Learn how to smoke a Traeger Brisket like a boss with this detailed and easy-to-follow Smoked Traeger Brisket recipe. The smoked brisket comes out tender, juicy, and so flavorful! Be sure to serve the brisket with my delicious Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese.
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This smoked Traeger brisket just melts in your mouth. Yes, it takes a long time to smoke, but the wait is so worth it! So throw away all those other brisket recipes because this recipe is a keeper!
If brisket is out of your budget, you may also want to try this smoked beef roast recipe. It comes out like brisket, but is so much cheaper and perfect for a small family. If you want to speed up the process or make a brisket for yourself or for a small family, try my delicious smoked corned beef brisket recipe instead!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef Brisket: This brisket recipe calls for a 15-20 pound whole-packer brisket. If you use a smaller brisket, the cooking times will need to be adjusted.
- Rub: I like to use my favorite pork rub when making this Traeger Brisket recipe. It has brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. However, my Santa Maria Rub is a close second. Feel free to use your favorite rub instead.
- Apple Juice: Apple juice is used to spritz the brisket while it's being smoked. It can also be brushed on the brisket before seasoning it. Some people like to inject some apple juice into the meat before smoking the brisket. I'll leave that up to you.
- Mop Sauce: I like to make a sauce with an equal amount of red-wine vinegar and olive oil, mixed with a few cloves of crushed garlic. I brush this sauce liberally over the brisket before seasoning it. You can substitute apple cider vinegar or chive blossom vinegar.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make a Traeger Smoked Brisket
Step 1| Trim Fat
Trim excess fat off the brisket. Be sure to leave a good portion of fat on the meat, as the fat will render down and give you optimal flavor. It will also keep the brisket from drying out.
Pro Tip: Whatever you do, don't toss the fat; learn how to make beef tallow with it!
Step 2 | Separate Point from Flat
To make burnt ends, separate the point from the flat. The point is the thicker, fattier end, and the flat is the long, leaner part. Find the layer of fat between the two and slide your knife along it until the point comes off. Otherwise, leave the brisket intact. Combine vinegar, olive oil, and crushed garlic in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the meat with it.
Step 3 | Season the Brisket
Season the meat with Santa Maria Dry Rub Seasoning, Pork Rub seasoning (my personal favorite), or use your seasoning of choice. Wrap the meat and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably longer.
Step 4 | Bring Brisket to Room Temperature
Bring the brisket to room temperature for a few hours before you plan on smoking it. Before going to bed, fill your smoker with your favorite pellets and fire up the Traeger to 200°F. If you have a super-smoke setting, use it!
*We usually start marinating the meat in the morning and put it on the grill at midnight.
Step 5 | Smoke Brisket
When the smoker is ready, place the brisket on the grill fat-side down and spray the brisket generously with apple juice. Insert the probe a few inches into the thickest part of the meat and set the probe temperature to 160°F.
Optional: If you want to stay up all night to babysit your brisket, start spraying the brisket with apple juice every hour until the probe temperature reaches 160°F.
Step 6 | Wrap Brisket In Butcher Paper or Aluminum Foil
Once the smoked Traeger brisket's internal temp reaches 160°F (which should be in the morning), spray that brisket with apple juice one last time, then wrap it in butcher paper or foil. Place the brisket back on the grill, this time fat-side up.
Why wrap at 160°F? That's about when a brisket hits "the stall." The temperature stops climbing, sometimes for hours, because moisture evaporating off the meat cools it down. Wrapping it in butcher paper helps push it through the stall and keeps it juicy.
Step 7 | Smoke Brisket While Wrapped
Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature registers at 200°F on a meat thermometer or probe. This could take several more hours. The longer the cooking time, the better it will be. When it's ready, take the meat off the grill and let it rest for about 4 hours, while still wrapped.
Pro Tip: To keep the smoked brisket warm while you prepare the burnt ends or until you're ready to serve, you can store it in a cooler. To do this, wrap the brisket (while it's still in the butcher paper) in a large beach towel and place it in an empty cooler. Close the lid to maintain the temperature of the brisket until you're ready to serve it.
