Recipe by Luka McCabe, shared with permission from Boob to Food
This slow-cooked beef brisket is everything we love about cool-weather cooking — tender, rich, and deeply comforting. A perfect "set and forget" meal for busy families, and a winner when you want dinner to feel a little bit special without the effort.
Using just a handful of simple ingredients, this recipe delivers fork-tender brisket with the kind of flavour that makes everyone ask for seconds. Pop it in the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinner time, it’ll be melt-in-your-mouth perfect.
🛒 Ingredients
1.3–1.5 kg beef brisket
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
400g diced tomatoes
100g tomato paste
1 cup orange juice*
1 cup beef or chicken bone broth
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Spice Crust
Try garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, sumac — or whatever you love. Measure with your heart to make a ‘crust’. Don’t stress, you can’t go wrong.
Method
Preheat oven to 130°C (fan-forced).
In an oven-safe casserole dish (approx. 4L), heat a little oil and brown the brisket on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Add garlic and onion to the same dish and cook until soft and caramelised.
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, orange juice, broth, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce.
Return the brisket to the dish — the liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat.
Sprinkle your chosen spice blend generously over the top.
Cover with a lid and bake for ~6 hours, or until fork-tender.
Shred with two forks through the sauce.
Optional: For a stickier, more reduced sauce, return to the oven uncovered at 180°C for 20-30 minutes
Slow Cooker Instructions:
No need to brown unless you want extra flavour — just toss everything straight into the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 5–6 hours, until soft and shreddable.
If sauce is too thin, you can remove the lid for the last 30–60 mins or transfer to a pan or oven safe dish and into the oven on 180C fan-forced for 30-40 minutes to reduce.
Ingredient Swaps:
Orange juice: delicious substituted for pomegranate juice, or 1/2 cup marmalade. You can also just sub for more broth if avoiding fruit juice.
Worcestershire: Use coconut aminos or tamari + a splash of vinegar for a soy-free/gluten-free alternative.
Bone broth: Sub for stock if preferred.
