The only thing it takes to create amazing brisket on a pellet grill is time! Some folks might claim that the only way to produce a brisket with authentic Texas-style bark and a smoke ring is by cooking it on a stick burner pit, but I’m hear to show you how you can do it on a pellet grill. With a few simple seasonings, some butcher paper, and plenty of low and slow hours on a pellet grill, you will blow your friends and family away with this pellet grill brisket.
I start with a full packer brisket weighing in at 16lbs – I was lucky enough to catch this Certified Angus Beef brisket at my grocery store. The first step is to trim the brisket. For this, I’m using my Red Handle 6″ Boning Knife.
Remove the thick “vein” of fat located between the flat and point. Take off any discolored or “grey” looking meat from the edges. This is where the meat oxidizes a little in the packaging. I also trim the thin edge on the flat because it will over cook and crumble.
Round off the tip of the flat as well as most of the silver skin on top. On the fat side of the brisket I knock it down to 1/4” thick. I like fat on the bottom of my slices but it doesn’t need to be too thick. Also the fat will help insulate the brisket during the long cook.
Now that it’s trimmed you want to get some seasoning on the brisket. I use a layer of my Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub. It has a little more pepper and less sugar than my regular rub and goes great on Beef. I also layer on a light coat of my Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub for added salt and texture.
You can use any seasoning you want just give it a good coat; brisket is a big cut of meat and needs plenty of seasoning. The seasoning goes on a few hours before the brisket hits the pit. This gives the seasonings time to work on the brisket. You want at least an hour but up to 4 hours is perfectly ok.
When it comes to cooking brisket on a pellet grill you can plan on it taking upwards of 16 hours on a brisket this size. I start the brisket out overnight. At 10:30 pm the pellet grill is fired up to 195 degrees running pecan pellets. It’ll take about 20 minutes or so for the grill to stabilize. The brisket goes on the pit fat side down and then it’s time for me to go to bed. The pellet grill does all the work for you; just make sure you have plenty of pellets in the hopper.
After 8 hours in the smoke, a beautiful bark is set on the brisket and it gets what I call “the meat sweats”. Moisture will start seeping out of the flat and accumulating on the top side. This is exactly what you want to see. At this point it’s time to wrap.
To keep all that delicious bark we worked so hard to create the brisket gets wrapped in butcher paper (you can find some food safe butcher paper on Amazon) If you use foil the bark will steam and turn soft but by using a good peach butcher paper the bark is preserved and has perfect texture. Tear off 2 strips of paper about 48” each. Overlap the paper to form one wide sheet. Place the brisket in the center of the paper and fold one end up and over the flat tucking it tight. Bring the opposite end up and over and tuck it under the point end. Fold the edges underneath the brisket forming one “package”.
Before placing it back on the grill insert a probe thermometer (I use a Thermoworks DOT) into the center of the flat. Internal temp at this point will be somewhere around 150-160 degrees.
Place the brisket back on the pit fat side down. (The folds of the paper will be on the bottom if you did it right.) Now continue to cook the brisket until the internal hits 200 degrees. The pit can be bumped up to 250 degrees at this point and it should take a little over 8 hours to finish.
When the DOT alarm goes off verify the internal temperature by using a Thermapen or other hand held thermometer. You want to feel for a soft texture in the flat and point. The flat should match the DOT alarm and the point will be a few degrees higher. The cooking part is finished at this point but the brisket still needs to rest before slicing. Place it in a dry “empty” cooler with the lid on and let it set for a couple hours. This will give the brisket time to relax and will make for a juicer brisket in the end.
After the rest, remove the brisket from the butcher paper and place on a cutting board. Use a 12” brisket slicer and start at the flat end. Cut the brisket into 1/4” slices stopping once you get towards the end of the flat. At this point turn the point end 90 degrees and slice the point into slices as well. You can trim the edges into burnt ends for a real treat.
This brisket will rival any “stick burner” out there. The slow time in the smoke at the beginning of the cook works magic on the bark just practice patience and let the pellet grill do all the work.
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The only thing it takes to create amazing brisket on a pellet grill is time. With a few simple seasonings, some butcher paper, and plenty of low and slow hours on a pellet grill, you will blow your friends and family away with this brisket. https://h2qshop.com/collections/killer-hogs-products/products/killer-hogs-the-hot-bbq-rub
Trim thick area of fat from brisket, remove thin edge and any silver skin from top of flat.Flip the brisket to fat side and take it down to 1/4”.
Season the brisket with Hot Rub followed by TX Brisket Rub.
Rest brisket for a few hours before placing on pit.
Prepare pellet grill for low and slow smoking at 195 degrees using pecan pellets.
Place brisket fat side down on pellet grill and smoke for 8 hours.
Wrap brisket in butcher paper, insert probe thermometer into center of flat, and place back on smoker.
