I have a BIG secret for you: amazing, flavorful, smoky, tender brisket can be made in your oven – no smoker required! This recipe includes a lip-smacking dry rub, mouthwatering smoking liquid (that’s also the perfect dipping sauce), and easy steps to make a crazy good piece of meat right in your oven.
Oven smoked? Yup, I said it! The secret to delicious oven brisket is to cook it low and slow. Tightly cover brisket for most of the cooking process, so it infuses with the smoky steam from the smoking liquid in your roasting pan.
The smoking liquid is a blend of beef broth, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of tomato paste. After hours in the oven, infused with brisket drippings, the smoking liquid turns into the best dipping sauce.
The Best Smoked Brisket…In the Oven!
Why will you fall in love with this oven brisket, over and over again? Here’s 5 reasons:
- That brisket crust. When the dry rub melts into your meat, infusing it with flavor and crisping up the outside of your meat…it’s next level.
- It’s ACTUALLY smoky! The secret is liquid smoke in the smoking liquid, and smoked paprika in the rub. This oven brisket is truly smoked.
- Any ordinary oven tested. You don’t need a smoker, just your oven and a roasting pan with a rack. A leave-in probe meat thermometer is highly recommended (but not required).
- Just as good the next day. Make brisket up to 4 days in advance. It’s delicious reheated.
- There’s no bad season for oven brisket. Summer BBQ staple or slow-cooked brisket dinner on a cold, snowy night…there’s no bad time for this brisket recipe! Just like my Slow Cooked Italian Pulled Pork.
Ingredients for Smoked Brisket
- Boneless beef brisket – the amount of dry rub below is for a 3-5 pound brisket. You can purchase a brisket “flat” or brisket with a point. A brisket with a point is an extra layer of brisket on top of a portion of the flat, giving it a thicker appearance. The “point,” when cooked, turns into pieces of brisket called burnt ends! A brisket “flat” is easier to manage and cook, but you can use whatever cut you prefer. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings. This recipe is NOT for a corned beef brisket. This website has an awesome photo of the difference between a brisket flat and a brisket with a point.
Dry Rub
- Black pepper – black pepper adds a bit of back heat and a sweet, piney flavor.
- Dark brown sugar – dark brown sugar adds a molasses note.
- Chili powder – chili powder is a blend of savory and aromatic spices.
- Dried mustard – dried mustard adds a zesty note.
- Garlic powder – garlic…duh.
- Onion powder – onion…duh.
- Salt – salt…another duh.
- Smoked paprika – smoked paprika mimics the smokiness you get from a smoker!
Smoking Liquid
- Beef broth – you can use beef broth, stock or bone broth. I prefer low-sodium.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce is made from vinegar, cloves, molasses, and other flavors that will give your BBQ that “edge.”
- Liquid smoke – liquid smoke mimics that smoker smokiness!
- Tomato paste – a hint of tomato adds sweetness and acidity.
How to Smoke Brisket (In the Oven)
Cook beef brisket low and slow in the oven, covered for most of the cooking time, to infuse the meat with the smoking liquids. Uncover your brisket towards the end to let the outside crisp up. YUM. Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Mix smoking liquid.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a roasting pan with a wire rack, add Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, and just enough beef broth to fill the bottom of the pan without submerging the brisket which will sit on the wire rack (about 2 cups depending on size of pan). Stir.
- Trim.
Trim fat layer (the fat cap), so that there is about ¼ inch thick fat layer still left on the brisket. Don’t trim too much fat, or you’ll have a tough, bland brisket! Fat is flavor and moisture.
- Mix dry rub.
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients in the dry rub: black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, dried mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika.
- Rub meat.
On a large plate, rub brisket with dry rub, sticking as much dry rub as possible to all surfaces of your brisket. You should use all or almost all of the dry rub. Transfer brisket to the wire rack in your roasting pan, fat-side down. It’s okay if some of the rub falls into the smoking liquid.
- Seal shut.
Insert a leave-in probe thermometer (highly recommended) into the center of the thickest part of your brisket. Make sure the thermometer’s tip isn’t in the center of a fat layer, as the temperature will be inaccurate. Tightly cover your pan in foil (you can poke a hole through the foil for the thermometer if needed).
