How To Smoke A Brisket On A Charcoal Grill

Low and slow is the key to perfectly smoked beef brisket with crusty “bark” and pink smoke ring. Learn how to smoke a brisket on a charcoal grill!

Brisket is one of the big three BBQ types of meat. It ranks right up there with ribs and pork shoulder. In my opinion, perfectly smoked beef brisket is the holy grail of barbecue. It is my absolute favorite meat that comes off the smoker, mainly because it is beef, which I adore.

Brisket is often pursued but rarely attained. Low and slow is the golden rule — a low cooking temperature and a slow cooking speed until it’s tender enough to cut with the side of a fork. The ultimate goal of a well-cooked beef brisket is a thick moist slab of meat with a crusty “bark,” a vivid smoke ring, and meat so smokey you nearly gorge yourself into a food coma.

What is Brisket?

A brisket is a single cut of beef that comes from the lower breast section of the cow just above the front shanks and below the chuck. A whole brisket can weigh between 10-20 pounds. 

This large cut of meat is sometimes divided in half and sold as two different pieces of meat. The butcher may divide it up into a fattier and more marbling, called the “point,” and a leaner portion that’s called the “flat” What makes shopping for brisket confusing is that even though it can be divided into two cuts of meat or sold whole, it’s all called “brisket.”

Because this muscle supports most of the animal’s weight, it is well-exercised and can be rather tough and full of connective tissue. This is why the brisket is best suited for low and slow cooking.

Types of Wood For Smoking A Brisket

We almost always use mesquite for smoking a brisket. We like it because the beef can stand up to its unique, robust flavor. Mesquite is a popular type of wood for Texas style brisket. 

Hickory, apple, cherry, post oak, and pecan are also good choices for smoking brisket. It depends on the availability of the wood and personal preference.

How To Smoke A Brisket On A Charcoal Grill

You don’t need a fancy smoker to smoke a beef brisket. David has perfected his technique on a charcoal grill, and we want to share his smoked brisket recipe with you. We’ve focused this recipe on smoking a brisket on a charcoal grill. Learn David’s ten steps to smoking incredible smoked beef brisket on a charcoal grill below!

What’s Needed:

• 1 whole brisket (about 10-20 pounds), with a fat cap at least ¼-inch thick (We only cooked half of a brisket. This time, we smoked the portion known as the point)
• Charcoal Grill – Sorry folks, gas grills cannot produce a properly smoked brisket
• A bag of mesquite wood chunks soaked in water.
• Charcoal
• Charcoal Chimney
• Water
• Aluminum Pan for water (David uses a stainless steel bowl)
• Tongs
• Probe Thermometer
• Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
• Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil

Beef Brisket Rub:

• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

BBQ Sauce of your choice – Barbecue sauce is optional. Ours is kind of secret recipe with butter, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sugar, salt pepper, and chipotle peppers

#1 Prep the Beef Brisket For Smoking

• Start with a brisket in the 5-pound range, which is just the right size to fit on the grill. Use a sharp knife to trim the excess fat from the brisket, leaving a ¼-inch thick fat cap. (Trimming any less, and the brisket will dry out; any more, the layer of fat will prevent the rub and smoke from seasoning the meat.) Rinse the brisket under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
• Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to mix. Rub onto the brisket on all sides.
• If you have time, wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and let it cure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Smoking the brisket immediately is ok, but sitting in the fridge for several hours allows the flavorful rub to penetrate the meat.

(Click HERE to learn more about brisket) 

#2 Prep the Charcoal Grill For Smoking

• David has a Weber Performer I gave him for Christmas years ago. It is a kettle-type grill, so he uses the indirect heat technique with a drip pan of water directly underneath the meat to stabilize the temperature.
• Preheat the grill to about 250 degrees F. David preheats the grill about 25 degrees more than where he will smoke the brisket because there is heat loss when he removes the lid to place the brisket on the grill.
• To maintain this low temperature, begin by lighting only about 10 to 16 pieces of charcoal and set up the grill for an indirect Three-Zone Split-Fire. To do this, separate the coals into two equal piles on opposite sides of the grill grate.
• Meanwhile, heat some water for the water pan. When the water is hot, place a stainless steel bowl or aluminum pan between the two piles of coals on each side of the bottom charcoal grate. Pour in the warm water, then put the cooking grate in place. Close the grill with the lid and allow it to get to temperature.

