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Brisket is a popularly loved beef cut obtained from the chest. It tastes tender, juicy, and smoky when you’ve patiently cooked it to perfection!
Cooking brisket can be a little tricky. Due to its abundance of connective tissue fibers, this cut can be rather tough. It must be adequately cooked to make it soft, tender, and easy to eat.
There is more than one way of cooking brisket. If you’re confused about the best appliance to make juicy, delicious brisket, we are here to help you!
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Cooking Brisket in Slow cooker Vs oven
Cooking brisket is a longer process in slow cookers. On average, slow cookers take 10 to 12 hours on low heat and 5 to 6 hours on high heat settings. On the other hand, an oven only takes about 3 to 4 hours to cook brisket. Additionally, you don’t need a pan to sear the brisket, as you can do it in the oven!
If you’re in a dilemma about what appliance to use, it is best to understand how each cooks brisket properly.
To make this job more accessible, we’ve put together a comparison and detailed analysis of slow cooker vs oven. Please continue reading to see which of them suits you best!
Cooking Brisket: Differences between Slow Cooker and Oven!
We don’t blame you for being in a bind regarding which appliance to go with. We all want our brisket well-cooked and tender.
So, what is the best option for this?
Brisket is a meat cut that requires a long time to cook.
So, a slow cooker makes for a great choice. However, cooking your brisket in the oven is faster and helps the meat retain more moisture.
Before we dive into a more detailed comparison, let’s briefly examine the critical differences between cooking brisket in a slow cooker and oven.
| Factors | Slow Cooker | Oven |
| Cooking Time | High heat: 5-6 hours Low heat: 10-12 hours | 3-4 hours on average |
| Temperature | Temperature goes as high as 300°F or 149°C | Temperature goes as high as 325°F or 163°C |
| Searing or Sauteing | Pan is required | Done directly in the oven |
| Overnight cooking | Yes | No |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
These are the primary differences between cooking brisket in a slow cooker and oven. We’ve gotten into more detail down below for you to understand better!
Cooking Brisket in Slow Cookers vs Ovens: Pros!
It is best to get more context before making a well-informed decision. We have put together the pros of both slow cookers and ovens.
You can choose which one suits you best based on our data. Read further to find out what they are!
Pros of Cooking Brisket in the Oven
First, let’s look at the pros of cooking brisket in the oven!
Short Cooking time and Temperature
A key advantage of cooking brisket in an oven is the duration of cooking. Brisket only takes about 3 to 4 hours to cook in the oven.
So, for people that want their brisket ready in a short period, the oven is the way to go!
Slow cookers are not always advised for cooking briskets. Appliances such as dutch ovens can do a better job for the same results.
Coming to the temperature, ovens can cook brisket at higher temperature ranges. You can cook your brisket perfectly at 325 degrees F until it’s soft, juicy, and tender.
Searing
Searing meat and veggies is a common way to prepare them before cooking them. Similarly, briskets are seared until they are a satisfactory brown color before they are fully cooked.
You can directly sear your brisket in the oven. You do not need a pan or additional work while searing in the oven.
On the other hand, slow cookers do not give you this option. It would help if you seared it in a pan before you can pop it in the slow cooker to cook.
Pros of Cooking Brisket in Slow Cookers
Now, let’s see what slow cookers have to offer!
Less supervision
Slow cooking is a long process. Since food doesn’t cook as fast as it would in the oven, it doesn’t require constant attention.
You can leave your slow cooker on and let it tenderize your brisket overnight.
All you need to do is check it once or twice to ensure it is ready. So, for all of you that have a lot on your hands but still want a delicious brisket for dinner, here’s your way!
On the contrary, cooking brisket in the oven requires you to be in or around your kitchen for 3 to 4 hours.
You have to check every 30 to 40 minutes to ensure your brisket is cooking well.
Paying enough attention to a brisket cooking in the oven is essential as it is easy to overcook it.
Overcooking brisket won’t let you enjoy the meat as much as you would when it’s cooked perfectly.
