The go-to guide for perfect Smoked Brisket every time. Use our seven step guide, from selecting, trimming and how to smoke it. A Smoked Whole Brisket Recipe can be perfected by following some key steps. You may want to save this one as a favorite because you will come back to it. Show
We also have a complete guide for a smoked brisket flat as well if you can’t find a full packer brisket. Jump to:
Recipe Highlights
Smoked brisket is complicated. It’s like a long-term relationship. Don’t take what you think are the rules, and take them for granted (because the rules change with each one you cook). Treat each brisket as a new day and a new chance to perfect all the things you learned from the previous cook. Instead of focusing on a smoked brisket recipe with exact instructions, I think it better to layout the key components of how attention to detail and the actual cut of will help you navigate how to cook one on your specific smoker. And while we dared to add a recipe below, remember the variables that all go into amazing tender smoked brisket. So please read this first, before skipping down to the recipe! StepsAs mentioned, each one will be different. From marbling to the way it cooks, each one needs its own TLC when smoking. We focus on seven steps for a perfect smoked brisket.
Let’s start with selection. What is BrisketBrisket is from the cow. There are two per cow, and is made up of two distinct muscles with important connective tissue. The point and the flat (or deckle). Each have different layers of marbling as this is an area of the cow that is used a lot as the cow walks, and so low and slow helps get it tender. It’s because of how dense the muscle is that the braising or longer cooking time is so important, it breaks down all the dense muscle and fat for a tender bite. Looking down at the flat side of a Prime brisket.You typically want to buy the entire packer (the point and the flat). When I first started cooking, I was buying what the grocery store had in case, and most often it was the flat. The flat is leaner and is only half the story when cooking a whole packer. To get that full flavor you need the entire packer (both cuts of muscle). Go big when buying, like at least a 14 pound cut, because you will trim off a fair amount of fat, so a 12 pound packer is likely to be 10 pounds after being trimmed, and more like 8 pounds after cooking. Step 1: SelectionYou really have to understand what makes great smoked beef brisket, it starts with quality beef and what is in that beef. It’s the fat. And most importantly the marbling of the entire cut is going to dictate a large part of the cooking experience. In order to get that rendering for a juicy tender meat morsel, you have to make sure that the brisket you are buying is of the highest quality you can afford with marbling.
Because as your brisket cooks over many hours, what you are trying to achieve is the art of slowly rendering those fat pockets, causing the melted flavor to lubricate or moisturize the surrounding cells in the smoked brisket.
We find this important as that will translate into tenderness as it cooks. When we get ours mail order, we also know that the rancher or producer of that beef has already hand selected the right cut. But when at a grocery store or box store, be sure to inspect and look for more pliable cuts. They should bend easily and not be overly stiff when you pick them up. Step 2: Trim the BrisketBriskets have a fair amount of fat. Some that will render, some that will not. So you have to prepare the brisket by trimming off the fat that won’t render and then season. Be sure to have a great boning or filet knife. The key is to not be afraid to trim. If you lay two briskets side by side, even the fat pockets will look different. The flat side of the brisket facing up. You can see some small fat pockets and silver skin.Start by trimming the flat side by removing the silver skin and any fat pockets just sitting at the surface.