Increase smoker temp to 250 degrees and continue cooking brisket until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees.
Rest brisket in a dry cooler for 2 hours.
Slice into 1/4” slices starting with flat.Rotate point and slice it into slices as well, removing the edges and slicing them into cubes for burnt ends.
Keywords: smoked brisket, brisket Traeger, brisket pellet, brisket pellet grill, how to smoke brisket on pellet grill, pellet grill brisket, bbq brisket, pellet smoker brisket, simple brisket recipe
With a full pellet hopper were you able to go through the night without re-filling the hopper? I have not had my pellet grill for long and was just curious about how long a full hopper would take to burn down. I would hate to ruin a cook because I ran out of pellets.
On my PitBoss is holds 20 lbs of pellets and I’ve easily gone 12 hours cooking that low. So I would say yes for the initial cook. Would have to refill at the stall.
It will depend on how big your hopper is. A 20 lb hopper that low should go for at least 12 hours. I have a 40 lb hopper, so I can only guess. Just fill up before you go to bed or are going to be away from it for an extended period of time. If you have a wifi controller, you will know if the temps drop off.
I haven’t done this recipe yet but at that low of heat depending on your hopper size it should be fine cooking over night, it takes me about two cups of pellets for every hr I’m cooking…
Malcolm, you do not know the effect you had on this old worn out Marine. I retired after thirty two yeas service, thought this going to be the high part of my life…..wrong. I was totally lost, not knowing what to do or anything else, I was getting to the point of what the heck,I am just flat out worthless. I did not care if tomorrow came or not. Then I started watching your videos on you tube, why, I could not tell you, the more I watched the more interest came about. Being retired military I can not afford a good grill, I am limited on cuts of meat I can buy but Malcolm your videos gave me some thing to look at and wonder if i could BBQ like that, you put meaning back where it used to be. I look forward to new videos. Thank you for giving me some thing to fill the hole I was in…….!
Skip… Thank you for your service. My greatest regret in life was not serving. Just a month shy of my actual enrollment, I chose to pursue a career elsewhere. I should not complain because it has allowed me to earn a living. Modest, but decent. I mention that because, sir, I hope you never feel the need to search for your purpose in life again. There are millions of us that are thankful for your sacrifice. Your career has given your life more purpose than most of us can imagine. I’m forever grateful and we are forever indebted to you and your brothers and sisters in the armed forces. Thank you!
I have a Junior Elite T. After the initial 8 hrs of smoke at 195 degrees and then wrapped and put back on pellet grill for 8 another hours at 250 degrees. For the second half of the cook could I put the wrapped brisket in the oven at 250 degrees til internal of 202 degrees. Why burn through the pellets if it’s no longer going to be taking on smoke. Thanks Malcom! Love your videos and podcast!
I just bought a 12lb brisket and am new to this. Do you think my cook time will roughly be around 12 hours if I follow the steps you’ve provided? Only difference being is I have a tin foil wrap.
Hi Malcom – I’m an a mature in need of help. I tried to follow this for a 13lb’r and didn’t get a great result. The flat was really dry and didn’t bend down around a fork; it pulled more like roast beef. I took it to 205 over 16hrs and rested for around an hour. Did I go too long?
I did a 16.5 lb brisket and followed this recipe. Except I put it on my Traeger at 1am. instead of 11:00 pm It took 14 hr and 30 min. I let is rest 3 hrs. It turned out excellent.
Malcom, What about doing this in a standing smoker like a masterbuilt. This is what i have and enjoy cooking with it, i know it’s not the best system out there but it works well i believe. downfall is you need to keep recharging the wood chips but for now this is what we do.
Great stuff, Malcolm – thank you. One question – in other brisket videos, you’ve injected with beef broth, but didn’t do so here. Is there any downside to injecting a brisket cooked on a pellet grill? If not, would you do any of the other steps differently if it were injected?
That brisket looked amazing and had such great bark for a pellet smoker! I haven’t cooked at this low of a temp before- I can only find flats right now, would you expect the cook time to be 1 hour per pound at these temps or would an 8.5lb flat take closer still to the house 16 hours the full brisket took?
I just did a twelve lb full brisket on my BGE, at 245. I was planning on it taking around twelve hours but I hit 195 at the six and a half hour mark. Any idea what could have allowed this cook so fast?
To be that hot and fast – it had to be cooking at a higher temp. You might want to get a grate temp or a cheap oven thermometer to set on the grate to verify those temps.
First time smoking a brisket.
It is 10 lbs and I am using a Rec Tec pellet smoker
Not sure how many hours to cook unwrapped and then how many to cook wrapped.
Serving it in the evening around 6 pm.
Super excited
I cook it until it has the bark I want – usually around 160 internal – then I wrap. Then I cook it wrapped until it hits 198-202 internal (and feels like you a probing butter). Then I place it in a dry cooler and let it rest for at least 1 hour (but you can go up to 4-5 hours and it only gets better with the rest). So give yourself plenty of time and go by internal temps instead of times.
