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Have you wondered how to sous vide brisket? There’s nothing quick about this delicious sous vide recipe, but it’s super easy: a great make ahead dish for parties and entertaining, easy for weeknights, and an easy work lunch.
This guide is perfect for a 3-5 LB brisket.
Do not miss the step by step sous vide beef brisket recipe video at the end of the post!
In celebration of the launch of my new book this week, I’m sharing this brisket sous vide recipe from The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.
I love to make sous vide beef for a family dinner one evening and then reheat the leftovers next day for lunch: think barbecue brisket sandwiches or quesadillas.
This beef sous vide recipe with a long cook time is an ideal sous vide recipe for a crowd. But it’s simple enough to put together; you’ll want to make it just for yourself sometimes too.
Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy good cuisine.
Bake a few potatoes, pour yourself a glass of something yummy, and sit down to this 24 hour brisket sous vide style: smokey, juicy, and mouthwatering.
What is sous vide brisket like?
Think: delicious! After cooking, sous vide cooked brisket is extremely soft – your teeth should slide right through it, although it will still hold its shape.
Ingredients for sous vide style brisket
To make this sous vide brisket you’ll want 3-5 pounds of beef brisket, depending on how many people you anticipate serving.
Check your cupboard to make sure you have smoked salt, pepper, cumin and olive oil, and if you don’t put them on the shopping list too.
Not only will you use them for the brisket, you’ll want them for other sous vide main dishes later.
Will it fit?
We had to cut down this 5+ LB brisket because it wouldn’t fit in the sous vide bath container.
If you run into this same issue and have to cut your brisket for it to fit, you can sous vide two briskets at once (in separate bags) or save the other piece for another day.
If you sous vide multiple briskets at once, make sure they are separated in the water bath.
How to make sous vide brisket
Step 1. Fill the water bath.
Preheat sous vide machine to 135ºF.
Step 2. While the sous vide bath preheats, rub brisket with seasonings.
Step 3. Heat cast iron pan to medium-high and add olive oil.
Step 4. When the pan is hot and shiny, add brisket and sear each side for 3 to 5 minutes to create a thick brown bark.
Step 5. Vacuum-seal brisket and add it to the sous vide bath.
Don’t forget to cover the water bath for this 2 day brisket.
Sous vide means “under water” – so you want to cover the sous vide beef to stay fully emerged in water for the 48 hour cook time.
If you don’t have a lid that fits your container, cover the water with foil and a kitchen towel to retain the heat.
Time and temperature for sous vide brisket
Drop the bag in the sous vide bath at 135ºF for 48 hours.
Stop the heat with an ice bath
Step 6. When done, remove the brisket from the hot water and transfer it to an ice bath to cool down and come to room temperature.
The easy way to finish brisket after sous vide cooking
To finish brisket, simply pull apart the beef with two forks.
If you prefer sliced brisket, you can also cut it in ¼ inch slices. Then stick your brisket in the broiler or in the smoker– more details on those two options below.
Finishing sous vide brisket in the oven broiler
Finishing in the oven broiler is a quick way to get a crisp finish, but it works best if you’re starting with a chilled brisket.
Add a little BBQ sauce (optional, but good!) and stick it in the oven; then turn the broiler on high for about five minutes.
Warning, though: set a timer and don’t leave the brisket in the oven broiler too long!
If you overdo this step your sous vide brisket will heat up too much and cook beyond what you wanted.
Finishing sous vide brisket in a smoker
If you prefer some intense smoky taste, try finishing your sous vide brisket in the smoker.
This is not the best way to finish brisket if you’re in a hurry. To get the best flavor you’ll need around three hours in the smoker.
For this method, pre-chilling is a must, and the smoker will preheat it to 225-250 degrees.
You don’t want the internal temperature to go higher than about 155 F.
If it fits better into your schedule, you can also smoke your brisket before sous viding it.
Tips for storing and reheating sous vide brisket
How to refrigerate brisket
If you’d like to store your brisket in the refrigerator, cut it into thin slices first so it can cool within the recommended two hours to store safely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How to freeze it
Freezing allows you to really plan ahead. Slice brisket into slices and store your slices in a sealed plastic bag for up to three months.
Reheating brisket in the sous vide bath
The best way to reheat brisket with the sous vide technique is to steam the moisture back in it – in the sous vide bath. Use the same brisket temperature.
Unsliced brisket will take 20-30 minutes to reheat, while sliced pieces will reheat quicker.
Of coarse, you can always reheat brisket a million other ways.
I often reheat it in BBQ sauce with a tablespoon of water, in a pan on the stove.
What to serve with brisket
I like to serve this sous vide main dish with potato salad, beans, or in tacos. Leftovers make delicious breakfast tacos.
