Ben’s Smoked Brisket

My brother’s recipe for the perfect smoked brisket comes out rich, tender and juicy, perfect for your next backyard party.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

We’ve had a smoker for about 3 years now. My sister-in-law bought it as a gift for my brother, and to this day she remains vehement that it’s one of the best purchases she’s made. Because there’s nothing quite as delicious as smoked meat. I’ve shared one smoker recipe before, for buffalo style smoked chicken wings, but today I want to share what is probably our go-to smoker recipe, and the one that my brother Ben by-far gets the most compliments on: his smoked brisket. When it comes down to it, this recipe is actually a simple one. There’s an easy to make spice rub, and after that the smoker does all the work. But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s all that easy. Smoking brisket takes a lot of time, dedication, and love. But I think it’s exactly that which makes this recipe so delicious.

Ben made this smoked brisket for our July 4th BBQ last week (and I made this French style potato salad to go with it). What’s nice about making this brisket for a crowd is that while you might put in a lot of work to make it, you’ll do all that work before anyone even arrives at the party. Brisket can take up to 18 hours to smoke, depending on its size (ours was 22 pounds). So you’ll most likely be starting it the day before, letting it smoke all night long, and having it ready to serve the next day. You’ll need to babysit it a bit while it smokes, refilling wood chips in the smoker every few hours and spraying it down with an apple cider vinegar mixture to keep it moist, but that babysitting is worth it for a brisket that’s incredibly tender, juicy, and so so delicious.

Smoking Brisket 101

What temperature and for how long do I need to smoke a brisket?

Ben smokes his brisket on a temperature of 225, and depending on the size of the brisket, for up to 18 hours. Different smokers work in different ways, but ours is electric so we are able to set it to a specific temperature. If you’re unable to do that with your smoker, just aim for 225; it doesn’t have to be exact. And different sized/shaped briskets will need to smoke for different amounts of time. Keep a probe thermometer inserted in the brisket; the brisket is done when it hits 195 F.

What kind of wood chips should I use?

That’s completely up to you. The size/style of the wood chips you use will depend on your specific smoker. Ours takes a smaller wood chip that sits in a small chamber, so we need to refill it every 2 hours or so. This is part of what makes smoking a brisket so much work. Depending on your style of smoker, you’ll need to refill the wood chips at least every few hours (you’ll probably have to wake up in the middle of the night to do so, but the result is completely worth it). As far as flavor of wood chips, Ben uses hickory, but use whatever wood you like. Something like apple wood will lend a sweetness, and mesquite an earthiness. See this article for more about wood chip flavors.

How long do I need to smoke the brisket?

This all depends on the size of your brisket. As I said, ours was a large one, around 22 ponuds, and took about 18 hours to cook. Smaller briskets will take less time (but probably no less than 10 hours). Just smoke, refilling the wood chips and spraying with a honey-apple cider vinegar-water solution, until an internal thermometer registers 195.

What do I do after the brisket is smoked?

This is actually an important part of smoking a brisket. Once your brisket registers a temp of 195, remove it from the smoker and immediately wrap in in tin foil. Then wrap this in a (crappy) towel or blanket, to keep all the heat inside. This will allow the juices of the brisket to redistribute, making for an ultra tender and juicy brisket.