Texas Style Smoked Beef Brisket isn’t just a recipe; it’s a way to make smoked brisket that melts in your mouth. That’s it! You only need salt, pepper, smoke, and time to make the best beef brisket you’ve ever had.
I totally understand how intimidating it can be to smoke a huge, expensive brisket for the first time. That’s why I’ve tried and tested a lot of different recipes and methods to help you get perfect results every time with a pretty easy process.
Once you try this juicy brisket, you’ll be itching for the next opportunity to smoke another one. If you want to learn how to BBQ (especially brisket), you have to do it yourself. Let’s jump in and give it a try!
Smoking a beef brisket can be an incredibly rewarding experience when done right. The end result is tender, smokey beef that literally melts in your mouth. However, brisket is also one of the most difficult cuts of meat to master because it requires careful technique and a good amount of patience.
When smoking a 15 lb brisket, the general rule of thumb is 1-1.5 hours of smoking time per pound of meat. This means you should expect your 15 lb brisket to take anywhere from 15-22.5 hours to fully smoke and tenderize. But don’t rely only on time. There are some key considerations to ensure your brisket turns out juicy and flavorful every time.
Choosing the Right Brisket
You want to select a well-marbled packer brisket, which is the full untrimmed brisket with both the flat and the point still intact. Look for good fat distribution throughout as this helps keep the meat moist and tender. The brisket should also have a nice thick flat usually around 2 inches thick. The thicker the flat, the less likely it is to dry out during the prolonged cooking time.
Ideally, choose a brisket that is around 15 lbs before trimming. Once trimmed of excess fat, it will lose a few pounds in weight which gets you closer to that ideal 12-13 lb smoking size.
Proper Trimming and Seasoning
Trimming the brisket is arguably the most important prep step You want to remove any large hard fat deposits on the edges and top of the brisket while leaving about 1⁄4 inch of fat cap along the bottom Trimming allows the smoke and seasoning to better penetrate the meat.
Generously coat all sides of the brisket with kosher salt coarsely ground pepper and your favorite brisket rub. Let the brisket rest overnight in the fridge which further tenderizes by allowing the salt to break down muscle fibers.
Maintaining Ideal Smoker Temperature
The best temperature range for smoking brisket low and slow is 225-250°F. This gives the tough connective tissue time to sufficiently break down over many hours. Shoot for 225°F if you want maximum smoke flavor. Higher around 250°F speeds the cooking process slightly.
Maintaining a stable temperature in your smoker is crucial. Don’t let it creep above 275°F or you risk drying out the flat before it’s fully tenderized. Add more coals or wood chunks to increase temperature. Close vents slightly to lower it.
Estimating Total Cook Time
When smoking a 15 lb brisket at 225-250°F, estimate 1-1.5 hours per pound with 1 hour per pound on the lower end. You never want to rely solely on time though as every brisket cooks slightly differently.
Instead, use time as a loose guide and always cook the brisket until it’s tender based on feel and temperature. For a 15 lb brisket, plan for an approximate total cook time of 15-22 hours.
Monitoring Tenderness
The only true way to know when your brisket is ready is by feel and internal temp rather than time estimates.
Check tenderness by poking the thickest part of the flat with your finger. The meat should have a nice jiggle and poke like room temperature butter.
Use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness, looking for an internal temperature between 195-205°F. Remove it right at 203°F for maximum tenderness.
Wrapping vs Unwrapped
You can either wrap the brisket or smoke it completely unwrapped. Wrapping in butcher paper around 160°F speeds the cooking process. Unwrapped cooks slower but gives you a better crust.
For a 15 lb brisket, I recommend wrapping to power through the long stall period where temps plateau around 150-170°F. Just be sure to still cook based on feel and temperature after wrapping.
Resting for Optimal Juiciness
Never skip the resting step. Allow the brisket to rest tented in foil for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. This allows juices to be reabsorbed back into the meat fibers rather than spilling out onto the cutting board.
For a large 15 lb brisket, I recommend resting in a faux cambro (cooler) for up to 4 hours which makes the meat even more outrageously tender. Just be sure to retain warmth.
Putting It All Together
To recap, here are the keys to smoking a juicy, tender 15 lb brisket:
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Trim excess fat, leaving 1⁄4” fat cap
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Generously season and let rest overnight
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Smoke at 225-250°F for approx. 15-22 hours
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Wrap in butcher paper around 160°F internal temp
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Cook until 203°F internal and the probe slides in easily
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Rest tented in foil for at least 1-2 hours, preferably in a cooler
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Slice against the grain and enjoy Outstanding beefy flavor!
