How to Smoke a Brisket in an Electric Smoker

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There is nothing like succulent smoked brisket, but it can be tricky to cook while keeping it juicy and full of flavor. My electric smoker brisket recipe takes it low and slow, allowing all the connective tissue to break down, leaving you with moist and tender brisket.

Smoking brisket in an electric smoker is a bit of an art form, and my brisket recipe can take up to 10 hours, but this masterpiece is worth every hour.

If you are new to smoking brisket, I’ll walk you through each step below, including picking, trimming, seasoning, smoking, wrapping, resting, and slicing.

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Picking Your Brisket

There are a few things you should keep in mind when picking your brisket:

• Marbling:
  Marbling is the distribution of fat in beef. The more marbling your brisket contains, the better its quality.
• The Point and The Flat:
  You may have heard the terms ‘brisket point’ and ‘brisket flat’ thrown around. The point is the fattier part of the brisket. The flat is the more lean end. See how to smoke a brisket flat here.
  A packer cut is when the fat has not been trimmed, and the flat and point are still connected. If you get a packer cut, you might consider finding one with a thicker flat. This is so both ends cook evenly.
  Note: If you are using frozen brisket, ensure you read the guidelines on how to defrost meat safely.
• Size and Weight:
  Briskets can come in all different shapes and sizes, from a small trimmed 5 lb cut to a full-sized packer cut. However, the average brisket weighs 10 to 16 pounds. The size and weight you decide on will depend on several factors, including how many people you are cooking for, the size of your smoker, and your budget.

How to Smoke a Brisket in an Electric Smoker

1. Trimming Your Brisket

Trimming the fat is a very important part of the process. The amount of fat left on the meat will determine how it cooks.

If you don’t trim enough fat at the top, the smoke will also be unable to penetrate the meat. If you trim too much, the beef won’t absorb moisture and will wind up dry.

Steps to Trimming Brisket:

1. You will need a sharp, narrow, curved boning knife.

The curved blade of this knife will make it easier to remove the larger pieces near the fat cap.

2. You want your brisket to be cold for trimming.

Cold brisket is easier to cut, so trimming the fat from the fridge will make it easier.

Trim The Brisket:

First, you want to trim the sides, remove any loose fat, and then move toward the ends. Leave around ¼ of fat to protect your beef from drying.

Between the flat and the point, you will find a large, thick layer of fat; this is the deckle; you should remove this because it won’t render while you are smoking a brisket.

2. Seasoning The Brisket

Adding a rub to your beef brisket is important. A dry rub will help develop a thick, crunchy bark and season the meat. To ensure the rub sticks to the meat, one of the brisket binders, the most commonly used binder, is mustard.

My favorite BBQ brisket rub is super easy. You don’t need any kitchen skills, and it only takes seconds to prepare. Throw the following ingredients in a bowl, mix them, and then, as the name implies, rub the brisket. Remember to coat the brisket well.

If you want to allow 1 tablespoon per pound of brisket, double or triple the recipe below if this mix is not enough for your size.

• 3 tablespoons of chili powder (I use three tablespoons because I like a lot of heat; adjust this to suit your spice tolerance)
• 2 tablespoons of Kosher or sea salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 3 teaspoons of garlic powder (I tend to use a lot of garlic because I love garlic; alter this to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1tablespoon of onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (again, I use a fair amount of this; change this measurement to your spice tolerance)

Note: I recommend applying the rub at least 4 hours before cooking, up to 12 hours is best.

3. Preheat Your Smoker

Preheating your smoker before you place your meat in it is important. Before adding your brisket, ensure the smoker temperature has stabilized at 225°F.

Maintaining 225°F will give your brisket plenty of time for the connective tissue to break down, leaving it tender and juicy. When managing the fire, it is important to use dry wood chips. You also want clean smoke before you add in the meat.

Ensure you let the fire burn down and burn off any dark black smoke; you want a thin blue smoke. The dark black smoke will give the meat a bitter taste.

My favorite wood for smoked beef brisket is mesquite or cherry wood chips. Oak or hickory are also good options, as they complement the brisket’s flavor but don’t overwhelm it.

