Instant Pot Braised Brisket

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This Instant Pot braised brisket can be made in under an hour – incredible!

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a devout home cook who couldn’t understand the lure of the Instant Pot.

She likes long braises and doesn’t mind waiting for food.

Neither do I.

When I have the time. I love beef bourguignon or Guinness Irish beef stew, and there’s nothing better than a classic French cassoulet.

But today was the perfect example of when an Instant Pot comes in handy.

I went mid-week shopping for a few items and saw that brisket was on sale for half price because it had to be sold today.

I’ve never cooked brisket before but I know it needs to be low and slow.

I didn’t have time for low and slow.

Before the Instant Pot I would have bypassed the brisket because I have plans tonight and can’t wait for a long braise.

But knowing I could cook it in an hour I figured I had time for a classic red wine braise and be out the door in time to meet friends.

Julia Child's food quote. I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food I'm cooking.

There are so many different Instant Pot brisket recipes and even more without the pressure cooker.

I wanted to choose something I know I’d like. Red wine braised food is always delicious.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

But there’s a cardinal rule to cooking with red wine. Do not buy something you wouldn’t drink. 

In this recipe I used an Argentinean Malbec, which truthfully isn’t my favourite red wine but it’s what we had on hand.

I think a pinot noir, Spanish Rioja, Italian Chianti would all be lovely with this recipe.

This Instant Pot braised brisket with red wine can be made in under an hour and is perfect for having guests over a weeknight dinner.

But pick whatever you like.

When you reduce a sauce the flavours intensify so it could ruin your dinner.

And if you hate red wine you can just add another cup of beef stock.

Wine from Spain, a bottle of Muga and glass of red wine on table

How to Store Red Wine

I love red wine and always have it in the house for drinking. But if you do not and are worried about the leftover wine you can freeze it.

Just portion it out and it will freeze for the next red wine recipe you make.

This Instant Pot braised brisket with red wine can be made in under an hour and is perfect for having guests over a weeknight dinner.

What Kind of Instant Pot Should You Get?

So I started out with the Instant Pot 6 Quart.

It’s large enough to cook a 3lb chicken so you can make my Peruvian chicken recipe called pollo a la brasa, or any stew large enough for a family.

It’s also great for cooking chickpeas from dried in 30 minutes.

But it didn’t have one thing.

I wanted to make yogurt and I didn’t buy the right version.

I’ve been using the Instant Pot so much I decided to get another one (you wouldn’t believe how common this is) and upgraded to a larger size.

So I now have this 8QT Instant Pot where there is a yogurt button.

This isn’t even top of the line, there’s also a bluetooth Instant Pot you can control with your phone.

But I decided that was a unnecessary luxury – for now.

This Instant Pot braised brisket with red wine can be made in under an hour and is perfect for having guests over a weeknight dinner.

Instant Pot Braised Brisket

sliced brisket with parsley garnished with parsley

Instant Pot Braised Brisket

Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This instant pot braised brisket can be made in under an hour – incredible!

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs beef brisket, flat cut
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

  1. Remove meat from fridge 30 minutes before making recipe to bring meat to room temperature. Pat brisket dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Turn your Instant pot to saute (normal), and add 2 tablespoons canola oil. Once oil begins to shimmer brown brisket on both sides, about 4 minutes each. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil, when oil begins to shimmer add onion, celery carrot and tomato paste. Saute 4 minutes, add garlic and saute another 30 seconds or until you begin to smell the garlic.
  4. Deglaze by adding the red wine and beef broth, use a spatula to dig up all the crispy bits on the bottom of the pot.
  5. Place brisket on top of vegetables and add bay leaf and thyme. Turn on manual setting for 55 minutes on high pressure with a natural release for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove meat and cut against the grain.
  7. Turn Instant Pot back to saute and reduce liquid by half. Strain and pour over brisket to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 593Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 50g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although BaconisMagic.ca attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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If you made this Instant Pot braised brisket recipe and liked it, or have feedback on how to make it better, please leave a comment below!

 

Join the Conversation

  1. Why am I torturing myself reading this while in class… Meanwhile, also checking the prices for that Instant Pot.

  2. Thank you for this brisket and the stroganoff IP recipes. I’m not opposed to using canned this or packeged processed that but prefer real & fresh ingredients when I cook. I’m also a member of a few IP FB groups you made reference to in another post. I had to search high and low to find a stroganoff recipe in that group that didn’t use pre-processed stuff BUT alas I found you and now I’m happier. I too have never made a brisket but YOURS is my next IP meal. I’m also adding your pork tenderloin to my to-do list.

  3. Made this tonight. Only cange was I added a slurry to thicken the pan sauce. It tasted very good and was not dry. I will definitely make this again.

  4. I made this tonight. The recipe is a keeper and I will make this again. The meat was tender and tasty. The only change was I add ed a slurry to the pan juices to thicken the sauce.

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      So happy to hear this Patty!

  5. Phil John Newhill says:

    Great recipie and all but u haven’t said what settings to set the instant pot to. Like which degree of saute, less normal or more. Also u haven’t said which setting for the pressure cooking. Low pressure or high pressure. Also u didn’t say when to add the bay leaf. Sorry to pick faults but very frustrating when u try to follow the recipie.

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      Phil – thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate you taking the time. Let me revise the recipe for you.

  6. Selah Garland says:

    Thank you for this recipe! When do I add the thyme? Thanks!

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      Along with the thyme! And thank you for the question I’ll revise the recipe to include this.

  7. I had to 2 1/2 pound brisket followed the recipe cooked it for 50minutes With natural release and my brisket was dry 🙁

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      I’m so sorry to hear that, 50 minutes may have been too long for a smaller piece, especially if it didn’t have a high fat content. How long did you let it NPR?

  8. Deborah Cleveland says:

    I cooked a 2.5 pound flat cut brisket for 45 minutes, made a slurry and it turned out soooo good! This is a keeper!!!

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      I’m thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for sharing.

      1. Would it be reasonable to say that a 2 lb cut would then cook for 35 minutes?

        1. Ayngelina Author says:

          Yes I think that’s very reasonable, let me know how it goes!

  9. At the end of the recipe you have a note about quick release. The way I read it says use quick release for everything but red meat but you say it makes meat dry??

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      Natural release it for 15 minutes and then if there’s any pressure left quick release the remainder.

      Some people believe you need to natural release every meat (chicken, pork, turkey) but these meats can be a quick release without drying them out.

  10. I am hoping to make this recipe tonight. I bought two, 3 pound briskets and would like to cook them together. I understand the time doesn’t need to be doubled but should I double all the other ingredients?

    1. Ayngelina Author says:

      I have never doubled the recipe so I can’t say for certain but you could double the other ingredients and you’d be guaranteed to have lots of sauce.

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