At this point it is not uncommon that you have removed up to 4 pounds of trimming. Best to have a quality trimming knife. Step 3: Season the BrisketAfter trimming, we coat the brisket with olive oil which helps the dry rub stick. We mix coarse black pepper, kosher salt, and granulated garlic (not garlic powder) in equal parts in a small bowl. It’s our go to seasoning. It is simple and allows the smoked brisket to shine. This seasoning is more inspired by Texas style (although many Texans may scoff at the garlic). We don’t inject or spritz as we have found that when buying quality cuts you don’t need it and only run the risk of creating more of a roast flavor due to the moisture essentially steaming out of the meat. Simply seasoned.Step 4: How to Smoke BrisketPreheat the smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F) with both lump charcoal and wood. We use fruit woods for brisket for a sweeter flavor. Insert a remote thermometer probe into the flat of the brisket, it is leaner and the more important part of the brisket to monitor while cooking. The temperature for smoking perfect brisket is 250 degrees F for slowly rendering fat. At 225 it takes longer than we prefer and it has no material difference in flavor or texture. Thermoworks Smoke Unit Probe Inserted Into FlatFlat Side Up or Down? Have the fat cap point toward the hotter part of your smoker. It will insulate the more delicate flat. The brisket will smoke about five hours in the smoker where the smoke connects with the brisket giving both bark and smoke flavor. Spritz (Optional) – Spray bottle of liquid that you spray onto meat after the bark forms. We don’t do this for all of our briskets, but can be done for more flavor. If you spritz, it is done while the brisket is in the smoking step and not wrapped. Step 5: Wrap the BrisketWhen the smoked brisket reaches 165 degrees F internal temperature, we remove it from the smoker and wrap it in pink butcher paper. This is called the Texas crutch. Wrapping allows the internal temperature to rise faster. Peach or pink butcher paper is more breathable than foil, which translates to less of a “pot roast” flavor. The wrapping period is also important because it is the final stage to allow the intramuscular fat to fully render out. Don’t have butcher paper? Use foil, that’s ok. For smoked brisket you can cook it all unwrapped. It may take slightly longer and the finishing temperature guide is still the same. Wrapped in butcher paper.The StallAs the brisket cooks, it will encounter a period of time called “the stall”. The stall can happen anywhere between 160 to 175 degrees F. As the heat from the smoker renders the pockets of fat, the fat liquefies. As the fat liquefies and interacts with the meat there is a cooling effect that happens, almost like when you sweat. So don’t be alarmed if you see a couple of hours of incremental movement in the internal temperature of the meat. You have pushed through the stall when the fat has rendered enough that there is balance and the meat starts to increase in heat again. This is why, regardless of the stall, we wrap at 165. Once the brisket hits 180, you’ll see the temp increase much faster. This is also important to note that we cook to temperature, not time. Some briskets will just take longer (or not) and why we focus on a temperature milestone rather than a specific time. Step 6: Remove and RestAs the wrapped brisket reaches close to 195 degrees F, it is time to start probing the meat with an instant read thermometer (like a Thermoworks MK4 Thermapen) to see if it is done. If the thermometer is meeting resistance as you insert it, that means the intramuscular fat hasn’t fully rendered out yet. It should feel as if you are inserting the probe into room temperature butter. The most common feedback we give people is to be patient and wait for that soft butter-like feeling. We find most people get nervous and want to pull at an exact temperature. The range a brisket can be done will range anywhere from 195 degrees F to 215 degrees F. Trust the probe and keep checking every 15 minutes until you get that feel. Pro Tip – Avoid taking the temperature in the fat pocket between the flat and the point. That will come up in temperature much faster than the surrounding brisket. So be sure to temp in the middle of the flat and the middle of the point in multiple places. Lastly, please make sure you let it rest for at least 30 minutes after removing it from the smoker. The smoked brisket will hold its temperature and as it slowly cools, you start to get the cells to pull back in the juices. If you slice the brisket right after removing, you’ll see all the juices just pour out on the cutting board versus staying in the meat. The horror!!! All of your hard work, gone, just like that, because you were too impatient to let it rest! If it’s done early then hold the temperature to slowly let it cool. What do you hold it in? A cooler (with NO ice) works well. This acts like a Cambro warmer used in restaurants or for catering. You can hold the temperature for four hours in the cooler in case your brisket is done early. Just be sure to leave it wrapped. In some places briskets are held for hours before serving. Tenderness is the goal for resting. Step 7: Slicing BrisketFor best results, the most important step after cooking is to slice against the grains of the brisket. This is true especially for the flat cut because the muscles are in different directions than the point. Start with a long carving knife.
Or just slice it all the way along, but for crowds, expect people to want to pick their own slices. See video for more details on slicing. How Long to Smoke a Brisket at 250 degreesGenerally plan 60 minutes for every pound of smoked brisket, including the rest (or hold temperature), when cooking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The total length of the cook can be anywhere from 8 hours to 16 depending on the size of the cut. It is normal that every brisket you cook will vary in time. Smoke Times for BrisketThis is the post-trim weight of the brisket.
