• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Smoker » Smoked Brisket

Published: June 3, 2019 Last Modified: June 7, 2019 By Sara 36 Comments

Smoked Brisket

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Smoked Brisket Recipe | Beef Brisket | BBQ Beef #brisket #smoker #beef #bbq #dinner #dinneratthezoo

This smoked brisket is beef coated in a homemade spice rub, then slow smoked to tender perfection and thinly sliced. The ultimate barbecue beef that tastes like it came from a restaurant!

Slow cooked beef brisket is one of the very best things you can possibly make with an electric smoker. Serve your smoked brisket with a side of mac and cheese and corn on the cob, and watch the rave reviews pour in.

Smoked Brisket Recipe | Beef Brisket | BBQ Beef #brisket #smoker #beef #bbq #dinner #dinneratthezoo Smoked Brisket Recipe | Beef Brisket | BBQ Beef #brisket #smoker #beef #bbq #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Smoked brisket sliced and served with pickles, onions and bread.

In my opinion, smoked brisket is the king of all the smoked meats. It’s melt in your mouth tender, full of rich flavor, and happens to be quite easy to make. The hardest part is waiting hours for the meat to slowly cook to perfection.

How do you make smoked brisket?

The first step in this recipe is choosing your brisket. There are two cuts that are part of a brisket, the point and the flat. The point is a rounder more tender piece of meat that has a fat cap. The flat is a leaner cut that is more uniform in shape. Often times in restaurants or a barbecues when you see those nice even slices of brisket, that is the flat cut.

There is also the best of both worlds option known as the packer cut, or Texas brisket, which has both the flat and the point sections of the brisket attached to each other. I prefer to use this cut. With the packer cut I can get those even slices from the flat cut that look so great on a plate and I can use some of that point meat to make some saucy burnt ends. If you make a brisket, do yourself a favor and use some of the point cut meat to make burnt ends.

To prepare the brisket for smoking ,the first thing to do is to trim off the excess fat. If you are using the point cut or the packer cut, you will want to trim down the fat cap. Even with the flat cut, you will want to cut down excess fat so that you can see the meat underneath the fat. The fat layer should be translucent. You want the fat to be somewhere between 1/3 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch.  Do your best, it doesn’t have to be exact.

Beef brisket coated in homemade spice rub.

Next you want to completely cover the brisket in BBQ spice rub. I prefer to use my homemade spice rub, but you can also use your favorite store bought variety. After you cover the brisket in barbecue rub, cover it and place it in a refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours.

When you are ready to smoke the meat, bring your smoker to 250 degrees F. Place the brisket on a foil tray. Using a foil tray helps retain the juices.

Insert a meat thermometer into the brisket.  Try to get the probe into meat and not into fat for greater accuracy. Leave the meat in the smoker until the interior of the meat reaches 170 degrees F.  This will take several hours and the time will vary depending on the size and shape of the meat. For a 13 pound brisket, this could take 4-5 hours.

Brisket wrapped in butcher paper.

Once the interior of the beef reaches 170 degrees F, remove the brisket from the smoker. Wrap the brisket in foil or peach butcher paper. Foil will work, but the best brisket is smoked with peach butcher paper. Wrapping the brisket in peach butcher paper allows the beef to hold in its juices while allowing the smoke to permeate the meat. You’ll also get nicer, more flavorful bark with the butcher paper.

After wrapping the meat, place in back in the smoker until the internal temperature is 200 degrees F. This can take quite a while. For 13 pound brisket, this part can take 9-10 hours. If you find yourself getting impatient, you can bump the smoker temperature up to 275 degrees F for the last couple of hours.

How do you know when smoked brisket is done?

Once the brisket reaches 200 degrees F, remove it from the smoker and let it rest wrapped for at least 10 minutes. Then unwrap it and let it rest for another 5 minutes.

Cut the meat into even slices. If you notice excessive juice pooling when you cut the brisket, you can let it rest for a few more minutes. Serve the brisket with barbecue sauce.  You can use this recipe for a homemade barbecue sauce for extra flavor.

Beef brisket inside butcher paper.

What is the best wood for smoking brisket?

Generally I like to use fruit wood, such as apple or cherry, to smoke brisket. Fruit wood imparts a mild and slightly sweet flavor that doesn’t overpower the meat. However, brisket can also be smoked with hickory or maple wood.

How long do you smoke a brisket?

As with most smoked meats, time is not as important as reaching the correct internal temperatures. The time to reach those temperatures will vary based on the size and shape of the meat.  However, for a 13 pound packer cut brisket it could take 4-5 hours of unwrapped smoking and up to 9-10 hours of wrapped smoking.

Sliced smoked brisket with a side of BBQ sauce.

Tips for smoked brisket

  • Use a packer cut with both the flat and point cuts of the brisket.
  • Set aside some of the brisket for burnt ends.
  • Use peach butcher paper to wrap the brisket.
  • Use an electric smoker for easy temperature control.

