Instant Pot BBQ Brisket with Molasses Sauce

Pound the brisket lightly. Rub salt all over. Three cloves of garlic smashed into the pot, onions underneath—that’s your base. Seventy minutes total from cold to sliced, and the meat comes apart in your hand. Instant Pot beef recipes don’t get easier than this.

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Brisket

Comes together in 70 minutes, which means dinner happens on a weeknight without planning three days ahead. One pot. Literally one. The Instant Pot does the work while you’re not standing there sweating.

Tastes like you spent hours smoking meat, except you didn’t. Molasses in the BBQ sauce makes it darker, richer—not that bright red ketchup thing. The brisket gets tender in a way that doesn’t happen on the stovetop, and it’s comfort food that actually feels like something.

Cheap cut of beef. Two pounds costs less than chicken thighs, tastes better cold the next day. Not sure why pressure cooker brisket with BBQ sauce gets better overnight. Just does.

No smoke, no grill, no problem. Liquid Smoke gives you that flavor without any equipment. Works in an apartment. Works anywhere.

What You Need for Instant Pot Beef Brisket

Brisket first—two pounds, the flat cut, not too thin. Kosher salt because it sticks. Garlic powder and onion powder go on the raw meat. Three cloves smashed fresh, one large onion sliced. Not diced. Sliced. They collapse into the broth.

Beef broth for the steam base. One cup. Apple cider vinegar because white vinegar tastes like cleaning supplies. Ketchup, molasses instead of brown sugar—molasses gives darker caramelization. One tablespoon Worcestershire. Two teaspoons minced fresh garlic for the sauce, separate from the whole cloves. Liquid Smoke, one teaspoon. Chili powder. Yellow mustard. White pepper, celery salt. That’s it.

Can you swap things? Mushroom stock works. Smoked paprika if you skip the Liquid Smoke. Molasses is molasses—don’t get weird about it. Brown sugar works if molasses isn’t there. The sauce matters more than the exact ratio.

How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Brisket

Mix the dry rub first—kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder in a small bowl. Pound the brisket lightly with the meat mallet. Not hard. Just enough to even it out and break the tissue gently. Rub that salt mixture all over both sides. Set it aside. The salt starts working now.

Make the sauce while the brisket sits. Whisk together ketchup, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire, minced garlic, Liquid Smoke, chili powder, white pepper, celery salt, yellow mustard. One bowl. Tastes sharp right now. That’s correct. It mellows into the meat.

Slice the onion. Smash the three garlic cloves with the flat of your knife—no mincing, just crush them. Put both in the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot. Pour beef broth over them. This is your steam base. It keeps the brisket from touching the heating element.

Lay the brisket on top of the onions and garlic. Pour half the BBQ sauce over it. Coat it well but save the rest. The other half goes in a separate pan later—keeps the sauce from overcooking and turning bitter while the meat pressurizes.

How to Get Instant Pot Brisket Tender Every Time

Seal the lid. Make sure the vent is set to Sealing, not Venting. Press Manual or Pressure Cook. High pressure. Fifty-five minutes. Not sixty. Fifty-five. Brisket should resist a little when you probe it, but fall apart with actual force—that’s done.

When the timer goes off, natural release for ten minutes. Just sit there. Don’t touch it. Then quick release the rest. You’ll hear hissing stop, feel the pressure drop. Grab the lid from the side, not above. Steam burns are real.

While all that’s happening, pour the reserved sauce into a small pan. Low heat. Stir it once in a while. Watch it thicken and darken. Smell comes up sweet and deep. Don’t let the sugars burn. Take it off before the edges get black.

Pull the brisket onto a cutting board. See the juices? Slightly gelatinous, that’s the collagen turned to gelatin. Let it rest five to ten minutes. Slice thin. Against the grain. The meat fibers run one direction—cut perpendicular to that or you get chew instead of tender.

Instant Pot Brisket Tips and Common Mistakes

Overpounding kills it. You’re trying to even the thickness and break connective tissue. Not turn it into a thin sheet. Light pressure. That’s the whole thing.

The molasses BBQ sauce is not negotiable. Brown sugar tastes thin next to it. Molasses tastes like it sat with wood smoke for eight hours. It doesn’t. It just tastes like it did.