4. Get Your Brisket in Your Smoker

1. Bring Your Brisket to Temperature:
   If you have refrigerated your brisket after adding the dry rub, let it come to room temperature. Depending on its size, this usually takes around an hour.
2. Placing Your Meat and Track The Temperature
   Place your beef brisket in your smoker fat, cap-up. The melting fat soaking through the brisket will help keep the meat moist.
   Just remember, All smokers work differently. If your heat source comes from below the meat, cooking with the fat down is important, as that will prevent drying. If your heat source is to the side, always ensure the point end faces the fire.
   You should use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. I like to use a thermometer probe; this way, you can check the temperature without opening the lid.
3. Set The Water Pan:
   Set a pan filled with water, beer, cider, juice, etc., in the smoker. Fire draws moisture out of meat, so keeping a pan of water will keep the moisture in the chamber. This also helps the smoke penetrate the meat. Once your smoker lids/ door are closed, it’s time to let the electric smoker work its magic.
   Sit back, grab a beer, and watch the smoke.
4. Don’t Open The Door or Lid!
   This will cause the heat and smoke to escape, making the meat take longer to cook. Keep the lid/door closed as much as possible. If you need to check the temperature, using a wireless digital meat thermometer is the best way. This will help avoid heat loss from opening the unit.
5. Smoke for 2 Hours:
   The first 2 hours are when your meat will absorb the most smoke flavor. After that time, use a spray bottle to spray water, beef stock, vinegar, or apple juice onto your brisket. Do this every 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will help keep the meat moist and also help develop that tasty crust (bark).

My Smoked Brisket Cooking Time Calculation

Meathead Goldwyn suggests smoking brisket at 225°F, which I always do! I followed his suggestion and created this calculation to determine how long it takes to cook a brisket.

It will take 1 hour and 30 minutes per pound (lb) of brisket at 225°F (or 107°C)

A brisket I smoked last weekend was 9lb. Here is the actual cooking time
9lb brisket x 1.5 hours = 13.5 hours with a cooking temperature of 225 °F

How Long to Cook a Brisket in Electric Smoker

Brisket Size (lb)	Smoker Temperature	Wrapped?	Cook Time Guide
Per Pound of Brisket	250 Fahrenheit	Not Wrapped	15 Minutes
Per Pound of Brisket	250 Fahrenheit	Wrapped in Foil	45 Minutes
Per Pound of Brisket	250 Fahrenheit	Wrapped in Butcher Paper	1 Hour
Per Pound of Brisket	300 Fahrenheit	Wrapped in Foil	30 Minutes

5. Wrapping The Brisket

If your internal temperature reaches 145°F and starts slowing down, you may be experiencing “the stall.” It can take hours for the temperature to go from 145°F to 165°F.

At this point, your brisket is sweating. As the muscles contract in the meat, they push out moisture. That moisture makes its way to the surface of the meat. It then evaporates and cools the meat’s surface and smoker’s temperatures.

Wrap the brisket in butcher paper, ensuring there are no holes or open spots. Before wrapping, spritz the brisket with your water/beer/cider or juice mixture to prevent it from drying out.

To determine if your brisket is done, look for an internal meat temperature of 195 – 203°F in the thickest part of the brisket.

When the meat temperature hits 195°F, I poke it with a thermometer probe. It should slide in and out with very little resistance if it’s done. I also prod it with my finger or pick it up if I want it to jiggle. If it moves like jelly, it’s most likely done.

6. Rest Your Brisket

Once it reaches 200°F —203°F, remove the brisket from your smoker and let it rest. 

Yes, I know. If it’s your first time smoking, and the smell of your smoked brisket makes you want to eat it right away, letting the smoked beef brisket rest will allow the juices to be dispersed throughout the brisket.

For best results, let your smoked brisket rest in a cooler until the internal temperature reaches 140°F. I place my brisket in a cooler, still wrapped in the butcher’s paper, and cover it with a towel.

How to Slice Smoked Brisket

You need a cutting board and a serrated knife to slice your smoked brisket. The knife blade should be long enough to slice the brisket in one hit without shredding the beef.

The flat and the point have different grains. So start by cutting against the grain of the flat. When you get to the point, turn it around, cut against the grain of the point, and be careful not to scrape off the bark.

Your slices should be around ¼ inch thick or around the thickness of a chopstick. Only cut the brisket when ready to serve it with your favorite side dishes. Cutting the brisket too early will cause it to dry out.

If you plan to serve it later, keep it wrapped and uncut to help it maintain all its moisture. For a more in-depth rundown on cutting a brisket, check out my step-by-step guide.

How Long Does Brisket Take to Be Smoked?

It takes about an hour per pound for brisket to smoke at 225°F, which means it will take around 6 hours for a 6-pound brisket. But you must be aware of the internal temperature; this is the most important part. I like to remove my brisket from the smoker at 200°F, which allows for carryover cooking, which usually increases the final temperature by 5-6°F.

What Internal Temperature Is Best for Smoking Brisket?

