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–+ servings
Sliced smoked brisket with a charred, seasoned crust is arranged on brown butcher paper. The meat appears juicy with visible smoke ring and texture. Uncut pieces of brisket are visible in the background.
Texas-style smoked brisket with a simple salt and pepper rub, dry brined overnight, wrapped in butcher paper, and rested until perfect. The real deal.

Smoked Brisket (Texas-Style)

Equipment

  • Smoker I use a Recteq pellet smoker
  • butchers paper
  • disposable aluminum pan filled 3/4 of the way with water (used during the cook)

Ingredients 

  • 1 whole packer brisket 15-20lbs
  • ¼ cup mayo
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • ½ cup coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare and trim the brisket. Follow my guide on how to trim a brisket for smoking if you need help learning how to do it.
  2. Now we are going to dry brine the brisket. With the flat facing up, season the meat generously with kosher salt. Set the brisket on a sheet pan and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You can skip this step if you're on a time crunch but dry brining is the secret to the most moist brisket you will ever eat.
  3. The next day, remove the brisket from the refrigerator.
  4. Set your smoker to 225℉. Add a water pan in the smoker (and keep it filled while cooking) to increase moisture in the chamber.
  5. In a large plastic tub, place the trimmed brisket and apply the mayo binder evenly all over. I like to use a large plastic tub because it keeps the work area clean. You can use a cutting board if that's what you have.
    ¼ cup mayo
    A large piece of raw meat, ready to smoke, is coated with a layer of white spread—possibly butter or margarine—and sits in a gray rectangular roasting pan, perfect for those following a step-by-step guide to trim a brisket.
  6. In a shaker bottle or jar, combine salt and black pepper. Shake to mix.
    ¼ cup kosher salt, ½ cup coarse ground black pepper
  7. Sprinkle evenly on all sides. I prefer to go a bit heavy on the seasoning since its a large piece of meat.
    A hand sprinkles a mixture of salt and pepper from a plastic container onto a large, raw piece of meat coated in a creamy substance in a baking dish—an essential step in any brisket guide before you smoke or trim brisket.
  8. If you're using a pellet smoker with the heat source at the bottom, place the brisket fat-side down directly on the grates with the point end closest to the heat source (flat furthest away from the heat source).
    If youre using an offset smoker, place the brisket fat-side up directly on the grates. Face the point toward the heat source.
  9. Insert a meat probe thermometer in the thickest part of the flat.
  10. Close the smoker and smoke until the internal temp reaches about 165-170 degrees, about six hours. This is about when the temperature will stall for several hours.
  11. Remove the meat probe from the brisket and wrap it in peach butcher paper. Place it back on the smoker and cook until internal temp in the flat is between 203-205.
  12. Remove it from the smoker. Do not unwrap it. Wrap it in several kitchen towels. place it in the empty ice chest and close the lid. Let the brisket rest at least 6 hours, up to 12 hours.
  13. Before serving, reheat in your oven until internal temperature is 145 degrees.
  14. To serve, slice against the grain. To learn how to slice a brisket, follow my guide on how to slice a brisket.
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