Smoke A Traeger Brisket Like A Boss!
Get ready for the best and most tender and juicy smoked brisket that you've ever had!
Servings: 40 servings
Calories: 374kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15-20 lb. brisket
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 cup Pork Rub Pork Rub Seasoning
- 1 cup apple juice (approximate)
Instructions
- 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servings | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 245mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g
