Traeger Smoked Brisket Recipe
Are you looking for an easy Traeger smoked brisket recipe? Then you’re going to love my Traeger brisket recipe that delivers a moist and tender brisket time after time!
There is nothing more satisfying than bringing a Traeger smoked brisket out in front of a group of friends, the mystery of the meat all wrapped up, the smell of the spice and brisket increasing their curiosity.
Then, when you unwrap the brisket and see the beautiful color and texture, you begin slicing it against the grain to expose a perfectly succulent and moist brisket with those trademark smoke rings around the edges.
Honestly, the look on their faces, the excitement to dig in, it really adds to the theatre of serving the brisket and gives you bragging rights for the rest of the night as everyone asks how to perfect it.
The best part, this recipe is so simple, and it delivers time after time, it is ironclad. Just like my Traeger pork butt recipe, it is a must have for all Traeger owners.
For this cook, I have used my Trager Ironwood 885.
What Is Smoked Brisket?
Smoked brisket is a cut of beef from the breast or lower chest of the cow. It is typically seasoned with a dry rub or marinade and then slow-smoked over wood for several hours until it becomes tender and flavorful.
It is often served as a main dish in barbecue restaurants, and is also a popular ingredient in sandwiches and other dishes.
Due to the marbling and toughness of the meat, it is usually a cheaper cut of meat, but when cooked right packs more flavor than most other cuts.
Why Make Traeger Smoked Brisket?
Traeger brisket is a popular method of cooking brisket because it uses wood-pellet grills, which allow for precise temperature control and infuse the brisket with a unique smoky flavor.
The Traeger grill also allows for an even cooking of the brisket, which helps to ensure that it is cooked through and tender.
The advantage of using a Traeger grill for cooking brisket is that the Traeger grill can maintain a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process, which helps to prevent the brisket from drying out or becoming overcooked. This makes Traeger Smoked brisket a very delicious and flavorful dish.
How To Trim A Brisket For Smoking On A Pellet Grill
These days most briskets that you buy from the shops or butcher will already be trimmed and ready for use.
When selecting an already trimmed brisket look for one with good marbling throughout the meat and about a quarter an inch of fat on top of the brisket.
If the brisket hasn’t been prepped for cooking, follow these simple steps:
- Remove the deckle: The deckle is the thick, fatty layer that sits on top of the brisket. Use a sharp knife to trim this away, leaving a smooth surface.
- Remove the thick fat cap: Use a sharp knife to trim away any thick, hard fat that sits on top of the brisket. Leave a thin layer of fat (about 1/4 inch) to help keep the meat moist during cooking.
- Square up the brisket: Use a sharp knife to even out the edges of the brisket and create a flat surface for even cooking.
- Remove any silver skin: Use a sharp knife to remove any silver skin, which is a thin, tough layer of connective tissue that can make the brisket tough to eat.
What Rubs Or Seasoning Should I Use On Traeger Beef Brisket?
There are many different rubs and seasonings that can be used on a brisket when smoking it on a Traeger grill. Some popular options include:
- Smoked beef rub: A mixture of spices such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Texas-style rub: A blend of spices such as salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and chili powder, which gives the brisket a bold, spicy flavor.
- Coffee dry rub: My coffee dry rub recipe is a bold blend of aromatic coffee, rich spices, and sweet brown sugar, guaranteed to take your culinary creations to the next level.
- Mustard rub: A mixture of dry mustard, brown sugar, and spices such as paprika and cumin, which gives the brisket a tangy, sweet flavor.
- Cajun rub: A blend of spices such as cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano, which gives the brisket a spicy, Creole flavor.
- Montreal steak seasoning: A blend of spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and coriander, which gives the brisket a savory, hearty flavor.
Ultimately, the rub or seasoning you choose will depend on your personal taste preferences. Feel free to experiment with different combinations of spices to find the perfect flavor for your brisket.
Personally I like to use my dry beef brisket rub recipe as this combination adds a little punch to a traditional barbeque rub.
How To Serve Traeger Brisket
Smoked brisket can be served in a variety of ways, depending on your personal preference and the occasion. Some popular options include:
- As a main dish: Slice the brisket against the grain and serve it as a main dish alongside sides such as coleslaw, baked beans, and potatoes.
- In sandwiches: Slice the brisket thin and serve it on buns with toppings such as barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and pickles.
