for proof readers!!!

  3. Kevin says

    October 04, 2019 at 8:17 am

    Cooked this for college gameday weekend and was lucky I doubled the recipe! Awesome recipe guys!!
    My cooking game has been greatly elevated by watching your YouTube channel as well!!!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      October 04, 2019 at 11:42 am

      Kevin! That is SO AWESOME to hear!! So so thrilled was a big success for you! And thank you so much for letting us know! We truly appreciate that! Stay tuned…lots more on the way!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  4. Tori says

    July 27, 2018 at 11:59 am

    Will cooking this on high make a big difference? I’ve made it before as directed and it was amazing! But in a time crunch could I crank up the volume?

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      July 29, 2018 at 10:31 am

      So sorry for the delayed response, Tori! Absolutely, you can cook this on high. Only will take about 4 hours. May not be quite as fall-apart tender, but will still be amazing!! Let us know how it turns out and have a great time!! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
5 from 2 votes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Kris & Wesley (The Loon) live for fun, food, and fabulousness. "How to Feed a Loon" is a celebration of just that. Come join us on this joyous culinary ride.

More about us

Game Day Favorites

  • A small baking pan lined with brown paper and topped with balsamic glazed baby back ribs with a small bowl filled with the glaze nearby.
    Balsamic-Glazed Baby Back Ribs
  • A person holding a Coney Island hot dog in his hand with the frankfurter nestled into the bun and topped with sauerkraut, chopped onions, and a zig zag of deli-style mustard.
    Coney Island Hot Dog (The Original)
  • An overhead view of two large oval dinner plates filled with heaping servings of Cincinnati chili served over spaghetti, beans, onions, and topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
    Homemade Cincinnati Chili (5 Ways)
  • A person holding a best-ever cheeseburger consisting of a juicy beef burger topped with melting cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles all sandwiched between a toasted homemade hamburger bun.
    Best-Ever Cheeseburger
  • Grilled BBQ Chicken with visible grill marks resting on a metal sheet pan with a small white bowl of homemade BBQ sauce with a spoon in it nearby.
    Best-Ever Grilled BBQ Chicken
  • A person pulling a slice of homemade New York-style pizza from the entire pie that has been cut into six slices with a small bowl of grated cheese and two glasses of beer nearby.
    Homemade New York-Style Pizza

Popular Recipes

  • best-ever chicken salad recipe
    Best-Ever Chicken Salad
  • A white soup filled with roasted tomato basil soup next to sliced grilled cheese sandwiches.
    Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
  • Mahi Mahi tacos on a wooden table in a taco holder
    Amazing Mahi Mahi Tacos
  • A lemon wedge being squeezed onto a platter of chicken francese
    Chicken Francese
  • Southern Shrimp and Cheesy Grits recipe
    Southern Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
  • Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder on a platter with a side of gravy
    Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Footer

↑ back to top

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About Us
  • Subscribe

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 How to Feed a Loon • This website contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, we may receive a commission in return. How To Feed a Loon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

2526 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.