Smoking a brisket on a pellet grill and getting the best result can be arduous, especially if it is your first time. 

To help you make the best-smoked brisket every time as a first-timer or a regular, our seasoned chefs have outlined tips that will help you effectively learn how to smoke a brisket on a pellet grill in this guide. 

Why Smoke Brisket on a Pellet Grill?

The difference between a well-smoked brisket and one that isn't is the type of smoker you use. Compared to other smokers, such as gas or charcoal, using a pellet grill to smoke your brisket is more flavorful and helpful. 

It might be hard to maintain a steady temperature with a gas or charcoal smoker, but a pellet unit comes with a remote control that enables you to adjust or preset the grilling temperature. This makes the pellet safer, more convenient, and a determinant of having a perfectly smoked brisket. 

Ingredients You'll Need

The secret of a well-smoked, juicy, and delicious brisket is in the recipe. To make a delicious brisket, you'll need the following pellet grill brisket recipe:

• Brisket injection marinade 
• Pickle juice 
• Beef rub
• 16-18 pounds of uncured beef 
• 1-2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper (depending on how much pepper you take, you can adjust this to suit your taste)
• Two tablespoons of onion powder or garlic 
• Two tablespoons of ground oregano
• 2¼ tablespoons of chili powder
• Four tablespoons of coarsely grounded black pepper 
• Half cup of paprika
• Two tablespoons of ground coriander 
• Half cup of brown sugar 
• Four spoons of ground cumin 
• 2¼ tablespoons of coarse sea salt 

How to Make a Perfectly Smoked Brisket

Rub

Rubs are ingredients you add to a brisket 1-3 hours before smoking it. Most BBQ Pitmasters prefer SPG (Salt, Pepper, Garlic). 

There are different ratios by which you can add the SPG rub to your brisket. Some prefer to do four parts salt, two parts garlic powder, and 1 part pepper. Other pitmasters do 4 parts salt, two parts pepper, and 1 part pepper. 

Marinade

A marinade contains a flavorful liquid that you can inject into several brisket spots using a marinade injector. Depending on your preference, it can have different ingredients such as beef broth, soy sauce, onion powder, brown sugar, etc.

These ingredients give your brisket a robust flavor and make it juicy. It would be best to inject your brisket slices 6-12 hours before cooking.

Spritz 

Another flavoring agent, besides the marinade, is the BBQ spritz. You can use it to moisten your brisket when the bark is set. Usually, it comprises simple liquids such as pickle juice, apple juice, beef broth, and apple cider vinegar which you can apply with a spray bottle. You can also add a nutty flavor by using pecan wood.

Steps to Make a Smoked Brisket on a Pellet Grill.

#1: Make Your Brisket Injection Marinade

Before anything else, make sure that you have trimmed all the unattractive edge meat of your full packer brisket, including its fat cap.

Afterward, get your marinade ingredients ready. Mix the marinade ingredients of choice in a large bowl and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes. 

After that, draw up some of the liquid marinades and inject them slowly into the beef brisket at several spots. Clean all spillages, wrap the brisket in plastic wrap, then place it in the refrigerator for 6-10 hours.

#2: Rub the Brisket 

After 6-10 hours:

1. Remove the wrapped brisket from the refrigerator.
2. Leave it for a while to return to room temp to help the fiber and muscles relax.
3. After that, apply your SPG rub, leave for 3 hours, then cook. You can cook your perfectly tender brisket using a brisket pellet grill, charcoal, or gas grill.

#3: Grill the Brisket 

To cook brisket perfectly in a quality pellet grill, you will need about 30-60 minutes per pound of meat at 205F-225F. To start, load the wood pellets of your choice on the grill. Once your brisket reaches an internal temp of 200F-205F, it is ready. 

 

Remove the brisket from the grill and allow the grill temperature to cool. Once the temperature stabilizes, place the brisket back into the grill, cooking fat side down for 3 hours. 

After 3 hours in the pellet smoker, the brisket drips and forms a bark that may become dry while cooking. Spritz if dry, increase the grill temp to 250F, and allow to cook for another 3 hours. Use the brisket drippings from the brisket as a marinade or dipping sauce.

#4: Remove and Wrap

Once the grill's internal temperature reaches 165F, it is time to remove and wrap the whole brisket. Wrapping is a good way of completing the cooking process.

You can wrap brisket in aluminum foil or butcher paper. Preferably, go for butcher paper. It will help hold the brisket shape and leave the bark intact.

#5: Cook Again

Once you wrap the brisket in an aluminum foil, place it back into the grill grate with the fat side down, and allow it to cook for another 4 hours until the temperature is between 200F-210F. At this stage, we consider your perfectly juicy brisket ready. 

Remove the foiled brisket from the grill, place it on a cutting board, then cover it and the board to allow the tender meat rest for at least an hour before serving.

#6: Serve Smoked Brisket

Everything goes with a well-smoked pellet grill brisket.

You can decide to serve the juicy meat with your favorite BBQ side dishes such as Moist Buttermilk Cornbread, Jalapeno, BBQ sauce [1], Crispy Air Fryer French fries, or Wild Brown Rice. Once done serving, you can keep the leftover brisket in the refrigerator.

FAQ

1. How long does it take to smoke a brisket in a pellet?

All things being equal, a brisket can take anywhere around 45-60 minutes per meat pound at 225F or about 8-12 hours to smoke in a pellet unit.

2. Do you flip a brisket while smoking?

Yes, it would be best to flip your brisket at least once while cooking on a drip pan. Smoking brisket this way helps make the air in the smoker even and prevents the brisket from drying up. 

Conclusion 

Meaty, savory, crispy, and every other good word describes the taste of a well-smoked brisket. You'll have no problem cooking brisket to perfection with our expert smoked brisket recipe. Enjoy!