By Candice Walker on March 28, 2022 (Last updated April 3, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This incredibly simple, melt-in-your-mouth tender slow cooker Passover brisket is even incredible in sandwiches the next day. This will be the star of all your Passover dishes.
Plus, if you have a newer slow cooker and have a hard time keeping it from getting too hot, I’m sharing my secret for keeping any slow cooker lower in heat than the low setting!
Passover brisket is a dish steeped in tradition. As the hindquarters of a cow are not kosher, brisket is a cut that Ashkenazi Jews have made and enjoyed for many decades. It’s a tough cut of meat, therefore it used to be cheaper. It used to be served at Passover because it was a frugal choice that could feed a crowd, but it’s now also a beloved ongoing tradition.
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy and stress-free Passover brisket: Cooking large pieces of beef to the correct texture and temperature can be intimidating, but this recipe makes it easy to master with only a few simple steps.
Slow-cooked brisket means minimal effort: The wonderful thing is that the slow cooker does almost all the work for you! Plus, you have more time to spend with loved ones over Passover while the brisket is cooking.
Tender, fall-apart beef brisket: Brisket is a large cut of meat from the lower chest of a cow. It’s tougher because the cow works this section of their body, so the meat has a lot of connective tissue. Despite being a tough cut of meat, this slow-cooked Passover brisket reaches a delicious melt-in-your-mouth tenderness as it’s cooked over a long period with low and consistent heat.
Unbeatable depth of flavor: There is nothing like the rich, deep flavor of a slow-cooker brisket. As it cooks, the meat absorbs all the flavors of the vegetables, herbs, and red wine to make each bite juicy and complex in flavor. The whole family will be fighting over any leftovers!
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
Beef brisket – Large meat cut from the lower chest of a cow. I ask my local butcher or grocery store butcher for a 4-5 lb. center cut for this recipe.
SearingOil – Any flavorless oil with a high smoke point is perfect for searing meat. You can use canola, vegetable, avocado, sunflower seed oil, etc. For Passover cooking, make sure it is marked kosher for Passover.
Onion – I use red onion, but you can substitute it with white or yellow onions. Cut into quarters,
Fennel – Use the white bulb of the fennel and reserve the fronds for a side salad.
Carrots – Peel your carrots and cut them to a size that will fit nicely in the cooker.
Celery – Clean and chop into pieces.
Garlic – Use whole, fresh cloves of garlic from the bulb. Packaged pre-peeled garlic cloves also work.
Rosemary – Use fresh rosemary, not dried.
Bay leaves – Use fresh, whole bay leaves and remove these after cooking.
Red wine – Any red wine will work, as long as it’s one that you like the taste of. If it’s Passover, make sure it is marked kosher for Passover.
Salt & pepper – Use to season the meat all over before searing.
Optionalsoy sauce – You can use kosher for Passover soy sauce. This recipe also works with salt or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Use it to season to your preference.
Optional jalapeno – Add one jalapeno for an extra kick of spice.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make This Recipe
First, heat the flavorless oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, dutch oven, or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Season the brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the brisket, flipping once until it’s golden brown all over. Then, transfer to the slow cooker.
Pro Tip on Searing Brisket
Do not cook the brisket during this stage. You are only browning the outside. If you cook it too much, it will result in a tough brisket. Cook for no more than one minute per side.
Add the onion, fennel, carrots, celery, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, red wine, and soy sauce/salt to your slow cooker with the brisket.
Cover with the lid and cook everything on low until tender, which should take about 6-8 hours.
Once cooked, let the brisket rest for at least 20 minutes in the slow cooker on a warm setting.
Remove and slice the brisket against the grain to serve, or pull it apart with a fork.
🥗 What to Serve With Beef Brisket
Although this Passover brisket is delicious alone with the veggies it cooks with, I love serving it with these excellent kosher for Passover dishes that round out a great meal. Looking for more Passover recipes? Check them out here.
