If you love juicy smoked brisket with a crispy bark, this Pit Boss brisket recipe will have your mouth watering! It’s just what you need for a big cookout, dinner with family, or a holiday meal.
It’s a classic dish with its fall-apart texture, crispy bark, and delicious smoky flavors. But smoking can be intimidating for those just starting, so I am going to show you exactly how to smoke it like a pitmaster.
No time to read the recipe? Pin it to read later ⤵️
Table of contents
Easy Pit Boss Brisket
Smoking low and slow brisket is the only way to get that melt-in-your-mouth texture. The long cooking time breaks down all those tough fibers while building that beautiful bark on the outside. It’s become our favorite dish for big gatherings since one brisket easily feeds 12-15 people with leftovers from a 12-pound brisket.
What I love most is how versatile the leftovers are. We’ll use them for pulled brisket sandwiches, breakfast tacos, or even toss some into mac and cheese. The smoky flavor makes everything better. Plus, once you nail the technique, it’s pretty hands-off – just maintain your temperature and let the smoker do its thing..
What Do You Need?
- Brisket
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Water
- Rub
- Pink Butcher paper
- Meat Thermometer
- Pellets of mesquite or hickory
- Cooler
How to Make Pitboss Brisket
Step 1: Prep and Apply The Rub
Leave the brisket in the refrigerator until you want to trim it. Trimming the brisket is much easier when the meat is cold than at room temperature.
Trim off the excess fat, leaving about 1/4 of the fat on the surface – enough to keep the meat moist during the long cook, but thin enough to allow the smoke to permeate and facilitate bark formation. You can use the brisket trimmings for burgers or sausages.
Coat both sides of the meat with a brisket binder, like mustard or oil, and then cover with the rub. When I make a rub for brisket, I usually add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. I have included the amounts below.
- 2 tbsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Cumin
Combine the Worcestershire sauce and water in a spray bottle for easy spritzing, and set it aside. Then, preheat the smoker to 225°F— 250°F and up your Pit Boss indirect cooking.
Load the hopper with your favorite wood chips. Ensure there are enough chips to last the cook, topping up as needed. Beef brisket works best with mesquite and hickory. However, flavors can be mixed to create a unique combination. You can also buy a ready-mixed blend.
Step 2: Smoke
Place in the smoker on the cooler side of the grate, fat cap side down. Then close the lid to maintain a consistent temperature.
You should also spritz every 45 minutes after cooking for the first 60-90 minutes. If the brisket spritz recipe is too strong, consider diluting it with juice, Worcestershire sauce, or beer to adjust the flavor.
Step 3: Wrap
If the temperature begins to stop rising between 146°F and 165°F, you may experience a stall. To combat this, wrap in butcher’s paper. Wrapping in the final stages also helps to retain moisture.
Step 4: Rest in a Cooler and Then Slice
The recommended temperature to pull out the brisket is between 200°F and 204°F. Once you reach the desired temperature, remove the meat from the smoker and wrap it in a clean towel.
Then, place the brisket in a cooler to rest until it reaches 140°F; allow time for the melted collagen and connective tissue to distribute throughout the meat. After resting the brisket in a cooler until it reaches 140°F, unwrap and slice against the grain.
Read More: See my resource here for the step-by-step process for resting brisket in a cooler.
How to Slice and Serve
Once you have rested it for 1-2 hours, it is time to slice it. Wait to slice your meat until your guests are ready to eat, and only slice as much as you need. If you cut it all up, it can dry up when you reheat your brisket. We like to slice it two ways. Regardless of which one you choose, ensure you slice against the grain.
Separate the Point from the Flat, then Slice.
This is a good option if you want to make burnt ends or have guests who don’t want fattier cuts. First, find the fat line. This line runs diagonally through the brisket; you need to cut along it.
If you need help finding it, pull on the flat and see where the meat begins to come apart. Once you locate it, cut along it. Then, slice the flat; remember to cut against the grain.
Slice the Whole Packer
This method is easier and ensures you get leaner and fattier meat. As you cut, you’ll see a slight line that runs diagonally; this separates the point from the flat.
Which Cut Should You Use?
The brisket consists of two sections—the point and the flat—and when it’s kept as one piece, it’s known as a packer brisket.
The point is that the fattier section contains more marbling. I recommend using it if you plan on chopping the brisket up to serve. The pointy end is smaller and fattier and is typically used for burnt ends or chopped brisket.
The flat is the largest and leanest muscle. If you want uniform slices, you should go with the flat. However, it is much leaner than the point. Therefore, if you cook the flat without the point, it can dry out.
What P-Setting to Use?
I recommend leaving the P-Setting to the default P4 factory settings on your Pit Boss.
How Long Does It Take To Cook?
It takes 45-60 minutes per pound to reach the optimal temperature of 204°F. However, it’s best to monitor with a temperature probe.
