Go Back
Smoked Texas Beef Brisket - Chopped Brisket Sliders

Smoked Texas Beef Brisket

Here is our version of Smoked Texas Beef Brisket along with some smoking tips and tricks for a juicy, tender and smoky brisket every time!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 11 hours
Total Time 11 hours 30 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine BBQ, Southern
Servings 20 servings
Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 10-lb beef brisket, trimmed (see note about weights and cook time below)

Mark's Brisket Rub

  • ½ cup sweet paprika
  • ¼ cup hot paprika
  • ¼ cup black pepper
  • ⅓ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Basic Brisket Rub

Basting (mopping) mixture

  • 1 beer of your choice
  • ½ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup corn oil (or any veg oil)
  • 1 small onion – chopped finely
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of the rub (above, if you use the first one)

Instructions
 

  • Coat the meat thoroughly with the rub for as much time as possible (overnight is perfect) and refrigerate. Remove to room temp for at least an hour before smoking.
  • Prepare smoker – getting heat in smoking chamber to 225°F. Smoke at 215-225°F uncovered fatty side up (so it bastes itself in its own fat) on the coolest part of the smoker.
  • Heat up your mopping liquid in a saucepan and get something to baste/mop the brisket with. It just needs to be warm, no need to boil or even keep at a simmer.
  • Let the brisket smoke for an hour, then baste. Baste every hour. (see note about total cook time below). We cook a 10-lb brisket for 11-12 hours total (8-9 hrs uncovered basting every hour, and the final 3 hours wrapped in butcher paper and foil.
  • No matter how large your brisket is, calculate the last 30% of cooking time for the meat to be wrapped in butcher paper and then foil, or plastic wrap then foil, or even just foil if that’s all you have. This will prevent a dry brisket. When you wrap the brisket, make sure it gets one gentle mop right before removing from the grate to wrap. Wrapping also ensures a tender brisket in the end.
  • When it’s done, make sure it rests for at least 30 minutes. Unwrap, and slice across the grain, or chop for chopped brisket sandwiches

Notes

Total cook time is 60-75 minutes per pound. A 10-lb brisket will cook for a total of around 11-12 hours total.
If your brisket is super fatty (marbling) and you didn’t trim any fat from the top, you could go without wrapping at all. Many people do this, but a lean brisket will dry out significantly and probably suck. So, a 10 lb brisket will cook it’s last 3 hours or so wrapped.

Nutrition

Serving: 134gCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 49gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 4929mgPotassium: 973mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1700IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
QR Code linking back to recipe