Smoked Brisket On A Pit Boss (In 8 Simple Steps)

The thought of a juicy smoked brisket with a crispy bark gets my mouth watering!

But smoking a brisket can be intimidating for those just starting out! 

But it couldn’t be easier on my Pit Boss grill.

Follow my tried and tested smoked brisket recipe below!

Soon you’ll be creating pitmaster-worthy brisket!

What Is A Brisket?

Brisket is the cut of meat from the pectoral muscle or chest area of a cow.

As the cow is upright most of its life it is quite a developed muscle. 

Brisket is made up of two sections – the point and the flat.

The point is the fattier section and contains more marbling. 

The flat is the largest and leanest muscle and tends to become tough if not cooked properly.

Cooking low and slow is the secret to a tender bbq beef brisket!

As the slow cook time allows the collagen, connective tissue, and fats to break down and permeate through the meat.

Buying the Brisket

You should use a whole packer cut when you smoke brisket and you’ll see why below.

Brisket is made up of two parts:

1. The Flat

2. The Point

The flat is the cut you would be used to seeing. It’s the rectangular part that is used for sliced brisket.

However, it is much leaner than the point. Therefore if you cook the flat without the point it can dry out.

The point is the pointy part of the brisket. It is smaller and fattier and normally used for burnt ends or chopped brisket.

You don’t want to buy the cuts separately. Most butchers will sell the full packer brisket, you just need to ask.

How to Trim the Brisket

Leave the brisket in the refrigerator until you want to trim it. 

Trimming the brisket is a much easier task when the meat is cold, rather than at room temperature. 

Trim off the excess fat, leaving about 1/4 of the fat on the surface – enough that the meat stays moist during the long cook, but thin enough that the smoke can permeate and allow for bark formation.  

You can use the brisket trimmings for burgers or sausages.

What P-Setting to Use for Cooking Brisket?

When your cooking a brisket , I recommend leaving the P-Setting to the default P4 factory settings.

What Wood Chips to Use for Brisket?

Beef brisket works best with mesquite and hickory wood chips.

However wood chips flavors can be mixed to create a unique flavor combination. Or you can buy a ready mixed blends. 

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Beef Brisket On A Pit Boss?

It takes 45-60 minutes per pound of beef brisket to cook it.

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 degrees.

If the temperature stops rising at 140°F – 150°F you might be experiencing the brisket stall.

Remove and wrap the brisket in aluminum foil or butcher paper when its stall between 150°F – 160°F

Make sure you fold the edges up to prevent liquid from leaking, and return it to the grill.

Monitor until the internal temperature reaches 190-200F.

When the brisket’s internal temp reaches 190-203F, pull it off the smoker and let it rest for at least an hour in a cooler, still wrapped.

What Temperature Do You Cook A Brisket On A Pit Boss?

You should cook brisket between 220°F – 255°F. 

You should also spritz the brisket every 30-40 minutes, with juice, Worcestershire sauce or beer.

If your unit doesn’t have a temperature display I would recommend getting dual probes.

This allows you to monitor the meat temperature as well as the grill temperature. 

You might find that on a hot or cool day the temperature of your grill will fluctuate. 

That is normal, however, if you want some tips on how to control the temperature fluctuations make sure you see my resource.

What to Sides Serve With Brisket?

You can go traditional with your sides for brisket or you can 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
• Corn Bread
• Green Beans

What to Do With Leftover Smoked Brisket?

Smoked brisket can taste even better the next day!

We like to smoke a whole packer, then have leftovers for the whole week.

You can use it for sandwiches, or get creative.

Here is our smoked brisket chili and leftover brisket pie!

If you want to freeze your brisket you can.

The best way to freeze it is using a vacuum pack, then you don’t have to worry about freezer burn.

What Do You Need to Smoke a Beef Brisket On Pit Boss?

Before I start cooking anything on the pellet grill, I like to ensure I have all the equipment I need. 

