How to Smoke a Brisket

5 from 3 votes

Learn how to smoke a brisket. We admit there is not one BEST way, but you can read here for our best tips and tricks!

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Resting Time1

Total Time11 30

Course: Dinner, Meat

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: how to smoke a brisket, smoked brisket

Servings: servings

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Ben Gladd

Trim the fat from the meat, leaving about a quarter of an inch of fat on the bottom.
Mix a generous amount of ground pepper and kosher salt in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle the brisket. Use your hands to massage it into all sides of the meat.
Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you don’t have the time, you can always let the meat sit for 30 or so minutes after adding the rub before sticking it on the grill.
Preheat the smoker to 225℉ and then stick the brisket on the grates, fat side down. Let it cook until the brisket's internal temperature reaches 160℉. It can take 5 to 7 hours.*
Carefully remove brisket from the smoker and wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
With the smoker still at 225°F, place the brisket back on the smoker, fat side down. Let cook until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 204℉. Be patient. This is the most difficult part of the process, so don’t give up. It tends to take an additional 3-5 hours.
Once the brisket reaches 204℉, remove it from the grill and let it sit for 30-45 mins before unwrapping.***
Slice the meat against the grain with a sharp knife. Eat up!

*I like to use a few WIFI temperature probes and then double-check it manually with another one.
**The purists use butcher paper to generate more bark. But, aluminum foil is more forgiving. It’s probably wise to use foil the first few attempts.
***You can always place the wrapped cooked brisket in a cooler to retain the temperature if you need more time before serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate only based on a 12 lb brisket with 8 oz. servings and expecting some leftover -- because everyone needs a little leftover brisket!