Easy Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe

As a professional food blogger, I’m sharing my Best Smoked Brisket Recipe and the pantry trick I use to make slicing the brisket flat consistently simple.

I’ve been chasing one true, simple brisket for years and finally landed on what I call the Best Smoked Brisket Recipe. It begins with a whole packer beef brisket and a bold crust from coarse black pepper that makes people stop talking, for real.

I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it, it gets messy, its loud, smoky and kind of stubborn, but thats the beauty of it. I love how something so basic can surprise you, and I promise youll want to know every little quirk once you smell that bark.

This recipe changed my weekend dinners and maybe it will change yours too.

Ingredients

• Rich in protein and iron, fatty marbling adds flavor but also lots of calories.
• Enhances flavor, helps form bark, no nutrition perks beyond sodium.
• Provides heat and aroma, tiny amount of antioxidants, negligible calories.
• Adds sweet caramel notes, contributes to crust, higher in calories.
• Gives tang and helps tenderize, low calories, some acetic acid benefits.
• Imparts smoky depth and complexity, no nutrition, choose wood for mild or bold smoke.
• Helps rub stick to meat and gives slight tang, minimal calories, keeps moisture.
• Adds savory umami, a bit of fiber and antioxidants, tiny calorie contribution.
• Adds moisture and beefy flavor while braising, contains some protein and sodium.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 whole packer beef brisket (flat and point), 10 to 14 lbs
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coarse black pepper (freshly cracked)
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 to 4 lbs hardwood smoking wood chunks (oak, hickory or pecan)

How to Make this

1. Trim the brisket: remove silver skin and any very thick hard fat, leave about 1/4 inch of fat on the cap for flavor, pat dry with paper towels.

2. Make the rub: mix 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup coarse black pepper, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp sweet paprika, 2 tbsp packed brown sugar and 1 tsp cayenne if you want heat.

3. Apply mustard binder: spread 2 tbsp yellow mustard all over the brisket (it wont taste like mustard, it just helps the rub stick), then press the rub into the meat so it forms an even crust.

4. Rest the rubbed brisket in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, uncovered if you can so the surface dries and the bark forms better.

5. Prep your smoker: bring it to a steady 225 to 250 F, add 3 to 4 lbs hardwood chunks (oak, hickory or pecan) for smoke, dont open the lid a bunch or you’ll slow everything down.

6. Smoke fat side up on the smoker grates, probe the thickest part occasionally and let it go until about 160 to 165 F internal temp, expect several hours, this is the stall so be patient.

7. Start spritzing every 45 to 60 minutes once you hit the stall with a mix of 1 cup low sodium beef broth and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar to keep the surface moist and help the bark develop.

8. When you hit about 165 to 170 F and the stall is stubborn, wrap the brisket tightly in peach or pink butcher paper for best bark, or foil if you must, then return to the smoker.

9. Finish cooking until the internal temp reaches 203 to 205 F and a probe slides in like butter, or until the meat feels super tender; if it’s still tough raise smoker to 250 to 275 F and give it more time.

10. Rest the wrapped brisket in a cooler or insulated container for at least 1 hour, slice against the grain in thin slices, serve and try not to eat it all while you slice it.

Equipment Needed

1. Sharp chef knife, for trimming silver skin and thick fat
2. Large sturdy cutting board
3. Measuring cups and spoons (for the rub)
4. Medium mixing bowl and spoon to mix the rub
5. Yellow mustard and a silicone basting brush or clean gloves to spread it
6. Smoker or grill set up for low and slow with hardwood chunks, your gonna want good temp control
7. Leave-in probe thermometer plus an instant-read probe to spot-check doneness
8. Spray bottle and a small pitcher or jar for the beef broth + vinegar spritz
9. Peach/pink butcher paper or heavy-duty foil, plus an insulated cooler or cambro for resting and a long slicing knife for serving

FAQ

Easy Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Kosher salt: swap with fine sea salt or regular table salt, but use only about half to three quarters the amount when using table salt because it is much finer and saltier
• Packed brown sugar: use dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses note, or stir 1 tbsp molasses into 1 tbsp granulated sugar, or try coconut sugar if you want something less sweet
• Apple cider vinegar: substitute with red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or fresh lemon juice, each gives bright acid, lemon will add a fresher citrus edge
• Hardwood smoking wood chunks: use wood chips or pellets if you dont have chunks, or add a few drops of liquid smoke to the mop or broth in a pinch, oak or hickory chips will give the closest classic flavor

Pro Tips

1) Take your time trimming, use a sharp knife and only remove the hard chunks of fat and silver skin. Leave the fat cap alone mostly, its flavor and moisture are worth it.

2) Use a good instant-read probe and trust feel over just numbers; check in a couple spots and when the probe slides in like butter thats your green light to rest, not just some temp on a meter.

3) Let it dry in the fridge if you can, overnight is great for a better bark, but dont leave it so long it dries out. Uncovered helps the crust come together.

4) If the stall drags, wrap in pink butcher paper instead of foil when you wrap; paper lets steam escape so the bark stays nicer yet it still speeds things up. If you must foil, know the bark will soften a bit.

5) Rest it long and slice thin across the grain, separate the point from the flat if you can. Resting in a cooler or insulated tub keeps heat steady and makes slicing way easier, you wont lose as much juice.