As a lover of all things Texan cuisine, I’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen trying out different recipes in the hopes of creating the perfect Texas-style smoked beef brisket.
I admit it wasn’t smooth sailing, and it took me a lot of trial and error until I perfected my recipe. Since then, smoked brisket has become a staple in family gatherings.
Here’s my Texas-style smoked brisket recipe, with all of my proven tips and tricks so you can have a juicy brisket every time.
Recipe Overview
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 hours, plus 1 hour of resting time
- Total Time: 16 hours and 30 minutes
- Number of Servings: 14
Ingredients
- 14-pound packer brisket
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon onion
- 1 teaspoon chili (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees.
- Keep the packer brisket in the fridge until trimming time because it’s easier to trim a cold brisket. Once you’re ready to trim, place the brisket so the point end is underneath. Cut off silver skin and excess fat from the flat muscle. Trim the fat section and excess or loose meat from the point. Lightly square the edges. Then flip the brisket over and trim the fat cap. Always be careful not to cut into the meat.
- Prepare the rub by adding all ingredients to a bowl. Add cayenne pepper if you want a spicy flavor. Stir the ingredients to combine, then apply the rub to the whole brisket. Make sure the meat is completely covered, and apply rub more than once if necessary.
- Put the Texas-style brisket on the smoker with the point end facing the main heat source. This is the best position because the point end is the thicker part of the brisket and can handle the heat.
- Smoke until the thermometer reads 165 degrees in the thickest part of the smoked brisket. This usually takes about 8 hours.
- Once the brisket reaches 165 degrees, remove it from the smoker and wrap it. Put the brisket fat side up on two sheets of butcher paper. Wrap the brisket by folding the paper over the top and folding the edges. You should wrap the paper over the brisket twice and make sure it’s tight.
- Continue smoking brisket until it reaches 205 degrees. This takes another 6 to 8 hours.
- Once you’re done smoking the meat, place it on a baking sheet and let it rest for one hour.
- Once the resting time is up, slice the point and the flat against the grain. You can cut the two parts of the beef brisket separately and into slices.
- Serve with sides. Texas smoked brisket recipe goes best with white bread, cheddar cheese, and dill pickles.
12 Recipe Notes
Here are some tips for the best smoked beef brisket:
- Always slice the meat against the grain, or you risk ending up with dry and tough parts.
- Use quality hardwood because the smoke adds flavor to the beef brisket.
- Make sure there’s consistent heat and smoke. Check the level of hardwoods and refuel if needed.
- Rest the wrapped brisket so the juices redistribute. If you slice the brisket without resting, the juices will run out, and you’ll have dry meat.
- If you won’t eat the brisket right away, wrap the brisket in towels and leave it in a cooler for up to six hours.
- Experiment with spices. For example, try chili powder, coriander, and more.
- Check if the entire brisket is done by sticking a fork in the meat and twisting. If it twists easily, the Texas-style smoked brisket is done. You can also poke with a finger. If there’s little resistance, it’s done. However, always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, as this is the most reliable method.
- The smoked brisket recipe doesn’t require a sauce, but if you love sauces, you can serve the beef brisket with your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Don’t use garlic powder, but granulated one because it sticks better to the meat.
- If you want to ensure extra tender brisket, inject it with beef broth. Use a syringe and inject 1 oz of broth per pound of brisket. Insert the needle parallel to the grain in several locations of the brisket.
- You can use a binder to ensure the spices stick to the meat. Common binders are mustard and olive oil. Rub the meat with the binder, and then apply the rub.
- Don’t open the smoker for the first two to three hours, as this is when the brisket absorbs the most smoke.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 805
- Total Carbs: 5 g
- Protein: 121 g
- Fat: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Net Carbs: 0
How Long to Smoke Beef Brisket?
Smoke beef brisket for one hour per pound of brisket. This is the approximate time to stick to, but every cut is different, which is why you should check the internal temperature. Your brisket is done smoking when it reaches 203 degrees.
Here’s what the most common brisket smoking trajectory looks like.
Smoke for eight hours at 225 degrees if you have a 12 to 14-pound brisket. This is usually the needed amount of time for the brisket to reach 165 degrees. However, once it reaches this temperature, the brisket goes into a stall.
A stall is when the meat temperature remains the same for hours [1]. The liquid evaporates from the smoked brisket surface, which cools the meat while the grill tries to cook it.
The best way to overcome a stall is to wrap a brisket.
Once you’ve wrapped your brisket, let the brisket sit in the smoker for another five to eight hours.
Overall, a completely cooked brisket takes at least 12 hours and, in many cases, even longer. This doesn’t count the brisket rest time, which is an additional hour before you can eat it.
Related Articles:
- How Long Should You Smoke the Brisket For
- How Long Is Smoked Meat Good For
- How Long Should Chicken Thighs Be Grilled
How to Choose Texas-Style Brisket?
Choose Texas-style brisket by buying the whole packer brisket with both the point and the flat muscles. Smoking brisket Texas-style means smoking the entire brisket low and slow.
Think about the grade of the meat for the best-smoked brisket recipe [2]. My advice is to go for prime beef as it’ll have more fat marbling, and more fat means more flavor and better juiciness compared to a choice-grade brisket. If you can’t find prime, the choice is still a solid cut.
Select is the lowest grade, and I don’t recommend getting this one as its fat cap isn’t sufficient for low and slow smoking.
Plan on getting half a pound of brisket per person, and choose the size of the brisket based on how many people you’re cooking for.
“Beef is graded in two ways: quality grades for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor; and yield grades for the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass.”
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
FAQs
How Do You Smoke a Brisket Like a Texan?
You smoke a brisket like a Texan by getting a whole-packer brisket and smoking it low and slow. Depending on the size of your brisket, this can take from 10 to 20 hours.
What Wood Is Used for Texas Brisket?
The wood used for Texas brisket is oak. This is a long-burning wood that has a mild flavor and gives the brisket a smoky aroma.
Is Texas BBQ Wet or Dry?
Texas BBQ is dry. This BBQ style uses only dry seasonings. Black pepper and salt are the most common, but you can also use other ingredients, such as chili, onion, and garlic powder. Wet ingredients, such as oil, apple juice, or BBQ sauce, aren’t used for Texas BBQ.
How Should You Smoke Texas Style Brisket?
Smoke Texas-style brisket by getting a whole cut with both the flat and the point. You need to smoke brisket low and slow. Coat the meat with a brisket rub and wrap it with aluminum foil or butcher paper to overcome the stall.
You also need quality brisket for the best results, and ButcherBox is a great place to get quality brisket delivered to your door. ButcherBox sells a wide variety of beef cuts, and all of their meat comes from grass-fed and grass-finished animals.
The cattle are never given antibiotics or hormones, which ensures the highest quality juicy meat.
Check out our review of ButcherBox to learn more about this meat delivery service and get your quality brisket.
References:
- https://www.oklahomajoes.com/how-tos/get-past-the-stall-smoking-brisket#
- https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/01/28/whats-your-beef-prime-choice-or-select
