Pit Boss
intro
Fall-apart tender hickory-smoked beef brisket with a crispy seasoned bark, cooked low and slow the classic Pit Boss pellet grill way for bold, smoky BBQ flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the brisket
Trim the 1.8kg (4 lb) packer-cut beef brisket to leave a uniform 6mm (1/4 inch) thick layer of fat cap across the top, removing all hard, waxy fat from the meat side. Pat every surface of the brisket completely dry with paper towels to help the dry rub form a tight, crispy bark during cooking.
Coat with dry rub
Mix 2 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp light brown sugar, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper in a small glass bowl. Coat every surface of the brisket evenly with the rub, pressing gently to help it adhere, then let the brisket rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Preheat the grill
Fill the hopper of your Pit Boss pellet grill with 900g (2 lbs) hickory wood pellets, then set the grill to 110°C (225°F) with the smoke function engaged. Close the lid and let the grill preheat for 15 minutes until it holds a stable, consistent temperature, completing this step during the final 15 minutes of the brisket's rub rest to save time.
Smoke low and slow
Place the seasoned brisket on the preheated grill grates fat-side up, insert a leave-in digital meat probe into the thickest part of the brisket, taking care not to touch fat or the grill grates for an accurate read. Close the lid and smoke for 6 hours, maintaining a steady 110°C (225°F) temperature, until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
Wrap and finish cooking
Carefully remove the brisket from the grill, set it on two overlapping sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and pour 120ml (1/2 cup) low-sodium beef broth over the top of the brisket before sealing the foil tightly to trap steam. Return the wrapped brisket to the grill and cook for 3 more hours until the internal temperature hits 95°C (203°F) and the probe slides into the meat with the resistance of soft room-temperature butter.
Rest and slice to serve
Transfer the foil-wrapped brisket from the grill, wrap it in a thick cotton kitchen towel, and set it in an insulated cooler to rest for 1 full hour to lock in juices. Unwrap the brisket, slice it against the grain into uniform 6mm (1/4 inch) thick slices, and drizzle with reserved juices from the foil packet to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid opening the grill lid frequently during the initial smoke phase; each lid lift drops the internal grill temperature by 10-15°C (18-27°F) and adds 15-20 minutes to your total cook time.
3.Rely on temperature and texture over fixed cook time: your brisket is done only when a meat probe slides into the thickest part with the same resistance as a stick of soft room-temperature butter.
First brisket I ever made on my Pit Boss and it turned out perfectly juicy! Followed the temp guide exactly, didn’t wrap too early, and the bark was insane. Brought it to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe. 10/10 would make again.
Wait, I’m a total newbie to smoking — is the 10 hour 45 minute cook time pretty consistent for a 12lb brisket? I’m nervous to overcook it for my husband’s birthday dinner next weekend!
Game. Changer. I’ve been fighting with dry brisket on my Pit Boss for a year, turns out I was cranking the temp too high! Tried this recipe last Sunday for our football watch party, even my picky teen said it was better than the BBQ joint down the street. SO good.
Made this Sunday to portion out for weekday lunches and it held up amazing all week! Sliced some for sandwiches, chopped some for brisket hash, even tossed a bit into chili. The rub ratio is perfect, not too salty, just enough smoky sweetness. Will be a monthly meal prep staple for sure.
Has anyone tried this with a mesquite wood blend instead of hickory? I have a ton of mesquite pellets left over from last summer and don’t want to run to the store if I don’t have to. Making this for my in-laws coming into town Friday!
OMG, my kids loved this! I was worried the smoke flavor would be too intense for them but they ate two helpings each, even asked for brisket in their school lunches the next day. Only note is I wish I’d made twice as much, we had zero leftovers!
Took me a minute to get the temp stabilized on my older Pit Boss, but once I did this came out incredible. The bark was crisp, the fat rendered perfectly, and the pull when I sliced it was exactly what I wanted. Worth every minute of the 10+ hour wait, no cap.
Medium difficulty is totally fair here! I’ve done a few pork butts on my smoker but brisket felt intimidating, and this recipe walked me through every step without making me feel like an idiot. The tip about the paper towel test for doneness was a lifesaver.
Wait, do I have to use the slather of yellow mustard? I have a weird mustard allergy, would something else like olive oil or hot sauce work to get the rub to stick?
Made this for our annual family reunion and I swear half the family asked me for the recipe before they even left. The smoke ring was perfect, the meat was so tender you didn’t even need a knife. Worth waking up at 5am to get it started, no regrets.
I messed up and forgot to let the brisket rest for the full hour after pulling it off, and half the juices ran out when I sliced it. Even with that mistake it was still really good, but I can only imagine how much better it would’ve been if I followed the rest step! Don’t be like me, let it rest y’all.
Used the point to make burnt ends after slicing the flat, per the little pro tip in the recipe, and those burnt ends were gone in 10 minutes at my poker night. I will never skip making burnt ends from the point ever again. Absolute game day staple.
I live in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn and have the tabletop Pit Boss, so I was worried I wouldn’t be able to pull off a full brisket. Scaled it down to a 5lb brisket flat, adjusted the cook time to about 6 hours, and it came out perfect! Even on a small patio smoker this works.
How far in advance can I apply the rub? I want to prep the night before so I don’t have to fumble with it at 4am when I fire up the smoker, but I don’t want the salt to draw out too much moisture.
Just pulled my first ever brisket off using this recipe and I’m low key proud of myself. I was convinced I’d ruin it, but the temp steps were easy to follow, the spritz kept it moist, and my roommate said it’s better than the BBQ we got on our trip to Austin last year. Wild.
Brought this to my office potluck and people were going back for thirds. Even our intern who “doesn’t eat red meat” tried a bite and came back for a whole plate. The rub has just the right amount of black pepper and paprika, not too overpowering for folks who don’t eat a ton of BBQ. Will absolutely make again.
Medium difficulty is spot on — it’s not hard, you just have to be patient and not mess with the smoker too much! I kept lifting the lid the first hour and made my temp drop like 50 degrees, which added almost an hour to cook time, but once I stopped peeking everything went smooth.
Can I use this same recipe and method for a corned beef brisket around St. Patrick’s Day? I have a random frozen corned beef in my deep freeze and wondered if I could smoke it instead of boiling it this year.
I tracked the macros on this for my meal prep and it’s a great high protein option if you trim the hard fat off well before cooking. Paired it with roasted veggies and mashed cauliflower for my weekly meals and I never felt like I was eating “diet food”. So flavorful, zero guilt.
My husband got the Pit Boss for Father’s Day and this is the third recipe we’ve tried off the site, easily the best one yet. We did a little apple juice spritz every hour like the recipe said and it kept the meat so moist, even the lean parts of the flat weren’t dry at all. Family dinner win for sure.