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The bold, juicy flavor of smoked brisket is hard to beat and this Traeger smoked brisket recipe delivers perfect results every time. With low-and-slow cooking, simple seasoning, and the right technique, you’ll end up with tender beef, a beautiful bark, and incredible flavor.
Serve this brisket with classic BBQ sides like macaroni salad or sweet cornbread, and you’ll have a meal that feels straight out of your favorite smokehouse.
This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
What Makes This Smoked Brisket Recipe Work
- Low-and-slow Traeger smoking for even cooking
- Proper trimming for better bark and tenderness
- Wrapping at the right temperature to push through the stall
- Resting long enough to lock in juices
Smoked Brisket on a Traeger
No other protein delivers quite like beef. It’s rich, flavorful, and endlessly versatile making it perfect for everything from quick weeknight dinners to special-occasion meals. When you start with a high-quality cut of beef, the possibilities are endless: seared, grilled, roasted, or slow-cooked into something truly unforgettable.
That’s where a wood pellet smoker really shines. Smoking takes an already incredible cut of beef and transforms it into something extraordinary. Brisket is a large, premium cut, so getting it right matters. A Traeger smoker makes the process approachable and consistent, allowing you to cook low and slow until the meat is unbelievably tender and packed with bold, beefy flavor.
What is a Brisket?
Brisket is a cut of beef from the breast or lower chest of the cow. Most briskets are sold as a whole packer brisket, meaning they include both the flat and the point. Because this muscle works hard, brisket is naturally tough, but that’s exactly what makes it ideal for smoking. With time, steady heat, and the right technique, it breaks down into juicy, tender perfection.
A brisket has both a lean side and a fatty side, and each plays an important role. The lean flat has a tighter grain and takes a little extra care to become tender, while the fattier point adds richness and moisture. When that lean side turns melt-in-your-mouth tender, you know you’ve truly mastered smoked brisket, and we’re here to help you get there.
What are the Best Cuts of Beef for Smoking?
The best cuts for smoking are generally the tougher, larger cuts of beef because a longer, more gentle cook time and temperature melts the fat and tenderizes the beef. Smoking a cut of beef gives it so much flavor. These cuts include:
- Brisket
- Ribeye Roast
- Back Ribs
- Country Style Ribs
- Tender cuts (like a Tri-Tip Roast, Tenderloin Roast or even Individual steaks) can be smoked for flavor
How to Smoke a Brisket
Smoking a brisket takes time, but the process itself is simple when broken into clear steps.
Step 1: Select Your Brisket
When shopping for brisket, a few simple details make a big difference. Start by checking the beef grade: Prime, Choice, or Select. Prime brisket offers the most marbling and the best overall flavor and tenderness, but it comes with a higher price tag. If Prime isn’t in the budget, Choice is an excellent option and still delivers great results when smoked properly.
Next, pick up the brisket and look for good flexibility. It should bend easily, which is a sign the fat will render well during cooking. Avoid briskets with thick, hard pockets of fat in the center. You’ll also want a brisket with a fairly even flat so it cooks more uniformly. Finally, choose an untrimmed brisket so you can control the trimming yourself for the best possible smoke.
Step 2: Prep Your Brisket
Place the brisket on a large cutting board fat side down and trim away any silver skin or excess fat from the flat. Proper trimming is essential as it helps the brisket cook evenly and allows the beef flavor to fully develop. Square off any uneven edges for more consistent cooking, then flip the brisket over and trim the fat cap to about ¼ inch thick. This amount of fat protects the meat as it smokes while still allowing the rub and smoke to penetrate and form that flavorful bark.
In a small bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients, then generously rub the seasoning over all sides of the brisket, pressing it into the meat so it adheres well.
Step 3: Smoke Your Brisket
Preheat the Traeger to 225°F and place the brisket directly on the grill grates using your favorite wood chips (see section below for a list of the different types of wood chips). Smoke unwrapped with the pointed end facing the main heat source. It doesn’t matter if you place it fat side down or fat side up. Smoke it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 8-9 hours. Around this time, the brisket will hit the stall.
What Is the Brisket Stall?
The stall happens when moisture evaporating from the brisket slows the rise in internal temperature, usually around 150–170°F. Wrapping the brisket helps push through the stall and keeps the meat juicy.
Step 4: Wrap Your Brisket
Roll out a large sheet of peach butcher paper. Carefully remove the brisket from the smoker and place it on the paper, then lightly spray it with apple cider or apple juice to add moisture. Wrap the brisket tightly in the butcher paper and return it to the smoker seam side down to keep the wrap secure.
Continue smoking at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches 195–202°F in the thickest part of the brisket. This final stage typically takes 3–4 hours, bringing the total cook time to about 12 hours. At this point, the direction of the pointed end no longer matters.
Step 5: Let Your Brisket Rest
Once you have reached that magical number of 202°F — the temperature for fall-apart brisket — pull the smoked beef brisket out of the Traeger and let it rest for at least 1-2 hours. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP! It is critical to having the most tender and juiciest Traeger brisket. We like to place ours in an empty cooler so it is well insulated while it rests.
Step 6: Slice Your Brisket
When the smoked brisket has rested, slice it. See the sections below for slicing properly. Serve it up with all your favorite BBQ sides!
How to Slice Smoked Brisket
There are two different muscles layered in a brisket so slicing can be tricky. Always slice the flat and the point separately, as the grain runs in different directions. Slice against the grain with a sharp knife and then before coming to the point, completely cut that end off and turn it to slice against that opposite grain. Some pieces will not look as nice but it will be more tender.
Why Slice Against the Grain?
