Pressure Cooker Pulled Brisket in Gravy

This pulled brisket in super tender, moist and easy to make in a pressure cooker or instant pot in only 90 minutes! The keto and gluten-free gravy is rich and thick, with a hearty and comforting flavor!

It’s a wonderful family dinner and fit to feed a crowd – or just keep it all to yourself, as it’s perfect to meal prep, freezes well and the leftovers are even better tasting!

Pulled brisket with keto gravy served with turnip and garlic mash.

This quick to make brisket is juicy and soft and easy to pull apart with a fork… the perfectly cooked meat nearly melts!

Ingredient notes

Whole beef brisket: try to get an untrimmed brisket, or packer cut. This is the whole brisket, not the separated parts.

If you can’t get the whole cut, I recommend the point cut or deckle because it’s fattier. It makes for for a more flavorful and tender, easy to shred pulled brisket. If you get the flat cut (first cut) instead, it’s going to be a lot leaner, so make sure you don’t trim away any of the fat!

Large casserole dish full of pulled beef brisket mixed in gravy, with two forks on the side.

Carrots, celery and onion: This aromatic base, called mirepoix, is going to be the backbone of flavor for the sauce. Traditionally mirepoix is made with a 2:1:1 mix of onions, carrots and celery, but for a more “homely” gravy flavor I changed it to 1:1:1 in this recipe.

Stock: I like using stock cubes because you can always have them on hand, they don’t really go bad ever and don’t take up any space. You can replace for the same amount of liquid stock if you prefer.

Xanthan gum: That’s how we make the brisket gravy keto and gluten-free! Xanthan gum, when used in the right quantity, is the perfect keto friendly sauce thickener. You just need a very small amount!

A fork full of shredded tender brisket with brown gravy.

How to make

Pressure cook the brisket

Prepare the brisket by trimming the fat – but only if there’s an excessive, very thick cap. Otherwise, it’s best to actually leave on as much as you can. Fat isn’t just flavor, it makes the meat softer and juicier. Don’t worry about unsightly fat chunks, you can remove them later before shredding the brisket.

Ingredients for keto pulled brisket with gluten-free gravy.

Cut the brisket into half, or into smaller similar sized pieces as needed to fit inside your pressure cooker or instant pot. Rub with the salt and peppers, and brown the brisket pieces on high heat.

Mirepoix cooning on a pan, before and after.

Now, it’s time to prepare the mirepoix! You’ll need to sweat the diced carrots, onion and celery in medium-low heat, just until they are soft. It’s easy to tell it’s done when the onions get translucent.

Then, add the spices, tomato extract, stock cubes and water (or liquid stock) that will form the future brown gravy sauce with the meat juices. Gently arrange the browned brisket pieces back inside the pot, in a way that they are mostly submerged in the liquid.

Collage of brisket in pan submerged in stock before cooking, and brisket cooked after 90 minutes under pressure.

Cook the brisket in high pressure for a mere 90 minutes. The meat will be super easy to shred, you can just pull it apart with a pair of forks! – Ahh, the beauty of pressure cooking. Forgive me slow cooker fans!

How to make keto gravy

To make the keto and gluten-free brisket gravy, just return the pot with the mirepoix and beef stock mix, now with the added brisket cooking juices to medium heat and whisk in the xanthan gum.

Sprinkle it delicately while whisking non-stop, to avoid clumping. Simmer a little bit, and it will form a rich, thick and super flavorful brown gravy!

Beef brisket with gluten-free gravy and roasted turnip and garlic mash on a white plate.
Beef brisket with gravy served with roasted garlic and turnip mash.

Serving ideas

If you can resist eating this tender and juicy pulled brisket topped in gravy just by itself before you even finish shredding it… I mean, I can’t, but that’s why I make so much of it. So there’s some left to serve with other dishes. And again tomorrow 😋

  • Try as a pulled brisket sandwich: with this easy keto and gluten-free pea protein bread, for example, that you can prepare just in a few minutes in a fry pan so there’s not much waiting.
  • For a super hearty and comforting dish that’s just going to bring you happiness, serve the shredded brisket with this roasted garlic and turnip mash – for keto, this is the next best thing to mashed potato. Make sure to top it with some extra gravy!
Roasted turnip and garlic mash topped with beef brisket gravy with mirepoix pieces.

Storage and freezing

This pulled brisket in brown gravy is just the perfect meal to prep ahead, because it freezes beautifully and remains super flavorful. Actually, I think it gets even better after a couple of days in the fridge, or after thawing. After you reheat it in the gravy it gets even more flavorful and juicier.

Just separate into portions in airtight containers, mixed with the brown gravy, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. In the freezer, it will remain tasty for about 3 months.


Pulled brisket with keto gravy served with turnip and garlic mash.

Pressure Cooker Pulled Brisket in Brown Gravy

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

This quick pulled brisket is so juicy, tender and easy to shred! You'll love the rich keto and gluten-free brown gravy with mirepoix veggies - it's super comforting!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 kilos (5.5 pounds) whole beef brisket
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper
  • 2 celery stalks (~ 1 cup, finely chopped)
  • 1 large yellow onion (~ 1 cup, finely chopped)
  • 2 medium carrots (~ 1 cup, finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 2 gluten-free beef stock cubes (See notes)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato extract
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • Xanthan gum (1/8 teaspoon per cup of gravy)

Instructions

Pressure cooker pulled brisket

    1. Cut the brisket to fit the pan, in half or more parts, about equally sized to cook uniformly. Season the brisket with salt, black and white pepper.
    2. Set the pressure cooker over high heat (or instant pot on sauté) and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pieces of brisket and brown them on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove brisket to a bowl or plate.
    3. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil, and the diced celery, onion and carrots. Sweat them, stirring occasionally, over low to medium heat until they are softened and the onions are translucent.
    4. Add the tomato extract, stock cubes, hot water, cumin and thyme. Stir until the stock cubes are dissolved.
    5. Return the browned brisket to the pan, and arrange the pieces so they are mostly under the liquid. Cover the pressure cooker or instant pot and set to cook on high pressure (instant pot meat/stew) for 90 minutes. Release pressure naturally when ready.
    6. Remove lid carefully. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board or large serving dish, keeping the sauces in the pot to make the gravy later. Pull the meat apart using two forks. Remove and discard excess fat.

    Gluten-free & keto gravy

    1. If needed, skim off excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Then, set the pan back on medium low heat.
    2. Estimate how many cups of liquid there's left, you'll need about 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum to thicken each cup. Grab a whisk, and slowly sprinkle the xanthan gum over the liquid while whisking to prevent clumping.
    3. Keep stirring until it starts to simmer, and the gravy is thickened.
    4. Pour the gravy over the shredded brisket and mix to serve, or serve it separately if you prefer.

Notes

  • If your brisket has a very thick fat cap, you can remove some of the excess before cooking, but do not take away everything, as the fat makes the meat moist and flavorful. Whatever is left on, just remove it after it has been cooked, before shredding.
  • The brisket should be ultra tender and falling apart after 90 minutes on high pressure, but if you find it's not easy to shred, then bring it back to high pressure and cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, followed by another natural release.
  • Be careful not to add more xanthan gum than what's recommended, in excess the xanthan gum won't make the gravy nice thicker, but gummy and inedible.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 24.4gCarbohydrates: 3.2gNet Carbohydrates: 2.3gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.8gProtein: 66g

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