Perfect Smoked Brisket Recipe

This 9 hour smoked brisket recipe is so easy to follow and literally every person I’ve made this for has told me it’s the best brisket they’ve ever had. No basting, no spraying, no waking up in the middle of the night tending. This recipe is so easy and is amazing!

I love brisket, but I hated most of the recipes that I tried. Not that I hated the taste, but I hated the mess and the maintenance. One recipe cooked for over 12 hours and required that I spray apple juice on my brisket every 30 minutes. I woke up in the middle of the night every 30 minutes to spray the stupid thing. It made a huge mess in my smoker and didn’t taste better.

Perfect Smoked Brisket Recipe

One thing I’ve learned from years of smoking brisket is half the battle is learning how to choose the right brisket.

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How To Choose the Right Brisket

  • I like to smoke a full brisket. There are two parts to a brisket, the flat (thinner part) and the point (fattier thicker part). I get my brisket from Costco, and I always look for “prime” cuts (look for that prime sticker). Some people buy these cuts separately, but they need to be cooked as one piece of meat. No way you’ll eat an entire brisket? Have no fear, check out our guide to saving leftover brisket here (this changed my life).
  • The most important part of picking a brisket to me is to find one with even thickness across the whole cut of meat. You will never achieve perfect evenness as the flat is always thinner than the point. However you will find some briskets with really thick points and really thin flats. Try to find the cut with the closest thickness across the whole slab. This will help when you are cooking to not dry out half or under cook half of your brisket.
  • Excess fat is an important thing to look for. I like to trim off huge hunks of fat. Always leave at least a 1/4 inch layer of fat on the fat cap side of your brisket (never trim fat all the way off as it holds in the flavor!) I’ve had some cuts where I’ve trimmed 2-3 pounds of fat off before I even start cooking. That’s your hard earned money down the drain! Choose a piece of meat that’s already been properly trimmed.
  • Packing date is something to consider. Contrary to common sense, you actually want a brisket with an older packing date. The longer your brisket has aged the better, as the meat becomes more tender with age. Don’t be afraid to buy your brisket 1, 2, or even 3 weeks before you are going to cook it. Keep it in the fridge and dry age that beautiful meat!

Perfect Smoked Brisket Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time9 hours
Resting Time1 hour
Total Time9 hours 10 minutes
Course: dinner, Keto, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: smoked brisket, smoked brisket recipe
Servings: 20
Calories: 729kcal
Author: Paul Walker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • This recipe requires 12-24 hours of MARINATION!  Make sure and plan ahead. 
  • Trim excess fat from Brisket.  Don’t trim too much fat, you want to leave at least 1/4 inch of fat on the “fat cap” side of your brisket.  If you like to eat the fat, leave it on.  It will just add flavor!
    Smoked Brisket Recipe Fat Trim
  • Lay down 4-5 large pieces of saran wrap on top of each other (large enough to cover the brisket).  Lay brisket on saran wrap and coat with Traeger Rub.  These come in 9 oz cartons.  I usually use 3/4 of the carton, make sure to coat liberally.  It should look like it’s covered with sand.
  • Wrap brisket and place back into the fridge for 12-24 hours.  Mine tastes better at 12 hours – no clue why, but that’s what I do!
  • Heat your smoker to 225 degrees F.  I prefer to use Hickory pellets, but feel free to use your favorite wood blend.
  • Remove brisket from saran wrap and place directly onto the grill fat cap down.  Yes I’m a fat cap down guy!
  • Cook until internal meat temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  This is usually 6 hours, but depends on the size and thickness of your brisket.  Don’t be anal about 160, it won’t mess anything up if you’re plus or minus a few degrees.
  • Completely wrap your brisket in 5-6 sheets of tin foil.  You want to make sure you lose minimal juices in this part of the cook.
  • Place back on the grill in foil – still fat cap down.  Cook until you reach an internal meat temperature of 201 degrees F.  This should take an additional 3-4 hours.  This is where you need to be super anal!  Hitting exactly 201 is important.
  • Remove from smoker and place directly into a cooler still wrapped in foil.  Let rest for at least 1 hour before slicing and eating.  You can let it rest longer and it should be fine, but 1 hour has been the optimal time for me!
  • Slice (against the grain starting at the flat) and enjoy.  Slicing correctly is important so youtube it and learn the correct way to slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 729kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 94g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 1555mg | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 11.7mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @mymommystyle or tag #mymommystyle!

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    Hello! I am Camille, a wife, mother of four, Disney obsessed, certified teacher, and reality optimist. Motherhood comes with its ups and downs, and I hope while you're here you'll find something that makes your #momlife easier!

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