Kick up your BBQ game with this famous primal cut by smoking brisket on a pellet grill. Fork-tender, savory umami for a versatile recipe perfect for leftover makeovers later in the week.
Perfectly smoking a brisket is not as easy as it sounds. After a few less-than-ideal results, I started asking the people in the know for tips. Good thing I had plenty of fixes and leftover makeovers for the trials.
Once you have the method down pat, using a Traeger pellet grill for set-it-and-forget-it ease makes impressing the guests effortless. So let’s get to it.
Tips for Perfectly Smoking Brisket
It’s all about the prep, cooking method, and allowing plenty of time. First, dry brining it in the fridge overnight helps the flavors penetrate. Then smoke it (straight from the fridge) at 225-250℉ (107-120℃) with a variety of wood chips for depth of flavor.
Oak is traditional for Texas-style beef, hickory is bolder (mix it with oak for the perfect balance), and pecan is milder and gives the brisket a darker bark. Easily customize your wood flavor by mixing two or more types of wood. Mesquite can be overpowering and bitter, so it’s best mixed with oak, remembering that a little goes a long way.
After it has smoked to your desired intensity, wrap it in butcher paper and roast it low and slow for a few more hours, either in the smoker or the oven. That will break down the connective tissues for fork-tender results. And don’t forget the long rest period while still wrapped, so those amazing juices can reabsorb back into the meat.
How to Pellet Grill a Brisket
- Trim the brisket, season it, let it marinate, and smoke it.
- Wrap and slow-roast it, let it rest, and slice it.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Marinate the roast overnight in soy sauce, honey, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce for extra depth of flavor.
- Replace the brisket with any roast with a lot of connective tissue (legs and shoulders) that benefits from slow roasting.
- There are different grades of brisket. So get as good as you can afford for the best marbling and fat content.
- Be generous with the dry rub because briskets can take it. Calculate 1-2 tablespoons of your chosen blend per pound of beef.
- For extra-moist brisket, baste it with 2-3 tablespoons of melted tallow before wrapping and roasting it to lock in the moisture.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Brisket takes hours to cook right, so you’ll want to start the day before. You can also prep it with the dry rub or marinade and freeze it for 2-3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then pop it in the smoker. No need to let it come to room temperature first.
Leftovers last about 4 days in the fridge or 4-5 months in the freezer. Sandwiches, tacos, chili, and a salad topping are all great ways to use the tasty leftovers.
What to Serve With Smoked Beef Brisket
A traditional meal includes refreshing coleslaw, cucumber salad, and pickled red onions to cut through the richness. But if you’re looking for pure comfort food, add some mac and cheese and a potato salad.
More Fantastic Pellet Grill Recipes to Enjoy
By Imma
This blog post was originally published in May 2021 and has been updated with additional tips and tempting new photos.
Looking for more recipes? Follow on…
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 12 hours hrs
Marinating and Resting Time: 12 hours hrs
Total: 1 day d 15 minutes mins
American, Southern
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Place your brisket on a large cutting board, fat-cap side up. Trim off the fat cap, as most of it is hard fat that doesn’t render and prevents the meat from absorbing the smoke. However, you’ll want to leave a narrow layer of the softer fat (about ¼ inch thick) on the outside to keep it from drying out.
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A fairly thick vein of fat runs between the point and the flat, but you won’t want to remove it because it keeps the brisket moist. You can easily remove it while slicing the cooked brisket.
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If the rub is salt-free, salt the brisket with about ½ teaspoon per pound. If the rub has salt, then half the amount. Rub the roast with yellow mustard (or Worcestershire sauce) so the spices stick better. Thoroughly coat the brisket with the dry rub. At this point, you can chill it in the fridge (uncovered on a wire rack over a baking sheet) for 12-24 hours for the salt and seasonings to do their job and form a good crust.
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Preheat your pellet grill to 225-250°F (110-120℃), per the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Take the brisket out of the fridge and put it directly in the pellet grill, fat-side up. Smoke it for about 6 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165-170℉ (75-80℃) and you have a nice crusty bark.
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Remove it from the smoker and wrap it tightly with butcher paper or foil. (Foil cooks faster, but it might ruin the bark. However, butcher paper preserves the texture of the bark but takes longer.)
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Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature is between 200-205°F (95-98℃), 6-7 hours. You can also do this in a 225-250°F (110-120℃) oven.
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Place the wrapped brisket on the countertop for 10-20 minutes so it releases steam, then put it in a Styrofoam cooler or a 145-170°F (65-80℃) oven for 2-3 hours. (See notes)
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Unwrap the brisket, slice it against the grain, and serve with your favorite barbecue sauce and sides.
- Please don’t skip the resting period, as it redistributes the juices throughout the meat and relaxes the fibers for a more tender and juicy brisket.
- Keep the brisket at a safe temperature while resting. You’ll want it to stay above 140°F (60℃).
- Because of the high fat content, a brisket will shrink about 40% during smoking. Something to keep in mind when figuring out how many servings it will make.
- In the smoking world, you’ll often hear of SPG (salt, pepper, and garlic) as the bare necessities for seasoning meat. Feel free to go with the basics or experiment with new flavors.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional data is approximate and can vary immensely based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Serving: 100g| Calories: 495kcal (25%)| Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)| Protein: 64g (128%)| Fat: 23g (35%)| Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g| Monounsaturated Fat: 11g| Cholesterol: 187mg (62%)| Sodium: 896mg (39%)| Potassium: 1057mg (30%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 0.3g| Vitamin A: 217IU (4%)| Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)| Calcium: 98mg (10%)| Iron: 9mg (50%)
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Southern
Diet: Gluten Free
