How to Make Smoked Brisket in an Electric Smoker

An electric smoker is an outdoor cooking device that smokes food using hot electric rods as a primary heat source. Compared to their charcoal-burning counterparts, these smokers are cleaner to operate and accommodate a wider variety of designs. Nearly all have either a cast iron or stainless steel construction.

Electric smokers work by heating a cooking chamber in which air circulates, heating food via convection. A unit consists of a cooking chamber, an electric heating element, grill racks, a water pan, and the option for wood to burn alongside the electric heaters and give the meat its smoky flavor.

Smoking brisket is a multi-step process with a massively flavorful payoff. The perfect brisket takes many rounds of practice, but once you get a feel for the basic rhythm, you’ll be able to tweak your techniques to best suit your setup. Here’s what to know:

1. 1. Season the grill. Before you use an electric smoker for the first time, you should season it. (If you’ve had your smoker for a while, skip this step.) The objective is to burn off any residue on the cooking racks, chip tray, or stainless-steel housing that may have accumulated during the manufacturing process. To do this, simply cover the various interior surfaces of your electric smoker with a light coat of cooking oil and then run the device at approximately 275 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours. During the final hour of seasoning, add some wood chips to the chip tray. These chips will produce smoke that will prime the device for future use.
2. 2. Choose a piece of meat. When choosing a brisket, look for a cut of meat with a good amount of fat marbling throughout, rather than a thick, hard fat cap. Give the brisket a once-over, and then see how it feels in your hands. It should be firm but not completely stiff. If the brisket comes in Cryovac, take note of how much blood there is in the packaging—if there’s a lot, that’s a good sign that the store previously froze the brisket. Freezing is detrimental because ice crystals can tear apart the meat fibers. The torn fibers may also make a previously frozen brisket feel mushy and saggy when you hold it in your hands. Most butchers sell the flat cut, but for Texas-style smoked beef brisket, choose a packer cut, which includes both the point and flat.
3. 3. Prepare the meat. Trim the brisket to remove excess fat and silver skin—an outer layer of connective tissue—and enhance the shape of the meat. (If this is your first time cooking brisket, learn Aaron Franklin’s technique for trimming brisket.) While popular barbecue seasonings might include brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, or chili powder like cayenne, it’s best to keep the seasoning simple and clean with brisket: Every bite should highlight a smoky flavor alongside the natural flavor of the beef. Use equal parts kosher salt and sixteen-mesh “café grind” black pepper. In general, you want to taste both in equal measure, but go a little heavier on salt with the fattier point and heavier on pepper with the leaner flat if you prefer. You’ll need about half a cup of seasoning for a twelve-pound brisket.
4. 4. Experiment with hardwoods. Not every new electric smoker will come with a wood-burning option, but the best smokers almost always do. In addition to a custom dry rub, marinade, or wet brine, feel free to create your custom blend of wood chips: As a general rule, beef smokes well with all woods except for apple. Try hickory or mesquite for the best brisket flavor.
5. 5. Give yourself plenty of time. Electric smokers cook meat at a far lower temperature than a standard charcoal grill or gas grill. To get tender textures and smoke flavor, you must prepare for a long smoking process. For brisket, the rule of thumb is about seventy-five minutes per pound of meat, assuming an optimal smoker temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. 6. Cook the meat. Place the brisket inside the smoker, fat-side up, and start the clock. Wait at least three hours to check the meat. If the brisket looks like it’s burning, if the bark is splotchy, if it’s turning dry and crisp in places, or if the fat is already starting to render, chances are you need to cut back on the heat. Discoloration without signs of dryness or rendered fat could also result from dirty smoke. Pay close attention to the quality of wood you’re burning and the appearance of your smoke over the next few hours. If your cook has gotten off track a bit in the early stages there’s still time to course correct. Before closing your smoker, spritz the dryer, vulnerable edges of the brisket with apple juice or beef stock to cool them off.
7. 7. Wrap the brisket. In the later stages of the cooking process, it’s important to wrap the brisket to lock in heat. Keep an eye on the temperature with a meat thermometer or temperature probe; once the internal temperature reaches around 170 degrees Fahrenheit, carefully remove the meat from the smoker. For the wrap, you’ll need two wide sheets of aluminum foil or butcher paper four times longer than your brisket is wide. Place one sheet of paper on your workstation or cutting board, with the long edge running perpendicular to you. Place the second sheet on top, so it overlaps by about half its width. Lay the brisket lengthwise across the paper, presentation-side up, about one foot from the bottom edge. Give the brisket one last spritz anywhere that needs a little moisture, then lightly spritz the surface of your wrap for good measure. Learn how to wrap smoked brisket.
8. 8. Finish the meat. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and cook for three to four more hours, depending on the size of your cut. Near the end of that window, check on the brisket at regular intervals, roughly every fifteen minutes or so. As the collagen continues to break down and the fat continues to render, the brisket will become more fork-tender soft and pliable. However, if you leave it on the smoker for too long, it will overcook. Better to pull it too soon than leave it on too long. If the brisket feels loose and somewhat flexible in your hands, even a bit jiggly, take it out of the smoker. Once you’ve pulled the brisket, allow it to rest in its wrapping until it cools to an internal temperature of 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it’s time to slice the brisket and serve.