Hi just wandering, every time I cook brisket it always comes out really stringy, and I was just wandering if their is anything that I’m doing wrong.
Thanks Brian
I like to go fat side down because the fat protects the brisket while it cooks – and it allows you to build that great bark on top of the brisket. Some people like to go fat side up because they say the fat cooks in the meat, but I’ve never noticed it makes any difference on the juiciness of the brisket and you don’t get the bark.
Curiously speaking I would think also the time of year and exterior temperature will speed the cooking as well. I had a 7lb brisket a few weeks back and I estimated about and hour and fifteen minutes cook per pound but it ended up cooking in about 6 hours. I then rested it for about three hours, Tender and juicy. I have noticed the same when cooking ribs as well.
I am just curious – you said this was 16 lb. brisket and you did some extensive trimming. How much did you actually trim off ? I am trying to get an idea of cook time by weight. I know we go by temperature.
thanks in advance.
Malcom, I’ve used a lot of your recipes and none disappoint, I appreciate the easy to follow videos and the recipes !
I am having an issue with consistency on brisket I hope you can help me with…I have cooked 7-8 full briskets on my Traeger pellet grill and have followed time and temp recommendations and most have been perfect. I have had 2 instances where the Flat was good but Point has been tough and unedible. Wondering if I’m doing something wrong or just got a bad brisket, thx
Hey Malcom, love all your videos man. I’ve used a handful of them to walk me through some cooks that have turned out really well. I’ve done a brisket on a traditional stick burner before. Now I’m getting ready to give it my first go on my PitBoss. I’ve got a 17lb brisket before trimming. I’m thinking I’m going to follow what you have going in this video the only thing I’m trying to decide is I’m wanting to make some burnt ends to go with my slices and I think I want to cook my brisket whole like you have. My question to you would be at what point would be best to separate my point and flat? My thoughts are get the flat up to that nice soft feel 200 or so and separate at that time. Rest my flat in a cooler and get to cubing and tossing my point in a pan with whatever sweet bbq nectar of the gods I’m feeling at the time and let that magic happen while my flat is resting. Just wondered what your process is if you are cooking a full brisket when you would separate the two? I’ve seen your video where you separate the two before the cook. Do you ever do something similar to how I’m talking about going about it? I’m all about the low and slow and I’m fully expecting to not be finishing up my cook until sometime the next evening. Just wanting to do this bad boy right. Thanks in advance. I appreciate any advice you might have to offer.
Sounds like you got the right idea! Most of the time the point is where it needs to be once the flat is done. You can always separate the two from the beginning and get the most bark and tenderness as possible on both. Good luck and appreciate the support!
Malcolm,
Great brisket recipe, the results were fabulous! Went 6 hours unwrapped and 4 wrapped on just a flat,which is all we can get here and it was perfect. Used your AP seasoning and followed that with your BBQ Rub.
Question, since typicality all we can get here is just the brisket flat, they always come with a lot of silver skin on the top side. I struggle with removing the silver skin without gouging the heck out of the brisket. Is there a secret to removing the silver skin from the brisket??
You need a good, thin, very sharp knife and a lot of practice. You want to just glide right under the sliver skin (kinda like removing skin from fish).
I have not used the paper wrap before and wonder how much difference it would make if it is wrapped in foil? It seems that you lose a lot of juice with the paper wrap but does the amount of bark offset that? Thanks!
Yeah – you do loose some of the rendered juice but it doesn’t affect the juiciness of the brisket at all. And you do get a much better bark with butcher paper.
Just picked up a 13# brisket, never done one before so I am quite nervous. You used the butcher wrap, will foil work just as well? Will it alter the cook time/temps at all? Thanks
Hey Malcom! I love your recipes. You’ve made me a party hero at my house. I was wondering about the spice level from using the hot rub. I’ve got some kids that will be eating the brisket this weekend and just wondered how much of a kick that gave on this cook. Thanks!
Looks amazing Malcom! Are you just cutting the fat vein out without separating the point from the flat? Is there a way to do burnt ends with this recipe or are you just slicing the point with the flat?
I just removed most of that fat vein. And you can separate it and make burnt ends when it’s done – just let the flat rest and cube up the point, throw it in a pan with sauce and let it keep cooking for those “burnt ends”
Great post thanks share.David Brown famous for delicious smoker recipes, expert cooking methods, cooking tips, and tricks as well as for his cooking recipes.
Hey Malcom it looked like the bag of pellets you were adding to the hopper in the video had apple written on it. In the recipe it says use pecan pellets. Did you use apple pellets in the video ?
Not sure what that clip was, but I do prefer using pecan pellets with brisket. Sometimes hickory and pecan mixed. But you can use whatever pellet flavor you like.
