How to Smoke the Perfect Beef Brisket

This incredibly flavorful and surprisingly elementary Texas-mode smoked brisket is the exist-all-end-all recipe for mouthwatering BBQ perfection. While information technology might at first experience intimidating to brand yourself, let's interruption it downwards into an approachable process that is your ticket to success.

Smoking a brisket ain't no quick thing to practice. Information technology is going to be an investment of both time and money. While information technology takes a long time, it'southward really quite a uncomplicated process. Sure, you tin become super technical with all the piddling details, but actually, you just need to know the basics for it to come out amazing. You lot probably won't even need a recipe the next time you make information technology.

It begins with a simple ii-ingredient rub, then smokes for hours and hours to perfection. It's something that you and especially your guests volition non exist able to get plenty of. Oh, and the leftovers are amazing, too!

The Goal: Smoke a near-perfect brisket on your very first effort. Yeah, it is possible, and you lot tin can do information technology!

Now let'south ready our confidence on high and become started making the best smoked brisket you have ever tasted!

The Bones Formula + Why It Works

Making the best brisket doesn't require whatsoever hole-and-corner ingredients or honed techniques. Information technology'due south actually but the combination of three of import things and following the procedure.

This is a tried-and-true method that smokehouses in Texas have been using for decades. It is based on Aaron Franklin'south methodology, which is well known to be the gold standard for Texas-way smoked brisket.

1. Use high-quality meat (USDA Prime grade recommended and Choice at minimum).
2. Fume depression and ho-hum at a constant temperature between 250 and 275° F using quality fuel and clean smoke. This brisket is going to take a long fourth dimension to melt, so be prepared and don't e'er blitz it.
3. Don't skip the long residual! The resting step is so important. The brisket must rest for at least one hour and preferably two hours to fully reabsorb all the juices earlier y'all slice it.

Whether you are using a kamado smoker like a Big Dark-green Egg, a pellet smoker like a Traeger, a box smoker or anything in between, it's really the same concept. As long as you can maintain the proper temperature, deliver quality smoke to melt the brisket to 200° F internal, and let it residue for at least an hour, your brisket is going to come up out slap-up.

How to Fume a Brisket: The Basic Steps

Smoking the most amazing brisket is a combination of some science, some fine art and a picayune luck.

The high-level steps are right below in gray. Continue scrolling further for even more details and the full recipe card.

Every step of the procedure is of import and each has some margin for error. Each step is easy to follow, but if a few of the steps aren't verbal, it's nevertheless going to plough out great.

1. Trim information technology - Tidy upward the brisket by trimming the fatty cap to leave about ¼" fatty layer and removing the silver skin from the underside.
   
2. Season information technology generously with a fifty:50 ratio of Diamond kosher salt and sixteen mesh basis black pepper (or freshly ground pepper). Let it sit out at room temperature for one hour.
   
3. Prep your smoker to use indirect heat cooking and bring the temperature between 250° F to 275° F with post oak (or your preferred type of woods) and prepare a water drip pan in place.
   
4. Smoke it - Place the brisket in the smoker and cook with the lid closed.
   
5. Wrap it tightly with butcher paper when the bark is formed and the internal temperature reaches near 165° F. Then identify back in the smoker until the internal temperature of the flat (thinner side) reaches between 200° and 205° F, and it feels very tender and flexible to the touch on.
   
6. Residuum it all the same wrapped for at to the lowest degree one to ii hours before slicing.

Now Let'due south Dig Deeper - What Is Brisket?

You hear well-nigh it all the time and you lot have probably ordered it at a eating place. But what is information technology exactly?

Brisket is a giant, extremely tough piece of beef. There are two briskets per cow (one from each side) and they are the pectoral muscles, which are tough because of all of the piece of work they do. Each brisket is comprised of two muscles, the flat and the signal. Each of these has a unique texture and cooks differently, which adds to the challenge of the cook. The size of the cut before trimming can range from 8 to 20 pounds.

While a brisket is large and tough, it packs tons of flavor and is a perfect candidate for low and slow smoking. It's up to us to piece of work a lilliputian magic and brand it the most tender, flavorful cutting for BBQ that yous tin can imagine.

How to Buy a Brisket

Not all beef is created equal. Different qualities of beefiness make a big difference in the cease results. Ownership quality is an investment and is super important. While the meat has a relatively low price per pound compared to some steak, the total gets expensive with the loftier weight of the cut. Since you will exist spending a good corporeality of money and time on this cook, you want information technology to be the best it can exist.