- Cook covered.
Cook brisket in the oven until a thermometer reads about 190 degrees in the thickest part. Cooking time varies based on many factors. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- Cook uncovered.
Uncover brisket and let cook until a thermometer reads 200-205 degrees, and the thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket (this signals a tender brisket!).
- What happens if there’s “stall time?”
Stall time is when the internal temperature of your brisket stops rising and may even fall a few degrees. A stall time might occur when you uncover your brisket and steam cools your brisket down. If a stall time lasts for more than 30 minutes, I recommend re-covering your brisket with foil until your brisket’s temperature starts to rise steadily again. Stalls sometimes never happen, happen once, or happen more than once – don’t get discouraged!
- Slice.
Let brisket rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.
What to Serve with Smoked Brisket
Serve brisket with or without barbecue sauce, and reduced smoking liquid as dipping sauce. Don’t forget brisket sandwiches with mustard and melted cheese! Some of my favorite side dishes with oven smoked brisket are:
Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Colcannon Irish Mashed Potatoes
- Apple-Bacon Scalloped Potatoes
- German Potato Salad
Veggies
- Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Chipotle Corn Salsa
- Creamless Creamed Corn
- Broiled Asparagus
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter
- Homemade Dill Pickles
Breads
How to Store and Reheat Smoked Brisket
Brisket keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days. I like to slice brisket before refrigerating. The best way to reheat brisket is place slices in the smoking liquid, covered, at 275 degrees for 15-30 minutes, depending on how much meat you’re reheating.
You can also reheat unsliced brisket, covered, in the smoking liquid at the same temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Beef brisket is a cut from the lower chest of a cow. There are two briskets per cow. Brisket is typically a cheaper cut of beef because it is tough from lots of connective tissue that needs to be broken down by low and slow cooking.
A “full packer” is an entire brisket, usually weighing at least 10 pounds. At your local butcher or grocery store, you’ll be able to find a brisket “flat” which is a smaller, thinner piece of brisket that’s easy to manage and cook (recommended). You can also get a brisket with a portion of the point, which is a the brisket “flat” + an extra layer of brisket that’s connected to the flat by a layer of fat. This larger, thicker piece is delicious (it includes prized brisket pieces called burnt ends!), but it’s a bit more difficult and time consuming to cook. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings.
Brisket is done when the center of the thickest part measures 200-205 degrees and a thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket with little resistance (a sign of tender meat!).
Let brisket rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Slice brisket with a chef’s or serrated knife against the grain of the meat.
Yes! Brisket keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days.
1 pound of uncooked brisket will yield about ½ pound cooked brisket because of the fat. Therefore a 4 pound brisket will yield about ½ pound of brisket for 4 people.
You’ll need a roasting pan with a wire rack, and a meat thermometer. It is highly recommended that you use a leave-in probe meat thermometer.
Yes, although the texture may change a bit. You can freeze your brisket without the juices, wrapped tightly, or with the juices in a freezer safe container, for 4-5 months.
Other Slow Cooked Meat Recipes You’ll Love!
Equipment
- Roasting pan with wire rack
- Leave-in probe meat thermometer (highly recommended)
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound boneless beef brisket see notes below on what brisket cut to buy
Dry Rub
- 1 tablespoon black pepper or ½ tablespoon if you prefer less heat*
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Smoking Liquid
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth (roughly) depending on size of pan
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a roasting pan with a wire rack, add Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, and enough beef broth to fill the bottom of the pan without submerging the brisket, which will sit on the wire rack. Add enough broth so that it almost touches the bottom of the brisket (typically 2 cups or more). Stir.
- Trim fat layer (the fat cap), so that there is about ¼ inch thick fat layer still left on the brisket. Don’t trim too much fat, or you’ll have a tough, bland brisket! Fat is flavor and moisture.
- In a bowl, mix together all ingredients in the dry rub: black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, dried mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika.
- On a large plate, rub brisket with dry rub, sticking as much dry rub as possible to all surfaces of your brisket. You should use all or almost all of the dry rub. Transfer brisket to the wire rack in your roasting pan, fat-side down. It’s okay if some of the rub falls into the smoking liquid.
