Instant Pot Brisket with Smashed Potatoes – succulent, melt-in-your-mouth beef bursting with flavor. This easy family-friendly meal pairs tender brisket with smashed potatoes and carrots cooked right in the Instant Pot for minimal fuss and maximum taste.
You might also enjoy Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew and Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff.
This brisket becomes wonderfully tender in the Instant Pot, so you don’t need to stand over the stove or heat the oven for hours. Pressure cooking does the heavy lifting, delivering rich flavor and soft, shreddable meat in a fraction of the traditional time.
Brisket can vary in texture and flavor, but the Instant Pot ensures consistently tender results. Balsamic vinegar adds a deep, bright sweetness that elevates the sauce and balances the richness of the beef.
Tips for Perfect Brisket Every Time
Brisket is a tough, collagen-rich cut that responds best to gentle, prolonged cooking or high-pressure methods that break down fibers. Follow these steps for reliable results:
- Sear before cooking – browning builds caramelized flavor in the sauce.
- Use long, gentle cooking or high pressure – slow cookers or pressure cookers deliver the most tender brisket.
- Keep it moist – always cook with liquid such as stock, wine, balsamic, or beer.
- Slice against the grain – cutting across the muscle fibers makes the meat tender and easy to chew.
One of the conveniences of this method is that the potatoes and carrots steam above the brisket, so you don’t need extra pots for side dishes. A silicone steamer basket or trivet makes it simple to cook vegetables alongside the meat.
The balsamic vinegar, beef stock, tomatoes, onions, and garlic reduce into a rich, spoonable gravy that complements the meat and vegetables beautifully.
How to Cook Brisket In The Instant Pot
- Unroll the brisket if needed and trim any large pieces of fat; a little fat is fine. Season with salt and pepper. If the piece is very large, cut it into two or three portions. Prepare the vegetables while the meat rests.
- Use the Sauté function with 1–2 tbsp oil to sear the brisket on both sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side on high. Remove the brisket and set aside.
- Lower Sauté to medium, deglaze the pot with a splash of stock, then add a little more oil if needed. Sauté the onion and garlic for about five minutes until softened, then stir in salt, bay leaves, herbs, and sugar or a sweetener.
- Add balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Nestle the brisket into the sauce.
- Place the metal trivet over the brisket and arrange the potatoes and carrots on top (in a steamer basket if using). Seal the vent and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure. Remove the carrots and potatoes with tongs and set aside. Lightly smash the potatoes with a fork. Remove the brisket and let it rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Whisk a cornstarch slurry into the sauce and use the Sauté function on high for 5–10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Slice the brisket against the grain, arrange on a platter, spoon sauce over the meat, and serve with the smashed potatoes and carrots. Garnish with chopped parsley and a little lemon zest if desired.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Guinness beef stew
- Pressure cooker Vietnamese beef stew
- Lamb Dhansak curry
- Instant Pot Korean pork ribs
- Pressure cooker meatball minestrone
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Instant Pot Brisket
Video
Ingredients
- 900 g (2 pounds) beef brisket
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil (or more as needed)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 tsp garlic paste or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) balsamic vinegar
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
- 1 tbsp Sukrin Gold or light brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 6 medium potatoes (or as many as fit)
- 4 large carrots (or 10 smaller carrots)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish
- 1 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 2 tbsp cold water (or 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)
- Lemon zest to garnish
Instructions
- Unroll and trim the brisket, cut into smaller pieces if needed, and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the brisket in the Instant Pot on Sauté (high) with oil for about 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
- Lower Sauté to medium, deglaze with a splash of stock, sauté onion and garlic until softened, then add salt, thyme, sweetener, and bay leaves.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and tomato paste, then nestle the brisket into the sauce.
- Place the trivet over the brisket and add potatoes and carrots in a steamer basket. Seal and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Allow natural release for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
- Remove the vegetables and lightly smash the potatoes. Remove the brisket and let it rest, covered, for about 5 minutes.
- Stir a cornstarch slurry into the sauce and use Sauté on high for 5–10 minutes until thickened.
- Slice the brisket against the grain, arrange with potatoes and carrots, spoon over sauce, and garnish with parsley and lemon zest.
Notes
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 90 g | Protein: 62 g | Fat: 20 g
Nutritional information is approximate and will vary with ingredients and portion sizes.
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