In this easy step by step recipe for Traeger smoked brisket we’ll show you how to cook pellet grill brisket.

A lot of people think smoking brisket is hard. Although it can be a bit challenging to get pellet grill brisket just right, we’ll have you smoking whole packer brisket like a pro just by following these easy steps!

Easy Traeger Smoked Brisket Recipe

While we love the ease of wood pellet grills (Pit Boss and Traeger in particular) you can obviously use whatever grills you have.

1 Dry Brine Whole Packer Brisket with Beef Rub

Cover the whole packer brisket with your Beef Seasoning Rub of choice. We like Meat Church Holy Cow Rub. To make your own try the Recipe Notes below.

Optional – use a binder such as mustard or butter to give the rub something to stick to.

Cover and put in the fridge overnight to take on more flavour.

2 Fire up your Traeger Pellet Grill to 225F

Before you begin prepping the brisket, get your pellet smoker up to 225F (107C). If you have the Super Smoke setting on your grill use it to deliver a little extra smokiness.

Don’t be afraid to use strong wood smoke flavours such as Hickory or Mesquite with beef – it’s not a delicate meat that could be overpowered like pork or chicken.

3 Uncover the Brisket and Place on Grills

You can now uncover the beef brisket, place a meat probe into the middle of the meat and put it directly on the grills.

Smoke it with the lid down until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 160F (71C). This will take around 6 hours, but check the internal temperature to be sure.

4 Wrap the Brisket in Foil

Take the brisket off the grill and wrap it tightly in heavy duty foil or butcher’s paper.

Optional – add a little liquid to the wrap – beer, bourbon, butter or beef broth (stock)

5 Smoke Wrapped Brisket for Another 3-4 Hours

Place the wrapped brisket back in the Traeger smoker for 3-4 hours, but more importantly until the internal temperature reads 203-204F (95-95.5C

6 Rest then Slice and Serve

Let your brisket rest in the foil for around 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute across the meat.

Slice the brisket against the grain (the opposite direction of the way the fat and muscles are pointing).

Recipe Notes

This is one of the best, easy Traeger recipes but you can make it better by personalising it and making your own seasonings and using the best quality brisket.

Homemade Brisket BBQ Dry Rub

• 1 tbsp of coarse sea salt
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)
• 2 tsp of smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Simply combine the spices and seasoning together in a bowl and whisk them to break up any clumps.

TOP TIP – Always use fresh spices for the best flavour. If spices sit too long in your cupboard they can become hard and taste a little bitter.

Texas Style BBQ Brisket Rub

Texas BBQ rubs for beef tend to be a simple but effective blend of salt and pepper, allowing the beef flavours to really come through. Simply combine 1 tablespoon of good quality coarse salt in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of good quality freshly ground black pepper.

Do I have to Use a Traeger?

You can obviously use whatever smoker grill you have, although wood pellet grills are very effective and controllable so you may have to adjust timings as a result.

The recipe will work just as well in a Pit Boss pellet grill, ZGrills, Masterbuilt or other wood pellet smokers.

Brisket Burnt Ends Pellet Grill Recipe

If you want to make the absolute best use of a cut like brisket, use up the crispy burnt bark for brisket burnt ends.

You’ll have to put them back in the smoker for a bit longer in a tray with butter and BBQ sauce, but it’ll all be worth it.

For a great brisket burnt ends recipe try below.

Other Ideas for Smoking Brisket

Related Recipe

• What To Do With Leftover Brisket

FAQ’s About Traeger Smoked Brisket

How Long Does it Take to Cook a Brisket in a Traeger?

It will depend on the temperature you smoke at and the size of the brisket cut. In general, it helps to factor in 1 hour per pound of meat.

If you smoke your brisket at 275F (135C) it could take up to 16 hours for a 16 pound beef brisket.

If you smoke beef brisket at 275F (135C) it will take around 1 hour per pound so a 10 pound brisket will take around 10 hours or so.

If you lower the temperature to 225F (107C) it will take a little longer again, but the more time your beef brisket is exposed to smoke the more flavoursome it will be.

Always make sure you cook to internal temperature instead of timings (which will change each time you smoke meat). Somewhere between 203-205F is the perfect internal temperature range for beef brisket.

Should I Spray my Brisket in the Traeger?

Yes definitely. You can leave it for the first 2-3 hours without spritzing it but after that it’s best to spray it every hour or so to keep it moist.

You have a few options for a spraying liquid – a little butter, apple cider vinegar, a little oil, beef broth/stock or even a mix of these liquids. Some people like to spritz their beef brisket with a beer-based solution, or even a little bourbon. It’s always fun to experiment!

Can you Overcook Brisket in a Traeger?

It’s always possible to overcook meat in any context. As long as the internal temperature of your beef brisket is 203-205F it’s ready to rest and then serve.

Do you Cook Brisket at 180 or 225 on the Traeger?

Smoking beef brisket takes a long time compared to other meats so we would recommend temperatures of 225 and upwards. 180F is too low and will take too long whereas 225F (107C) is the classic sweet spot for low and slow smoking.