- Insert a leave-in probe thermometer (highly recommended) into the center of the thickest part of your brisket. Make sure the thermometer’s tip isn’t in the center of a fat layer, as the temperature will be inaccurate. Tightly cover your pan in foil (you can poke a hole through the foil for the leave-in thermometer if needed).
- Cook brisket in the oven until a thermometer reads about 190 degrees in the thickest part. Cooking time varies based on many factors. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- Uncover brisket and let cook until a thermometer reads 200-205 degrees, and the thermometer can easily slide in and out of the brisket (this signals a tender brisket!). Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about temperature, not time!
- What happens if there’s “stall time?” Stall time is when the internal temperature of your brisket stops rising and may even fall a few degrees. A stall time might occur when you uncover your brisket and steam cools your brisket down. If a stall time lasts for more than 30 minutes, I recommend re-covering your brisket with foil until your brisket’s temperature starts to rise steadily again. Stalls sometimes never happen, happen once, or happen more than once – don’t get discouraged!
- Let brisket rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Video
Notes
- You can use a pre-blended dry rub if preferred. I recommend using 1/3 to 1/2 cup of pre-blended dry rub.
- You may want to use 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper if your chili powder blend is spicy. Mine is quite mild so I use the full tablespoon of black pepper.
- This recipe works for any size brisket, however the amount of dry rub in this recipe is for a 3-5 pound brisket.
- You can purchase a brisket “flat” or brisket with a point. A brisket with a point is an extra layer of brisket on top of a portion of the flat, giving it a thicker appearance. The “point,” when cooked, are prized pieces called burnt ends! A brisket “flat” is easier to manage and cook, but you can use whatever cut you prefer. If you purchase a brisket with a “point,” be careful that you don’t insert your meat thermometer into the fat layer between the flat and point, which will lead to inaccurate readings.
- This recipe is NOT for a corned beef brisket. Be careful not to purchase this cut in the store.
- You can absolutely dry rub brisket ahead of time, leaving in the fridge for 24 hours. I find that dry rubbing brisket right before yields a delicious result, without the extra time of marinating in the fridge!
- Cooking time varies. Great brisket is all about internal temperature, not time! The entire cooking process could take anywhere between 3 and 7 hours. Without lengthy stall times, typically brisket takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per pound of meat, but this is just a guideline!
Never cooked one before. Directions were great. The end result was wonderful. Made me wish I had a larger one to cook. We used the left overs for French dip. Delicious.
Author
Hi Merile,
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 Love the French dip idea.
Grace
We ended up combining two parties due to a storm, and I’d promised ribs to one and and brisket to another and didn’t have room in the smoker for both. That’s to say I am comparing this to a traditional 12 hour smoke in a Green Egg. This was just as good!
I did a full 15lb brisket, started the oven with a timer at 2 AM ( I used about 1 qt broth ) covered with a double wrap of foil and a couple chunks of carrots on toothpicks to keep the foil raised to make sure the air/steam circulated and help form bark. After 10 hours it was 167 and I raised to 300, after an hour it was still in 170’s and I removed the foil aiming to serve at 2. By 2 it was about 185, the bark was not the best ever, but the crowd needed to be fed!
I stalled them with a few racks of ribs while it rested a bit to carve, then served it up. I chopped up a pound or two with some of the drippings and served with fresh tortillas, most of the rest went with a plate of rice and beans or dinner rolls. This morning there are no leftovers!
The smoke flavor ( and delicious smell!) were as good as a traditional smoke. The bark was not my best, but certainly real and I didn’t take it all the way to 205 so I think it would have gotten even better. This a a great recipie!
Author
John,
Thanks SO much for taking the time to tell me about your experience. I love all the detail and I’m so happy the brisket turned out so well!
Cheers,
Grace
This brisket rocks!
Author
I agree! Thanks George!
Grace
Hi Grace! I’m gonna try this recipe out using a 13 lbs full packer brisket. First question: should I increase the baking temperature? I was told at 250, it could take an entire day to fully cook. Next, I’m using a pretty big and deep pan to fit the entire brisket. The rack actually sits about 3 inches above the bottom of the pan. Is that too high? And should I double up the cooking liquid for this type of pan? Any help appreciated. Thanks!