204-206°F is the best internal temperature for a perfectly smoked brisket. This ensures juicy, tender meat slicing easily, not dry, overcooked, or chewy and undercooked. Make sure you use an internal thermometer probe to monitor this temperature.

What to do With Leftover Brisket?

There is nothing better than leftovers, especially brisket. I think it almost tastes better after a few days!

Ensure you know how to reheat brisket (so it doesn’t go dry). Here are a few of my family members’ favorite ways to use leftover brisket!

• Beef Brisket Pot Pie With Mash Potatoes
• Brisket Sausage Rolls
• Brisket Burgers
• Brisket BBQ Nachos

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Recipe for Smoked Brisket

FAQs

I get many, many questions from my online community about smoking brisket. So, I thought I would include a few common questions below.

How long does it take to smoke a brisket in an electric smoker?

To smoke a brisket takes around 45 – 60 minutes per pound at 225˚F. This will differ slightly depending on your smoker and the thickness and size of your brisket.

How long do you cook a 3 1/2-pound brisket in an electric smoker?

So, for a 3/ 1/2 pound brisket, cooking will take 5 hours and 15 minutes. It takes 1 hour and 30 minutes per pound (lb) of brisket at 225°F (or 107°C).

1.5 *3.5 = 5.25 at 225°F

Do you wrap a brisket in an electric smoker?

Wrapping brisket is a controversial topic; there is no straight yes or no answer. It does come down to personal preference.

When it comes to wrapping brisket, you have three options:

Foil Wrap: Smoking brisket in foil is one of the most popular ways to smoke brisket. This is because the foil creates a mini oven within your smoker. This helps keep your brisket moist and cook it a little bit faster.

However, the downside to wrapping your brisket in foil (the Texas crutch) is that you can’t achieve such thick bark.

Butcher Paper: Wrapping your brisket in butcher paper is similar to foil. However, butcher paper still allows your meat to breathe and the smoke to penetrate.

Butcher paper still creates a little oven inside your smoker and keeps the brisket juicy and moist. The bonus of the heat and smoke is that they can penetrate the brisket, which means you still achieve a decent bark.

No Wrap: The main perk of not wrapping brisket is achieving a much deeper smoke flavor. Since there is nothing between the brisket and the heat source, the brisket has a much thicker bark.

However, the downside to smoking a brisket without wrapping (naked) is that the smoked brisket can dry out quickly, even when cooking low and slow.

How long does it take to smoke a brisket at 225?

Smoking a brisket at 225°F, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes per pound. Each cook differs depending on the brisket, smoker, and outdoor temperature.

I highly recommend using a digital meat thermometer to monitor your brisket’s internal temperature.

Why Do Brisket or Ribs Stick to Aluminum Foil when Smoking?

If your meat sticks to the foil, use more baste or liquid. You can try using parchment paper; however, it tends to rip, so you might lose all your precious meat juices!

How long and at what temp do you cook a 3 lb brisket in a HEB cooking bag?

Preheat oven or grill to 375°F and remove the brisket from the packaging.

Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil in a large, shallow baking pan and cook for 30 -40 mins.

Place the brisket on a grill over low to medium heat, away from direct contact with the flame or heat source.

Should I marinate brisket with Lipton onion soup the day before I cook it?

Some of the best brisket sauces are made with Lipton onion soup. To get the best flavor, marinate the night before.

Looking to cook a fiery brisket bowl?

We recommend checking out this fiery Vietnamese crispy brisket salad, yum!

I want to smoke 5-10-pound brisket. Do I have to rotate them

There is a lot of debate regarding whether to flip or rotate your brisket. Some say to start the fat cap down (towards the heat) and flip it midway.

Others will tell you never to open the lid until its fully done, it is all trial and error, and what tastes best to you

Difference between flank cut and point cut beef brisket

The flank cut and point of brisket come from underneath the cow, the breast portion is where you will find the brisket whereas the closer to the belly you will find the flank.

Flank steak is good for cooking at high heat, whereas brisket works well with long, slow cooking methods. The brisket comprises two cuts: the flat cut and the point cut.

The flat cut makes up the majority of brisket. It’s usually longer and has a thick layer of fat that keeps the meat juicy and moist when cooked. This cut is best for slicing and is most likely what you’ll find in your supermarket.

Meanwhile, the point cut is thicker, smaller, has more connective tissue, and is marbled with fat.

The fat gives it more flavor, but you don’t get as much meat. The point cut is usually shredded for sandwiches or ground into hamburger beef.

Can you season up frozen brisket?

You can season a frozen brisket; however, you won’t get a penetration of the flavor into the meat. It will create a great bark, though!

Smoke On!

Charlie

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