We also find that American Wagyu cooks slightly faster than Prime or Choice, so we shave off about 10% of the time when smoking American Wagyu. Slice flat against the grains.Monitoring Brisket TemperatureWe use the Smoke Unit from Thermoworks to monitor the internal temperature of brisket throughout the BBQ cook. It even has a remote unit so you can see the temp from afar. In addition to the Smoke unit, you should also use a Thermapen or equivalent instant read thermometer, then you can probe in multiple areas while keeping the Smoke unit in the same location as it nears the end of the cook. Tools Used for Smoked Beef Brisket
SidesIf looking for sides consider quick pickled veggies like peppers. Add some BBQ Beans and a no mayo coleslaw for the perfect spread. Smoked Brisket FAQsHow to Make Burnt Ends Like Kansas City style BBQ? Cut out the point or parts of point from the brisket before the wrap. You then slice it into cubes, re-season, place back into smoker to render out. Delish. Check out this post for our Brisket Burnt Ends. Should brisket be wrapped while smoking? There is no right or wrong answer here, it’s about your flavor preference. If you elect not to wrap you get a greater bark. People love that texture. You won’t really add more smoke flavor, as that pretty much gets absorbed around the fifth hour of cooking. Should I inject a smoked beef brisket? In the end your flavor preference is what is key and the meat. We generally are not injecting smoked briskets because we buy at least Choice or higher in quality levels. If you buy Select, or find that the fat layers don’t look as pronounced, consider injecting with beef stock using a culinary syringe similar to our pulled pork recipe. Best dry rub for smoked beef brisket? SPG rub for us (equal parts Salt, Pepper, Garlic), keeping it simple so we highlight the meat flavor and smoke. Best Wood For Smoked Brisket Go local. We are in the Pacific Northwest with an abundance of apple and cherry trees, so we use fruit wood as it burns sweeter and avoids the campfire-like flavor you can get from mesquite. In Texas? Obviously post oak. What to do with Leftovers We’ve got you covered. The best recipes for leftover brisket always start with good smoked brisket. And yes, you will have leftovers (sometimes). How many hours does it take to smoke a brisket at 250 degrees? On average it takes 60 minutes per pound for a whole packer brisket. A 10 pound trimmed brisket should take roughly 10 hours when you include resting. Be sure to calculate your time based on the trimmed brisket. How long to smoke a brisket at 225 degrees? Plan 90 minutes per pound at 225 degrees. We find there is no material difference in flavor or texture and recommend cooking at 250. This post was originally published in 2016, and updated in 2022 with more Q&A and details. The original recipe remains the same. If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes. This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going! The Ultimate Smoked Brisket RecipeRecipe for a whole packer smoked Beef Brisket and common questions and answers. 4.59 from 93 votes Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 10 hours Resting Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes Servings: 8 people Calories: 3279kcal Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge Cost: $65.00 Equipment
Ingredients
For the Rub
Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Instructions
VideoNotesIf Done Early – Brisket can hold, wrapped in a cooler (with no ice) for up to four hours. It’s better to plan for it to be done early and resting the longer time allows the temperature of the brisket to stabilize (or the Texas Crutch), will help speed up the cooking process. If you plan to make this recipe without wrapping plan 90 minutes per pound versus 60. You can wrap with aluminum foil or our preferred peach butcher paper. How much wood do you need for smoking a brisket?Guide
How many wood chunks to use when smoking?Add 2 to 3 chunks (4 to 6 in all) to each mound of lit charcoal. Replenish as needed (when the smoke ceases to flow).
How many pounds of charcoal do I need to smoke a brisket?The firebox is filled with coal; a standard 15-pound bag of charcoal can burn for upwards of 15 hours—more than enough time to smoke brisket. You'll add wood chips to the coal briquettes; these wood chunks provide a distinct flavor to each batch of meat.
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