With the right technique, you can achieve competition-worthy brisket success in your own backyard smoker. Just stay patient through the lengthy cook time and always cook by feel over time estimates. Follow this guide and your 15 lb brisket will turn out perfectly juicy and tender every time.
How Long to Smoke a Brisket
I wish I could give you a precise time for smoking, but that’s kind of the fun of BBQ. It’s done when it is done.
I plan to smoke my 12 to 13-pound briskets for 8 hours at 225 degrees F during the first phase. The goal is to reach 165 degrees F. But your brisket will go through a stage where it cools down between 145 and 165 degrees F. This is because liquid evaporating from the brisket’s surface will do this while your grill tries to cook it. The time frame for this part of every brisket I’ve ever cooked is different. It’s called the “stall.” This is where a good internal thermometer comes in.
The second phase (once it’s wrapped in butcher paper), can take anywhere from 5-8 hours. If my brisket is done early, I can always put it in a cooler and let it rest for a while. That’s why I always plan two extra hours for each cook. If it is done late my husband gets hangry.
In the end, your brisket will be fully cooked after 12 to 18 hours, which includes the initial smoke to 165 degrees and the wrapped smoke to 202 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Smoke a Brisket
Brisket is easy to smoke; it just takes a lot of time. Here are the steps to get the best smoked brisket of your life:
- Select your brisket. I wrote a whole post about how to pick the best brisket in my Brisket 101 post. For starters, you should buy a whole packer brisket that has both the point and flat muscle. The grade of your meat is important; prime beef has more fat marbling. That means it has more flavor and juice than a choice graded brisket! Buy at least half a pound of brisket for each person you’re cooking for.
- Trim the brisket. Some Texans claim they don’t trim at all. At most of the top smokehouses, however, they do trim. For the end result to be good, this step is very important. Spend the 20-30 minutes you need to trim it properly. This post, How To Trim a Brisket, has pics and step-by-step instructions on how to trim your brisket. The video (below the recipe card) also has a sped-up version that will help you see how to trim a brisket.
- Season your brisket. Texas-style food only needs coarse salt and coarse black pepper to season it. The only thing I would change is that I would add garlic powder. If you don’t like garlic, you can leave it out. Not much changes in taste or quality of that delicious smoked beef; it just adds a little more goodness.
- Get Smoking! Use a nice hardwood in your smoker. I used oak as the main wood and cherry as an accent. No matter what kind of smoker you use, the goal is to have steady heat and a steady flow of thin blue smoke.
- Wrap the brisket. I think this is one of the most important steps to getting that super juicy, tender brisket with that killer dark caramelized bark. People have different thoughts on whether to use foil or peach butcher paper, but after years of using foil, I’ve switched to butcher paper for this recipe. The smoke flavor and bark on my briskets have never been better. To wrap the brisket like a present, fold the edges over each other until the whole thing is sealed. Put the brisket back in the smoker with the edges folded down. Keep smoking it at 225 degrees F until the thickest part of it reaches 202 degrees F on the inside (make sure the thermometer is in the meat and not the fat).
- Rest your smoked brisket. DO. NOT. SKIP. THIS. STEP. When you let your brisket rest, many of its hot, bubbly juices can settle down and get back to the meat. It also brings the temperature of your brisket down to just the right level for cutting and serving.
- Slice your brisket. I have a full post about slicing your brisket HERE. For the most tender smoked brisket, you should cut it across the grain. But keep in mind that there are two muscles that overlap and two different grain directions. You can cut the point and flat parts apart and then slice each one against the grain before serving, but that can leave pieces without bark on top. In traditional Texas joints, the brisket is cut down the middle, just touching the flat where the point meets it. The point is then turned 90 degrees and sliced that way, and the flat is finished being sliced the other way. There will be some pieces with uneven grain, but it won’t matter too much if the meat is soft enough.
- Serve your gorgeously smoked brisket. When you order at Texas joints, you can ask for fatty or lean brisket. The point is the fat, and the flat is the lean. I like to show my guests the different types of slices so they can choose their favorite. I like the fatty best, but I always grab a slice of the lean because it tastes so great with smoke! For a more traditional experience, serve on a platter with butcher paper, lots of pickles, white bread, pickled red onions, and pickled jalapenos. Sauce on the side. Always.
EASY smoked brisket recipe to nail it your first time
FAQ
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