Awesome pellet grill brisket. My Traeger does not have a 195 degree setting, so I did about 9 hrs on smoke at 180 degrees. Had like a half inch smoke ring.
Tried this brisket for the first time over the weekend on our Yoder 480 and it turned out phenomenal. Used pecan pellets and had an incredible smoke ring although I was cooking a 12 pound brisket it did take me around 18 hours to achieve 200 internal temperature but I believe that was due to the stall I encountered
Malcom, Can you speak to the USDA 40 – 140 rule when cooking below 225. I’ve always been taught to follow that. If cooking below 225 the meat risks not getting to 140 in 4 hours. The rule states that can be a bad thing that is not safe. There is a new wave of pellet smokers that are cooking below 225 like this for extended periods of time and I wondered your thoughts on that.
Your recipe and instructions were excellent. The amount of detail was great. I just made my first brisket today. It came out perfect, smoky, tender with nice bark. I used a pellet smoker to cook the 16 lb brisket with salt/pepper and crusting rub. The butcher paper that I ordered didn’t arrive in time, so I used parchment paper which worked great. I followed your timing with slow smoke over night followed by wrapping and finishing plus long rest. Thanks. I will be making brisket again.
I use a basic S&P rub on mine, let it sit for 1 hour before placing in fat cap up in my pitboss copperhead on the rack above a pan of water under in the drip tray. Set the smoker to “smoke” setting for 1 hour them spritz with apple juice before bumping temp to 225°. Continue to spritz every hour until internal temp reaches 165 (usually around 4 to 6 hours…your results may vary… I usually cook 60 to 100 lbs per time). Once at 165° I wrap in peach butcher paper as above until internal temp of 203° is achieved at which time I pull from heat and wrap the brisket and paper in aluminum foil then wrap the foil wrapped meat in an old towel and place in cooler for up to 6 hours to rest. Super tender every time.
Forgot to mention, I bump smoker to 275° once I wrap to finish them off. Usually takes me 12 to 14 hours to do a 100 lbs this way, plus rest time (DO NOT SKIP RESTING THE MEAT!!)
Followed Malcom’s directions using my Camp Chef pellet grill with Traeger Oak pellets.
12 lb brisket; ran it for 8 hours @ 200F from 23:30 to 07:30. Sprayed it down with some water once at 3:30. Wrapped it up and took it to an IT of 201F by 13:15.
After a 3 hour rest in the cooler, I unwrapped, sliced, and got rewarded with absolute perfection. Bark was perfectly set and the smoke flavour was very pronounced. Flat stood up to slicing and pulled apart beautifully with little resistance. Point was to die for.
Budget yourself 1.25 hours per pound and do not rush it or crank the heat. Give yourself lots of time and take it up to at least an IT of 200.
I adjusted the times for a smaller brisket but generally followed your lead. Got a killer crust, gorgeous smoke ring, and the pull was perfect. Thanks for the solid instructions!
Spot on recipe! Just finished my first brisket. Cook time was a bit longer, just a shade over 17 hours. I used Traeger’s Texas Beef pellets. I left the thermometer in while it rested in the cooler. Nice to keep an eye on what was happening. Thanks Malcom!
You are the man Malcom! This recipe made for an amazing brisket. Smoked up an 18+lb beauty this weekend on my Timberline, and it turned out fabulous. Came in just over the 15 hour mark, which surprised me a bit with the extra weight. So moist and delicious. Good thing… because we are gonna be working through it for a few more days of leftovers! Thanks!
Malcolm,
Having problem getting the brisket tender. Typically will be smoking just the flat (8-9 lbs).
Run the smoker around 200 for the first 3 hours or so, until I start to see moisture on the top of the brisket. Then will wrap and go to 225 until hitting around 200-205f. The brisket has a fair amount of smoke and because of using your rubs great flavor, hust can’t get it tender. Where am I going wrong?
I should note I’m using a Pit Boss smoker and it tends to run just a little hotter than set point.
I always trust hour advice Malcom. You have turned my Bbq skills to an incredible level. With your advice I have the confidence to concur any Bbq challenge. Your direction is simple and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing all you know. So much Appreciated!
Did your brisket recipe last week it was amazing
18 lbs brisket followed the recipe it was done in 14 hr put in in a cooler for about 4hr Moist tender good bark used my GMG pellet smoker served it with your bbq beans Thanks for another great recipe
This was my second time using this recipe. First time it was good but I didn’t wrap as tight and I cooked fat up. This time I followed it to a tee other than makiwith temperature a bit here and there and OMG it was absolutely amazing. Great bark, beautiful smoke ring, juicy and extremely flavorful. I nailed it!!! Thank you
This was my second time using this recipe. First time it was good but I didn’t wrap as tight and I cooked fat up. This time I followed it to a tee other than making some slight adjustments with temperature a bit here and there and OMG it was absolutely amazing. Great bark, beautiful smoke ring, juicy and extremely flavorful. I nailed it!!! Thank you
It’s about keeping that internal temp above 140. Some resultants have proofing cabinets that allows them to hold meat for hours safely. If you are holding it in a dry cooler at home, I would say 4-6 hours is your window.
