If we list the best meat recipes for barbecue’s – smoked brisket would come on top for sure. And the fun fact is that you can make exactly the same mouthwatering tender and juicy beef flavors using any other backyard cookers through traditional charcoal BBQ. Find out everything (step-by-step) you need to know on how to smoke a brisket in an electric smoker through our complete guidelines.

You’ll find all the answers including how to prepare and cut the meat in the best way, wood chips ideas for better results, and how to set the smoker that gives better performance.

Compared to any other cut of meat – the way to a delicious smoked brisket is totally different. Moreover, this can put off thousands of BBQ fans. However, the very fine cut of the wonderful and delicious beef can frighten even the top-class smoking die-hards.

But don’t worry, there is a great solution that can help us enjoy smoked brisket effectively without compromising on that super delicious BBQ taste. We are actually talking about electric smokers that are easy to use and they create a great entry point opportunity for beginners.

So, in today’s guide, I’ll show you how to use an electric smoker to get the perfect cut of meat: BEEF BRISKET.

How To Prepare Beef Brisket

The most important thing while choosing your beef brisket is that it has a thick layer of fat on it. While the meat is cooking – the fat will slowly melt over the meat. It will also help in getting super delicious flavor as well as fine moisture to the meat.

Moreover, it is also necessary to know how to cut off the meat, you desired.

There are two main muscles – one is the ‘flat’, which contains a thick layer of fat on it and it’s a long and thin muscle that basically runs down the length of the meat. And the other one is the ‘point’, which is located at the one end of the meat and has a fine layer of fat between it and the flat.

For most the people, flat part is the most favorite part of the beef cut. Some people also love the intramuscular fat into the joint. So, you can choose what you prefer most. Otherwise, you can simply cook the whole meat as it is.

To get the wonderful flavors, complete your seasoning the night before cooking. If you allow the brisket to dry brine with seasoning overnight – then you’ll enjoy the best possible flavor and texture of the brisket. However, if you’ve not done your preparation the night before cooking – then try seasoning at least 2-4 hours before you start smoking.

Trim Your Brisket

Before you do any seasoning or marinating to your brisket – you must trim it first. Trimming your brisket is the most crucial thing in brisket preparation. The amount of fat you leave on the meat will determine how well your brisket will cook and even the taste.

You’ve to play smart while trimming your meat. If you leave lots of fat on the meat, your smoker will find it difficult to smoke it deeply. If you trim off too much fat, then there won’t be enough fat to moisten your brisket as well as provide the super delicious juicy BBQ taste.

A sharp, reliable knife is at the heart of any good meat preparation. For trimming the fat – you’ll need a knife that’s about 7 to 8 inches in length. We can’t say exactly how long and tough brisket is in its raw form – so, it would be great if we have a knife that is both sharp and long enough.

Use A Good Brisket Rub

Applying a good rub to your brisket is a must. This rub will complement the smokey flavors of your brisket. You’ll remember the beef brisket as a memory for its mouthwatering flavors.

The reason behind seasoning is to keep it general. There are some people who think too much at this stage – skip doing so. Our goal is to have the flavors of the meat come out properly without having trouble with the inch-layer of seasoning. The fun fact is that with black pepper and sea salt – it can still taste yummy!

However, there are lots of pre-made rubs available on the market, but my recommendation is to make it on your own. You can adjust the amount that fits your own taste. And it’s also exciting to put the ingredients together yourself.

Our goal to use the rub is to increase the meat flavor but not too much, so use the rub on the meat gently. Use red pepper flakes or paprika and garlic powder.

If you’ve already prepared a marinade to inject the brisket with it – then go ahead. Though it’s not an essential step, you can apply it if you prefer.

Preheat Your Electric Smoker

I would appreciate your experimenting on woods that match well with your meat. If you ask for my recommendation – then I would say, hickory, oak, or mesquite would be great smoking wood for any meat. But feel free to explore what suit your taste the best.