This is an easy sous vide beef recipe to feed a crowd. Turn this recipe into tacos or brisket sandwiches.
Wine pairing for brisket
Try a strong and spicy red that can stand up to the smokey flavor of this sous vide brisket, like an Australian Shiraz.
Plating tips for brisket
I like to either pull apart or thinly slice brisket for serving.
Final tips for making brisket sous vide style
- With a long cook like this one, check the water level and make sure the beef remains fully submerged during the cook. I use something to block the heat from escaping the water – like tin foil or a sous vide bath lid to keep the water contained.
- For a stronger flavor to your brisket, cool it in its cooking liquid to give it even more time to soak in the flavors. Then reheat the following day for an even stronger flavor.
- Finishing tip. If you finish it your brisket in the oven, be careful not to leave it under the broiler too longer. You want a crispy bark, but you don’t want the meat to overheat and start cooking again.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to sous vide beef.
There are many ways you can vary my core recipe, and all the results vary slightly. Experiment to find what you like best.
Tools for sous vide cooking
- A big sous vide bucket to hold the water – aka the “sous vide bath” – which is where the food cooks.
- Vacuum sealer and bags or plastic gallon bags to cook food.
- A sous vide machine like the Anova, Joule, Instant Pot Slim
- A big sous vide bucket or stock pot to hold the water the food cooks in during the sous vide water bath
- Egg bites and desserts need small mason jars to cook in and the kind that does *not* curve (like this particular mason jar) – is my favorite because it makes it easier for the egg bites to pop out.
- Metal tongs to remove food from the sous vide bath.
- Protect natural stone countertops from the heat of the water bath with a cutting board.
- Quality ingredients like meat from Crowd Cow, an online craft butcher.
- For more sous vide inspiration, see the sous vide cookbook by Jenna from Sip Bite Go
Credits
This sous vide beef recipe is a preview from The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.
The brisket pictured in this recipe is from Crowd Cow, an online butcher that delivers right to your door.
The spatula in this recipe is from MannKitchen.
Other recipes readers like…
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- The Best Sous Vide Breakfast Recipes
- How to Sous Vide Frozen Steak
Share your brisket
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t eat it it till it’s photographed– you need to share that beauty with the world! Include #sipbitego and tag @sipbitego on Instagram – I’d love to see your pic.
Sous Vide Brisket Recipe [Sip Bite Go]
Learn how to sous vide brisket with just a few ingredients in this 24 hour recipe. This is an easy sous vide beef recipe to feed a crowd. Finish in the smoker or oven broiler. Turn the brisket into tacos or sandwiches.
For this recipe, use either a smoker for 3 hours or a grill for a quick sear. Either method will infuse flavor into brisket before the sous vide bath. When it’s done, the meat will be tender and ready for a slather of barbecue sauce. This meat is perfect for barbecue brisket sandwiches or quesadillas.
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds beef brisket
- 2 teaspoons smoked salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat sous vide machine to 135ºF.
- While the sous vide bath preheats, rub brisket with seasonings.
- Heat cast iron pan to medium-high and add olive oil.
- When the pan is hot and shiny, add brisket and sear each side for 3 to 5 minutes to create a thick brown bark.
- Vacuum-seal brisket and drop the bag in the sous vide bath at 135ºF for 48 hours.
- When done, remove the brisket from the hot water and transfer it to an ice bath to cool down and come to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer brisket to a cutting board and pat dry to remove moisture which will make it easier to finish.
- To finish sous vide brisket, pull apart beef with two forks or cut it in slices. You can also broil it in the oven on high for 5 minutes with BBQ sauce on top. Or smoke it at 225 - 250 degrees F for up to 3 hours.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- With a long cook like this one, check the water level and make sure the beef remains fully submerged during the cook. I use something to block the heat from escaping the water - like tin foil or a sous vide bath lid to keep the water contained.
- For a stronger flavor to your brisket, cool it in its cooking liquid to give it even more time to soak in the flavors. Then reheat the following day for an even stronger flavor.
- Finishing tip. If you finish it your brisket in the oven, be careful not to leave it under the broiler too longer. You want a crispy bark, but you don’t want the meat to overheat and start cooking again.
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This is the first time I cooked brisket this way and I gotta say, the flavors are amazing and the texture is great. Will definitely be trying this again soon 🙂
What a delicious brisket recipe! I love all the tips for sous vide.
I’m still a total newbie when it comes to sous vide. Your super detailed guide is so helpful.
This was such a fun recipe to make! I had never tried something like this before but it was fun to make and delicious! Highly recommend 🙂
Meat looks absolutely delicious. I never tried this method to prepare meat but I will definitely give it a try. Just saved the recipe. Thanks!
Sous vide means under pressure, not under water