Easy Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe

My Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe will make your local pitmaster jealous! My smoked brisket yields a delicious, tender, moist beef that almost melts in your mouth. Perfectly seasoned, I promise the smoky flavor of the brisket will put a smile on your face with every bite you take!

Don’t let anyone tell you that smoking brisket at home is too difficult. Although it may be time-consuming, making perfect smoked brisket with your home smoker is really pretty easy to do.

Using my smoked brisket recipe, you can be sure that you’ll end up with a moist, flavorful brisket every time.

A full packer’s brisket is 15-17 pounds of beef, and the price tag can make smoking this hunk of meat a little intimidating. But my time-tested method will help you achieve perfect results every time using my simple recipe for the long smoke process.

If you love delicious barbecued smoked meat sandwiches, make sure to try my smoked pork butt recipe.

Ingredients for Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Made with simple ingredients

• Beef brisket – whole packer brisket, flat cut or point cut.
• Kosher salt – or coarse sea salt
• Garlic powder
• onion powder
• Black pepper
• Sweet paprika – or smoked paprika
• Cumin
• Sumac

Can I add other seasonings to my dry rub?

You certainly can. You can actually eliminate all of the seasoning except for the kosher salt and black pepper. Other seasonings you can add are chili powder and dried oregano. For a touch of heat, add cayenne pepper. Add brown sugar for a little sweetness.

Do I have to use a whole packer brisket?

No, you don’t. And basically, it comes down to what cut of beef is available at your local grocery store. Sometimes, the only option is a flat cut. You can also check the big box stores like Sam’s Club or Costco; they sometimes carry different cuts.

But if you’re feeding a crowd, packer briskets are the best choice.

How to make Smoked Beef Brisket

• Add the seasonings to a small bowl.
• Whisk to combine, then set aside until needed.

If you are smoking just the flat or just the point and not a whole packer brisket, cut the dry rub seasoning recipe in half.

• When you pull the seasoned brisket out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature, preheat the smoker.
• When the smoker has reached 225 degrees Fahrenheit, add the wood chips to the smoker tube.

I used an electric smoker to make this recipe, but you can also use a pellet grill, pellet smoker, charcoal, or propane smoker to make great brisket.

• Place the whole brisket on a large cutting board fat side up.
• Use a sharp knife to trim the excess fat cap off the top of the brisket.
• If using a full packer brisket, separate the flat from the point, slicing along the deckle, creating two different muscles.
• Rub both pieces with olive oil, then apply a liberal coating of the dry rub to the entire brisket. After seasoning the meat, refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours up to 12 hours. The longer you can let the dry rub soak into the brisket, the more flavor it will have.
• Remove the brisket from the refrigerator about a half hour to an hour prior to placing it in the smoker (fatty side up), giving it time to come to room temperature. Then, place the brisket in the smoker directly on the smoker rack.
• When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees,remove it from the smoker and wrap it in aluminum foil or butcher paper. Place the wrapped brisket back in the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 195-200 degrees.

Smoked Beef Brisket Cooking Tips

*Place a meat thermometer probe in the thickest part of both the point and flat as they will more than likely finish at different times. Keep in mind we are smoking for an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees and cook time may vary.

*For the best results and great smoke flavor, continue to add wood chips to the smoke tube during the first 4-6 hours of the cooking process. This will help a good layer of bark form on the exterior of the meat. This is an important step in the slow cooking process that will help in creating great bark, adding layers of flavor to the meat.

*Use a spray bottle with apple juice to spritz the brisket during the smoking process to keep the meat moist.

*Wrapping the smoked meat is referred to as a Texas Crutch. This technique helps speed up the cooking process and minimize evaporation.

• When the internal temperature of 195-200 degrees has been reached on each separate piece of the brisket, remove it from the smoker.
• Tent the meat with foil and let the brisket rest for 30 – 90 minutes prior to slicing. This gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat.

When cooking a large piece of meat, the longer you can let it rest, the better off you will be. Just make sure not to let it go below 165 degrees before slicing.

You can see the difference between the two cuts of brisket. The leaner flat cut doesn’t have the layer of fat that the point cut does. While the flat cut is delicious and great for sandwiches with added barbecue sauce, if you’re looking moist, juicy brisket, go for the point cut.

When the meat has rested, slice it into pencil-width slices.

My Texas-style smoked beef brisket recipe is heaven on a plate. This delicious smoked meat makes the best barbecued beef sandwiches, tacos, and quesadillas. Of course, you can always just serve it plain with my semi homemade barbecue sauce or Alabama white sauce.

Store any leftover smoked beef brisket refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for 2-3 months.

Recipe FAQ’s

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