This is a great recipe for a crowd because it serves a lot of people! You’ll be sure to get rave reviews from family and friends when they try your brisket.

More smoker recipes

  • Smoked Chicken
  • Smoked Turkey
  • Smoked Chicken Wings
  • Smoked Pork Chops
  • Smoked Chicken Thighs
Smoked brisket sliced and served with pickles, onions and bread.
Print Pin
5 from 14 votes

Smoked Brisket

This smoked brisket is beef coated in a homemade spice rub, then slow smoked to tender perfection and thinly sliced. The ultimate barbecue beef that tastes like it came from a restaurant!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 14 hours
Total Time 1 day 2 hours
Servings 12
Calories 404kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 10-13 pound brisket can use packer, point or flat cut
  • 1 cup BBQ spice rub enough to completely cover the meat
  • BBQ sauce for serving with the meat

Instructions

  • Trim the excess fat off the brisket. You want to remove most of the fat cap if you have a point or packer cut. Other excess fat should be removed to 1/3 or 1/4 inch until you can see the beef through the fat.
  • Completely cover the brisket in BBQ rub.
  • Cover the meat and refrigerate it for 10-12 hours.
  • Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
  • Insert a meat thermometer (into the meat, not fat) and place the meat in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. This may take 4-5 hours.
  • Once the meat reaches 170 degrees F, remove the meat and wrap it in foil or peach butcher paper. Place the meat back in the smoker until it reaches 200 degrees F. This may take 9-10 hours. If you want to increase the speed of cooking, you can increase the temperature to 275 degrees for the last couple of hours of smoking.
  • Once the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F, remove it from the smoker and let it rest covered 10 minutes. Let it rest uncovered another 5 minutes.
  • Slice the brisket. If you notice excessive juice pooling when you cut the brisket, you can let it rest for a few more minutes. Serve with BBQ sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 1287mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 9.3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Dinner, Smoker

FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

    ​
    ​

    Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

    « Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
    Chicken and Green Beans »

    Comments

    1. Ayshia says

      January 22, 2022 at 2:18 pm

      We love this recipe, and the burnt ends are the talk of the neighborhood! Do you have anything specific you put into the water pan on the bottom of the smoker? We usually use a cider/water mixture, but I was just wondering if there is something else that may add to the perfection that is this recipe. 🙂 Thanks again!

      Reply
    2. Howard says

      January 7, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      Question, I see the recommended temperatures range from 225-250 on some pages. Can you cook the Brisket at a lower temperature, say 200 degrees? I know it will take longer (I have all the time in the world).. just want to know if it will work…

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 10, 2022 at 9:07 am

        Yes that’s fine, the only thing to consider is at a lower temperature you might not have much, if any, smoke depending on the smoker you use. For my electric smoker, the temp needs to be a bit higher to produce ample smoke so just keep an eye on it and adjust the temp if needed!

        Reply
    3. Catherine says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:44 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing!! Love the sound of your rub and sauce too! So flavorful and delicious in the smoker.

      Reply
    4. Noelle Simpson says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      There is nothing better than a smoked brisket with amazing bbq flavors! Loved this!

      Reply
    5. Shanna M. says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      My family loved this smoked brisket. It was so tender juicy and had the best flavor.

      Reply
    6. Jayne says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      Our family loves a great smoked brisket. This recipe is amazing and something we will make again! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    7. Jacque H. says

      February 10, 2021 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      This is making my mouthwater! I can’t wait to grab a brisket and start smoking! I am in love with all meats smoked this time of year.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More

    Winter Soups

    A pot of creamy chicken and wild rice soup with vegetables and bacon.

    Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

    A bowl of Italian wedding soup with meatballs, carrots, spinach and pasta.

    Italian Wedding Soup

    A bowl of matzo ball soup with chicken, garnished with parsley.

    Matzo Ball Soup

    A bowl full of slow cooker chicken tortilla soup with avocado, sour cream and tortilla strips.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

    A bowl of ham and potato soup loaded with veggies in a creamy broth.

    Ham and Potato Soup

    A bowl of Instant Pot chili topped with sour cream, cheese and green onions.

    Instant Pot Chili

    More Posts from this Category

    Featured Recipes

    A dish of chicken and rice casserole with a serving spoon in it.

    Chicken and Rice Casserole

    Steak kabobs with mushrooms, red onion and bell peppers, brushed with garlic butter.

    Steak Kabobs with Garlic Butter

    A bowl of rice topped with Korean ground beef and mixed vegetables.

    Korean Beef Bowls

    A pan of Tuscan chicken topped with creamy mushroom and spinach sauce.

    Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

    Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

      ​
      ​

      Categories

      Sites I am featured In
      PRIVACY POLICY ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2022.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • Twitter
      • About Me
      • Contact Me
      • All Recipes
      • Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Dessert
      • One Pot Meals
      • Slow Cooker
      • Asian Food