• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Dinner Ebook! Get your copy!

Join the Little Sunny Kitchen email family!

Get our FREE dinners ebook!

  • Meet Diana
  • Favorite Products
  • Videos
  • Web Stories

Little Sunny Kitchen

Delicious Recipes for Real Life

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Sides
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Pasta
    • Soups & Chilis
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Beverages
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s
    • Easter
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
  • Method
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
    • Oven
    • Stovetop
    • Grill
  • Easy Meals
  • Appetizers
  • Drinks
  • Slow Cooker
  • Air Fryer
  • Restaurant Copycats
  • Learn To Cook
Home Method Grilling

Smoked Brisket

5
/5 –
Rate Recipe 1 Comment
Jump to Recipe
  • Share
By: Diana Posted: 7/10/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Sliced smoked beef brisket with overlay text "Texas style smoked beef brisket"

Low and slow Smoked Brisket that tastes like a million dollars! It’s moist, tender, and buttery from the inside with a beautiful pink smoke ring, and crusty beautiful bark from the outside. This perfect Texas-style smoked brisket easily passes the pull test as it melts and cuts just like butter!

Serve this for the holidays, summer barbecue, or smoke a brisket and serve it for your family for dinner and then enjoy the leftovers for a few more days!

What Cut of Meat is Brisket

Brisket is the cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the beef. It’s a primal cut and sometimes referred to as a “flat”. A cheaper alternative to brisket is the chuck, I even have a smoked chuck roast recipe for you!

Brisket Flat Vs Point

The brisket is made from two different muscles, a flat and a point. The point is smaller than the flat, it’s the fatty part of the muscle and the flat is the leaner one.

The point is more marbled than the flat and contains more connective tissue. If you’re smoking a brisket for the first time I recommend that you start with just the flat, as it’s easier.

Best Brisket Dry Rub

My favorite and probably the best rub that you can use is equal parts of kosher salt, and ground black pepper. It’s the simplest rub and highlights the flavor of the smoked brisket. The key here is to liberally season the brisket which will help the perfect bark develop.

If you’re looking for something that’s more fun, you can add spices such as paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and of course, salt and pepper. Adding brown sugar to form the crust is also a popular option. And this is exactly what I’m showing you in this recipe here.

Best Wood for Smoking Brisket

Always start with hardwood and never with softwood. If you’re just starting out, then I recommend going for pure hardwoods and then exploring all the flavor options. We typically use either oak or hickory, but pecan and maple are also great options!

5 slices of juicy smoked brisket on a wooden cutting board.

Ingredients Needed to Smoke a Brisket

  • Brisket: Either a full brisket with a flat and a point muscles, or just a flat (as shown in the image below). Trim off any excess fat, but not all of it.
  • Dry rub: What flavors you want to use is totally up to you, you can either do a simple rub with salt and black pepper, or add more flavor with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, etc.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Supplies Needed for Making Smoked Brisket

In addition to needing the right ingredients, you will also need a few supplies before beginning this recipe. Here’s what you need:

  • Carving knife. This is the set that I have!
  • Smoker, you don’t need a roasting pan.
  • Large cutting board, I use it to prep the brisket (trim and season), then I wash it and carve the brisket on it as well.
  • Butcher paper, to wrap the brisket.
  • Wood Chips

How to Smoke a Brisket

  1. Prep the brisket. Start by trimming excess fat from both sides leaving about fourth an inch of fat since it will render and crisp as you smoke the brisket.
  2. Round the brisket. Trim any thin meat that is usually hanging from the end of the flat, this meat can’t handle long BBQ hours and will burn so get rid of it.
  3. Make the Dry Rub. In a small bowl, combine your seasonings.
  4. Smoke. Preheat your smoker to 225-275°F, and place the brisket on the smoker fat side up with the point side facing the heat source. Leave the brisket untouched in the smoker for 3 hours, then start spray it with a 50/50 mix of water and apple cider vinegar every 45 miutes, this will help the bark from getting too crusty and keep it moist.
  5. Wrap the Brisket. When the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 180°F at the point, and 170°F at the flat, spray the brisket and wrap it with butcher paper or foil to protect it. Turn the meat so that the flat side is facing the heat source (fat side up), this will help tenderize it evenly.