Two pounds works best. More than that and the timing gets sketchy. Less than two and it dries out faster than you’d think. Stay in that range.

Don’t skip the natural release. Five minutes minimum. The meat keeps cooking while pressure comes down. Quick release immediately and the meat seizes up. Tough. Not good.

Liquid Smoke seems weird in an Instant Pot. Doesn’t matter. One teaspoon gives you that flavor without the fire. If you don’t have it, use smoked paprika instead. Half to one teaspoon. Different flavor but works.

Slice against the grain. If you slice with the grain, you’re eating stringy beef. Against the grain and it falls apart when you bite it. Look at the meat. See the lines? Cut through them, not along them.

Instant Pot BBQ Brisket with Molasses Sauce

By Emma

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Prep:

15 min

Cook:

55 min

Total:

70 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef brisket
• 1 large onion sliced
• 3 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Method

1. 1 Mix kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder in small bowl. Rub brisket on both sides after pounding lightly with meat mallet. Set aside to let salt do its work while prepping sauce.
2. 2 In medium bowl whisk: ketchup, apple cider vinegar, molasses instead of brown sugar, Worcestershire, minced garlic, Liquid Smoke, chili powder, white pepper, celery salt, mustard. Molasses gives darker, richer sweetness and better caramelization later.
3. 3 Place sliced onion and smashed garlic cloves at bottom of Instant Pot inner pot. Pour beef broth over them for steam base.
4. 4 Lay brisket over aromatics. Pour half the BBQ sauce on top, coating well but saving half to heat separately for serving—avoids overcooking sauce and flavor dulling.
5. 5 Seal lid. Set Manual, high pressure for about 55 minutes instead of 60. Brisket should resist gently but pull apart easily when done. Natural release 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure. Listen for hissing stop, grab lid cautiously.
6. 6 While brisket cooks, pour reserved BBQ sauce into small pan. Warm gently on low, stirring occasionally. Thickens slightly, smells deep. Watch not to burn sugars.
7. 7 Remove brisket to board. Notice juices, slightly gelatinous glaze. Let rest 5-10 min. Slice thinly against the grain–key to tenderness, else chew fest.
8. 8 Serve with warm BBQ sauce spooned over. Try with crusty bread or a crisp slaw for crunch contrast.
9. 9 If brisket feels tough, consider adding a few extra minutes pressure next time or slicing thinner.
10. 10 Swapping beef broth for mushroom stock adds umami boost. No Liquid Smoke? Smoked paprika 1/2 to 1 tsp works.
11. 11 Common slip: overpounding meat mallet can make texture mushy; just enough to even thickness and break connective tissue gently.

Nutritional information

Calories

380

Protein

39g

Carbs

15g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot BBQ Brisket

Can I use a different cut of beef for instant pot comfort food? Chuck roast works. Richer actually, more marbling. Takes the same time. Brisket flat is cheaper though. That’s the only reason to pick it.

How thin should the brisket be sliced? Thin enough that light comes through it almost. Quarter inch, maybe less. Thick slices chew. Thin slices don’t.

What if the brisket is still tough after pressure cooking? Add five more minutes next time. Some briskets are tougher. The grain matters. If you sliced with the grain instead of against it, that’s your problem for next time.

Can I make the molasses BBQ sauce brisket sauce ahead? Yeah. Make it the night before. Keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently before serving. Tastes the same.

Do I have to use molasses or can I do brown sugar? Brown sugar works if that’s what you have. Molasses is better. It darkens more, tastes richer. Brown sugar tastes thin by comparison. Not worth skipping molasses if you can get it.

What does natural release mean exactly? Don’t touch the vent. Let the pressure drop on its own. Takes about ten minutes. The meat keeps cooking gently while that happens. Quick release immediately and the meat gets weird and tough.

Can I swap the beef broth for something else? Mushroom stock adds umami. Chicken broth works but tastes lighter. Water works if you’re stuck. Beef is best. Broth, not stock—stock’s too gelatinous.

How do I know when the lid is safe to open? The vent shouldn’t hiss anymore. Press down on the pressure valve—nothing comes out. That’s safe. Or just wait longer. Ten minutes of hissing means it’s still going.