Texas-Style Smoked Brisket Flat with Crispy Bark
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Last updated
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 24–36 hours
- Yield
- 10 servings
Main Coursebriskettexas bbqsmokedspecial occasion
Ingredients
- 1 intact, uninjected brisket flat, 5 to 7 lb, that meets the recommendation conditions
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- Oak or hickory wood for the smoker
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- White bread, pickles, sliced onion, and barbecue sauce, for serving
Method
Prepare
- Confirm that the brisket is an intact, uninjected flat that meets the recommendation conditions shown above.
- Trim the fat cap to an even 1/4 inch and pat the brisket dry.
- Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Press the rub over every side of the brisket.
- Seal the seasoned brisket in a food-safe pouch without folding it.
Cook
- Set the water bath to 150°–155°F.
- Cook for 24–36 hours for brisket flat for carving.
- Prepare a smoker or covered grill for indirect cooking with oak or hickory smoke.
- Combine the apple cider vinegar and water in a clean spray bottle.
Check before finishing
- At the end of the bath, open the pouch and transfer each piece intact to a clean surface with clean utensils. Discard the pouch liquid and any sauce that touched raw food.
- Use a clean food thermometer. Immediately after removing the intact brisket from the pouch, check midway into its thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle. Check several places in every large or irregular piece.
- Every spot you check must reach 145°F. If any reading is lower, keep cooking with a method hot enough to reach this temperature and check each cooler spot again. Complete this check before finishing.
Finish
- After completing the check, pat the intact brisket completely dry.
- Smoke the brisket over indirect heat until the rub forms a dark, crisp bark, spritzing lightly when the surface looks dry.
Rest
- After the final heat, rest every piece for at least 3 minutes before cutting, pulling, or serving.
Serve
- After the brisket passes the thermometer check and completes the guide-required rest, slice it thinly across the grain.
- Serve immediately with white bread, pickles, onion, and barbecue sauce.
Want another texture or thickness?
The complete guide has all reviewed settings, safety context, and finishing options.