Tip!

Use butcher paper or foil to tightly cover the brisket. The reason why it needs to be TIGHTLY covered is because air bubbles will cause steam, and we don’t want that.

  1. Cook. Let the brisket cook until it reaches 200°F, always check using a kitchen thermometer. Do not unwrap the brisket at this stage. When the brisket reaches 200-205°F, pull it off the smoker.

Tip!

To check the temperature of the brisket, insert a kitchen thermometer right through the foil or butcher paper right in the center of the point (or in the thickest part of the flat if there’s no point in your brisket).

  1. Stick in a Dry Cooler. Leave the brisket wrapped, and stick it in a dry cooler to rest for 45-60 minutes or up to two hours.
  2. Slice. Now start by cutting of the tip of the flat side that you can come back to later and cut it into cubes. Then start slicing against the grain at the flat side (about fourth an inch – not too thin and not too thick) and when you’re halfway you should get the point where the point side starts and you can see the two muscles. Now rotate the brisket 90 degrees so you cut against point side grains. cut off the tip (this part is called burnt ends and cut them into cubes) and then start slicing the two muscles together. This part is typically jucier and moister than the flat side for all the fat it contains. Serve and enjoy!

How Long To Smoke a Brisket

The general rule of thumb is 30-45 minutes per pound, so for a 16-pound brisket, it will take you around 10-12 hours in total. But for a 6-pound brisket, it should take you around 3-4.5 hours.

How to Store Smoked Brisket

This brisket is so moist and delicious that you may not even have any leftovers. But, if you do, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you smoke brisket fat side up or down?

Fat side up is the way to go if your heat source is coming from the top (the case with most smokers). The fat acts as a protective shield to your meat, so it stays nice and moist.

Should I flip my brisket when smoking?

You don’t need to flip it when smoking, but it’s important to rotate the brisket at least once during the smoking process.

Should you wrap brisket in foil?

Yes! It’s very important to tightly wrap the brisket after it reaches 170°F internal temperature. I personally prefer to wrap it in butcher paper, but foil would also do.

SERVE WITH

Best Coleslaw Recipe

Watermelon Salad With Feta

Asian Chicken Salad

Caesar Pasta Salad

All Sides ➜

Other Smoked Recipes to Try

If you loved this smoked brisket recipe as much as I do, check out some of my other favorite smoked recipes, below:

  • Smoked Whole Chicken
  • Texas Style Smoked Beef Chuck Roast
  • Smoked Turkey

You will love how moist and tender the meat will turn out. It’s an easy recipe that just requires a bit of time, but it’s totally worth it! If you try it, please share your experience with me, and don’t forget to pin this recipe to Pinterest for others to enjoy!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
5 from 1 vote
(Click stars to rate!)

Texas Style Smoked Brisket Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 14 hrs
Rest time: 1 hr
Total Time: 15 hrs 20 mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe Text Recipe Email Recipe
Low and slow Smoked Brisket that tastes like a million dollars! It's moist, tender, and buttery from the inside with a beautiful pink smoke ring, and crusty beautiful bark from the outside.
24 servings
Low and slow Smoked Brisket that tastes like a million dollars! It's moist, tender, and buttery from the inside with a beautiful pink smoke ring, and crusty beautiful bark from the outside.

