Try These Smoked Brisket Recipes And Be The Neighborhood Brisket King! (2024)

Smoking that first brisket can be intimidating, but with these smokedbrisket recipes and tips you should have little trouble.

And if you canpull tender, juicy briskets from your smoker every time, you just mightfind something here that will add to your skills.

Brisket Smoking Basics

Braising, Baking and Smoking Briskets

Because beef brisket contains a lot of tough connective tissue, itrequires extended cooking to become tender . Braising in liquid andbaking are the typical cooking methods and both do a good job ofbreaking down the collagentissues.

But when smoke is added to the equation, things change.Smokinglow-and-slow creates additional layers of flavor, includingthe well-seasoned, concentrated flavor of the chewy bark and the subtletaste and texture differences of the smoke ring.

The sliced brisket shown below was smoked for my niece's wedding receptiondinner.

We didn't have enough smoker capacity for cooking four briskets,so my brother and I put together an open pit smoker using some odds andends that were laying around his shop.

About Beef Briskets: The Flat, the Point and the Fat Cap

Awhole beef brisket consists of the flat, the point and the fat cap. Theflat section has fairly uniform grain direction, and is roughlyrectangular in shape and even in thickness.

The point is amore rounded and fattier cut. Some prefer the leanness of the brisketflat, but for me, I’ll take a big juicy hunk of the smoked point everytime!

The fat cap covers what was originally the outer layer of the brisket.It varies in thickness, and some of it is left on when preparing for thesmoker - trimmed one-quarter to one-half inch thick is about right.

Thefat protects the meat from drying, and bastes the brisket as it melts.Iusually score the fat cap in a cross hatched pattern before marinatingand seasoning with the brisket rub.

The cuts in the fat cap allowseasoning flavors to reach the meat, and also help the fat melt. Thecut-pattern looks great on the finished brisket, too.

You’ll find thatmost of the smoked brisket recipes here are made using whole beefbriskets, but with minor changes the recipes can be used for smokingtrimmed brisket flats as well. Less marinade and dry rub is needed forthe smaller flats, and they’ll need a little less time in thesmoker.

It’s uncommon to find brisket points sold separately, so ifthat’s what you want, just ask someone at the meat counter in yourgrocery store.

Smoking Beef Briskets

Preparation and Seasoning

I usually buy whole, packer cut briskets and smoke them whole, butoccasionallyI'll separate them into the flat and point sections before smoking. Thistakes a bit more prep time but decreases the smoking time.

Also, thefattier point can take longer to cook than the flat so by separatingthem, each can be cooked until just right. After trimming the brisket to an even shape, then thinning andscoring the fat cap it's time for the flavors.

Using only a brisket dryrub is perfectly fine, but some of the smoked brisket recipes call formarinating the brisket first. Marinating can be done for just a few hours up to a couple of days,depending on the depth of flavor desired, and the type of marinade used.

Acidic marinades are best used for shorter periods of time. Before seasoning with the rub, use a towel to remove the marinadefrom the surface. Apply the rub, then wrap in plastic wrap.

A couple ofhours up to overnight in the refrigerator will provide the time neededfor the flavors to permeate the meat.

Brisket Smoking Tips

Once in the smoker, you'll be paying attention to the smokertemperature, the amount and timing of smoke applied and basting.Wrapping the brisket with foil after it's smoked for a few hours inoptional, but can speed up the cooking time.

Maintaining asteady smoker temperature is important. The best temperature range is225-240˚ Fahrenheit. Cooking time for a whole brisket can be from 8 to12 hours, and possibly longer, depending on the size of the brisket.

Abrisket's final done temperature can be as low as 190˚, or as high as200˚. Test the meat for tenderness with a knife or fork for your finaldetermination.

Basting with brisket mopping sauce adds flavorand helps the meat remain juicy. Some use a spray bottle to baste with,using combinations of apple juice, vinegar, wine or beer and vegetableoil with seasonings.

If you decide to wrap it in foil, waituntil at least a few hours have passed and a bark has formed on thesurface. Wrapping it tightly in two or three foil layers will hold inthe moisture, and in turn speed up the cooking time.

When it's done, thebrisket can be removed from the foil and cooked for another 30 minutesto an hour, which will help make the bark nice and chewy.

When thebrisket is done, a rest period improves the quality of the meat. Re-wrapit in foil and let it rest on the kitchen counter for at least ahalf-hour. Ideally, place the foil-wrapped brisket in a cooler (to trapthe heat), and let it rest for 2 to 4 hours.

For more detailedinstructions check out my tutorial,How to Smoke a Brisket.

Smoked Brisket Recipes

Smoked Bacon Brisket

A well cooked smoked brisket is a real treat, but when you add theflavor of bacon to the equation, you've got something special.

Smoky Brisket Cheese Sandwich Recipe

This recipe makes a darn tasty sandwich. The cheese and smoked brisket go together like bacon and eggs.

Brisket Marinade Recipes

Included are a German lager marinade spiced with one habanero pepper, and a sweet-tart citrus marinade with lemon.

Brisket Dry Rub Recipe

Here you'll find a Basically Fantastic Brisket Rub, and a recipe for Tejas Style Rub. Both are quite tasty.

Texas Smoked Brisket

This spicy recipe takes a cue from the flavors of theSouthwest...peppers, cumin and more give this one a flavor you won'tforget. And don't forget to keep it moistened with the mopping sauce!

Irish Brisket Marinade

Enjoy your Guinness Extra Stout as an Irish marinade for your nextbrisket. Save a couple bottles of the stout to sip during mealtime!

Beef Brisket Coffee Rub

A dry rub adds lots of flavor to the brisket and is just about mandatory for creating the perfectly seasoned hunk o' beef!

Spicy Brisket Rub

If you like excitingly spicy flavors, give this brisket rub a try. Youcan always back off on the amounts of hot stuff if you prefer a tamertaste.

Brisket Mopping Sauce

Slather this liquid onto the brisket every half hour or so. You'll beadding flavor and moist goodness to the meat as the wisps of smokegently lick its surface.

Smoked low and slow, these brisketrecipes create tasty, tender meat that you'll be proud to serve. Aplatter full of sliced brisket, a loaf of bread, somehome made barbecue sauce, and a big bowl ofsmoky baked beans makes for a great weekend feast!

Great Tasting Brisket Rub Recipes

Sweet Chili Brisket Rub