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slices of smoked brisket
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4.53 from 146 votes

Smoked Brisket

The most comprehensive guide to making no-fail smoked brisket from a champion pitmaster. Includes steps for every type of grill.
Prep Time8 hours
Cook Time12 hours
Total Time20 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 11 lb brisket
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/3 cup brisket rub or SPG
  • apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Trim: Trim excess fat from the brisket.
  • Inject + Rub: Inject the brisket with beef broth. Rub it liberally with brisket rub or SPG. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Heat Smoker: Set the smoker to 225F degrees with your favorite charcoal, wood chunks or pellets.
  • Smoke: Smoke fat side down, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every two hours, until a thermometer placed in the flat end of the meat measures 160-165F degrees. Make sure the smoker maintains a steady temp.
  • Wrap: Spritz the brisket one more time, and tightly wrap it in two layers of foil.
  • Finish Cooking: Continue smoking until the brisket is around 203F degrees.
  • Rest: Wrap in another piece of foil and a towel, and place it in a cooler (without ice) for at least 3 hours.
  • Slice: Slice the brisket against the grain and serve.

Video

Notes

SPG stands for salt, pepper, garlic and is made by combining equal parts kosher salt, coarse-ground black pepper and granulated garlic.
This recipe has been slightly updated. I now smoke my brisket fat side down. The original recipe said to smoke it fat side up. 
Please refer to the article above for full details on trimming, injecting and rubbing. 
To make burnt ends, after the resting stage, slice the point into one-inch cubes. Place them in a pan with a light sprinkle of rub and enough sauce to provide a light coat. Place the pan on a 275F-degree smoker and smoke for one hour. 

Nutrition

Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 87g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 258mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 1398mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 9mg