I always recommend going with USDA Prime grade brisket. Information technology is ordinarily only a few dollars more than per pound and is totally worth it. The internal marbling is far superior to lower grades of beef. Marbling ways more than fatty, more flavour, and a much tastier and tender brisket.

If you lot can't observe Prime number grade, then go with USDA Option form at a minimum.

When shopping, consider the size and how information technology feels (from what you tin tell through the plastic). The larger the brisket, the more meat you will stop upwardly with, but the longer it will take to cook. Look for "even" thickness and you lot desire it to feel somewhat soft and flexible.

Keep in listen that pasture-raised grass-fed beefiness is usually leaner and will take much stronger flavors, so it is best to avoid grass-fed for barbecue.

The Flat vs the Point vs Whole Packer

The anatomy of the brisket consists of two principal parts, the flat and the point. A whole brisket is chosen a "whole packer." While you might find the flat and betoken already cleaved downwardly and sold separately, it is my opinion that ownership anything less than the whole packer brisket simply isn't worth information technology with all the time you will be investing.

Where to Purchase

It can exist tough to source at your regular grocery store. That's where your local butcher can help, and they should know where information technology came from and how it was raised. Try to source beef that has been humanely treated. There are some fantastic online sources for high-quality product and Costco is also a go-to source.

• Snake River Farms
• Oversupply Moo-cow
• Costco
• Your local butcher

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How Many People Will a Brisket Feed?

Effigy 1 pound of raw untrimmed brisket per person. You will exist trimming off near 20 to forty% of the brisket and cooking out fifty-fifty more weight. A 15-pound brisket will serve approximately 15 people.

Feed a hungry oversupply for less than $half dozen per person!

Currently (as of September 2021), the toll at Costco for Prime brisket is $5.79 per pound.

While you don't desire to summate your hourly rate into this, you tin can feed at to the lowest degree 15 people with a 15-pound brisket (or four super hungry folks). At $5.79 per pound, that is less than $six per person for some of the best barbecue meat they will always taste. Pretty amazing, right?

What You Need

Essential Tools & Equipment for Smoking a Brisket

• Abrupt Knives: Boning pocketknife for trimming the fat and silver skin and a slicing knife for slicing the cooked meat.
• Fuel:
  • Wood chunks: I recommend post oak for a charcoal smoker. *Don't use smaller wood chips as they will burn upward also speedily for the long cook.
  • Lump charcoal (if using a charcoal grill). I recommend Jealous Devil or Big Green Egg brand for their great season and long burning abilities.
  • Pellets: Use your favorite blend. Oak is difficult to observe, only Pitboss does brand oak pellets.
• Disposable aluminum drip pan for a h2o bath to keep the smoking environment moist and to catch the fat drippings. Y'all can buy these in bulk at Costco.
• Ii-zone remote probe thermometer is an amazing tool that monitors the temperature of your smoker forth with the internal temperature of the meat. Information technology volition remotely alarm you if a temperature of either goes outside the parameters you set.
• Instant-read probe thermometer to get precise internal temperature reads of the brisket.
• Pink butcher paper for wrapping the brisket (aka the Texas crutch). I adopt the 24" width for easier wrapping (y'all can also use broad aluminum foil).
• Long tongs for transferring the brisket to and from the smoker.
• Sheet pans for seasoning and transporting the brisket to and from the smoker.
• Cooler for resting the brisket in an insulated surroundings afterwards the fume.
• Large cutting board for trimming and slicing.

Prepping the Brisket

Information technology's all in the prep work, and the adept affair is that there really isn't much of information technology.

Trimming the brisket

When you bring home the brisket, it probable has backlog fatty that needs to be trimmed off. This is the about tedious role of the whole process and it does make a deviation in the cease result.

The goal of the trim is to make an even clean-looking surface, void of pieces that volition burn or non exist edible. It'southward really upwardly to you every bit to how much time yous want to spend trimming the brisket, taking off every bit little or as much of the fatty as you lot would like. I say that if you want to swallow it, leave it on. You can spend v minutes or 30 minutes depending on how much piece of work you are willing to put in.

The Fat Cap: Trim the top fat cap layer down to virtually ¼" to ½".

Remove Silver Pare: You likewise want to remove the argent skin (sinew) on the bottom side, every bit it doesn't pause downwardly or tenderize no matter how long it cooks.

*I'll be putting together an in-depth post and video on trimming. In the meantime, view some trimming tips from Aaron Franklin.