Longer Cooking Time
We discussed a shorter cooking time as a pro for ovens. How exactly can a longer cooking time be an advantage?
As we mentioned above, brisket is a tough meat cut. Brisket has abundant connective tissue fibers, which can be hard to eat if not cooked properly.
Therefore, cooking it for longer hours helps to dissolve the connective tissue and tenderize the meat.
You can put it on low heat and have your brisket ready in about 10 to 12 hours. If you wish to speed things up, you can turn the heat up and cook it within 5 to 6 hours.
Price
Finally, let’s talk price points. Everyone wants to save up and go for a quality option at reasonable prices.
The price point is not the most significant factor when comparing slow cookers and ovens.
Both these appliances have similar price ranges, so you don’t need to worry about one being considerably more expensive than the other.
But if you’re crunching on the numbers, slow cookers can be relatively cheaper.
On average, slow cookers retail for about $40 to $70, whereas dutch ovens are sold for $50 to $80.
As you can see, the price difference is not as significant.
To save you the headache of research, we’ve mentioned our top picks for excellent slow cookers
- Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker– an excellent choice for traditional slow cookers!
- Programmable Stainless Oval Multi-cooker– for an efficient manual slow cooker
Now, the Winner!
After looking at both slow cookers and ovens more closely, it should be easier for you to decide.
However, if you’re still feeling indecisive, we can still walk you through it again!
| Product | Features | Where To Get |
| Brisket Slow Cooker | Excellent for overnight cooking, cheap | Grab Now |
| Oven | Less cleaning, efficient to use | Grab Now |
Several people have to work around busy schedules. A slow cooker is an excellent idea if you’re one of them.
You can pop your brisket in the slow cooker in advance and set it on low heat. It will finish cooking hours later, by the time you need it ready!
Next, let’s talk about cooking brisket in the oven. Cooking brisket in the oven is much faster.
It takes only 3 to 4 hours for your brisket to come out juicy and tender. Additionally, you can sear it in the oven instead of using a pan. This way, you’ll have less to clean!
Slow cooking is a long process; it doesn’t require as much attention as oven cooking. It is essential to regularly check how your brisket is cooking when it is in the oven.
Ideally, you can check at 30 to 40 minutes intervals to ensure it doesn’t overcook. Brisket is enjoyed best when it is perfectly cooked!
Based on your lifestyle, you can pick whichever suits you best. If you’re busy but still want to enjoy delicious brisket, go for the slow cooker.
If you’re someone that doesn’t mind spending a couple of hours in the kitchen, you can go with the oven!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I cook my brisket with the fat?
The fat on a brisket shields the meat when you’re cooking it. Cooking your brisket with the fat facing down is a great way to make it tender. It makes your brisket juicier and scrumptious. If you don’t like to eat the fat, you can always remove it before serving!
My brisket is chewy. What is the reason?
Brisket is a tough cut of meat as it contains abundant connective tissue. Breaking these connective tissue fibers is essential to make them soft and tender. This is why a brisket’s cooking time is rather long.
Your brisket is chewy mainly because it hasn’t been cooked enough. It will be tough to eat if you don’t give brisket cuts ample cooking time. So, please ensure you’ve given the brisket at least 4 hours of cooking time.
Should I wrap my brisket before placing it in the oven?
If you wish to decrease the time to cook your brisket, wrapping it is a great idea. We always recommend wrapping your brisket, especially if you use the oven. Briskets take about 10 to 12 hours to cook in a slow cooker or smoker.
You can wrap it up to have your brisket ready faster! Additionally, wrapping your brisket also helps the meat retain more moisture.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of the article, cooking brisket in slow cookers vs oven!
We hope our post helped all of you that is confused about whether to cook brisket in a slow cooker or oven.
If you’re a beginner and slow cookers and ovens are an option, try slow cookers first.
Cooking brisket is not an easy task. It takes a while before you can start cooking it to perfection.
Slow cookers allow more time to fix mistakes if any. On the other hand, cooking brisket in an oven requires more attention.
That’s all for today. Stay tuned for more!
