Texas style smoked brisket is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It's cooked low and slow in a wood pellet grill with simple ingredients. Here's how to smoke brisket like a Texan!
Welcome to the first recipe of the brand new grilling category! You can expect lots more smoker recipes to try. This post was written by my husband Zack, who's the resident pit master.
Brisket is a Texas BBQ staple that has multiple preparation methods and serving styles. This smoked brisket recipe will teach you how to prepare and cook an American full packer brisket to perfection, which can be eaten alone as a brisket plate, chopped brisket sandwiches, and brisket tacos - no BBQ sauce needed!
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What is brisket?
Brisket is a historically undesirable cut of beef, due to its toughness, but when prepared correctly it absolutely melts in your mouth. There are two brisket cuts on every cow and the exact cut varies from country to country.
An American full packer brisket is composed to two different muscles: the flat and the point. These are respectively the lean and fatty selections you would be asked for when placing your order in a restaurant.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients: You only need 3 ingredients!
- Feeds a crowd: Brisket is perfect for large family gatherings, barbeques, parties, or any special occasion.
- Customizable: This recipe is easy to adapt and customize with different flavors or rubs, if desired.
- Variety: There are multiple uses and serving styles for the same brisket once cooked, giving you tons of meal options.
Equipment
Don't be intimated by this equipment list! Most of these are optional and marked as such, but a majority are common cooking accessories that can make the experience much easier.
- Electric Wood Pellet Grill: I love my Pit Boss Pro Series II 850 Wood Pellet Grill but any electric pellet grill such as a Traeger will work just fine. An offset smoker can also be used, but will require more attention for fire management.
- Sharp Knives: A sharp boning knife and brisket knife are ideal, but any sharp knives will work. I personally use and can recommend the Oklahoma Joe's 3-Piece Knife Set.
- Wood Pellets: Any hardwood pellet is great, but historically hickory, oak, or mesquite are used. For this recipe I used Kingsford Hickory Pellets, but the primary criteria is unflavored pellets without filler. Costco also makes a great blend if you are a member.
- Instant read thermometer: Most electric pellet grills come with temperature probes but an instant read thermometer is essential for final checks, both feel and temp.
- Unwaxed butcher paper (optional): Pink butcher paper, or Peach butcher paper, is ideal for wrapping you brisket, the Texas crutch. You can also use foil, which is faster and the original method, but tends to ruin the bark, or exterior texture. I like 18" paper personally and place it side-by-side overlapping a little bit.
- Heavy duty aluminum foil (optional): This can be used for the Texas crutch but I prefer to wrap my final product in 18" aluminum foil, to keep my cooler clean or store left overs.
- Insulated cooler (optional): A large cooler is helpful when resting your brisket, to maintain temperature. An off oven can also work, but wont maintain temperature as well.
- Powder free nitrile gloves (optional): Powder-free Nitrile gloves are great for handling both raw and cooked meat. When worn over basic cotton gloves it makes handling the hot meat a breeze. Highly recommended to save your hands from drying out with the increase in hand washing.
- Flat Spatula (optional): A flat grill spatula can really aid in moving the brisket from the smoker.
- Pig tail flipper (optional): A pig tail food flipper can be really helpful in grabbing and moving the brisket without getting your hands dirty.
Ingredient notes
- Beef brisket: 1 full packer brisket. In America, this is a standard brisket you can get at any grocery store, but outside of America you may need to find a local butcher for this exact cut, since butchering practices vary from region to region.
- Dry rub: Traditional Texas style brisket uses 50/50 coarse salt and ground black pepper, but there's no reason why you can't use anything else. Garlic powder is a common addition that I've used and Meat Church Holy Cow and Holy Gospel are favorites with my friends.
How to make Texas style smoked beef brisket
Making Texas smoked brisket at home is remarkably simple, made even more so with an electric pellet smoker. Waiting for your smoked brisket is the most difficult part.
Step 1: Select your brisket
In my experience, two things matter for selecting a brisket: the beef grade and the uniformity. The first thing I look for in a brisket is an even thickness on the flat end. This is the thinnest part of the brisket, at the tip, and will be the first to both finish cooking and drying out.
The second factor is the grade of meat: USDA Prime, Choice, and Select. I've cooked all of them and I honestly choose based on availability, price, and who I'm cooking for. My go-to is probably Choice for accessibility and Prime when I'm cooking for others.
Note: Wagyu brisket exists, but it's not worth the money in my opinion. Brisket already has a high fat content, which is what you pay for with wagyu, and it is significantly more expensive.
