Pellet Grills

A Flavorful Journey: How To Smoke A Brisket On A Pellet Grill

how to smoker a brisket on a pellet grill

When you barbecue the cuts of meat, consider the brisket the king of cuts. This wealthiest piece of meat will make your dining table royal. Smoking a brisket on a pellet grill could be daunting, but it will be fascinating with the guidance. Stay with us, and you will get complete advice on how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill.

We will guide you from selecting the brisket to the final delicious look. Which wood pellet should you choose and which is the right level of temperature, you will find in this guide. Get your pellet grill ready for delicious mouth-watering food.

Brisket smoking is not so easy, and it is a time-consuming and challenging recipe that takes 7 to 10 hours. The key to the yummiest smoked brisket is maintaining the temperature.

Get ready for how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill

Before discussing how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill, let’s discuss some basic things. I always prefer a good piece of brisket at the butcher’s shop. Your final food will be tasty if you choose a proper part of the brisket. Buying a brisket, the grades of the beef matter a lot. 

The three most common grades are from highest to lowest. Prime, then choice, and the last one is select. For delicious mouth-watering food, the prime cut is always on the top. You can choose it without any hesitation.

Choosing a brisket

When it’s time to smoke a brisket, you will first need one. It takes work to choose the proper cut of the brisket. Often, there are three main cuts of the brisket: the point cut, the flat cut, and the whole pucker cut. When asking the butcher for a brisket cut, ensure it is the most marbled and pink-purplish.

All three cuts are good in taste, but the whole pucker cut is the best of all. It has more fat and includes the point and flat cut in it. Always get a packed and untrimmed brisket from the store and trim it at home. Do a bend test before picking up the brisket from the shop. Grab the brisket and bend it from the mid for the bend test. If it does not turn quickly, the brisket has less fat. Leave this piece and get one with a large amount of fat.

Trimming the brisket

 Well, the brisket can only be smoked with trimming. Trimming is a fundamental step before smoking a brisket. This step can help you to remove an extra hard layer of fat from the brisket. This fatty layer is so thick that it prevents the brisket from being cooked slowly.

This fatty cap also prevents the rub from being observed inside the meat. When you eat this fat, it feels rubbery inside the mouth. So whenever you get a brisket at your home, trim it carefully. 

While removing the thick layer of fat on the meat, don’t remove all. Let some fat remain on the brisket, which will help to make it tender and juicy.

Preparing the rub for brisket

Smoking a brisket without any rub or seasoning is so dull. Make it like a pro, and add some dry spices to the brisket to make it a WOW. Going along the simple salt and pepper is also fine but dull. Let’s make a delicate and spicy rub for your smoked brisket.

Take a bowl and take some dry spices. We need garlic and ginger powder, salt, paprika powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix them all very well. Now, take your brisket and apply this dry rub evenly all over the brisket. Ensure that the rub is properly applied on every pinch of the brisket. 

The best way to apply the rub is a night before you cook the brisket. Apply it to the brisket and leave it overnight. This will penetrate the rub inside the brisket and enrich it with all the spices.

How to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill: step-by-step

Preheating the pellet grill

Preheat it whenever you smoke something on the pellet grill or any other smoker. Preheating is the crucial point of every smoke. It has an essential role in smoking, beyond any doubt. 

Fill the hopper of the grill with the pellets. You can use any wood pellets for smoking a brisket. I suggest using the hickory as it will enrich the smoke texture. 

Before putting the brisket inside the grill, preheat the pellet grill to 200℉. When the grill reaches 225℉, place your seasoned brisket inside the grill.

Place the fat side of the brisket downward.

The next step, essential in smoking a brisket, is to put the brisket to the fat side down. Placing it like this can help you to get a delicious tender brisket at the end. The fat acts like a protective layer of the meat. It will keep it safe from being hard and dry quickly. More often, this layer is left for the tenderness of the essence. Fat will burn and make the meat more juicy. 

As you know, brisket is a time-consuming recipe. This fat will save it for this extended period. If you place the brisket fat side up, it will melt down with all the seasoning. So, always put the fat side down first. Cook the brisket for 8 to 11 hours.

