How to Smoke Brisket the Easy Way

Brisket is one of the most delicious smoked meats you will ever eat, but is known for being tricky to cook. That's why I prefer to smoke the flat section of a brisket instead of a whole packer brisket. I'm going to show you how to smoke brisket the easy way...it's much quicker, your brisket will come out moist on the inside and still have the perfect bark, and it's enough to feed an entire family and still have leftovers!

Smoked brisket has always been one of my favorite things to order when we visit any BBQ restaurant. I love brisket alone, on a sandwich and especially served up in brisket tacos. I used to be afraid of smoking brisket because I had heard so many horror stories about people buying the expensive brisket cuts of beef and slow smoking them only to have them come off of the smoker dried out. I myself have never even tried to smoke a whole brisket, so I teamed up with my friend from The Beef Council to learn the ropes and show you too! I started by smoking at brisket flat first. It couldn't have been easier, and there was so much that my whole family was able to enjoy it, I took some to my mom, and we had more than enough to make THESE Delicious Brisket Tacos a couple days later. It has now become one of my favorite things to cook on our smoker when we are having friends over or for ourselves! I love that I was able to purchase one cut of beef and was able to feed my family for two entire meals, and if I hadn't shared with other family members we could have gotten at least one more meal out of it!

What's the difference in a whole brisket and a brisket flat?

The brisket actually comes from the cow's breast, and is a tougher cut of beef that should be slow cooked on a BBQ, smoker or in a slow cooker. To find out more about the difference in brisket cuts, check out THIS information from The Beef Council! They have so much information on the different cuts of beef and what they can/should be used for as well as tons of amazing recipes using beef.

Can you cook a brisket without a smoker?

You can absolutely cook a brisket if you don't own a smoker. You can grill one indirectly and get the same effect as a smoker, you can slow roast a brisket, slow cook one, or you can cook a brisket in an Instant Pot. For Instant Pot Brisket Instructions, click HERE!

How to Smoke a Brisket Flat

What you'll need...

• 1 5-8 lb. flat cut brisket
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. onion powder
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tbsp. sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp. ground pepper
• 1 cup of apple juice

• Add all of the spices to a bowl and mix well.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket flat, coating the entire thing.
• Depending on the type of smoker you are using, add pellets, wood chips or charcoal of your choice. (You should refer to your owner's manual for these instructions.)
• Preheat your smoker or grill (use indirect heat if using a grill) to 225°F

• Place the brisket directly on the grill rack of your smoker.
• Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the brisket flat reaches 165°-170°F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature.
• Try not to lift the grill lid often, but if you lift the grill lid to add wood chips, charcoal or to check the temperature, be sure to spray the brisket liberally with apple juice.

• Remove from grill and double wrap in aluminum foil so the juices won't leak out.
• Cook for an additional 1-2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190°-200°F.
• Remove from grill and let the brisket rest for at least 45 minutes. Letting the brisket rest really helps to maintain the moisture to keep your brisket from drying out.

• Unwrap the brisket and slice it against the grain before serving.

• Serve as is, make a brisket sandwich with BBQ sauce or make my amazing Brisket Tacos with Quick Pickled Red Onions!

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