Step 2: Trim the brisket
Trimming a brisket for home is very different from what restaurants do, but I have a few pointers that can help. To start, you want to trim when the meat is cold and with a sharp knife, this will make it much easier. One side will have a large fat cap and the other very little to none.
On the bare side, you want to clean up any remaining silver skin and large patches of fat, this is called the meat side. On the fat side, I like to trim to about ¼" in uniform thickness. I trim more aggressively on the point end, since it has inter-muscular fat already.
Any hard fat should be removed as this wont render down in the cooking process. This is mostly found around the exterior edges of brisket and right in the middle where the two muscles connect. Additionally any hard or rough meat on the edges should be removed; this meat is partially seared from the butchering process and wont be great.
All the trimmings should be saved to make beef tallow - an incredible gold for cooking. If you're not interested or have a lifetime supply already, you can save this fat for making your own ground meat or sausages.
Step 3: Season the brisket
I season with coarse salt and ground black pepper, but the most important detail is uniform seasoning on all surfaces of the meat. This is top and bottom along with every side and crevice.
Season from 12-18 inches above the meat to aid in uniform coverage. You can pat or press the seasoning in if needed. This is the only seasoning for the whole brisket, so I'd lean towards a heavier application.
Step 4: Smoke the brisket
Brisket cook time is very dependent on smoker temp, brisket size, and ambient outdoor temperature. I think the ideal temp to cook brisket is 225F, but I've also cooked at 250F and 275F with success.
Brisket tends to take 1-1.5 hours per pound to cook with moderate ambient temperature, 75-80F, when cooking at 225F. Cooking time will be shorter with higher temps, but not wildly so.
This specific brisket was 12 pounds after trimming and took 21 hours to cook since it was 8F outside with 22MPH winds (-10F wind chill)!
I start my smoker right before I take the brisket out of the fridge for trimming. We want the transparent smoke that's produced from the wood, not the thick white smoke from start up. This usually takes about 10 minutes, but no longer than getting up to temp. Once your smoker is at temp you can put the brisket on.
I smoke brisket meat up, but I've done both ways and couldn't tell a difference in taste. Meat up produces a better smoke ring in my experience, which is why I do it.
I use two probes from my smoker and place one in the flat horizontally (against the grain, near to far) and one in the point horizontally (against the grain, left to right), trying to avoid probing only fat and through the meat.
Step 5: Texas crutch
Once the meat hits about 165F, it will start to lose excess moisture, or sweat. This is called the brisket stall and will take a significant time to rise in temperature. At this point I wrap the brisket, this is called the Texas crutch, which originated from competitive BBQ.
The Texas crutch started with foil and drastically speeds up the cook time, but over time has evolved to use pink butcher paper which tends to keep the bark texture.
I bring the brisket inside for the Texas crutch wrapping. Place the brisket on 2 sheets of roughly 4.5'x18" butcher paper slightly overlapped width-wise; The paper should touch on the interior edges, not top to bottom. I try to cover each side with a minimum of 2 layers then tuck the excess paper in to keep its shape and seal.
The goal is to wrap the brisket as tightly as possible on all sides and shaped to every angle so it keeps the moisture in and near every surface. I like to keep track of which side is fat up/down and place it back on the smoker fat up this time, so the meat is submerged in the juices. Once wrapped and probed, it's time to cook until complete.
Step 6: Check doneness and let brisket rest
Every brisket is different, so it's important to have both a temperature reading and feel to identify when the cook is complete. Ideally, I look for the temperature to be 203F before I gauge the feel.
When you probe your instant read thermometer into the meat, it should have little to no resistance. It's similar to testing a fresh cake for doneness with a toothpick. If it still has some resistance (other than the paper), it needs to go a bit longer. This is critical to ensure the brisket is tender. Undercooked brisket will be tough, regardless of meat grade, while overcooked brisket will be ultra delicate, like pot roast.
When complete, the brisket needs to rest for an hour at a minimum before slicing. There will be some initial carry over cooking, but this will help redistribute the moisture. A brisket can rest indefinitely as long as the internal temp stays above 140F, which is the bacteria danger zone.
I like to rest my brisket in a pre-warmed cooler, wrapped in a towel or two. To do this, I fill my cooler with a gallon or two of the hottest tap water I can get, and seal it while I go get the brisket off the smoker. I will immediately wrap the brisket in foil, including the butcher paper, to keep my cooler and towels clean, then wrap in a towel or two to put into the drained cooler.
