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Smoked Brisket
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Smoked Brisket

Smoked Beef Brisket is the ULTIMATE barbecue dish to feed a large crowd, and is especially easy and fun to cook on a pellet grill.
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time16 hours
Total Time20 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ, Beef, Picnic, smoked
Servings: 10 Servings
Author: Mike Nadelman

Equipment

Ingredients

Brisket:

  • 1 Whole Packer Beef Brisket 10-14 lbs
  • Cooking Oil

Rub:

  • 1 cup Kosher Salt use more or less if needed depending on brisket size
  • ½ cup smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup Black pepper
  • cup Garlic Powder
  • cup Onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cayenne powder

Marinade Injection:

Instructions

Prepare the Brisket:

  • Trim any excess hard pieces of fat from the exterior of the brisket, leaving about 1/4 inch thickness on the fat cap.
  • Score the fat cap to allow more fat to render out and the rub to penetrate.

Inject the Brisket:

  • Mix the Marinade Injection ingredients well until the sugar dissolves.
  • Place the brisket in a pan to catch excess liquid from the injections and inject in small amounts every 1 inch or so on both sides against the grain of the meat.

Apply the Rub:

  • Apply a thin layer of cooking oil to the entire exterior of the brisket.
  • Mix the rub ingredients well and apply generously to the entire exterior.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 hours while you prepare the grill to allow the injection and the exterior rub to penetrate the meat.

Start the Pellet Grill:

  • Remove the fire pot from the bottom of the Pellet Grill and clean out any ashes left over from the last cook. Replace it and make sure it is secured in place with the clips on either side. Also, wrap the drip tray in aluminum foil to limit the cleanup needed later.
  • Add your chosen pellets to the hopper, start the pellet grill and put it on the "Smoke" setting.
  • If there are no pellets in the auger, hold the "Prime" button until you hear pellets begin falling in the fire pot. This will speed up the auger to prime it full of pellets before you start preheating.
  • Once the pellet grill begins to produce thick white smoke, let it run for about 5-7 minutes until the smoke turns more of a clearish blue color. This means the fire rod has fully heated up to burn the pellets more cleanly.
  • Next, set the temperature to preheat the pellet grill to 350°F. We will drop this temperature before we start cooking.
  • Fill an aluminum pan with water pan if you want to add extra moisture, and place it on the far left side of the pellet grill. Place a disposable bucket liner in the grease bucket as well if you want to limit cleanup later.
  • Once the pellet grill has come up to 350°F, drop the temperature on the control panel to 250° and clean the grill grates with a good grill brush and close the lid.

Smoke the Brisket on the pellet grill:

  • Remove the plastic wrap and place the brisket on the pellet with the thicker end pointing to the right.
  • Place an internal temperature probe if you have one into the center of the brisket.
  • Close the lid, cook the brisket until it reaches about 150-160°F internally.

Optional Texas Crutch:

  • At this point you can leave the brisket on the pellet grill to continue cooking or remove it and wrap it in foil to speed up the cooking time.
  • Carefully remove the brisket and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
  • Wrap the brisket in opposing directions with three layers of foil, tightly.
  • Replace the temperature probe and place back on the pellet grill.

Remove, Rest, and Slice the Brisket:

  • When the internal temperature of the brisket has reached 200°F, remove from the pellet grill and keep wrapped.
  • Let the brisket rest for at least 60 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to distribute.
  • After resting, place the brisket on a large cutting board. Slice against the grain on a diagonal in ¼ inch slices and serve immediately.
  • Save extra brisket unsliced and tightly wrapped to maintain moisture.

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