BBQ Brisket Sandwiches (easy Slow Cooker)

Brisket Sandwiches with Coleslaw are the king of all sandwiches! 

Brisket Sandwiches with juicy, flavor exploding, melt in your mouth barbecue brisket piled on cheesy toasted buns with crunchy, light coleslaw – drool –  will be your go-to company meal! They’re super easy to make in the slow cooker, completely customizable, make ahead friendly and the brisket reheats beautifully!

BEEF BRISKET VIDEO

up close of easy brisket sandwich with coleslaw


 


Best Brisket Sandwich

With Father’s Day around the corner and potlucks galore, it’s time for easy Beef Brisket Sandwiches!  These luxuriously rich, hearty Brisket Sandwiches are summer comfort food at its most drool worthy.  They’re the ultimate stress free company dinner because the brisket can be made days in advance then reheated for easy entertaining. Add a side of Brown Sugar Bacon Baked BeansMillion Dollar Mac and Cheese and Award Winning Cornbread, Perfect Fruit  Salad and Grilled Corn on the Cob and you have the best summer barbecue plate in town.

But even without the extra sides, this brisket is show-stopping fabulous. And don’t worry, even if you’ve never made brisket before, you will find this recipe super EASY without any fancy smoker equipment, but with restaurant-worthy results.

As I mentioned when I first shared my Beef Brisket recipe, this is Patrick and my most favorite barbecue food.  No joke.  And to have the best Brisket Sandwiches, you need the best brisket!  This brisket is exceptional because:

  1. It’s rubbed in a tantalizing spice rub of paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, chipotle powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper.  The rub is not too spicy, not too sweet, but just plain flavorful.
  2. It is oven seared which seals in the spices/juices, renders some of the fat and adds a depth and complexity of flavor that can’t be achieved any other way.
  3. It is slathered in the “BEST Barbecue Sauce” according to readers that I also use in my Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs. Readers claim they will never use another barbecue sauce again!
  4. It’s slow cooked all day to achieve exceptionally tender, melt-in-your-mouth juicness.

Now all that’s left to make it your personal BEST Brisket Sandwich is to choose your favorite toppings and cheese!

Open faced best brisket sandwich with coleslaw

Leftover Brisket Sandwich Recipe

This Leftover Brisket Sandwich recipe was born because serving hearty, rich barbecue brisket on a toasted, cheesy bun topped with fresh, tangy coleslaw is our favorite way to devour brisket.  The sandwiches are finger-lickin’ good – literally – and you will love that you can make them in advance.

While Brisket Sandwiches may seem complicated, they are actually super simple with most of the cooking time spent in the slow cooker  – so you can be off your feet – and so your house won’t be drowning in heat all day –  just be swimming in the smell of sensational rich, smoky brisket.

The brisket holds its shape so you can either slice the meat it or shred it, which means you don’t have to worry too much about overcooking your beef brisket because it will hold together to the point of being shreddable.  When I cooked this beef brisket, it was sooooo tender but I was still able to slice it AND I was still able to easily shred it as well.

The brisket can be made entirely in advance for these Brisket Sandwiches so if you have friends over, the only thing you’ll have to do is assemble the sandwiches when they arrive.

pulling apart barbecue brisket on a cutting board for Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Sandwiches

To make Beef Brisket Sandwiches in advance (pick one):

  • After your beef brisket is cooked, remove the slow cooker ceramic insert and refrigerate it with the brisket and all the juices for 1-3 days – without shredding or slicing it. Not only does the flavor improve, it becomes even more tender and makes prep the next day a snap.  When ready to serve, simply skim off the hardened fat then cook on low for 1-2 hours until warmed through then shred/slice.
  • OR Make the beef brisket to completion, including shredding it. If you do this, then I would be sure to reserve some barbecue sauce so you can add some sauce to when you reheat the meat. You can reheat your shredded brisket on LOW in the slow cooker, stove or oven.
holding a bbq beef brisket sandwich with two hands on a cutting board

Brisket Sandwich Condiments

Brisket Sandwiches can be as dressed up or as dressed down as you would like.  You can serve them plain with just a bun and barbecue sauce smothered beef brisket or add cheese or tangy, light coleslaw as I’ve detailed below.

If you’re looking to dress up your Brisket Sandwiches, you can include one or more of the below ideas or create a topping bar so your eaters can customize their own sandwiches to create their very own Best Brisket Sandwich.