I loved it. I am going to make this recipe tomorrow. Thank You a lot. Are you going to share more recipes in near future? If “YES” then I am going to bookmark your website right now.
Malcom, I’m going to do a 13# Brisket. Is your recipe basically 1 hour per pound or more about temperature? At 150F wrap and when it reaches 200F take it off and rest it? Your recipes are always spot on. I know this is only 13# but it’s a 4 person family so it’s plenty big enough for us. Thanks for your time, Scott
Just wanted to drop a note: I’ve made this brisket recipe twice now and it is absolutely killer. Getting ready to start another tonight for New Year’s. Thanks for this, Malcolm!
Comments 94
With a full pellet hopper were you able to go through the night without re-filling the hopper? I have not had my pellet grill for long and was just curious about how long a full hopper would take to burn down. I would hate to ruin a cook because I ran out of pellets.
On my PitBoss is holds 20 lbs of pellets and I’ve easily gone 12 hours cooking that low. So I would say yes for the initial cook. Would have to refill at the stall.
Hope this helps
It will depend on how big your hopper is. A 20 lb hopper that low should go for at least 12 hours. I have a 40 lb hopper, so I can only guess. Just fill up before you go to bed or are going to be away from it for an extended period of time. If you have a wifi controller, you will know if the temps drop off.
Enjoy
I haven’t done this recipe yet but at that low of heat depending on your hopper size it should be fine cooking over night, it takes me about two cups of pellets for every hr I’m cooking…
★★★★★
My first over night cook was tonight, I filled my hopper up at 1am after 5hrs it was only down two inches, more than 10lbs if pellets left.
Yes, it was just fine! Used about 10-15% of the pellets on camp chef
standard is a lbs of pellets per hour at 225-250. my recteq 590 can burn longer than anything i have cooked.
Excellent, Malcolm you the man !
Malcolm, you do not know the effect you had on this old worn out Marine. I retired after thirty two yeas service, thought this going to be the high part of my life…..wrong. I was totally lost, not knowing what to do or anything else, I was getting to the point of what the heck,I am just flat out worthless. I did not care if tomorrow came or not. Then I started watching your videos on you tube, why, I could not tell you, the more I watched the more interest came about. Being retired military I can not afford a good grill, I am limited on cuts of meat I can buy but Malcolm your videos gave me some thing to look at and wonder if i could BBQ like that, you put meaning back where it used to be. I look forward to new videos. Thank you for giving me some thing to fill the hole I was in…….!
★★★★★
Skip… Thank you for your service. My greatest regret in life was not serving. Just a month shy of my actual enrollment, I chose to pursue a career elsewhere. I should not complain because it has allowed me to earn a living. Modest, but decent. I mention that because, sir, I hope you never feel the need to search for your purpose in life again. There are millions of us that are thankful for your sacrifice. Your career has given your life more purpose than most of us can imagine. I’m forever grateful and we are forever indebted to you and your brothers and sisters in the armed forces. Thank you!
I have a Junior Elite T. After the initial 8 hrs of smoke at 195 degrees and then wrapped and put back on pellet grill for 8 another hours at 250 degrees. For the second half of the cook could I put the wrapped brisket in the oven at 250 degrees til internal of 202 degrees. Why burn through the pellets if it’s no longer going to be taking on smoke. Thanks Malcom! Love your videos and podcast!
Author
I just like using the smoker instead of the oven
Hi Malcolm,
I just bought a 12lb brisket and am new to this. Do you think my cook time will roughly be around 12 hours if I follow the steps you’ve provided? Only difference being is I have a tin foil wrap.
Author
Yes, but go by internal temps instead of just time.
Hi Malcom – I’m an a mature in need of help. I tried to follow this for a 13lb’r and didn’t get a great result. The flat was really dry and didn’t bend down around a fork; it pulled more like roast beef. I took it to 205 over 16hrs and rested for around an hour. Did I go too long?
Author
Yeah, it did go too long. Smaller briskets will require less cooking time.
I did a 16.5 lb brisket and followed this recipe. Except I put it on my Traeger at 1am. instead of 11:00 pm It took 14 hr and 30 min. I let is rest 3 hrs. It turned out excellent.
Malcom, What about doing this in a standing smoker like a masterbuilt. This is what i have and enjoy cooking with it, i know it’s not the best system out there but it works well i believe. downfall is you need to keep recharging the wood chips but for now this is what we do.
