Smoked Beef Brisket

Tender, flavorful, and super easy Smoked Beef Brisket makes a filling flavor-packed meal with an iconic melt-in-your-mouth sensation. You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to achieve a juicy and meaty dinner that’s totally worth the wait. The best part about this recipe is that it’s such a simple recipe you can totally follow today!

Whether it’s for a family get-together or simply just the weekend, I’ll take any reason to smoke a brisket. This is one of my favorite recipes because it gives you the delicious natural flavors of beef.

My hubby really loves this dish too but he thinks briskets are a bit pricey. Well, in that case, I’ll just have to give him the value for his money. I’ll show you how easy it is to perfectly cook this dish in the easiest way!

Choosing the Best Beef Brisket

What is a Brisket?

You’ve probably heard of this beef cut from your favorite restaurant or from the movies. Yup! It’s a popular meat part and there are a lot of dishes that use this cut. So, what is brisket exactly?

Brisket is a beef cut located at the lower chest of the cow. It’s a primal cut which means it’s one of the initial parts removed when butchering. This is lean meat as well, cooking it the right way tenderizes the meat for easier dining.

What to look for?

I personally get my briskets directly from my local butcher but whenever he’s not around, I go to the grocery. My friend, the butcher, was kind enough to share some of his secrets to picking the right beef cuts. Here’s a quick go-to guide to choosing the right brisket.

• Grade – This immediately tells you a lot about the meat’s quality because it’s already been graded through a quality check system. I often go for the USDA Prime. Sometimes, when the occasion is really special, I go for
• Usage – Depending on how you’ll use the smoked beef brisket, you can either get the flat part or the point. Enjoy it as it is with the flat; Use the point for tacos or shreds. I get the whole package just to be sure.
• Color – whenever I shop for my ingredients, I make sure to buy only the freshest. A good dark red meat is a sign that it’s of good quality. The fat should be clear white, anything else suggests it’s been sitting out for a while already.
• Marbling – A good marbling gives you an idea of the fat percentage in your beef cut. USDA Prime will have around 10-15% of fat. Perfect for smoking!

What Smoker to Use?

There are a lot of smoking methods you can use to prepare for this type of meat. Personally, I think that there’s no one specific way to perfectly smoke beef brisket. I prefer mixing and matching different aromas and flavors to get the best taste.

So here are some of my preferred techniques for this recipe:

My Choice: Pellet Smoker

Pros

• Distinct Flavor – Although it takes longer to smoke the meat in with a pellet smoker, you’ll surely taste its distinct flavor down to the core.
• Flavored Wood Chips – Pellets mainly use compressed and flavored wood chips to smoke the meat in a closed chamber.
• Indirect Heat – This uses indirect heat which means that the heat source is distant from the meat.

Con

• One unit of a smoker can be too bulky – especially if you live in a studio or apartment

How to use it a Pellet Smoker?

• Placing the Meat – You will simply need to place the meats in a rack indirect to the heat source. This will make sure that your meat will cook evenly without one side burning.
• Installing the water pan -Add a pan with half a cup of water to the smoking chamber to prevent it from drying out. This method also infuses the flavor of the wood chips in the turkey meat. (Personally, I think Hickory flavored wood is great for beef but feel free to mix and match.)
• Trapping the heat – Close the lid to trap the flavorful smoke and the heat.

Verdict: By far, this is the easiest way to smoke. It automatically feeds the heater with pellets and fans the heat around the chamber. No need for the dirty work, just check the meat from time to time!👍

I, myself, use a Traeger Pellet Smoker because it’s one of the most versatile cookers on the market.

Charcoal Grill

Pros

• Compact Unit – Its small size is makes it truly convenient
• No Electricity – No need to plug it for electricity so you can enjoy your Smoked Beef Brisket even when you’re in the great outdoors.
• Low Cost – It’s a low cost makes it really budget friendly. and it’s waaay easier to clean!

Con

• Direct heat – although technically it’s indirect. the heat source is in the same chamber as the meat. this can lead to roasting rather than smoking which burns one side of the meat.

A simple compact charcoal grill can also be used for smoking.  This is the perfect smoker for you if you don’t have much space in your back yard. I’d be careful about using this tho. aside from the hot coals you’re using to cook poultry, it’s also super easy to stain your shirt with soot.

This smoking method uses charcoal which cooks the meat with low but direct heat. Flavored wood can also be used for this method to infuse a smoky aroma to the center.!

Barbecuing vs Smoking. The difference between barbecuing and smoking is that smoking uses slow and indirect heat so that all sides cook perfectly.

How to use your charcoal grill as a smoker?

• Heat the charcoals – Place the hot charcoals on one extreme side of the grill.
• Catch – Add a tin catch just below the grill so you can catch any juices that drip off.
• Placement – Place the Brisket on the other side of the grill farthest from the coals and the water pan beside it.
• Trap the heat – Close the lid to start the smoking process

 

Verdict: I like using this method though because it’s the most convenient. I don’t need a bulky unit in my backyard. 👍 All I have to do is take my favorite wood flavor and use it along with charcoal.

 

Electric Smoker

Pros

• No direct heat – We won’t be using an open fire for this smoker. it’s woodchips and some heating rods.
• Its own thermometer – It has a built in thermometer to tell the temperature inside the smoker.