• A Pellet Grill 
• Pink Butcher paper 
• Meat Thermometer
• Pellets mesquite or hickory 
• Cooler

If you 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 Brisket Stalling? Try The The Texas Crutch

When smoking brisket you may experience the stall. 

When you cook slow 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 on it.

This then cools the surface temperature of the meat and 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 your brisket.

After wrapping your brisket in butcher’s paper or foil make sure you place your thermometer back in the meat before putting back in the smoker. 

Once the meat reaches 197°F remove the foil and place it place in the smoker unwrapped.

How to Know When Brisket Is Done?

You know the brisket is done once it reaches 203°F. Then pull the brisket from the smoker and place in the cooler.

How Long to Rest Brisket

You need to rest the brisket for 1-2 hours.

To calculate, just allow the brisket to rest for an hour per pound of meat. You will find that resting on a brisket is different from a steak. 

You want to wrap your brisket in butcher’s paper and then in a towel.

Then place your brisket in a cooler. 

You need to allow the time for the melted collagen and connective tissue to distribute throughout the meat. 

If you need the step-by-step process for resting brisket in a cooler, see my resource here. 

How to Slice and Serve Your Brisket 

Once you have rested the brisket for 1-2 hours it is time to slice it. 

Try to only slice how much you need. If you cut it all up it can dry up when you reheat your brisket. 

Always wait to slice your smoked brisket until your guests are ready to eat.

There are two ways we like to slice brisket. No matter which one you choose just 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 just need to cut along it. I

f you need help finding it, just pull on the flat and see where the meat begins to come apart.

Once you locate it cut along it. Then you slice the flat, just remember to cut against the grain.

• Slice the Whole Packer Brisket 

This is the easier method, plus it ensures you get a bit of leaner and fattier meat.

As you cut you’ll see a slight line that runs diagonally, this separates the point from the flat.

As you slice the meat you’ll see the ratio of flat and point change. This means your slices will have a nice ratio of lean to fattier meat.

What Else Can I Smoke on my Pit Boss Pellet Grill?

There are hundreds of recipes to cook on a Pit Boss, check out some of my favorites below:

Brown Sugar Rubbed Salmon

Smoked Beef Cheeks

Tri Tip

Baby Back Ribs

Flank Steak

My Super Simple Brisket Recipe

Smoked brisket has never been easier or tastier with this simple recipe:

Ingredients

• One beef brisket (8lbs-12lbs feeds 12-16 people)
• 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup coarse ground black pepper 
• 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 cup of water

Use a shop-brought rub or make your own.

When I make a rub I usually have garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar salt and pepper in it

Method For Smoked Brisket

Coat both sides of the brisket with the binder then cover with the rub.

Combine the Worcestershire sauce and water in a spray bottle. 

Preheat the smoker to a temperature setting of 225°F – 250°F.

Prepare the pellet smoker or grill for indirect cooking. Load the hopper with 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 down.

Then close the lid to maintain a consistent temperature.

Spray the brisket every two hours with the Worcestershire and water mixture.

Smoking unwrapped for several hours will give a beautiful bark crust.

If the temperature begins to stop rising between 146°F and 165°F you may be experiencing the brisket stall.

To combat this wrap your brisket in butcher’s paper or alfoil.

Then wrapping in the final stages retains the moisture giving a lovely juicy brisket with a delicious smoky flavor.

Serving Up The Brisket

After resting the brisket in a cooler until it reaches 140°F unwrap and slice against the grain.

What To Do With Your Leftover Brisket

Leftovers are one of the best things about smoking a brisket

Leftovers Cottage Pie Recipe (Shepherd’s Pie with Leftover Beef Brisket)

Smoked Brisket Chili

Brisket Sausage Rolls

Brisket Lasagna

Smoked Brisket Nachos

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, a cold brisket sandwich makes a delcious lunch!

With a few easy steps and a bit of know-how, you will be well on the way to perfect smoked beef brisket.

Smoke On!

Charlie

Hungry For More?