Whatever wood chips you go with – make sure one thing that it’s dry hardwood. Because dry wood will ensure that you get clean smoke. Black smoke will add a really bitter taste to your meat and it’s so disturbing to be around.

Preheat your smoker once you loaded the wood chips into the smoker and wait till it reaches the temperature at 225°F or 110°C. It’s really important to preheat the smoker with the ideal temperature so that you don’t have to deal with any hot spots on uncooked areas. However, you will also get the best juicy, tender, and evenly cooked tasty beef brisket, HURRAH!

How To Cook Beef Brisket In Smoker

Make sure the brisket is at room temperature before you start cooking. So, you need to take the brisket out of the refrigerator for at least one hour earlier for cooking.

Now put the meat on the preheated smoker and make sure you put its fat side up. The trick is when fat starts to melt, it will flow all over the meat automatically. And this is how you will get the juicy, fatty flavor in your beef brisket.

Now one more thing you’ve to make sure to get the effectively drying beef brisket that if the heat source is too far from the meat. I mean, if your main heat source is coming from the lower down of your smoker – then you need to move the rack to the lower down.

The pointed end of the brisket has the fattest part – so, place that part towards the heat source of your smoker. This will ensure that your brisket isn’t drying out too much.

Now you need to use a digital thermometer and place one probe in the brisket and one in the smoker chamber. The drip pan is really important to help capture run-off as well as reduce flare-ups. So, make sure that you’ve placed the drip pan accordingly.

And don’t forget to keep the water pan in the smoker filled with water. It plays a very important role to keep the moisture in the smoker, reduce the chances of fire because of dry out and also keep clean smoke in the smoker.

As everything is set accordingly, close the door or lid tightly so that no smoke and heat can come out. Don’t open the smoker while cooking because it will decrease the temperature and as a result, this will disturb the cooking process. And as you’ve set the thermometer, you won’t need to open the door multiple times to check the brisket.

Though it depends on the amount of meat on your cut that how long it will take to cook properly. But you can leave your smoker safely for three hours anyway and in the meanwhile, your smoker will do its magic. After spending the time, take some water in a spray bottle and open the door of your smoker. Now spay on the beef brisket gently.

Spraying on your brisket will help to create a tasty, good-looking crust on the meat and keep the meat moist as well. Now keep spraying in every 30 minutes and wait until the temperature reaches 190°F or 90°C. Once the meat reaches the temperature – your brisket is ready to remove from the smoker.

Though everyone wants to eat the super delicious brisket up immediately – but you need to keep it for 10 minutes at least so that the juices can settle on the meat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should You Dry Rub Brisket Overnight?

Ans: It would be really great if you finish the seasoning of your brisket before the night you start cooking. This will increase the flavors, mouthwatering taste, and juiciest meat ever.

What is the right internal temperature for smoking brisket?

Ans: For the juiciest smoked brisket, the ideal internal temperature is 190°F/90°C.

However, be careful of the stall. This doesn’t happen all the time you smoke meat, but sometimes it happens. When it happens, the heat evaporates moisture from your meat and it can also reduce the temperature of your meat.

To overcome the situation, use aluminum foil to wrap the brisket when it reaches the temperature of 165°F/75°C. This will lock in the heat and help the brisket to meet the 190° temperature.

How Long Does Brisket Take To Be Smoked?

Ans: It’s the best practice that the meat would come to 190°F/90°C, though there is an established rule which is “an hour forever pound”. This basically means that if your beef brisket is 5lb, then your meat will take 5 hours to cook properly. As this measurement can vary – always play smart with the internal temperature.

How To Cut Smoked Brisket?

Ans: We discussed earlier that our brisket has two main parts, right? The flat and the point
As both the parts are different – you will need to approach them differently.

Now take a serrated knife, with a quarter-inch thickness of the meat – cut against the grain of the flat. And you’ve to turn the brisket around when you get to the point – and cut against the grain of the point. Be careful while cutting the brisket – so that any of the barks don’t get cut.