Let it out from the grill and wrap it in butcher paper.

After cooking for 10 hours, let your grill off. When the temperature inside the grill goes down, let’s remove the brisket from the grill. Wrap it with butcher paper and place it in a deep pan. Before putting the brisket again on the grill, heat the grill to 250℉. 

To check the temperature inside the grill, place a thermometer probe. But, to limit the inner temperature of the meat, you can place a thermometer inside the brisket. Again, leave the brisket inside the grill for 4-5 hours.

After the specific time, let the grill’s temperature cool down. Let the wrapped brisket out of the grill.

Give your brisket rest.

After removing the brisket from the grill, leave it for an hour. Resting will help it to penetrate all the spicey juices into the meat. Pay attention to the resting step for a tender, juicy, mouth-watering brisket.

Cut the brisket into pieces and serve it.

After giving rest for an hour, slice the brisket. Cutting it in a long way will provide you with a smoke ring at the edges of the brisket. This will ensure that the smoke is deeply observed in every layer of meat. 

Some expert tips on how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill

For ease in trimming: 

When you want to trim the brisket at home, trim it when it’s cold. Cutting fat when it’s hard is more accessible as it is firm.

Do not over-trim

Don’t remove all the fat from the brisket. Trim the hard layer and leave a line of fat on the brisket, which will help to make it tender and juicy.

Keep the brisket at room temperature before putting in the grill.

Before placing the brisket inside the grill, rest at room temperature. It will help in cooking if we defrost the meat before cooking.

Prefer a good-quality butcher paper.

Always use quality-wise good butcher paper. You can also use aluminum foil for wrapping purposes. But I suggest using butcher paper as it has pours that help the brisket to intake the air.

On what temperature should smoke a brisket on a pellet grill

As brisket is a more significant cut of meat than other cuts. It is a time-consuming recipe. Continually heat your grill to 250 degrees before placing the food inside. Use thermometers to monitor the temperature inside the grill. Also, set the temperature probe inside the inner layer of the brisket. 

Cook the brisket at 25 degrees for 10-12 hours. After wrapping the brisket inside the butcher paper, set your grill between 190 to 200. Place the wrapped brisket inside the grill and smoke on the slow cook for 4 to 5 hours.

Extra tips on how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill

  • Always use a trimmed brisket.
  • Stop using the boring rub of salt and pepper. Try something new and mix the dry spices for a rub.
  • Choose a whole pucker cut of brisket. It is the most marbled piece, rich with fat.
  • Use a sharp knife always to cut and trim the brisket.
  • Smoke the brisket fat side down.

Conclusion

As brisket is tough to smoke, it is the favorite meal of most people. No matter whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can smoke a delicious brisket by following this guide. You must know how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill to have delicious food.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill?

It depends upon the meat you are going to smoke. Some meat some quickly rather than others. Generally, it takes 8-10 hours to smoke a tender and juicy brisket on a pellet grill. Set your pellet’s temperature at 225 degrees and wait to remove the brisket until it reaches 160 degrees inside.

2. How to smoke a flat brisket on a pellet grill?

To smoke a flat brisket on a pellet grill, you have to follow these steps:

  • Trim the brisket and remove the silver skin.
  • Season the flat brisket with a dry rub and leave it for some time.
  • Place the flat brisket inside the grill with the fat side down and cook for 3-4 hours.
  • Let’s remove the brisket from the grill and wrap it in butcher paper.
  • Place the flat brisket on the grill for round 2 and leave it for 4 hours.
  • Remove and rest the brisket for an hour.
  • Slice and serve.

3. How to smoke a beef brisket on a pellet grill?

 You need a good quality brisket from the butcher’s shop to smoke a beef brisket on a pellet grill. Trim its hard, fatty layer, leaving a fat line on the brisket. Season the beef brisket with dry rub and place on the grill to smoke. Preheat your grill to 250 degrees. Remove the brisket and wrap it in the butcher paper. Place again on the grill to cook more for 3-4 hours. Get out the brisket from the grill. Slice and serve your delicious beef brisket smoked on a pellet grill.

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