Leave some fat on the brisket. The fat adds flavor and tenderness, especially the fat marbled inside the cut of meat. Trim off the hard fat, leaving only the soft fat.
Don’t skip the searing. Searing the surface of beef before slow cooking helps seal in the amazing beef flavor and adds a deep golden-brown color and caramelized flavor. Skipping this step will yield a more bland dish. However, the beef will still be cooked whether it’s seared or not.
Don’t worry about over-cooking. It is possible, but not likely to overcook brisket in a slow cooker. Over low heat, the meat gets more and more tender. However, once the brisket easily pulls apart (or reaches the magic temperature of 203F), then remove it from the heat so it doesn’t tighten up too much and get hard when cooling.
🔥 How to Prevent the Slow Cooker Getting Too Hot
Unlike classic crockpots, most new slow cookers get too hot on the low setting. This means they don’t truly allow for “low and slow” cooking. But I have a great hack for you! Use a timer that plugs into the outlet, and plug the slow cooker into the timer ($9). Then, set the timer so that every other tick is off. It helps keep the slow cooker lower than the low setting.
If you have an older crockpot, no need to do this. These days, I just use the slow cooker setting on my Instant Pot as described in the next section.
🍽️ How to Make Instant Pot Passover Brisket
To make brisket in an Instant Pot using the slow-cooker setting, follow all the same recipe steps as if you were making it in a slow-cooker. Here are additional steps to follow:
Get an Instant Pot glass lid to allow steam and moisture to escape while the brisket is cooking.
Press the Slow Cook button on the Instant Pot instead of a different setting.
Set the duration to 6-8 hours, and adjust to “Less” to mimic the low setting on a crockpot.
Your Instant Pot will beep when done, and automatically switch to “Keep Warm” for up to 10 hours.
😋 More Passover Recipes
Keep your chef’s hat on to make these fantastic Jewish recipes – happy cooking!
Heat the oil in a heavy bottom sauté pan, dutch oven, or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Sear the brisket, flipping once, just until golden brown. Transfer to your slow cooker.
Add the onion, fennel, carrots, celery, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, red wine, and soy sauce/aminos/salt to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until tender, 6-8 hours. Let rest for 20 minutes with the slow cooker on warm.
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Notes
Make sure you season well and sear the brisket before slow cooking. Searing the brisket helps keep it juicy and locks in flavor!Leave the soft fat on the brisket. The fat adds flavor and tenderness, especially the fat that is marbled inside the cut of meat. Trim off the hard fat.To make this recipe in an Instant Pot using the slow-cooker setting, you would follow all the same steps as if you were making it in a slow-cooker. See blog post for directions and things to consider.Does your slow cooker get too hot? Use a timer that plugs into the outlet, and plug the slow cooker into the timer ($9). Then, set the timer so that every other tick is off. It helps keep the slow cooker lower than the low setting. If you have an older crockpot, no need to do this.You can use kosher for Passover soy sauce. This recipe also works with salt instead of soy sauce. Season to your own preference.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
This recipe was fantastic! First time I ever made a brisket and I was so nervous… it came out incredible! My gut had me hold off on one less half cup of wine and it still was fall-apart-perfect! Highly recommend!!!
Perfection! And easy to prepare.
I was initially intimidated by brisket but this slow cooker recipe made it easy and it turned out mouth watering, will make again next year!
So glad it was easy for you to follow and you enjoyed it… thank you for sharing! And chag sameach!
Best brisket ever. Did no add as many garlic cloves and used celery instead of fennel because my kids don’ like the licorice flavor.. Awesome recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Denise… I’m so glad you liked it! Great subs for the kiddos… chag sameach!
This recipe was fantastic! First time I ever made a brisket and I was so nervous… it came out incredible! My gut had me hold off on one less half cup of wine and it still was fall-apart-perfect! Highly recommend!!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Amanda… and thank you for sharing!
Holy moly was that perfect!!!! Thank you!!!!!
You are so welcome, Ophie! Thank you for making my recipe… I’m so happy you loved it!