Pro Tips for Trimming the Fatty

1. Trim the fat when the brisket is very common cold. Cold fat is much easier to piece through. Either trim it when it's right out of the refrigerator or you can even place it in the freezer for ten to 15 minutes to chill it down first.
2. Wear food-condom nitrile gloves for easy clean-up and a better grip while you are trimming.
3. Dry the brisket off with paper towels before trimming to make information technology less slippery.
4. Apply a very sharp knife and a big cut board. A stiff boning knife is my preferred tool to easily maneuver and avert slicing that valuable flesh. Using a boring knife will brand the task much more difficult than information technology needs to be.
5. Inquire your butcher to practice it for you if it's something yous don't want to exercise it yourself (just call ahead).
6. Purchase ane that is already trimmed to avoid trimming the brisket all together. Some briskets come pre-trimmed, which saves some time but does give you less control.
7. Relieve the fatty if you wish. The fat y'all trim can be saved for making homemade hamburgers. sausage, Yorkshire pudding, or information technology can be melted and used for cooking.

Seasoning the Brisket

We desire to flavour the brisket so nosotros gustation that amazing beef and the smoke in all its glory without any distractions. Nothing makes that tastiness smooth through like the simplicity of equal parts of Kosher salt and pepper. Sure, you can get crazy with your favorite special rub if yous want to, but less is so much more when starting with quality beef.

After the brisket is trimmed, combine the Kosher salt and pepper in a spice rub shaker and sprinkle the rub from almost xviii" above the meat for an even blanket over every surface.

Season the brisket one hour earlier cooking to make certain the salt is fully absorbed. You tin season it the night before if y'all prefer.

An Optional Slather

A slather is really whatsoever liquid applied to the surface of the meat to help the rub stick. Information technology can be as elementary as h2o, oil or mustard. Information technology actually isn't necessary most of the time, and I personally don't utilise one for brisket. If you lot are having an issue with the rub sticking, you can apply a slather before applying the rub.

Best Wood for Smoking Brisket

Forest for smoking ofttimes comes down to preference and can require experimenting to run across the flavors you love best. In primal Texas, they traditionally use postal service oak (white oak). If yous tin can go it, utilize local oak (or whatever local hardwood you have that is good for smoking). Oak has mild slightly sweet flavors and has become my become-to for smoking simply about everything.

Wood Size: For a long smoke like this i, employ woods chunks, which are much larger than fries and volition burn for hours rather than minutes so you don't have to continue adding more.

Identify almost 6 chunks of forest with your charcoal to give a proficient amount of fume.

The Melt (aka The Fume)

Key Temps and Times

Smoker: 250° to 275° F. Lower is safer, higher volition cook faster and develop meliorate bark.
Brisket internal temp target #1: 165° F. It's time to wrap in butcher paper.
Brisket internal temp target #2: 200 to 205° F. The brisket is finished cooking and it'southward time to rest.
Approximate melt times: 1 to one ½ hours per pound. **Meet note on timing below.
Resting fourth dimension: ane to ii hours or until the internal temp drops betwixt 140° F and 145° F.

Cut	Weight	Smoker Temp	Approx Cook Time	Done at
Whole Packer	14 to 18 pounds	250° - 275° F	12 to 18 hours	200° to 205° F
Flat	vi to eight pounds	250° - 275° F	6 to 10 hours	200° to 205° F

Smoking meat ever seems to have longer than you lot expect, and so start early and just let it remainder longer if it is done early.

Why Timing Is Non key:

You lot probably desire to know exactly how long it's going to take. It's a fair question, but there really is no correct answer. While you can effigy roughly 1 to 1 ½ hours per pound of cook fourth dimension, that is a very crude estimate considering of all the variables involved.

Some of the variables include the smoker temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, the fatty content, starting temperature, the type of smoker, the humidity of the smoker, the weather outside, how shut the meat is to the heat, how many times you open up the hat, etc. Okay, you get the point. All these variables make information technology impossible to accurately predict the time it will take. And that's totally fine.

This is where a handy dandy probe meat thermometer comes in. Thermometers are absolutely key to success and a stress-costless smoke. Without one, you are flying blind. And sure it will yet smell expert while you are flying, but trust me, flying blind is no fun.

The Spritz

A spritz is only a spray of liquids onto the surface of the meat to concenter smoke and prevent it from drying out. I employ an equal ratio of apple tree cider vinegar and water in a food-safe spray bottle. I personally haven't found many times where I need to spritz a brisket in the smoker, but information technology may be needed if the meat starts to dry or gets too dark in areas. Avert spritzing for the get-go few hours of the cook then the lid stays closed.

