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Perfect Smoked Brisket Recipe
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Perfect Smoked Brisket Recipe

Course dinner, Keto, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword smoked brisket, smoked brisket recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 9 hours 10 minutes
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