Place the brisket onto a large cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice the brisket against the grain.
How to Make Burnt Ends
To make Burnt Ends, chop the point (also called the deckle) into cubes and toss them into a disposable aluminum pan. Pour some of the juices that have accumulated in the butcher paper over the burnt ends.
Next, toss the burnt ends with your favorite BBQ sauce and place them back on the grill for another 15 minutes at 500°F. Some people like to mix brown sugar or honey with burnt ends to enhance caramelization.
Another option is to go long and slow instead of smoking the burnt ends using high heat for a short period of time. If you want to go that route, you can smoke the burnt ends at 225°F for 1-2 hours.
However, you haven't had burnt ends until you've had MY BURNT ENDS. They are mixed with a made-from-scratch pineapple and habanero sauce. Do I have your attention? So, if you want to give it a shot, here is my Spicy and Sweet Habanero Pineapple Burnt Ends Recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This smoked brisket recipe pairs perfectly with my Traeger smoked potatoes recipe. If you're looking for a lighter side, check out my smoked corn on the cob; it's to die for! Another great smoked side option is my Chipotle smoked mac and cheese.
What to do with smoked brisket leftovers
Add a few slices of leftover brisket to your egg sandwiches for breakfast, or shred the brisket to make delicious brisket tacos. You can also make my AMAZING brisket-stuffed easy chile relleno recipe!
Another idea is to add a few slices of brisket to your grilled cheese sandwiches or make a smoked brisket sandwich! But one of my favorite ways to use up leftover brisket is in green enchiladas. Oooh, how about tucking some of the tender, flavorful meat into Instant Pot tamales?
You can also swap out smoked brisket for the smoked tri-tip in my tri-tip sliders recipe!
If you need more ideas on how to use up the Traeger Brisket Recipe leftovers, let me know in the comments! I can keep the suggestions coming all day long! 😬
Recipe FAQs
To cook a brisket evenly, you should flip it at some point during the smoking process. Usually, the brisket starts on the grill with the fat side down. However, once it's wrapped in butcher paper, it's placed on the grill fat-side up for the remainder of the cooking time.
Smoking time depends on many things, including the thickness and the overall weight of the meat, and the temperature you set your smoker to. Our 15-20 lb brisket takes about 12 hours at 200°F, plus about 4 hours to rest. A smaller brisket or a hotter smoker can take as little as 6 hours, while a big one on a cold, windy night can take 16+ hours.
There are also other factors involved, including the outside temperature, wind, and so on. Smoking the brisket at a lower temperature for an extended time (while wrapped) yields a more tender and juicy brisket. Smoking a brisket is not something that you want to rush.
Yes, you can overcook a brisket, causing it to dry out. To avoid this, monitor the internal temperature of the meat and keep it within the recipe range.
Wrapping the meat in butcher paper helps to keep the meat moist by locking in the juices. Setting the smoker to a low cooking temperature and using a probe to monitor the temperature of the brisket can help you to avoid overcooking the meat.
Pro Tips
- According to the Traeger recipe book, almost any pellet wood flavor can be used with beef. This includes alder, cherry, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, and pecan. Although we prefer hickory, I recommend trying different flavors and seeing what you prefer.
- If using my pork rub recipe, make four times as much as the recipe calls for. You'll be using a much larger cut of meat, so you'll need enough rub to cover the entire brisket.
- When seasoning the brisket, spoon it over the meat without touching the meat to avoid cross-contamination. You'll want to save the remaining rub for another use.
- Some people like to inject the flat with beef broth or even apple juice before putting it on the grill. This helps the brisket to remain moist. The point is fatty enough, so it really doesn't need to be injected. To inject the flat, poke the needle in every inch or so and push the liquid in slowly as you pull the needle out.
Other Traeger Recipes
If you enjoy this Traeger-smoked brisket, you may also enjoy these recipes!