Great stuff, Malcolm – thank you. One question – in other brisket videos, you’ve injected with beef broth, but didn’t do so here. Is there any downside to injecting a brisket cooked on a pellet grill? If not, would you do any of the other steps differently if it were injected?
Author
You can inject, but for this recipe I just kept it simple. I would still just follow the internal temps for cooking.
How much does this recipe change for a brisket flat I have a traeger but couldn’t find a whole brisket.
Author
It will decrease the cooking times
That brisket looked amazing and had such great bark for a pellet smoker! I haven’t cooked at this low of a temp before- I can only find flats right now, would you expect the cook time to be 1 hour per pound at these temps or would an 8.5lb flat take closer still to the house 16 hours the full brisket took?
Author
You can use just a flat, but your times will change drastically. I would expect it to be half the cooking time.
I just did a twelve lb full brisket on my BGE, at 245. I was planning on it taking around twelve hours but I hit 195 at the six and a half hour mark. Any idea what could have allowed this cook so fast?
Author
To be that hot and fast – it had to be cooking at a higher temp. You might want to get a grate temp or a cheap oven thermometer to set on the grate to verify those temps.
First time smoking a brisket.
It is 10 lbs and I am using a Rec Tec pellet smoker
Not sure how many hours to cook unwrapped and then how many to cook wrapped.
Serving it in the evening around 6 pm.
Super excited
Author
I cook it until it has the bark I want – usually around 160 internal – then I wrap. Then I cook it wrapped until it hits 198-202 internal (and feels like you a probing butter). Then I place it in a dry cooler and let it rest for at least 1 hour (but you can go up to 4-5 hours and it only gets better with the rest). So give yourself plenty of time and go by internal temps instead of times.
Hi just wandering, every time I cook brisket it always comes out really stringy, and I was just wandering if their is anything that I’m doing wrong.
Thanks Brian
★★★★★
Author
Sounds like it was either overcooked or it was a lesser cut
May have been sliced with the grain of the meat, instead of against it?
★★★★★
So fat side down the first cook and then fat side up for the second cook? Thanks
Author
I go fat side down the whole cook.
Why cook fat side down? I’ve seen most recipes call for cooking fat side up? I appreciate your videos & info! Thank you.
Author
I like to go fat side down because the fat protects the brisket while it cooks – and it allows you to build that great bark on top of the brisket. Some people like to go fat side up because they say the fat cooks in the meat, but I’ve never noticed it makes any difference on the juiciness of the brisket and you don’t get the bark.
I am going to cook (4) 10-11 lb briskets all at one time . Any suggestions on cook time .
Author
If you have plenty of space on your cooker and have plenty of airflow around each brisket, then your cook time won’t increase much – if at all.
Curiously speaking I would think also the time of year and exterior temperature will speed the cooking as well. I had a 7lb brisket a few weeks back and I estimated about and hour and fifteen minutes cook per pound but it ended up cooking in about 6 hours. I then rested it for about three hours, Tender and juicy. I have noticed the same when cooking ribs as well.
I am just curious – you said this was 16 lb. brisket and you did some extensive trimming. How much did you actually trim off ? I am trying to get an idea of cook time by weight. I know we go by temperature.
thanks in advance.
Author
You can estimate 1 hour per pound. But give yourself plenty of time – you can always hold it in a dry cooler for hours and it will only get better
Malcom, I’ve used a lot of your recipes and none disappoint, I appreciate the easy to follow videos and the recipes !
I am having an issue with consistency on brisket I hope you can help me with…I have cooked 7-8 full briskets on my Traeger pellet grill and have followed time and temp recommendations and most have been perfect. I have had 2 instances where the Flat was good but Point has been tough and unedible. Wondering if I’m doing something wrong or just got a bad brisket, thx
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Hey Malcom, love all your videos man. I’ve used a handful of them to walk me through some cooks that have turned out really well. I’ve done a brisket on a traditional stick burner before. Now I’m getting ready to give it my first go on my PitBoss. I’ve got a 17lb brisket before trimming. I’m thinking I’m going to follow what you have going in this video the only thing I’m trying to decide is I’m wanting to make some burnt ends to go with my slices and I think I want to cook my brisket whole like you have. My question to you would be at what point would be best to separate my point and flat? My thoughts are get the flat up to that nice soft feel 200 or so and separate at that time. Rest my flat in a cooler and get to cubing and tossing my point in a pan with whatever sweet bbq nectar of the gods I’m feeling at the time and let that magic happen while my flat is resting. Just wondered what your process is if you are cooking a full brisket when you would separate the two? I’ve seen your video where you separate the two before the cook. Do you ever do something similar to how I’m talking about going about it? I’m all about the low and slow and I’m fully expecting to not be finishing up my cook until sometime the next evening. Just wanting to do this bad boy right. Thanks in advance. I appreciate any advice you might have to offer.
