How To Make Texas Smoked Brisket Properly
You haven't had real brisket until you've had Texas Smoked brisket.. and you haven't truly lived until you've made a homemade smoked brisket. This isn't just a recipe for brisket, it's a recipe for success. Nothing but a beautiful smoke ring, and melt in your mouth tender brisket.
Joshua Weissman•
Aug 26, 2025
Ingredients (16)
Basic Barbecue Sauce (adapted from Aaron Franklin of Franklin’s Barbecue)
Directions
To prepare your meat, trim off ¼” off of the fat cap on both sides.
For the rub, combine your seasonings. For a 12.5 lb brisket, add in ½ tsp of kosher salt (½ tsp) for every pound of brisket, garlic powder (1 Tbsp), sweet paprika (2 Tbsp), mustard powder (½ Tbsp), and fresh ground black pepper (½ Tbsp). Mix together until combined. Rub that mixture all over the entire brisket (12 ½–15 lb), usually done about 12 - 24 hours in advance.
With the smoker set in between 225°F - 265°F, place a leavened digital thermometer in the thickest part of the brisket (12 ½–15 lb) and smoke for the listed temperature. Make sure to continuously feed the smoker wood to maintain heat and smoke levels.
Once the brisket (12 ½–15 lb) reaches around 155°F, double wrap it in strong aluminum foil with about ⅓ cup of beef or chicken broth. Make sure you create enough of a base and wrap it super tight so no liquid can leak out.
Place your meat (12 ½–15 lb) back in the smoker and continue to cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F.
Pull it out and leave it in foil, letting it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
To slice your brisket (12 ½–15 lb), always wait till the last second to slice. Slice against the grain into individual pieces.
Basic Barbecue Sauce
Combine all ingredients into a small pot, heat over medium heat and stir until sugar (3 Tbsp) is completely dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt ( to taste) to taste. Feel free to add some spicy elements here like finely chopped fresh chilies or hot sauce.