  • bacon
  • pickles
  • pickled vegetables
  • jalapenos
  • pepperoncini’s
  • onion jam
  • onion rings
  • avocados
  • horseradish sauce
  • hot sauce
Making tangy coleslaw for Brisket Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Best Cheese for Brisket Sandwiches

As far as cheese go, the possibilities are endless!  I like something with a little more bite like sharp white cheddar or pepper jack but even more subtle cheeses like smoky Gruyere would be fabulous depending on what you’re looking for. Your guests can even pick their own cheese before it’s melted!  I think any of the following would be delish:

  • sharp white cheddar
  • sharp cheddar
  • provolone
  • Pepper Jack
  • Monterrey Jack
  • Gruyere
  • pimiento

They key to cheese on brisket sandwiches is to not melt the cheese on the buns too far in advance otherwise you end up with cold cheese that looses it’s ooh la la cheesy factor.  Rather, you can assemble you’re the buns with the cheese on them  but wait to actually melt the cheese until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.  Also, you want a healthy dose of cheese otherwise the cheesiness will just get lost.  And you can never go wrong with more cheese!

Toasting cheese on a bun for easy Brisket Sandwiches

How to Serve Brisket Sandwiches

Brisket Sandwiches with Coleslaw are already obsessive worthy and don’t need a lot to turn the hunky sandwich into a complete meal.  You can serve them with a simple green salad, potato chips and watermelon and call it delicious ooooooor you can get a little more fun and flirty with any of these plethora of satisfying sides:

up close of brisket sandwich with barbecue beef brisket and coleslaw

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE SANDWICH RECIPES:

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holding a leftover brisket sandwich with one hand over white parchment paper
up close of easy brisket sandwich with coleslaw

BBQ Brisket Sandwiches

Brisket Sandwiches will be your go-to company meal! Juicy, flavor exploding, melt in your mouth barbecue brisket piled on cheesy toasted buns with crunchy, light coleslaw are easy to make in the slow cooker, completely customizable, make ahead friendly and the brisket reheats beautifully!
Servings: 8 large sandwiches
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours

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Ingredients

  • 1 Recipe Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
  • 8 large buns or Texas toast
  • 8 slices sharp white cheddar, sharp cheddar, provolone, pepper Jack, Monterrey Jack Gruyere, or pimiento

Light Coleslaw

  • 4 cups shredded cabbage red or green
  • 1-2 shredded carrots (½ cup)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise I use fat free
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional Toppings

  • bacon
  • pickles
  • pickled vegetables
  • Pepperoncini’s
  • jalapenos
  • onion jam
  • onion rings
  • Avocados
  • horseradish sauce
  • hot sauce

Instructions

  • Prepare Brisket according to directions. Shred or slice as desired.
  • Meanwhile, add Coleslaw ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and add additional sugar, vinegar, salt to taste.
  • When ready to serve, lay bottom of buns in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top with sliced cheese and broil until melted, approximately, 1-2 minutes.
  • Top cheesy buns with desired amount of brisket followed by coleslaw and any desired toppings.

Video

Notes

*See Post for TONS of side serving ideas
To make Beef Brisket Sandwiches in advance, you can either:
  • After your beef brisket is cooked, remove the slow cooker ceramic insert and refrigerate it with the brisket and all the juices for 1-3 days – without shredding or slicing it. Not only does the flavor improve, it becomes even more tender and makes prep the next day a snap.  When ready to serve, simply skim off the hardened fat then cook on low for 1-2 hours until warmed through then shred/slice.
  • OR Make the beef brisket to completion, including shredding it. If you do this, then I would be sure to reserve some barbecue sauce so you can add some sauce to when you reheat the meat. You can reheat your shredded brisket on LOW in the slow cooker, stove or oven.
  • For the cheese, you can assemble you’re the buns with the cheese on them but wait to actually melt the cheese until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches so your cheese doesn’t get cold and lost.

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4 Comments

  1. Nicole Presby says

    The barbeque brisket recipe is absolutely amazing! 5 Stars for sure! Made this exactly as the recipe calls for and it came out perfectly. My husband loved it too (and he’s a picky eater).. i will be making this again. No more store bought bbq sauce in this house! Thanks for an amazing recipe.

    • Jen says

      Hi Nicole, I was on a cruise without internet for over a week and I am all sorts of behind but thank you so much for your comment! I’m thrilled this is a “5 star” brisket recipe in your book and that even your picky husband loved it!

  2. Tracy says

    Making this for sure!!!! I noticed there’s a few cheeses to pick from. What is your first choice for cheese?

    Thank you!

    • Jen says

      Hi Tracy, I love all cheeses but particularly white cheddar with this recipe. Enjoy!