Author
Sounds like you got the right idea! Most of the time the point is where it needs to be once the flat is done. You can always separate the two from the beginning and get the most bark and tenderness as possible on both. Good luck and appreciate the support!
Malcolm,
Great brisket recipe, the results were fabulous! Went 6 hours unwrapped and 4 wrapped on just a flat,which is all we can get here and it was perfect. Used your AP seasoning and followed that with your BBQ Rub.
Question, since typicality all we can get here is just the brisket flat, they always come with a lot of silver skin on the top side. I struggle with removing the silver skin without gouging the heck out of the brisket. Is there a secret to removing the silver skin from the brisket??
Author
You need a good, thin, very sharp knife and a lot of practice. You want to just glide right under the sliver skin (kinda like removing skin from fish).
I have not used the paper wrap before and wonder how much difference it would make if it is wrapped in foil? It seems that you lose a lot of juice with the paper wrap but does the amount of bark offset that? Thanks!
Author
Yeah – you do loose some of the rendered juice but it doesn’t affect the juiciness of the brisket at all. And you do get a much better bark with butcher paper.
Just picked up a 13# brisket, never done one before so I am quite nervous. You used the butcher wrap, will foil work just as well? Will it alter the cook time/temps at all? Thanks
Author
Foil will work fine. Just go by internal temps and not time.
Hey Malcom! I love your recipes. You’ve made me a party hero at my house. I was wondering about the spice level from using the hot rub. I’ve got some kids that will be eating the brisket this weekend and just wondered how much of a kick that gave on this cook. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this resourceful article . Do you write any smoothie recipe related article on your site next time?Thanks.
Looks amazing Malcom! Are you just cutting the fat vein out without separating the point from the flat? Is there a way to do burnt ends with this recipe or are you just slicing the point with the flat?
Author
I just removed most of that fat vein. And you can separate it and make burnt ends when it’s done – just let the flat rest and cube up the point, throw it in a pan with sauce and let it keep cooking for those “burnt ends”
How much pellets would you need for this!
Author
We filled the hopper up and let it do the work for us but I would assume about 10 pounds would be accurate.
When you rest the seasoned brisket prior to smoking, do you refrigerate it while resting? Covered?
Author
I usually let it set out and come up to room temp while letting it rest. But if I’m going for longer than 1-1.5 hours, I’ll put it back in the fridge.
Great post thanks share.David Brown famous for delicious smoker recipes, expert cooking methods, cooking tips, and tricks as well as for his cooking recipes.
Hey Malcom it looked like the bag of pellets you were adding to the hopper in the video had apple written on it. In the recipe it says use pecan pellets. Did you use apple pellets in the video ?
Author
Not sure what that clip was, but I do prefer using pecan pellets with brisket. Sometimes hickory and pecan mixed. But you can use whatever pellet flavor you like.
Getting ready to start brisket tonight at your direction. Curious at fat side down instead of up like all others say?
Author
I prefer fat side down – the fat protects the brisket from the heat and allows you to build that great bark on top
You are my turn to when grilling.
Awesome pellet grill brisket. My Traeger does not have a 195 degree setting, so I did about 9 hrs on smoke at 180 degrees. Had like a half inch smoke ring.
Happy Independence Day!
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Tried this brisket for the first time over the weekend on our Yoder 480 and it turned out phenomenal. Used pecan pellets and had an incredible smoke ring although I was cooking a 12 pound brisket it did take me around 18 hours to achieve 200 internal temperature but I believe that was due to the stall I encountered
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Malcom, Can you speak to the USDA 40 – 140 rule when cooking below 225. I’ve always been taught to follow that. If cooking below 225 the meat risks not getting to 140 in 4 hours. The rule states that can be a bad thing that is not safe. There is a new wave of pellet smokers that are cooking below 225 like this for extended periods of time and I wondered your thoughts on that.
Author
I put meat on room temp and never had any issues. But if you don’t feel comfortable, then don’t do it.
Your recipe and instructions were excellent. The amount of detail was great. I just made my first brisket today. It came out perfect, smoky, tender with nice bark. I used a pellet smoker to cook the 16 lb brisket with salt/pepper and crusting rub. The butcher paper that I ordered didn’t arrive in time, so I used parchment paper which worked great. I followed your timing with slow smoke over night followed by wrapping and finishing plus long rest. Thanks. I will be making brisket again.
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I use a basic S&P rub on mine, let it sit for 1 hour before placing in fat cap up in my pitboss copperhead on the rack above a pan of water under in the drip tray. Set the smoker to “smoke” setting for 1 hour them spritz with apple juice before bumping temp to 225°. Continue to spritz every hour until internal temp reaches 165 (usually around 4 to 6 hours…your results may vary… I usually cook 60 to 100 lbs per time). Once at 165° I wrap in peach butcher paper as above until internal temp of 203° is achieved at which time I pull from heat and wrap the brisket and paper in aluminum foil then wrap the foil wrapped meat in an old towel and place in cooler for up to 6 hours to rest. Super tender every time.