Be Prepared for the Stall

The stall is basically a fourth dimension when the internal temperature of the meat stops rise at around 150° F, sometimes for a few hours. During this fourth dimension, the meat is sweating off liquid, which cools it downwards and prevents the temperature from ascension for a while.

The stall is real and it will probably mess with you, so just be ready for it. You lot merely take to stand by and trust the procedure. The temperature volition beginning rising again. Once it does, it will climb fairly quickly. When it reaches 165° F (or when the bark is fully formed), go alee and wrap the brisket. Avert wrapping during the stall, every bit information technology can crusade it to go slower.

How to Tell When the Brisket Is Done

A brisket is finished cooking when the internal temperature of the apartment reaches between 200° and 205° F. Some pitmasters swear by the verbal 203° F number. While the time information technology takes to finish cooking can vary greatly depending on numerous variables, in that location shouldn't be any guessing as to when the brisket is finished cooking.

E'er use an instant-read meat probe thermometer to spot cheque the temperature, and even better is to apply a Thermoworks Smoke Alarm so you lot can monitor information technology wirelessly without having to open the smoker.

With feel, you can also tell when it's washed by feel. When you don't have the feel nevertheless, be certain to feel how flexible the brisket is and then you can first to learn when it's at that place.

The Balance

Once the meat is finished cooking in the smoker, information technology's time for it to residue to redistribute the juices before slicing. Balance the brisket for ane to 2 hours in a cooler (still wrapped in the butcher newspaper) or until the internal temperature drops to effectually 145° F. It volition still exist overnice and warm for serving.

Resting is probably the most important stride, and absolutely should non exist skipped or rushed. Information technology might be tempting to balance information technology for less time, simply it's totally worth the wait.

Slicing the Brisket

Subsequently the brisket has fully rested, it'southward time to finish the job and serve it upward for all to enjoy.

• First, separate the point from the flat muscle, which is easy to practice in one case the meat is cooked.The grain is dissimilar for each, so you need to piece them separately.
• Slice confronting the grain using long piece strokes into ¼" thick slices for the nearly tender brisket bites. Use a long sharp slicing pocketknife similar the Victorinox 12 Inch Granton Blade Slicing.
• Sliced brisket will dry out fairly quickly, so slice only what you will serve correct abroad and slice more than as needed later on.

Pro Tips for Success

• Place the point (thicker part of the brisket) closer to the heat source than the apartment (thinner part). This helps the whole brisket cook more than evenly. Depending on your smoker, you lot might desire to rotate the brisket one time or twice during the melt.
• It's all about fire maintenance to maintain the abiding temperature around 250° to 275° F. In that location will always be fluctuations, merely the goal is to avoid big temperature swings.
• Use a 2-channel thermometer to remotely monitor the temperature of the smoker and the internal temperature of the brisket. I can't tell you how much this will assist and limit the trips out to the smoker to make sure information technology's notwithstanding at the right temperature.
• Keep the lid of your smoker closed! Open it equally infrequently as possible and exercise it rapidly when you lot have to. This keeps the smoke in and maintains the temperature. Yous shouldn't even accept to open it at all for the first 3 hours.
• Employ high-quality forest and charcoal. It makes a big deviation when information technology comes to the quality of the smoke and maintaining the burn.
• Know your cooker. Knowing how your smoker works takes some experience, only it will give you the confidence to proceed the burn down going and temperature correct.
• Always smoke with a water drip pan. This helps keep the environment humid, which keeps the brisket from drying out and attracts fume to the meat's surface. The drip pan will also catch the fat drippings. Since the water evaporates during the melt, be sure to bank check the level and add more as needed.
• Have notes from your melt. Document how you set upward your smoker, the blazon of wood you used, how much, the times and temperatures throughout the smoke, likewise every bit how long you rested it. Smoking is an art and knowing what worked and what didn't will help y'all improve with each effort.
• First the night before. If you need to swallow at a certain time, then take the prep time + judge cook + rest time + some actress buffer to effigy out when you should start the cook.

Sides to Serve With It

Serve it simply with staff of life & butter pickles,quick pickled onions and a few slices of white bread. Brilliant sides will dissimilarity with the smoky flavorful meat, with nothing too fat or rich. A fresh coleslaw is perfect because you tin can eat it on the side or put it on a brisket sandwich if you prefer. Baked beans and tater salad are likewise great pairings. Keep the theme going by sipping a refreshing hot & smoky mezcal margarita.

