Offline Red Wine BBQ Brisket: Easy Crockpot Recipe for Leftover Wine

I started experimenting with BBQ brisket recipes during the pandemic, and this Offline Red Wine BBQ Brisket quickly became my go-to comfort dish. It’s an easy crockpot recipe that requires minimal prep but delivers deep, rich flavor every single time. The best part? It’s also a clever way to use up leftover red wine, turning it into a smoky, tangy BBQ sauce that feels gourmet with almost no effort.

What type of brisket should you buy for a crockpot?

When choosing brisket for a crockpot, it can be confusing, especially if you are new to slow cooker brisket recipes. After some trial and error with this red wine BBQ brisket, I found the best option is a “flat” brisket with the “cap off.” This means you are asking your local butcher for a long, rectangular cut of meat with uniform thickness and some of the fat trimmed off, which helps it cook evenly and stay tender in the crockpot.

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the measurements for the rub and the red wine BBQ sauce. Getting the proportions right is the key to this crockpot brisket turning out well every time and helps your flavors stay balanced instead of overpowering the meat.

Time: 6-8 hours cooking, 30 minutes prep

Ingredients:

Brisket

• 1 two-three pound Brisket

Rub

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder

• 1 tsp dried minced onions

• 1/2 tsp cumin powder

• 3/4 tsp mustard powder

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

BBQ Sauce 

• 1 tbsp Garlic olive oil (can substitute for 2 tsp garlic powder)

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup Offline Cha Cha Cha Red Blend Wine

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup brown sugar 

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 2 tsp dried minced onions

• 2  tsp mustard powder

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

PREPARE THE BRISKET

1. First, dry off the brisket with paper towels and set it aside. 

2. Next, mix the ingredients for your rub. Use a glove to apply the rub to the brisket, ensuring it is evenly coated.

3. Let the brisket sit in the refrigerator with the rub for at least 1 hour. This allows the salt and flavors to be absorbed into the meat. You can leave the brisket with rub in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking if you prefer.

PREPARE THE RED WINE BBQ SAUCE

1. In a mixing bowl mix together the BBQ sauce ingredients with a whisk until they are blended. 

COOK THE BRISKET 

1. Put the BBQ Sauce mixture into your crockpot. Set the brisket on top.

2. Turn the crockpot to high. Usually it will take ~6-8 hours to cook depending on how hot your crockpot gets. I like to flip the brisket at the three hour mark to make sure it cooks evenly.

3. To check if the brisket is done I use a fork once it’s cooked for 6 hours and if the meat seems to be easily “flaking off” the brisket it’s done. Set aside the meat (I like to put aluminum foil over it to keep it from cooling off) and put the liquid from the BBQ sauce into a sauce pan.

4. Bring the BBQ sauce to a simmer and cook down the liquid until it the consistency of maple syrup - this should take 15-20 minutes of simmering.

5. Cut the brisket against the grain (like in the first portion of this video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUp1-fwrLNc. Serve with BBQ sauce and your favorite sides!