With this method, I've safely stored a brisket for 4+ hours above 150F. Planning for a long rest can help when planning to serve a meal around a specific time. This means you can finish hours before hand, clean up, and prepare for guests to arrive.
Alternatively an oven set to 140F, will allow the brisket to slowly re-absorb its moisture, while remaining food safe. If an oven is used, I would still wrap in foil but omit the towels. If you need to delay eating for multiple hours, I'd include a shallow tray with water, to increase the humidity of the oven. BBQ joints will use a steam holding cabinet to maintain the 150F temp for hours while they serve customers.
Step 7: Slice the brisket
Slicing cooked brisket should be left until serving time, to ensure each slice remains juicy. A proper slice can cover cooking mistakes, but a poor slice can ruin any high quality meat. I will try to explain the best method to slice brisket, but I also wanted to include a quick 66 second video that covers it great with visual reference.
I like to slice with cotton gloves on first (interior) and nitrile gloves second (exterior), to protect my hands from the heat and keep a sanitary environment. Brisket should always be cut across the grain, which can be tricky since brisket is two different muscles that have grain going in different directions. The flat has grain that runs along the length of the whole brisket and the point has grain that runs with the width.
Brisket lean, or flat, should be cut into thin slices, about the width of a standard wooden pencil. The lean will run about ½ to ⅔ of the whole brisket at which point you will rotate the remaining uncut meat 90 degrees to resume cutting the point, or fatty meat, double the width of a standard wooden pencil or the width of your thumb.
The first and last slices of the point are considered the original brisket burnt ends. Once cut in to rough 1" cubes, these pieces have incredible flavor from the bark and are the first to disappear.
After slicing the meat, I like to put it back into the used butcher paper to remain moist and serve immediately, or into a tray for serving.
Variations
- Unwrapped smoked brisket: The Texas crutch isn't needed but will result in a much tougher bark and about 1.5x increase in the cook time.
- Foil wrapped smoked brisket: This is the original Texas crutch, which will provide the fastest cook time, but some complain that the bark is lost in the extra humidity.
- Smoked brisket flat or Smoked brisket point: It's possible to only cook only one muscle at a time, but I'd recommend doing the full packer at once. It will cook more cohesively and smoking just one half wont really save much time.
- Oven smoked brisket: Smoked brisket can't be naturally achieved in the oven alone, but brisket can be finished in the oven if needed. Once wrapped, around 165F, you can finish the brisket in an indoor oven set to 220F-225F. Be sure to include a large enough tray under the brisket to catch any grease; place the brisket on the top rack and tray on the bottom rack to catch drippings for much easier cleanup.
What to expect
- Brisket flat is usually very lean, with the only fat content on the exterior. The slices are great as a plate or served whole in tacos. This slice is most improved with a higher quality beef grade.
- Brisket point is noticeably fattier, the content of intermuscular fat is significantly higher which gives this cut so much flavor and moisture. This is great chopped for a sandwich or tacos and usually saves the best for reheating.
- Some fat will render out, but not all of it. If you don't want so much resulting fat or you plan to cut around it, just trim more aggressively. It's not kept as a protective layer at low temperatures (225F-275F).
Tips for the best smoked brisket
- Use sharp knives!
- Trim while cold and remove the hard fat and rough meat (if present on the edges).
- Cut each slice against the grain. Good brisket cutting can hide a poor quality brisket, but poor cutting will ruin an expensive brisket.
- The majority of the meat in each slice should be cut against the grain, but their will be some overlap in the middle slices.
- Let the cooked brisket rest before serving and "cut to order", or cut just before eating.
- Keep the smoker lid closed. If you're looking, you're not cooking!
Frequently asked questions
Any hardwood pellet is great for smoking brisket. Traditionally hickory, oak, and mesquite have been used. Check the ingredients to make sure it's just wood without filler and avoid flavored woods.
Brisket usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours per pound to cook. This can vary wildly if its super windy, really cold outside, or a really thick cut - plan for 2 hours per pound in these cases.
Yes, this is made easy with an electric pellet grill but it should still be monitored for safety reasons. Your smoker should be cleaned before any long cook to avoid pellet jams and grease fires. Pellet grills don't get or need to be seasoned. Most name brand grills have mobile apps to check on progress and contain large hoppers for pellets. I've found that my smoker uses 1-2lbs of pellets per hour.