- Smoke Traeger Ribs Like A Pro!
- Smoked Pastrami - A Beginner's Guide
- Perfectly Smoked Traeger Prime Rib
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Traeger Smoked Tri-Tip
- Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
More Smoker Recipes
If you enjoy this Traeger brisket recipe, check out these other related posts!
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Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Trim excess fat off the brisket. Be sure to leave a good portion of fat on the meat as the fat will render down and enhance the flavor of the brisket. It will also keep it from drying out.
- To make burnt ends, separate the point from the flat by sliding your knife along the layer of fat between them. Otherwise, leave the brisket intact. Combine vinegar, olive oil, and crushed garlic. Brush both sides of the meat with it.
- Season the meat with Santa Maria Dry Rub Seasoning, Pork Rub seasoning (my personal favorite), or use your seasoning of choice. Wrap the meat and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably longer.
- Bring the brisket to room temperature for a few hours before you plan on smoking it. Before going to bed, fire up the Traeger to 200°F. If you have a super-smoke setting, use it!(Tip: We usually start marinating the meat in the morning and put it on the grill at midnight).
- When the smoker is ready, place the brisket on the grill fat-side down and spray generously with apple juice. Insert the probe a few inches into the thickest part of the meat and set the probe temperature to 160°F.
- Once the smoked brisket's internal temperature reaches 160°F (which should be in the morning) spray with apple juice one last time, then wrap it in butcher paper. Place the brisket back on the grill, this time fat-side up.
- Smoke the brisket in the Traeger until it reaches 200°F. This could take several more hours. The longer the cooking time the better it will be. When it's ready, take the meat off the grill and let it rest for about 4 hours, while still wrapped.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don't toss the fat, use it to make this beef tallow recipe!
- According to the Traeger recipe book, almost any pellet wood flavor can be used with beef. This includes alder, cherry, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, and pecan. Although we prefer hickory, I recommend trying different flavors and seeing what you prefer.
- If using my pork rub recipe, make four times as much as the recipe calls for. You'll be using a much larger cut of meat so you'll need enough rub to cover the entire brisket.
- When seasoning the brisket, spoon it over the meat without touching the meat to avoid cross-contamination. You'll want to save the remaining rub for another use.
- Some people like to inject the flat with beef broth or even apple juice before putting it on the grill. This helps the brisket to remain moist. The point is fatty enough, so it really doesn't need to be injected. To inject the flat, poke the needle in every inch or so and push the liquid in slowly as you pull the needle out.
- To keep the smoked brisket warm while you prepare the burnt ends or until you're ready to serve it, you can store it in a cooler. To do this, wrap the brisket (while it's still in the butcher paper) in a large beach towel and place it in an empty cooler. Close the lid to maintain the temperature of the brisket until you're ready to serve.
Sofy says
I was terrified handling such a enormous slab of meat for the first time. And was so impressed that it turned out so good! I followed the recipe closely, it took about 5 hrs to bring it to 160F for me, and then about 8 hrs to bring it to 200F wrapped in foil. I was afraid it would turn out to be dry after such a long time, but no, it was super juicy and tender. Thank you for the recipe! Successful smoked brisket at the first attempt!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Sofy, so glad it turned out as expected, Merry Christmas!
Tammy says
This WAS Amazing. Thank you for sharing this ❤️
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Tammy! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 😘
Scott says
Wow! Super tender and flavourful! Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Scott, appreciate the review!
nalissa campbell says
Absolutely amazing!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Nalissa, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thank you for the review!
Caroline says
AMAZING!! This is the best thing I have ever ate!! My husband followed the recipe step by step. The steps were easy to follow and all the ingredients were available at the grocery store. I say this because we live in a small town and sometimes ingredients are hard to find. OH MY GOSH it was worth the wait! Such full bold and smoked flavor and so tender. This one now one of our favorite recipes!! If you haven't tried Smoked Brisket, you have to try this recipe!!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, sweet Caroline! I'm so glad you and Mark enjoyed the brisket. Love you guys!