Cons

• Longer smoking time – It cooks longer and slower because of the low maximum temperature.
• Electric consumption – I think you should expect a higher electric bill when using this smoker.
• Tastes different – Without the authentic smoke from a burning woodchip, you’ll sense a light difference with the taste. Also, if you don’t preheat the smoker. you’d probably taste a bit of plastic from the manufacturing in your dish.

Electric smokers use wood chips to produce smoke via heating rods to produce the smoke. It also uses convection to heat food which gives the food a different flavor due to the lack of fire. The parts are generally similar to a bullet smoker with the wood tray substituting the fire chamber.

How to use an Electric Smoker?

• Preheat the smoker: Pre-smoke the unit with the woodchips of your choice.
• Attach the water pan: Once it reaches the desired temperature, place the water pan inside the lowest space inside the unit.
• Placement: Place the Beef Brisket in the racks and close the lid or door.

NOTE: If you’re a first-time user of this type of smoker, I suggest seasoning your grill with cooking oil. This prevents any residue from the manufacturing to stick to your food.

Verdict: Electric grills tend to cook at a lower temperature which means they would cook longer.

Recipe Ingredients

Just like with my other beef recipes, I love to accompany it with a mix of my favorite herbs and spices. Don’t worry, all the ingredients for this recipe are hassle-free. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil – We’re going to keep this ingredient for extra basting while our meat smokes.

Rubs to use

If you’re feeling a bit extra, you can replace salt and pepper with Creole Seasoning for a smoky southern taste. I suggest you keep this mix in stock just in case.

The kick of heat from Steak Seasoning is ideal for beef as it penetrates the meat through and through. The fusion of flavor is enough to replace all the other dry ingredients.

Surprisingly, this simple homemade Taco Seasoning perfectly blends with the tenderness of the meat. The best part about it is that the flavor also goes well with different side dishes.

Tips and Tricks

• Mix the dry rub in advance. If you have your homemade rub to really tweak the flavor, try making a batch in advance. This will save you time in mixing the dry ingredients.
• Give it a little trim. If bought a brisket with excessive fat, you can trim that part away but I suggest leaving about ¼ inch of fat in just so it doesn’t dry out easily. The excess fat may not render at all so it just prolongs the cooking time.
• Fat side up. This is just a personal preference since I’m used to doing this. However, you can actually smoke your brisket fat side down. This is great especially when you have a lot of heat coming from below.
• Properly rest. You’re going to want to rest it for a bit, around 20 minutes. This is to let the juices seep back into the meat so that when you finally slice it, it stays moist.

How long does it take to smoke a brisket?

Because this beef cut is dense, it normally takes about 1.5 hours per pound of beef brisket at 225 F. This may vary depending on the environment, how often you open the lid, and the thickness of the meat.

You’ll know that your beef brisket is done once it hits 195 F in internal temperature. However, I suggest removing it from heat just before it hits that temperature. The meat continuous to cook for about 10 Degrees more even after taking it out of the smoker. You don’t want to overcook your brisket right? Here’s a simple doneness guide for your beefy dish.

There is a point where the internal temperature hits a wall, this is called “The Stall”, and trust me it’s super frustrating! At this point, I wrap my brisket in foil or butcher’s paper and place a bit of liquid inside (beer, cider, or juice). This will get the temperature rising!

Serving Suggestions

Of course, a meal as good as this smoked beef brisket deserves delicious sauces to pair with it. I know that this dish is glorious enough as it is but I just love a bit of extra flavor. Here are my top picks for the perfect sides:

Simple Sides

• Give your taste buds a flavor-packed tangy spike with a side of Pickled Onions.
• A serving of Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus gives a nice flavor contrast to the dish.
• Don’t forget about the classic Roast Potatoes and Carrots.

Savory Sauces

• Obviously, Homemade BBQ sauce perfectly fits the taste profile of this dish. You can also use this sauce to baste the meat as it cooks.
• If you want a different taste for this dish, you can always go for White BBQ Sauce
• Planning to serve this dish for the holidays? pair it with a simple Homemade Gravy
• You might also want to try a more flavorful and chunky Giblet Gravy.

More Beefy Recipes

• Smoked Prime Rib
• Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Beef Wellington
• Mongolian Beef

How to Smoke a Beef Brisket?

• Take the meat out: Place the meat fat-side-up on a chopping board. (Photo 1)
• Trim the fat: Slice away the excess fat to let the smoky flavor penetrate the meat. Make sure to leave a layer of fat on the meat. this will keep our meat moist. (Photo 2)
• Season the meat: Rub both sides with salt and pepper. (Photo 3)
• Rub the flavors in: Rub both sides with your choice of mix, personally, I go for the Immacualtebites homemade creole seasoning but you can also use whatever rocks your boat. Make sure to cover every inch. (Photo 4)
• Placement: Place the meat fat-side-up inside the smoker, close the lid to start the cooking process
• Remove and Rest: Once the internal temperature of the beef reaches 195 F, remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest for about 20 – 30 minutes. This helps all the natural juices to seep back into the meat.
• Slice and serve: thinly slice the brisket and serve along with your favorite side.