Author
Hi Richard!
Thanks for reaching out. That’s a big brisket! High-temperature cooking is not recommended for brisket, as it can result in toughness and dryness. Instead, low-temperature cooking results in a more tender and flavorful brisket. Unfortunately I agree that the brisket will take a long time to cook. Add enough broth so that it almost touches the bottom of the brisket without submerging it! You’ll definitely need more broth than listed in the recipe for the size of your pan.
I hope this helps! Feel free to reach back out with any other questions.
Grace
Thanks for the quick reply. Wish I could send you a picture of my current setup. I may need to get a shorter rack! If I were to fill enough cooking liquid to reach the bottom of the brisket, it would likely need about 2 gallons… That aside, for a 13 pounder, what’s your best guess the bake time will take? I’ve read it’s from 1-1.5 hours per pound. If that’s right, am I looking at possibly 13-18 hours in the oven?
Author
Hi Richard,
I would put at least an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan! Check on it periodically to make sure there’s still liquid. Yes that’s correct about hours per pound, so I’d guess your time assumption is about right. Make sure to use enough dry rub as well. You’ll have to use 3-4x the dry rub! I personally haven’t tried my recipe with that big of a brisket but I’d imagine it should work well. Make sure to read the notes below the steps in the recipe card for extra tips!
Best of luck!!
Grace
Good morning Grace. So I started it last night before bed at around midnight, fully anticipating the brisket to cook all morning and then some. The digital thermometer told me it hit 190 at 7am. So looks like for a 13 pound brisket, it only needs 7 hours to reach the first part… But now I’m not sure how to continue if I’m trying to have this brisket for dinner. Do I just turn it off and continue it later in the day, leaving the brisket in the oven sealed till then? I’ve got about 10 hours before im looking to serve it. What would you do in this case? Thanks.
Author
Good morning! There will likely be stalls that will really slow down the cooking process for it to reach full temp (200-205). I would keep going with the instructions and not turn on the oven off. Once it’s fully cooked, I’d take it out and let it rest according to the recipe. Depending on what time it is, you can leave it out for an hour or two. If it’s still too early for dinner, I’d store in the fridge and reheat it slowly by place slices in the smoking liquid, covered, at 275 degrees until warm. If you don’t want to slice, here’s some guidance on reheating a full brisket: https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/how-to-reheat-brisket/. I hope this helps!
Grace
Author
Hi Richard,
I hope the brisket turned out well! Let me know how it went if you have a chance 🙂 feel free to email me personally as well at tastefullygrace@gmail.com.
Grace
I’ve never smoked meat and this recipe is easy to follow and the brisket is unreal.
Author
Sam,
Woohoo! So happy it turned out well 🙂
Grace
This was my very first time cooking a brisket, in the oven or otherwise, and it came out really dry, I am not blaming the recipe, maybe my meat thermometer was off? I watched several YouTube videos and read several recipes but it still did not come out juicy. I will push forward with the next recipe but it is too expensive to experiment with this cut of meat.
Author
Hi William,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m so sorry the brisket didn’t work out. Some of the common reasons for a dry brisket are: 1) unstable cooking temperature in oven throughout the process, 2) brisket without sufficient fat content, 3) not enough smoking liquid in the roasting pan to create a humid cooking environment. 4) not letting the brisket rest after cooking, allowing the juices to redistribute within the meat, 5) quality of brisket. I’m going to email you personally with more help!
Grace
So I made this last night and it’s ok honestly it’s really chewy and I had a point cut, but anyhow I’m gonna try and reheat it I saved my smoking liquid so I’m just gonna set my brisket in a pan and pour the soak over it and hopefully it will bring it back to life and juice it up a little
Author
Hi Makayla,
I’m so sorry the recipe did not turn out well for you. I’m not sure what could have gone wrong since the recipe is lengthy. Please let me know if there is any way I can help!