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Forgot to mention, I bump smoker to 275° once I wrap to finish them off. Usually takes me 12 to 14 hours to do a 100 lbs this way, plus rest time (DO NOT SKIP RESTING THE MEAT!!)
Followed Malcom’s directions using my Camp Chef pellet grill with Traeger Oak pellets.
12 lb brisket; ran it for 8 hours @ 200F from 23:30 to 07:30. Sprayed it down with some water once at 3:30. Wrapped it up and took it to an IT of 201F by 13:15.
After a 3 hour rest in the cooler, I unwrapped, sliced, and got rewarded with absolute perfection. Bark was perfectly set and the smoke flavour was very pronounced. Flat stood up to slicing and pulled apart beautifully with little resistance. Point was to die for.
Budget yourself 1.25 hours per pound and do not rush it or crank the heat. Give yourself lots of time and take it up to at least an IT of 200.
This recipe is a winner 5/5
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Definitely a 5 star brisket, thanks!
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I adjusted the times for a smaller brisket but generally followed your lead. Got a killer crust, gorgeous smoke ring, and the pull was perfect. Thanks for the solid instructions!
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Should I brine my brisket before smoking it
Author
I don’t brine briskets unless I’m making pastrami
Spot on recipe! Just finished my first brisket. Cook time was a bit longer, just a shade over 17 hours. I used Traeger’s Texas Beef pellets. I left the thermometer in while it rested in the cooler. Nice to keep an eye on what was happening. Thanks Malcom!
Amazing brotha! Keep up the videos and good work
You’re a legend my friend
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You are the man Malcom! This recipe made for an amazing brisket. Smoked up an 18+lb beauty this weekend on my Timberline, and it turned out fabulous. Came in just over the 15 hour mark, which surprised me a bit with the extra weight. So moist and delicious. Good thing… because we are gonna be working through it for a few more days of leftovers! Thanks!
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What pellet grill did you use in this video ? Treagor ?
Yes! It is a Traeger.
I made my first brisket the other day following this recipe and it was awesome!! Thanks for the detailed video. I can’t wait to make this again.
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Malcolm,
Having problem getting the brisket tender. Typically will be smoking just the flat (8-9 lbs).
Run the smoker around 200 for the first 3 hours or so, until I start to see moisture on the top of the brisket. Then will wrap and go to 225 until hitting around 200-205f. The brisket has a fair amount of smoke and because of using your rubs great flavor, hust can’t get it tender. Where am I going wrong?
I should note I’m using a Pit Boss smoker and it tends to run just a little hotter than set point.
Thanks for the help!
Malcolm I like your work. I learn a lot from you.
I always trust hour advice Malcom. You have turned my Bbq skills to an incredible level. With your advice I have the confidence to concur any Bbq challenge. Your direction is simple and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing all you know. So much Appreciated!
Did your brisket recipe last week it was amazing
18 lbs brisket followed the recipe it was done in 14 hr put in in a cooler for about 4hr Moist tender good bark used my GMG pellet smoker served it with your bbq beans Thanks for another great recipe
This was my second time using this recipe. First time it was good but I didn’t wrap as tight and I cooked fat up. This time I followed it to a tee other than makiwith temperature a bit here and there and OMG it was absolutely amazing. Great bark, beautiful smoke ring, juicy and extremely flavorful. I nailed it!!! Thank you
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This was my second time using this recipe. First time it was good but I didn’t wrap as tight and I cooked fat up. This time I followed it to a tee other than making some slight adjustments with temperature a bit here and there and OMG it was absolutely amazing. Great bark, beautiful smoke ring, juicy and extremely flavorful. I nailed it!!! Thank you
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Awesome. I’ve tried multiple recipes and this one is it. I do occasionally inject beef broth and spices
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How long is too long to rest a brisket?
Author
It’s about keeping that internal temp above 140. Some resultants have proofing cabinets that allows them to hold meat for hours safely. If you are holding it in a dry cooler at home, I would say 4-6 hours is your window.
I loved it. I am going to make this recipe tomorrow. Thank You a lot. Are you going to share more recipes in near future? If “YES” then I am going to bookmark your website right now.
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Yes! New recipes are given each week. You can also search on our website for any other recipes we have done in the past!
Malcom, I’m going to do a 13# Brisket. Is your recipe basically 1 hour per pound or more about temperature? At 150F wrap and when it reaches 200F take it off and rest it? Your recipes are always spot on. I know this is only 13# but it’s a 4 person family so it’s plenty big enough for us. Thanks for your time, Scott
Just wanted to drop a note: I’ve made this brisket recipe twice now and it is absolutely killer. Getting ready to start another tonight for New Year’s. Thanks for this, Malcolm!