Tips:
– If you use wood chips instead of chunks, consider soaking a few handfuls in water for about 30 minutes before placing them on top of the coals. This will keep them from burning up too fast and provides more smoke.
– Charcoal baskets are great for holding the clusters of charcoal together. The baskets also help them burn longer. 

#3 Smoking the Beef Brisket

• When the grill is ready to cook, remove the lid and place the brisket on the hot grate over the drip pan, fat side up, and toss a chunk or two of mesquite wood on each pile of coals.
• Bring the temperature up to 225 degrees F, using the vents to regulate the temperature.
• You will need to add fresh coals and more wood chunks to each side of the grill every hour for at least the first 4 hours.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Brisket On A Charcoal Grill?

It’s important to smoke the meat according to temperature and not worry about the amount of time.

Many variables influence how long it will take to smoke the meat. Knowing the temp in your grill is crucial. Honestly, you cannot trust the built-in temperature on your grill. They read the temperature only in one location, usually away from where the meat sits on the grate. 

We recommend purchasing a digital BBQ thermometer such as Smoke™ from Thermoworks.

You can read more about it in David’s List of BBQ Grill & Smoker Accessories post.

#4 Low and Slow

Check the grill’s temperature every hour, staying as close to 225 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or soaked wood chips to maintain temperature and smoke.

#5 Never Mind The Stall

When the brisket’s internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees F, the surface evaporation of the brisket causes the meat’s internal temp to plateau. Pit Masters call this “the stall.” Don’t panic. Just wait out the stall and maintain the temperature of your pit.

#6 Test For Doneness

• Smoke the brisket until a dark “bark” (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the meat is about 190 degrees F, about 5 hours; monitor the probe thermometer and use an instant-read thermometer, such as a Thermapen® ONE to help check for doneness.
• The ideal temperature of a properly smoked brisket is 190 degrees F.
• It is important to remember that the brisket’s internal temperature can increase by 10 degrees even after it has been removed from the grill. If the internal temperature is 190 degrees F when you take it off the grill, it may rise to an optimal 200 degrees F, perfect! Any hotter than that and could overcook your brisket, which results in dry, chewy meat, no thank you!

#7 Holding

• Take the brisket off the grill and wrap it tightly inside some heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper for at least 1 hour.
• Holding helps tenderize by allowing carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil captures the natural au jus for use in a sauce, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.

#8 Slicing the Beef Brisket

• Slicing a brisket is a bit of a challenge because there are two muscles, and the grain flows in different directions. Brisket is easier to chew if you cut it across to the grain. Cut with the grain, and it can be stringy and chewy.
• Don’t slice the brisket until the last possible minute. Once the brisket is cut, it dries out pretty quickly. When you are ready, Turn the meat fat side up so the juices will run onto the meat as you slice.
• Start slicing the flat, cutting across the grain so the meat will fall apart in your mouth about ¼-inch thick, about the thickness of a pencil. Cut off the flat where the point meats it, then rotate it so the cut is on the side, and they slice through the point and flat from the side.

#9  Barbecue Sauce

This is smoked beef brisket. Some people say it’s not barbecue unless it has a sweet red sauce. Sorry folks, we celebrate great brisket by not messing with it while it is on the grill. If your brisket is cooked correctly, slice it and serve it naked, leaving the barbecue sauce completely optional.

#10  Serving

Perfectly cooked meat should be moist and juicy. You can serve it sliced on a plate or as a sandwich. If you wish, drizzle some sauce and serve flat-fanned slices like a deck of cards surrounded by chunks of burnt ends from the point.

We hope David’s ten steps on how to smoke a brisket will help you. Try this technique on your charcoal grill this weekend. If you do, don’t forget to rate this recipe and tell us how it goes in the comments below.

We bet you’ll be in that food coma in no time!

p.s. Check out our recipes for brisket leftovers HERE.

Editorial Note: How To Smoke A Brisket was originally published on July 9, 2015, and revised and updated for better accuracy and comprehensiveness on 12/26/22.