- As a topping for salads: Chop the brisket into bite-sized pieces and use it as a topping for salads, such as Caesar or green salads.
- As a pizza topping: Chop the brisket into bite-sized pieces and use it as a topping for pizza, along with cheese, tomato sauce, and other toppings of your choice.
- As a topping for nachos: Chop the brisket into bite-sized pieces and use it as a topping for nachos, along with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
- As a filling for tacos or burritos: Chop the brisket into bite-sized pieces and use it as a filling for tacos or burritos, along with toppings such as cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
- As a topping for mac and cheese: Chop the brisket into bite-sized pieces and use it as a topping for mac and cheese, along with cheese, sour cream and other toppings of your choice.
- As the meat in a chili con carne: Once smoked add the brisket to a chili con carne recipe by pulling apart with two forks, combine while on the stove and serve with rice or tortilla wraps. Check out my Beef brisket chili con carne recipe for more details.
Whatever way you serve it, be sure to slice the brisket against the grain to ensure that it stays tender and doesn’t become stringy.
My favorite way to reuse brisket is in sandwiches the following day or a chili con carne the next night, the smoke, the meat, the kick, the fulfilment – honestly it is like you have gone the extra mile to make this a success.
Ingredients For Traeger Brisket Recipe
- Beef brisket, fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch
- Dry beef brisket rub
How To Make Smoked Brisket On Traeger Grill
Trim The Brisket
Make sure the brisket is prepped as per the trimming instructions above.
Season The Brisket
Liberally with the spice mixture ensuring that it is well covered. Rest in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Pre-Heat Your Traeger Grill
When ready to cook, rest the brisket until it is at room temperature. Ignite the Traeger and Preheat to 225°F with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For best results use the Super Smoke function if available.
Place Your Brisket onto The Grill
Once the Traeger has reached 225°F place the brisket, fat-side down, directly on the grill grates towards the middle of the smoker. Insert the temperature probe into the thickest part of the brisket ensuring to avoid any fatty areas and have it in the meat. Close the lid and smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 4 hours.
Wrap Your Brisket
Once the brisket has reached 160°F remove the brisket from the grill and wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil (or butcher’s paper). Ensure the brisket is well wrapped. Increase the Traeger temperature to 275°F (this will turn off super smoke as it is not required when the meat is wrapped).
Return The Wrapped Brisket To The Grill
Return the wrapped brisket to the grill and re-insert the temperature probe in the middle of the brisket once more. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 203°F, this usually takes another 4 hours.
Pro Tip: This is a good time to check on the pellets and ensure there is enough to get through ~4-5 hours (about 50% at this temperature cook).
Rest The Smoked Brisket
Remove the brisket from the grill, leave it wrapped and let rest for 1 hour. As tempting as it is do not take a sneak peak, let the brisket rest – trust me it will be worth it.
Pro Tip: To keep the smoked brisket warm until you’re ready to serve, you can store it in a cooler or a turned off oven. To do this, wrap the brisket (while it’s still in the foil or butcher’s paper) in a large towel and place it in an empty cooler. Close the lid to maintain the temperature of the brisket until you’re ready to serve.
Carve And Serve
Unwrap the brisket and slice it against the grain into ~1/4 inch thick slices. Enjoy, this will be the best brisket you have ever tried!
FAQs On Smoking A Brisket On A Pellet Smoker
The time it takes to smoke a brisket in a Traeger grill can vary depending on the size of the brisket. A general rule of thumb is to smoke the brisket at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour per pound.
However in my recipe, I increase the temperature to 275°F to remove the super smoke for the last half of the cook, which also reduces the cook time and so a 12-pound brisket takes approximately 8 hours to smoke following my recipe.
It’s also recommended to wrap the brisket in foil and let it rest for at least 1 hour before slicing to ensure maximum tenderness.
Yes, you can smoke a brisket overnight on a Traeger grill. However, it’s important to remember that smoking a brisket overnight can be a bit tricky as there is a risk of over-smoking the brisket if not monitored properly. You’ll have to be extra careful with the temperature of the grill and keep an eye on the brisket regularly to ensure that it doesn’t get over-smoked.
You’ll also need to wrap the brisket after 4 hours of super smoke, so if you plan to smoke your brisket overnight, you will need to take this into consideration.