Yes, the direction you cut meat matters. Slicing against the grain breaks down the muscle fibers to give you a tender slice of beef. If you don’t slice against the grain you’ll have a less tender result.
What to Serve with Brisket
Now you have your perfectly juicy pellet grill brisket ready to devour, but what should you eat with it? We love to eat it with all the classic BBQ sides, such as:
And what would a BBQ feast be without a phenomenal dessert to top it off? We like to go with our razzleberry pie or the always classic apple crisp. Both should be eaten a la mode, of course!
What Type of Wood Should I Use for Smoking?
The type of wood you choose really depends on what type of flavor you want in your end product. Here are the basics for the type of flavor each type of wood provides:
- Hickory – Provides a sweet, savory and hearty flavor to the beef. One of the more popular woods due to its strong flavor.
- Mesquite — Will give a very smoky flavor and is great for cooking smaller cuts during a shorter period of time.
- Oak — One of the more common woods used for smoking. Has a subtle flavor that is great for cooking larger cuts as it won’t be too overpowering
- Apple — Will provide a sweeter taste and mild fruitiness. Great for mixing in with another wood type or by itself.
- Pecan – Provides a rich, sweet, nutty flavor to the beef. Great as a mix in since it can tend to be sweeter.
- Cherry – Offers a hint of fruitiness to the beef and is great used by itself or mixed with another wood.
- Maple – Will give the meat a sweet, light and mild smokiness flavor. Great for mixing with other wood or by itself.
Smoked Brisket FAQs
What is a Smoke Ring?
When you cut into your beef, there may be a pink ring just under the outer crust (or bark). This ring is called the smoke ring that forms during the smoking process. The smoke ring is good however it is not an indicator of good flavor or juiciness.
What is a Mop Sauce?
It can also be helpful to have what is called a “mop sauce.” A mop sauce is a thick liquid sauce, typically apple cider vinegar or tomato juice based, that is sprayed or mopped onto the beef during cooking. This will help keep the beef moist during the smoking process.
We like to save all our sauce action for after the brisket is ready to eat, but experiment with what you like best. When we are ready to dig in, we like to have our classic BBQ sauce on hand as well as our mustard BBQ sauce.
Can You Smoke Brisket In The Oven?
Yes! You won’t get the same smoky flavor and that beautiful smoke ring, but your brisket will still be delicious. It will just be different.
Going low and slow like we do in the smoker will dry the meat out in the oven, so it needs to be cooked a little faster and at a little higher temperature. Follow all the instructions for smoking the brisket but wrap it first and place it in the oven that has been preheated to 300 degrees F. Cook it for 6 hours covered and then uncover it and cook for another 2-3 hours.
You will know it is done when it holds a temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest section of the meat for at least an hour and it has a crust bark on the outside.
How to Tell If Smoked Brisket is Done
You will know that the Traeger brisket is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 202 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Long Will Smoked Brisket Last?
If you store smoked brisket properly, it will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. It needs to be in an airtight container. Use leftover brisket in our fabulous brisket chili or on top of brisket nachos!
If you want it to last even longer, store it in the freezer. Place the smoked brisket in an airtight container and then cover it in heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or a heavy duty freezer bag. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How Long Can Smoked Brisket Sit Out?
Any smoked meat that has sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours should be discarded. If you can keep it at a temperature above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, then it is considered safe to eat for a maximum of 4 hours.
Unlock the secrets to the perfect smoked beef brisket with this mouth-watering recipe. From selecting the right cut of meat to mastering the smoking technique, this guide has everything you need to create a succulent and flavorful brisket.
More Traeger Recipes:
- Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast Recipe
- Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe
- How to Smoke a Tri Tip
- Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork
- Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings
- Traeger Ribs
- Glazed Smoked Chicken Wings
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- ALL OF OUR SMOKER RECIPES!
- ▢ 12 Pound Brisket
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt, coarse
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper, fresh cracked
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
- ▢ 1/3 Cup Apple Cider, or Apple Juice
Remove any silver skin or excess fat from the flat end of the muscle. Trim down the large portion of fat that looks like a crescent shape. Trim any excessive or loose meat and fat from the point of the meat. See notes.
12 Pound Brisket
Square the edges so the meat cooks more evenly. Flip the brisket over and trim the top fat cap to about 1/4" thickness. In a mixing bowl, mix the rub. Spread over the brisket.
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt, 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper, 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
Preheat your smoker to 225℉ using super smoke and your favorite chips. Place the brisket on the smoker with the pointed end facing your main heat source. Close the lid and smoke until 165℉, about 8-9 hours.
On a large work surface, roll out a big piece of peach butcher paper and center your brisket in the middle. Spray with apple juice. Wrap the brisket. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker, seam side down so the weight from the brisket crimps the edges of the paper wrap down tight.
1/3 Cup Apple Cider
Close the lid on the smoker and, maintaining 225℉, until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 202℉ in the thickest part of the meat (takes anywhere from 3-4 hours).
Remove the brisket to a large cooler and allow to rest for 2 hours before slicing. This is absolutely necessary and cannot be skipped in brisket smoking.
- Brisket fat does not melt down and make the meat juicy like pork does. Instead the fat sits and is awkward so it’s best to trim that fat away.
Left overs can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Serving: 6ounces, Calories: 548kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 71g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 211mg, Sodium: 1147mg, Potassium: 1159mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 290IU, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About The Author
Carrian Cheney
Carrian Cheney is the creative force behind ‘Oh, Sweet Basil,’ a food blog she co-authors with her husband, Cade. She creates fresh, family-friendly recipes that encourage togetherness in the kitchen.
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