Pellet Brisket

Pellet Smoker Brisket

Try this popular recipe for a low and slow brisket, seasoned central Texas style. Great for a weekday brisket craving or an easy, overnight weekend cook.

Gear

For this cook, we used a Traeger Ironwood XL set to 225 degrees with pecan pellets. Also, grab some unwaxed peach butcher paper, apple juice or apple cider vinegar to spritz, and an instant read thermometer for temperature control.

instructions

Step 1:

Remove brisket from the refrigerator and trim to your liking. Retain the trimmed pieces of fat to render in a foil pan while the brisket cooks.

Brisket being trimmed of excess fat and shaped

Step 2:

Slather brisket with a mustard binder and season liberally with Brisket Rub ensuring to coat all sides and fat cap. Allow the rub to adhere for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is better.

Brisket slathered with a mustard binder and seasoned with Sure Fire BBQ Brisket Rub

Step 3:

Place brisket fat side up (Texas style) on your pre-heated cooker and begin smoking until you reach an internal temperature of 170 - 175 degrees in the middle of the flat with a probe or instant read thermometer. This may take from 12 - 15 hours depending on the size of your brisket, set temperature, and particular smoker. The brisket in this cook took approximately 12 hours to reach 170 degrees. Feel and look is just as important as the temperature when it comes time to wrap. The goal is to have great color, texture, and consistency in the bark of the brisket.

Seasoned and rested brisket on pellet smoker

Step 4:

Once the internal temperature reaches the 170 - 175 mark, increase the temperature of your smoker to 250 - 275 degrees. Remove brisket from the grill and wrap tightly in butcher paper. Return to the cooker for another 2- 5 hours or until you reach the 203 degree mark in the middle of the flat by an instant read thermometer. This largely depends on the temperature you set after the wrap and the size of your brisket. We finished this brisket in 3 hours after wrapping.

Brisket being wrapped tightly in pink butcher paper

Step 5:

Once you reach an internal temperature of 203 degrees, remove the brisket from the cooker and rest for at least 2 hours or in a resting container until ready to serve, around the 140 - 150 degree mark. When ready, remove from butcher paper, pour any remaining tallow on top, and slice only the amount you plan to serve.