Elevate your barbecue skills with this recipe for smoked brisket flat, a true Texan classic. Transform a humble cut of beef into a grill masters masterpiece through the low-and-slow smoking process with tender, juicy meat infused with rich, smoky flavors. This brisket recipe is perfect for any barbecue enthusiast seeking an unforgettable experience.
Why You'll Love This Smoked Brisket Recipe
This smoked brisket flat recipe will make your mouth water. Tender, juicy meat paired with smoky flavors might just be your new favorite.
Smoked brisket flat is easy to make and absolutely delicious! Pair it up with some Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and our Smoked Jalapeno Poppers (Texas Twinkies) for an easy meal to rave about.
The key to smoking a brisket is using the right temperature and cooking time. Follow this guide and you'll have yourself a delicious piece of smoked brisket!
- Flavorful and tender brisket: Smoked brisket is a classic Texas barbecue dish that is known for its rich, smoky flavor and tender texture. The combination of low and slow cooking with a flavorful rub or marinade results in a brisket that is both flavorful and juicy.
- Rich smoky flavor: The smoky flavor of the brisket is another reason why people love this dish. The brisket is cooked over wood smoke, which imparts a deep and rich smoky flavor to the meat. The type of wood that you use will also affect the flavor of the brisket. For example, hickory wood is a popular choice for smoking brisket because it has a strong and intense flavor.
- Relatively easy recipe to make, even if you're a beginner.
- While smoking brisket may seem like a daunting task, it's actually quite simple. All you need is a smoker, a brisket, and a few basic ingredients. The most important thing is to be patient and let the brisket cook low and slow.
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Smoked Brisket Flat Ingredients
This smoked brisket flat recipe uses a full size slab of meat, but you can cut yours in half and make less if your gathering or family is smaller. Or, smoke the full size and freeze the left overs! Come the winter, you will love having some smoked brisket still on hand.
- 10 to 12 pound packer brisket - don't worry too much about the fat, as some fat will help keep your brisket moist during the smoking phase.
- Kosher salt - it has a flaky texture, and is less dense. You will use this type of salt to salt cure the brisket before smoking it.
- Garlic salt for seasoning.
- Ground Black pepper - get the table grind, not the fluffy powdery ground pepper.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Smoke A Brisket Flat
Trim off any excess fat over ¼" on the brisket. You want to leave thin amounts as this little bit of fat will prevent the brisket flat from drying out during the smoking phase.
Salt the Brisket
- Use a big cookie sheet to prepare the brisket flat for smoking. Use paper towels to absorb excess liquid.
Season The Brisket Flat
- Season all sides of the brisket flat with the Kosher salt. Set in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Season for Smoking
- Remove the salt curing brisket flat from the refrigerator. It will be dryer due to the salt curing.
- Season all sides of the brisket flat with the garlic salt and the coarse ground pepper dry rub. Let the seasoned brisket come to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Smoke The Brisket
- Place in preheated 250 degree F smoker. Brisket flat smoking time is 60 minutes per lb of brisket at this temperature. Low and slow is the idea.
Cutting the Smoked Brisket
- Once the brisket flat reaches an internal temperature of 190 - 210 F, remove it from the smoker. Wrap your smoked brisket flat in parchment or foil and let it rest for an hour.
- You want to cut against the grain when cutting this cut of beef. This cross grain cutting allows the meat to be easier to serve and eat.
Serving Suggestions
Smoked brisket is a classic Texas barbecue dish that's perfect for a special occasion. It's a large cut of beef that's typically smoked for several hours over low heat.
This slow-cooking process allows the fat to render and the meat to become incredibly tender and flavorful. Smoked brisket is a popular dish in Texas, and it's often served with barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and potato salad.
Here are some classic dishes to pair with smoked brisket:
- Potato salad is a classic pairing for smoked brisket. It's a simple dish that's easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
- Coleslaw is another classic side dish for smoked brisket. It's a refreshing and tangy dish that helps to balance out the richness of the brisket.
- Mac and cheese is a rich and creamy side dish that's perfect for smoked brisket. It's a comfort food that will satisfy even the most discerning palates.
- Green beans are a light and healthy side dish that pairs well with smoked brisket. They're a simple dish that's easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
- Cornbread is a classic Southern side dish that's perfect for smoked brisket. It's a warm and hearty dish that will help to fill you up.
