Elk BBQ Brisket Sliders

Classic slow-cooked elk BBQ brisket sliders with a tangy BBQ sauce and a spicy slaw. An easy set it and forget it wild game recipe that’s perfect for any meal –  from Sunday dinner to your next summer picnic.

This recipe was developed in partnership with The Honest Bison. All opinions are my own.

Do the larger cuts of wild game scare you? They can be tricky, but if cooked low and slow, the result is a delicious and juicy cut of meat, like with this Coffee-Rubbed Elk Tri-Tip. For this elk brisket, we slow cook it all down in a slow cooker until it shreds like butter. We’ve also included notes below for slow cooking in the oven, too.

Ingredients needed

We developed this recipe in partnership with The Honest Bison, a company with the same shared values as us here at Primal Pioneer. They provide high-quality grass-fed wild game meats and believe in humanely raised, quality game meat that honors the whole animal.

BBQ Brisket

• 2-pound Honest Bison Elk Brisket
• ¼ cup BBQ rub
• ¼ cup yellow onion – diced
• ¼ cup mustard
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup BBQ sauce – divided
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• Slider buns

Spicy slaw: 

• 4 cup cabbage slaw
• 2 jalapeños – diced
• ⅓ cup mayo
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ⅛ – ¼ cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

How to make Elk BBQ Brisket Sliders

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1. In a bowl, combine the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, ½ cup BBQ sauce, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 
2. Completely coat both sides of the elk brisket with the BBQ rub. 
3. Place into a slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture over the brisket. Add the diced onion. 
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until tender and can be easily shredded. 
5. While the elk brisket is cooking, combine the slaw ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. 
6. Once the elk brisket is tender and can shred easily, remove from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Drain ¾ of the juice from the slow cooker, leaving about ¼ cup juice remaining. Add the shredded brisket back into the slow cooker and add ½ cup BBQ sauce. Stir to coat. 
7. Serve on slider buns and top with the spicy slaw.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Do I need to cut away the fat and silver skin from the elk brisket?

You do not need to cut away the fat, as it will melt away as it cooks. However, if there are large patches of silver skin, this does not cook away and you’ll want to try to thinly slice this away before rubbing with your BBQ rub.

Can I slow cook an elk brisket in the oven?

Yes! You’ll want to also slow cook the elk brisket in the oven, at a temperature around 225 degrees F. You’ll follow the recipes directions, except place the elk brisket into a dutch oven or deep roasting pan. Cook for 8-10 hours just as you would in a slow cooker.

Recipe Notes and Variations:

• Use regular-sized buns if preferred. 
• Use whatever BBQ rub you prefer. 
• Use whatever BBQ sauce you prefer.
• Oven-roast in a dutch oven at 225 degrees F. for 8-10 hours.
• If no apple cider vinegar is available, you can replace with lemon juice, lime juice, or white vinegar.

Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe

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Enjoy these other wild game recipes!

• Easy Elk Enchiladas – an easy ground elk meat recipe
• Elk Carne Asada – delicious carne asada made with elk flank steak
• Venison Stuffed Shells – all the delicious flavors of million-dollar lasagna transformed into venison stuff shells
• Venison Taco Ring – made with flavorful ground venison taco meat, covered in cheese, stuffed inside a flaky crescent roll ring, then baked to golden perfection

Elk BBQ Brisket Sliders