Yes, 24 hours is generally considered too long to smoke a brisket. The recommended cooking time for a brisket is typically around 1 hour per pound at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. However, following my brisket recipe a 12lbs brisket will be fully cooked and tender within approximately 8 hours of smoking. Smoking a brisket for 24 hours can result in an over-smoked flavor and an excessively dry texture, and in my opinion is just not needed.
It’s important to remember that smoking a brisket is a low and slow process and the meat should reach an internal temperature of at least 200°F for it to be considered fully cooked. A good way to check if your brisket is ready is by using a meat thermometer.
It’s also recommended to wrap the brisket in foil and let it rest for at least 1 hour before slicing to ensure maximum tenderness.
Yes, it is possible to overcook a brisket on a Traeger grill. Overcooking a brisket can result in dry, tough meat that lacks flavor. The key to a tender, juicy brisket is to cook it at a low temperature for a long period of time until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 200°F, which typically takes around 1 hour per pound at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
To avoid overcooking a brisket on a Traeger, it’s important to monitor the internal temperature of the meat using a meat thermometer and to wrap the brisket in foil once it reaches the desired internal temperature to prevent it from drying out. It’s also important to let the brisket rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute and retain the moisture.
Lastly, it’s also important to consider the size and thickness of the brisket, as well as the desired level of doneness, as these factors can affect the cooking time.
Yes, I highly recommended to put a rub on a brisket overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat and create a more flavorful and well-seasoned brisket.
The best way to apply a rub to a brisket is to mix your desired seasonings together in a bowl, then generously coat the brisket with the rub on all sides. Then, wrap the brisket with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate it overnight. This allows the rub to penetrate the meat and infuse it with flavor while also helping to tenderize the brisket.
Popular Smoker Recipes
Traeger Smoked Orange Chicken – This Traeger whole chicken with orange recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors with it’s zesty orange citrus kick!
Smoked Herbed Chicken – You are going to love this smoked herb chicken! It is has the vibes of a traditional roast chicken, with the smokey flavor we all crave! Crispy golden skin, moist and tender meat, infused with an incredible earthy, herbed flavor. It is straight up delicious!
Smoked Coffee Rubbed Chicken Recipe – This recipe combines the rich, smoky flavor of smoked chicken with the unique taste of coffee.
Smoked Lemon Chicken – The perfect fusion of smoky flavors, along with a delightful lemon kick, makes it an ideal choice for any occasion, from weekend lunches to special celebrations.
Or if you’re looking for a great beef recipe, I highly recommend checking out my Smoked Lemon Pepper Chicken!
Traeger Smoked Brisket
Equipment
- 1 Smoker/BBQ Thermometer
- 1 Heat resistant silicone gloves
- 1 Butcher's paper or aluminum foil
- 1 Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 12 lbs Beef Brisket Fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch
- 1 cup Smoked beef rub This is my own easy to make dry beef brisket rub recipe however you can substitute it for your preferred beef rub.
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off the brisket. Leave a thin layer of fat (about 1/4 inch) to help keep the meat moist during cooking and enhance the flavor of the brisket.
- Season the brisket liberally with Beef Rub seasoning (my personal favorite), or a seasoning of your choice, ensuring that it is well covered. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
- When ready to cook, rest the brisket until it is at room temperature. Ignite the Traeger and Preheat to 225°F with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For best results use the Super Smoke function if available.
- Once the Traeger has reached 225°F, place the brisket, fat-side down, directly on the grill grates towards the middle of the smoker. Insert the temperature probe into the thickest part of the brisket ensuring to avoid any fatty areas and have it in the meat. Close the lid and smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 160°F,about 4 hours.
- Once the brisket has reached 160°F remove the brisket from the grill and wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil (or butcher’s paper). Ensure the brisket is well wrapped. Increase the Traeger temperature to 275°F (this will turn off super smoke as it is not required when the meat is wrapped).
- Return the wrapped brisket to the grill and re-insert the temperature probe in the middle of the brisket once more. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 203°F, this usually takes another 4 hours.
- Remove the brisket from the grill, leave it wrapped and let rest for at least 1 hour. Attempting as it is do not take a sneak peak, let the brisket rest – trust me it will be worth it.
- Unwrap the brisket and slice it against the grain into ~1/4 inch thick slices. Enjoy, this will be the best brisket you have ever tried!