Leftover Brisket Inspiration

So you smoked a whole brisket. Chances are in that location will exist leftovers. The expert news is that in that location are so many things yous tin can make.

Make brisket sandwiches and omg good brisket ragu over pasta, tacos, breakfast brisket and egg hash, grilled cheese, add it to baked beans, make chili, add it to ramen. Okay, you go the point. Information technology is good in just about anything and you are the lucky one who gets to indulge for hopefully a few days at the least.

Check out all the leftover brisket recipe ideas.

FAQs

How long does information technology have to fume a brisket?

It takes approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours per pound at 250° F to smoke a whole packer brisket.

For planning purposes, smoke times for fourteen-pound brisket come out to 14 to 17 ½ hours. Smoking meat always seems to take longer than you expect, so start early and only let it rest longer.

Tin can I finish cooking the brisket in the oven?

Yes, you tin definitely terminate cooking it in an oven once the bark is fully formed in the smoker and it is wrapped. This comes in handy if you run out of fuel or are having a hard time maintaining the temperature of your smoker. Use the same temperature oven as you had in your smoker.

How long should I residue the brisket?

Remainder the wrapped brisket for at least an hr, but preferably two hours.

Do you need BBQ sauce with brisket?

The quick reply is a big NO! Barbecue sauce is definitely non needed for something this rich and flavorful. Information technology speaks for itself. If yous need BBQ sauce on your brisket, then chances are something went wrong when cooking it. This brisket should melt in your rima oris with so much amazing beef season, and y'all definitely don't want to cover that up. But if y'all must, a little Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce can be on the side to dip in.

• 12 to sixteen lb Prime grade whole packer brisket (fat trimmed to ¼" to ½" and silver peel removed)
• ½ loving cup Diamond kosher salt
• ½ cup freshly ground black pepper
• Spritz of 50:l apple cider vinegar and water (if necessary)

• Combine the Kosher salt and freshly basis black pepper in a pocket-sized basin or spice shaker, and then evenly season the brisket on all sides. Let the brisket sit down out at room temperature for ane 60 minutes.

• While the brisket comes to room temperature, gear up the smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions for indirect cooking with a water-filled drip pan in place. Bring the temperature between 250 and 275° F.Add together three to 5 fist-size oak, mesquite or your favorite wood chunks for smoke.

• Place the brisket in the smoker with the thicker tip closest to the heat. Leave the lid closed for at least 3 hours. Cook for a total of 6 to viii hours until dark brown bark is formed and the internal temperature reaches 165° F after the stall (when the temp stops rising for hours effectually 150° F).

• Remove the brisket from the smoker and tightly wrap it with uncoated butcher paper (or aluminum foil). Identify it back in the smoker and go along cooking until the internal temperature of the flat (thinner side) reaches between 200 and 205° F, about 6 to 8 more hours.

• Advisedly transfer the brisket (still wrapped in the butcher newspaper) to a cooler to rest for at least 1 and preferably 2 hours or until the internal temp drops to 140 to 145° F. You lot can line the cooler with a towel to farther insulate the brisket if you prefer.

• Separate the point from the apartment muscle. Slice against the grain (which is dissimilar for each muscle) into ¼" slices just before serving. Enjoy!

• Wood for smoking: I adopt using oak wood chunks, simply you tin can also utilise mesquite or add in a combination of cherry or apple tree depending on your preference.
• See above for tips for trimming the fat.
• The thicker part of the brisket (the point) should be closer to the heat source.
• Generally, y'all volition place the brisket fat side up in the smoker.
• Keep the smoker at a constant temperature between 250 and 275° F.
• Open the hat of the smoker equally few times every bit possible during the cook.
• Cheque the level of water in the drip pan and add more if besides much has evaporated.
• Spritz with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and h2o in a spray bottle if the meat starts to dry or gets also night in areas.
• The melt fourth dimension is one to 1 ½ hours per pound at 250° F.
• Don't piece it until y'all are going to serve it or it will dry.

Calories: 582 kcal | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 76 g | Fat: 27 g | Saturated Fatty: 10 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fatty: xiii g | Cholesterol: 225 mg | Sodium: 4061 mg | Potassium: 1303 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Carbohydrate: 1 m | Vitamin A: 43 IU | Calcium: 55 mg | Iron: viii mg

This mail service was originally published on January 29, 2019 and was last updated on September 23, 2021 to include useful updated information.

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