Grace
I am getting ready to make this in a couple of days. I noticed you said to place the brisket fat side down. I’ve always read it should be fat side up so the fat and juices gain the flavor from the fat. Did I miss something? Can you please share why you chose to make this fat side down? I’m so excited and I can’t wait to make this!
Author
Hi Kim!
Thanks so much for the question! Here’s a good article about why fat-side down is best from Traeger which is a real authority on this subject! I hope it helps: https://www.traeger.com/learn/brisket-fat-side-down
Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Grace
I’ve seen many recipes call for slathering in yellow mustard then applying the rub. How would that work for this?
Author
Hi Chuck,
I haven’t tried this myself but definitely have heard of this technique and think it should work. Let me know how it goes!
Grace
Hi Grace….I can’t wait to try your recipe but I have one question. My family is large, can I double this recipe and cook at the same time without affecting the end results?
Thank you
Author
Hi Patsy,
You can absolutely use any sized brisket as long as you double the dry rub quantity. Brisket is all about internal temperature, not time so you can definitely follow the same cooking instructions until the correct internal temps are reached 🙂
I hope this helps!
Grace
Thank you so much.
This brisket rivals the best ones I’ve had with a smoker. It’s AWESOME.
Author
Drew,
I wish I could have a piece right now!
Grace
Best brisket ever. EVER.
Author
Thank you!!! I agree 🙂
Grace
I know cooking Brisket is a gamble. However, after reading your recipe and procedure, how could I go wrong? I ordered a Bluetooth Probe Temp from Amazon, made up my dry and wet mixes, fired up my “Brand New” electric oven to 250°, and proceeded to follow each step. Just a few minutes ago, I dropped a $26 Beef Brisket into the garbage what was so tough, a sharp knife, nor a meat fork would penetrate the surface. I am NOT blaming you in any way, other than to say, it is not foolproof and I will never attempt to be so disappointed again. No more Briskets for me. Sorry, this could not be me eating a juicy, tender Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich as I write to you.
Author
Hi Edward,
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am tremendously disappointed that the recipe didn’t work out for you. I take so much pride in testing and retesting recipes, and when someone like you reaches out with an issue, I am racking my brain for how it could go wrong and want to help as much as I can! I’m emailing you directly so I can help make up for this and make it right!
Warmly,
Grace
Thank you for your personal attention to my issue. After your email, I am going to redo the procedure as soon as I find the right Brisket. Note: I had purchased three large chicken breasts from Albertsons (Buy One, Get Two Free.) and prepared them along with the Oven Smoked Brisket. I pulled them at 165 degrees internal and they were fantastic. Great smoked taste and texture and there are extremely tender and moist.
I will let you know how my next effort turns out… can’t wait for what you describe as the end product!
Ed Craig
Author
Hi Ed,
Thank you so much for responding to my email. I really hope that the brisket turns out well (I am crossing my fingers and toes!). This is one of my favorite recipes so I am hoping this was just a fluke!
All the best,
Grace
Can I use your recipe and method to cook a 4 pound “london broil” cut of beef instead of the brisket cut?
Author
Hi Cheryl,
Although I haven’t tried using a London Broil myself, from what I’m reading, it seems that London Broils are best cooked quickly (not slowly like brisket) since they are leaner and tend to overcook quickly.
I wish I could help more!
Grace
This brisket is awesome. 6 stars.
Best brisket I’ve ever had!!
Your recipes are easy and well defined, great pics and tips. I cooked a brisket you way in oven, first time not using a smoker and tender with good taste. Thanks
Author
Hi Robert,
Thanks so much for the comment! Apologies for my delayed response. For some reason your comment was filtered to spam! Thanks again for leaving a note – I’m thrilled to hear it came out well.
Grace
Holy Moly this was delicious! My 4.5lb brisket did stall for about 45 minutes after I took the foil off but I waited it out and it was at 200 degrees in just over 7 hours. My only tip for others would be to use unsalted beef broth as I didn’t and felt that the pan drippings were way too salty to use which made me sad as they tasted delicious otherwise. Thank you for the recipe!
Author
Hi Amanda!
Thanks so much for the comment and I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I should have specified that I use low-sodium beef broth…I changed the recipe and hope you make it again soon!
Thanks again,
Grace