Serve it also with Cilantro Lime Coleslaw, some Texas Cowboy Beans, and an easy Texas Tornado Cake
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions
Don't use Iodized salt for the salt cure if you don't have Kosher salt. You can use Canning salt instead though.
Variations
Our dry rub is super simple, just garlic salt and black pepper. You can get very creative with dry rubs though! Here are a few ideas:
- Chipotle dry rub - Make a mixture of powdered chipotle chili powder, salt, cumin, and ground pepper. Season the salt cured brisket flat and then smoke.
- Herbs & Garlic dry rub - Before seasoning with the garlic salt and coarse ground pepper, scatter dry Italian seasoning herbs on the uncooked brisket flat.
- Chili Lime dry rub - grab a jar of dry chili lime seasoning, or make your own. Use powdered lime juice and your favorite chili seasoning and salt. Mix and spread evenly over the uncooked brisket flat after the salt cure.
Equipment
You will need a smoker, and below are three that I can vouch for, at various price points.
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- Char Broil Electric Smoker (this is the one I bought the boyfriend, and he loved it!)
- Traeger Pellet Grill & Smoker (come with wood chips also!)
- Char Broil Offset Smoker
- Jack Daniels Wood BBQ Smoking Chips for smoker
Storage and Freezing Options
- Store any leftover brisket wrapped up in plastic tubs or zipper freezer bags.
- You can keep smoked brisket up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 6 months in your freezer.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to do the salt cure. This process pulls out excess liquids from the meat. Less liquids in the meat equals less smoking time.
- Cover the entire slab of brisket with the garlic salt and pepper so it is well seasoned.
- Let the cooked brisket rest heavily wrapped in foil or parchment paper so that it sets it's juices. It will make slicing easier.
- Be sure to slice against the grain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh beef brisket is like a big roast. Corned beef starts out as beef brisket and is brine-cured first. The brine-cure is what makes it corned beef and that curing process is where it gets its color from
The brisket is made up of two different muscles: the point and the flat. The point cut is the fatty part of the brisket, which is called the deckle. The flat cut, also known as "first cut", has the deckle removed, which makes it leaner and causes it to lay flat.
You'll want to smoke brisket flats at about 250°F (121°C) for a nice balance of speed and moisture control. Set the pit-channel on your Signals to have a high alarm at 275°F (135°C) and a low alarm at 225°F (107°C).
At 225 degrees F, calculate 1 ½ hours per lb, or 18 hours. At 250 degrees F, calculate 1 hour per lb, or 12 hours.
More Delish Ideas
📖 Recipe
Smoked Brisket Flat
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 pound packer Brisket
- Kosher Salt
- garlic salt
- coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Trim off excess fat from the brisket. Leave very thin amounts, but not more than ¼" thick anywhere. A little fat will keep the meat moist, too much will make a mess in the smoker.
- Place paper towels on a rimmed cookie sheet. Season all sides of the brisket flat with the Kosher salt. Be liberal, this is for salt curing not seasoning. Place the salt covered brisket in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to cure.12 pound packer Brisket, Kosher Salt
- Once the brisket has dried out and has been removed from the refrigerator, season liberally with the garlic salt and the coarse black pepper.garlic salt, coarse ground black pepper
- Let rest as room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours.
- While the brisket flat is resting and coming back to room temperature, preheat the smoker to 250° F. Jack Daniels wood lends a great flavor, but you can use any wood chips for smoking that you like.
- Place the brisket fat side down in the smoker. Ensure your smoker has good air flow. You may need to add wood chips every hour our so, so keep an eye on that. Keep the smoker door closed so smoke is not lost during this process. It also helps keep the temperature regulated.
- Smoke your brisket flat at 250° F for 45 minutes to 1 hour per lb of brisket. 1 hour per pound is typical, but if your smoker tends to run hot, calculate 45 minutes per pound and check so that you don't dry it out. Calculate 12 hours smoke time for a 12 lb brisket flat.
- Once the brisket has reached the internal temperature of 190° - 210° remove from the smoker. Wrap in parchment paper and then aluminum foil and let it rest for a minimum of 1 hour. This will set the flavor and make it easier to cut.
- Unwrap and slice the brisket against the grain to serve.
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