I smoke meat side up or fat side down. This helps form a vibrant bark on the meat. Once I wrap my brisket in butcher paper, I smoke fat side up so the meat is at the bottom where juice accumulates.
You can flip the brisket when you wrap, but you should not open the smoker frequently to flip the brisket. The brisket will not get seared and opening the lid will only delay your cook time, by letting out the hot air.
This varies wildly depending on how the meat is being eaten and what sides are available, but plan for 1 pound before cooking per person. A 15 pound brisket from the store should feed about 15 people with sides.
A smoke ring, is the dark ring on the meats exterior that develops from exposure to smoke. The smoke ring is a coveted sign of quality that shows the meat was cooked low and slow using wood. The smoke ring is totally edible and fully cooked.
Brisket can be served multiple ways, which is why it is so great. Classic Texas BBQ serves brisket sliced on a platter. Other options include: Tacos, sandwiches, chili, and more.
Standard Texas BBQ serves brisket sliced on a platter with various sides and basic accompaniments such as dill pickle chips, raw red onion slices, and basic sliced white sandwich bread. Other common sides are baked beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese, potato salad, and more.
I find that the best method for reheating smoked brisket in any quantity is in the oven or toaster oven. While off, place the foil covered brisket and set to 350F. It takes 15-30 minutes to heat through, depending on how much is being reheated.
Brisket will keep fresh for 7 days wrapped in the fridge and 3-6 months when frozen in an vacuum sealed bag. Upon storing for the first time, discard the used butcher paper and place on foil to wrap or in a half steam pan covered.
I like to use two probes, on in the flat and one in the point. I use the average of these temps to gauge how far along the cook is. If I only have one probe, I'd place it in the center, top-down, to get readings from both the point and flat in the thickest place without penetrating through the bottom. I consider the final internal temp for smoked brisket around 203F, and wrap my brisket at 165F.
Some people use a binder like classic yellow mustard, but I find that you don't need one. Salt will pull out moisture quickly enough and let the seasoning stick to it. You can additionally pat the seasoning in if needed.
With most pellet grills, a steam tray is not needed. The humidity is generally very high inside and won't be needed unless your smoker explicitly uses one.
Restaurants sometimes spritz their briskets with apple cider vinegar, water, or a 50/50 mix of both. This is generally because they are using massive offset smokers and maintaining dozens of briskets simultaneously. Spritzing your brisket in a pellet grill generally will only delay your cook, it's optional but I don't encourage it.
The bark refers to the exterior of the brisket, like a trees exterior bark. The bark has in incredible and intense flavor from smoking with a slightly dense texture. This combination is coveted and similar to the signature of different BBQ joints.
Some people spray their pink butcher paper with apple cider vinegar, water, or a 50/50 mix of both to increase humidity or make the paper more pliable. This is optional but not needed - I never do it. I have also heard of people using beef tallow and they swear by it, but it isn't needed.
No - injecting brisket originated from competitive BBQ where the entire brisket is judged on a single bite. Injecting your backyard bbq brisket is more effort than is needed to make an incredible smoked brisket.
The color of glove used is not important and historically linked to price alone. The food service industry uses the cheapest option, black, but that has changed with home cooks buying them up. The most important factor in cooking gloves are that they are powder free and single use nitrile only gloves. These gloves are food safe and naturally latex free. Most gloves are non-sterile which is fine and expected for food prep.
Smoked brisket needs to rest for 1 hour at a minimum to allow for the redistribution of juices. If sliced too early the meat will be more tough and loose moisture rapidly.
Pellet Grill Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15 lb full packer brisket estimate 1 pound per person uncooked
- ⅓ cup coarse salt adjust more or less to preference and size of brisket
- ⅓ cup coarse ground black pepper adjust more or less to preference and size of brisket
Instructions
- Trim the brisket, to remove excess fat and hard meat (if any) on the edges.
- Season all sides of the brisket with 50/50 coarse salt and coarse cracked black pepper or desired rub.
- Smoke the brisket unwrapped until interior temperature of 165F.
- Apply the Texas crutch and wrap tightly in pink butcher paper. Return to the smoker to continue cooking.
- At 203F test the meat with a probe for doneness in both the point and flat. There should be little to no resistance on inserting the probe. Remove when done.
- Rest the wrapped brisket in a moderate temperature location for an hour at minimum. A clean dry cooler or off oven work great for this.
- Slice the brisket just before serving to keep moist. Ensure each slice is primarily cut against the grain, which will change depending on the point or flat slice.
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