After 4 hours of smoking, start checking the internal temperature with a probe. It should be around 145°F. If the temperature stops rising between 140°F and 150°F, you may experience the brisket stall. Remove and wrap the brisket in aluminium foil or butcher paper when it stall between 150°F – 160°F
Fold the edges up to prevent liquid from leaking, then return the dish to the grill. Monitor until the internal temperature reaches 190- 200°F.
When the brisket’s internal temperature reaches 190- 203°F, remove it from the smoker and let it rest, still wrapped, in a cooler for at least an hour.
What Temperature Should You Cook At?
I recommend setting the temperature between 220°F and 255°F. If your unit doesn’t have a temperature display, I recommend getting dual probes. This allows you to monitor the meat and grill temperatures.
You may find that on a hot or cool day, the temperature of your grill fluctuates. That is normal; however, if you want some tips on controlling the temperature fluctuations, see my resource.
Storing Leftovers
Properly stored brisket will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Let the meat cool completely before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil or storing it in an airtight container.
For longer storage, wrap portions in freezer paper or vacuum-seal and freeze for up to 3 months. When reheating, add a splash of beef broth or the reserved cooking juices to prevent the meat from drying out. Reheat gently in a 325°F oven until warmed, or slice and reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Don’t Have a Pellet Grill? Here Are the Recipes You Can Use:
Brisket on a Big Green Egg
Smoked Brisket on a Traeger
Is Your BBQ Beef Brisket Stalling? Try The Texas Crutch
When smoking, you may experience the stall. When you cook slowly and low and reach 145°F – 155°F, the meat can stall and stop rising in temperature. This is due to the water in the meat being pushed to the surface and evaporating. This cools the surface temperature of the meat and the surrounding temperature.
This means your meat might sit around 145°F – 155°F for hours! It can be stressful, especially if you have hungry guests waiting. So, you can combat the stall by using the Texas crutch. It’s just another name for wrapping.
After wrapping in butcher’s paper or foil, ensure you put your thermometer back in the meat before putting it back in the smoker. Once the beef reaches 197°F, remove the foil and place it in the smoker unwrapped.
📌 Did you try this recipe?
Have you made this delicious recipe and loved it?
I would love it if you took a minute to leave a star rating and review. It is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that; thank you!
📌 Please also pin the image below, then you can find the recipe for the next time you want to cook.
🔥 More Pit Boss Recipes
There are hundreds of recipes to cook on a Pit Boss; check out some of my favourites below:
🍣 Brown Sugar Rubbed Salmon
🥩 Smoked Beef Cheeks
🔥 Pit Boss Tri Tip
🍖 Pit Boss Baby Back Ribs
🥩 Flank Steak Pit Boss
🥩 What to Do With Leftovers?
Brisket tastes even better the next day! We like to smoke a whole packer and have leftovers for the entire week. You can use it for sandwiches or get creative.
Leftovers Cottage Pie Recipe
Smoked Brisket Chili
Brisket Sausage Rolls
Brisket Lasagna
Smoked Brisket Nachos
🍽️ What Sides to Serve With It?
You can go traditional with your sides for brisket or go all out. Some simple sides are mashed or smoked potatoes. Or you can try some of my favorites, like:
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Smoked Zucchini
Cornbread
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
Pit Boss Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 8-12lbs beef brisket
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup ground black pepper
- ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup of water
Instructions
- Combine the salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Coat both sides of the brisket with the salt and pepper mixture. Preheat the smoker to a temperature setting of 225-250 degrees.
- Combine the Worcestershire sauce and water in a spray bottle.
- Prepare the pellet smoker or grill for indirect cooking using your favorite wood chips. Ensure there are enough chips to last the cook, topping up when necessary.
- Place the brisket in the smoker on the cooler side of the grate with the fat cap side up and close the lid to maintain a consistent temperature.
- Spray the brisket every two hours with the Worcestershire and water mixture.
- Smoke the brisket until it reaches 145°F – 165°F, usually between this range the temperature stops rising. This could be due to the stall. wrap your brisket in butcher’s paper. It usually takes around 4-5 hours to reach this stage
- Place the brisket back in your Pit Boss and continue to smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 203°F, this take around 3-5 hours.
- Once its reaches 203°F pull the brisket from the smoker, leave it wrapped in the butchers paper and also wrap it in a towel. Then place the brisket it in a cooler to rest until it reaches 140°F
- Serve with sides of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
Hungry For More?
Every year I make several briskets, especially when we’re having a lot of guests over. I had never tried smoking the brisket though. This pit boss smoked beef brisket turned out great, and I love all the pointers and tips you provide throughout. Thank you!
I have followed a couple different brisket recipes, they never seem to turn out very good, my brisket was usually dry . But I just got a Pit Boss and wanted to see if I could find a recipe that would work for it and this recipe was the bomb! I actually got the pink ring and delicious bark on the smoked brisket!! thank you