Ingredients

  • 16 pound beef brisket excess fat trimmed

For The Dry Rub:

  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

Instructions

  • Start by trimming excess fat from both sides leaving about fourth an inch of fat since it will render and crisp as you smoke the brisket.
  • Trim any thin meat that is usually hanging from the end of the flat, this meat can’t handle long BBQ hours and will burn so get rid of it.
  • Make the Dry Rub. In a small bowl, combine your seasonings.
  • Preheat your smoker to 225-275°F, and place the brisket on the smoker fat side up with the point side facing the heat source. Leave the brisket untouched in the smoker for 3 hours, then start spray it with a 50/50 mix of water and apple cider vinegar every 45 miutes, this will help the bark from getting too crusty and keep it moist.
  • When the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 180°F at the point, and 170°F at the flat, spray the brisket and wrap it with butcher paper or foil to protect it. Turn the meat so that the flat side is facing the heat source, this will help tenderize it evenly.
  • Let the brisket cook until it reaches 200°F, always check using a kitchen thermometer. Do not unwrap the brisket at this stage. When the brisket reaches 200-205°F, pull it off the smoker.
  • Leave the brisket wrapped, and stick it in a dry cooler to rest for 45-60 minutes or up to two hours.
  • Now start by cutting of the tip of the flat side that you can come back to later and cut it into cubes. Then start slicing against the grain at the flat side (about fourth an inch – not too thin and not too thick) and when you’re halfway you should get the point where the point side starts and you can see the two muscles. Now rotate the brisket 90 degrees so you cut against point side grains. cut off the tip (this part is called burnt ends and cut them into cubes) and then start slicing the two muscles together. This part is typically jucier and moister than the flat side for all the fat it contains. Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

Use butcher paper or foil to tightly cover the brisket. The reason why it needs to be TIGHTLY covered is because air bubbles will cause steam, and we don’t want that.
To check the temperature of the brisket, insert a kitchen thermometer right through the foil or butcher paper right in the center of the point (or in the thickest part of the flat if there’s no point in your brisket).
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 493kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 63g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 831mg, Potassium: 1034mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 238IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 6mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

Did You Make This?I love to see what you made! Tag me @LittleSunnyKitchen and hashtag #LittleSunnyKitchen
Pin Recipe Tag on Insta Leave Review

You may also like...

  • Smoked Beef Chuck Roast
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Smoked Haddock Pasta Bake
  • Smoked Whole Chicken
Taking blanched green beans with tongs from a saucepan
Previous Post
How To Blanch Green Beans
Slice of peach pie on a small white plate with a scoop of ice cream
Next Post
Peach Pie

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review! Cancel reply

Have a question or just want to say how much you loved the recipe? Leave a rating below, save for later on Pinterest, and share on Facebook. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe!




  1. Geaton says

    Posted on 1/10/22 at 21:00

    5 stars
    NEVER use tin foil to wrap and cook brisket. The foil can react with acidic ingredients, contaminating the taste and the meat itself. You shouldn’t store your meat in tinfoil either; use plastic wrap or a container.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Meet Diana

Welcome to Little Sunny Kitchen! I'm Diana and I’m here to teach you how to make easy meals that are quick, family-friendly, and delicious!

Read More
Follow on Pinterest for more ideas!
Free ebook!

Download My Free Dinner eBook!


Get my copy!

Free eBook

Download My Free Dinner eBook!

Dinner Tonight

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry in a skillet

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders

Holding a Chick-Fil-A homemade Sandwich, and waffle fries

Homemade Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Most Popular

Chocolate Macarons

Penne Arrabbiata

French Fry Seasoning

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Instant Pot Air Fryer Crockpot Easy Dinners Salads Grilling
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

As Featured On:

Dinner tonight
Free ebook!

Download My Free Dinner eBook!

Join us and receive new recipes every week! Download our FREE eBook with quick and easy dinner recipes that are family-friendly and delicious.

Back to Top

explore

Recipe Index

Videos

Shop

Cooking Guides

Follow Along on Social:

Join My Free Instant Pot & Air Fryer Facebook Group
Back to Top

About

Contact

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

© 2022 Little Sunny Kitchen
|
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled