Tender Smoked Brisket

An all-inclusive guide for you to make perfectly Smoked Brisket… every time! I’m taking you through selecting, trimming, and how to smoke a juicy tender brisket.

How long do you cook a brisket in a smoker for that tender, juicy, irresistible meat? That’s the question every pitmaster—or home cook—wants answered! Brisket is hands-down the most popular smoked meat, and I’m going to show you how to smoke a brisket like a PRO by simply following a few key steps and, most importantly, giving yourself PLENTY of time.

I love making a huge brisket for family gatherings; they easily feed a large crowd (and trust me, with my husband and I having 7 siblings each, we know big crowds!). Since everyone loves smoked brisket, I never have leftovers!

To get perfect results, you need to understand the cooking process. While the total time depends on your smoker and the brisket’s size, you’ll smoke a whole brisket for about 6 hours (or until 165° F), then wrap it and finish with a second smoke for 4 or more hours until it reaches 200° F. I always start the day before I plan to serve it alongside BBQ Baked Beans and a simple cranberry spinach salad.

How Long To Cook Brisket – Time Factors

1. How smokey you like your brisket!
2. The size of your brisket.
3. The temperature of your smoker.
4. What type of smoker you are using.
5. Outside temperature and Wind.
6. How often you open your smoker while it’s cooking.
7. And the temperature you are smoking at. (225 degrees F is recommended)
8. If you plan to do all the cooking on a smoker or part in the oven.

Tools for making Smoked Brisket

First, A Smoker & Pellets or Wood Chips! A good smoker is definitely required to smoke a brisket, even if you make your own!

We use an old electric smoker. A whole packer brisket barely fits on a rack, but it works great! Or you can a Traeger-style pellet smoker.

And, you will need wood pellets or chips to create the smoke in your smoker! I’ve used several types including hickory, apple wood, and mesquite wood pellets… They are all delicious!

Second, you will need an instant-read thermometer! There’s really no way around this one! Because each brisket is different they will all take a bit longer or shorter to come to the perfect temperature for tender brisket! The only way to be sure it’s going to be perfect is to use an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer and cook to 200 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat.

Third, Butcher Paper or Aluminum Foil – After the brisket reaches 165° F inside, you’ll need to wrap it in butcher paper or foil. Pink or peach butcher paper is preferable to get that “texas crunch”.

Key Steps to Smoked Brisket

• Select Your Cut: Decide between a half brisket (or flat/point) or a whole brisket for large crowds. Always choose a cut with a thick, even fat cap and noticeable marbling for maximum flavor and tenderness.
• Prep & Trim: Trim the exterior fat cap down to a consistent 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness (see detailed trimming tips below!).
• Rub & Marinate (Optional): Generously coat the brisket on all sides with your coarse-ground rub. For deeper flavor, wrap tightly and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
• First Smoke & Bark Formation: Smoke the brisket at 225 F until it reaches an internal temperature of $165^\circ F$. This phase develops the crucial dark, flavorful bark.
• The Wrap: Tightly wrap the brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil. This helps push past the “stall” and locks in moisture.
• Second Smoke/Cook: Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker (or oven) until it hits an internal temperature of 200° F – 204° F and passes the “probe tender” test.
• The Rest (Crucial!): Rest the wrapped brisket in a cooler or insulated container for a minimum of 1 hour, ideally 2–4 hours, to lock in the juices.
• Slice & Serve: Slice against the grain (perpendicular to the muscle fibers) and enjoy!

First Trim Fat Cap

The first thing you’ll notice about a beef brisket is the large fat side with a bit of connective tissue. This fat is left on by butchers because it keeps the brisket moist and adds a ton of flavor. Just trim off any connective tissue but leave the main fat cap on your brisket for best results!

1. Trim off hard fat (it won’t render during cooking.)
2. Cut the rest of the excess fat on the brisket to be about 1/4 – 1/2 of an inch thick.
3. Trim off any silver skin or discolored meat

The best brisket has a layer of fat on top that is full of smoke flavor, and you can always cut it off before eating if you don’t want that in your mouth… But trust me, leave it on for the cooking process!

Marinate Your Brisket! (Optional but Recommended)

After trimming the hard fat off your brisket, it’s time to marinate it with a dry rub! You can use your favorite pre-packaged dry rub marinade or use mine by mixing together:

• 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
• 2 tbs of good salt
• Two tablespoons of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder

Rub this seasoning mixture generously all over every side your the brisket, cover, and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.

How Long to Cook Brisket in a Smoker

The general rule of thumb is to cook brisket SLOW and LOW! The cooking temperature should be about 225 degrees F. (Or as close as you can get to that. At 225 degrees F, you will cook your brisket for 1 and a half hours per pound! You can also cook brisket at 250 degrees F for just 1 hour per pound. (But remember that the internal temperature of your brisket will increase by 10 degrees after it’s been removed from the smoker grill.)

Full briskets weigh between 10 and 16 pounds, so your total smoke time, or total cook time at 225 degrees, will be between 15 and 24 hours.

Every cut of meat and animal is a little different; it’s different in size and fat content, and muscle tenderness. So, there is no exact cook time for all briskets. However, you can estimate the time pretty close by using its weight for total smoke-cook time. BUT remember, ****the internal temperature determines when it’s done! **** Beef Brisket is fully done when the internal temperature reaches 200-204° F.

My Tips and Tricks for Pellet Smoker Brisket Perfection:

Rub it Right: Forget fancy marinades! My go-to is simple: a heavy-handed mix of coarse black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Don’t be shy with the pepper!

Wrap that seasoned brisket tight in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours. That’s how the magic happens.

Pellet Smoker Prep: Get your pellet smoker dialed in at 225°F. Patience is key here. Preheat it with the lid down for a good 15 minutes—you want that smoker nice and stable.

The Long Smoke: Fat side up, brisket goes on the grate. Now, here’s where the patience really kicks in. Expect 10-20 hours of low and slow smoking, until that internal temp hits 165°F. You’re looking for that beautiful, dark, almost black bark. That’s flavor!

The Wrap: Pink butcher paper is my secret weapon. It lets the brisket breathe while still retaining moisture. If you must use foil, double wrap it tight.

Carefully wrap the brisket.

The Final Stretch: Bump up the smoker (or oven) to 250°F. Now, it’s a waiting game again, another 2-4 hours, until you hit that sweet spot of 200-204°F. That’s when the probe slides in like butter.

The All-Important Rest: This is non-negotiable! Let that brisket rest, and rest well. At least an hour, but two is even better. I know it’s hard, but those juices need time to redistribute, or you’ll end up with dry meat.

Slicing Secrets: Grab a big cutting board and slice against the grain. Look for the muscle fibers and cut across them. This is the key to tender, melt-in-your-mouth slices.

How Long Does It Take To Cook A Brisket In An Old Style Big Chief or old Electric Smoker?

Old-style smokers, like the Big Chief, take a bit longer to cook brisket. That’s because you can’t just set the smoker temperature, and it has a lower heat. That being said, as long as you keep the wood pan full, you’ll get a great smoky flavor of smoked brisket. However, cooking a brisket on a Big Chief (or older style smoker) will take more than 15 hours to get to 204 degrees F.

Note

Remember, every cut of meat and animal is different; so there is no exact cook time for every brisket. You just estimate using its weight for total smoke/cook time. ****The internal temperature of the meat determines when it’s done.**** Beef Brisket is fully done when the internal temperature reaches 204° F.

It takes 10-15 hours to cook a brisket on a pellet smoker! (10-pound brisket at 225 or 250 degrees F) Then you’ll let it rest for about an hour before slicing against the grain and enjoying it!

Aluminum Foil or Pink Butchers Paper

Every good brisket recipe will call for wrapping the brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil halfway through the smoking or cooking process. Wrapping your brisket will keep it moist, let the internal temperature rise faster, and help it cook slow and low so that you get a fall-apart tender brisket!

My Tips & Tricks

Water pan: The best way to smoke a brisket is with a pan of hot water in your smoker with your brisket to help keep it moist for the first half of cooking time. After your wrap your brisket, you can eliminate the water pan.

Start at Room Temp – Remove your brisket from the fridge a couple of hours early and let it come to room temperature before you start the smoking process.

How Long Should You Let Your Brisket REST Before Cutting It?

Let your fully cooked brisket rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing it. They say it’s even better to let it rest for at least 2 hours before slicing… Letting your brisket rest allows the juices to redistribute for flavorful juicy brisket!

Pairing

Thank you for reading how long to cook a brisket in a smoker! You may also enjoy these farmhouse favorite recipes!

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• Summer Pasta Salad
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