Sous Vide Smoked Brisket – You Won’t Screw it Up

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I love my smoker. I love brisket. I love cooking brisket on my smoker. But there’s a way to get an awesome brisket done way more easily. A sous vide smoked brisket will give you a fantastic brisket with far less effort AND eliminate most of the opportunity for error.

No more waking up in the middle of the night to put on more charcoal or pellets. No more dry brisket and the disappointment that accompanies it.

It’s the method I like to use when I would rather put my time and energy into other things, but still end up with a crowd pleasing brisket. I just cooked a sous vide smoked brisket at our cabin for our family while I spent the day with the kids on the lake.

My sister-in-law texted me a couple days later to tell me my brother-in-law was still talking about how fantastic the brisket was. There is a way to a great low effort brisket!

sliced brisket on a cutting board
Sliced brisket. Notice the pool pf juice in the board’s catch channel.

Sous vide smoked brisket is also a far more forgiving method. I often find flats to be better sized for the group I’m cooking for, but we all know they can dry out rather easily. You’re far less likely to end up with a dry brisket using this method.

Dry brisket sucks. It’s hard to eat and a HUGE disappointment for the guy or gal who put all the time and energy into preparing the brisket. We avoid that disappointing scenario with the recipe below. Get ready for some mouthwatering brisket, the king of smoked meats!

Sous Vide Smoked Brisket Recipe

This recipe is all about simplifying the process of creating that awesome brisket. Weeknight brisket, anyone? And if you have never cooked a brisket before, this is a great place to start. You too can cook that sublime Texas style brisket you love from your favorite BBQ joint. One day, they might nickname you Aaron Franklin.

Brisket folding over a knife when picked up by it. Very tender.
Very tender brisket

Ingredients

  • Brisket (point or flat)
  • Your favorite BBQ rub (I put Butt Rub on everything)

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Closeup of brisket with Butt Rub being shaken all over it.
Me sprinkling Butt Rub on a flat.

Optional Ingredient – For a smoke ring

BBQ fanatics take their smoke rings seriously as a sign of pride. Though the smoke ring has no impact on flavor, add a bit of pink curing salt (no more than 1/2 tsp) for a smoke ring. Be careful not to overdo it.

Alternatively, you could smoke before you sous vide (or smoke both before and after sous vide). You’ll sacrifice some bark if you only smoke before.

Substitutions

If you don’t have any rub handy, you can always use a simple 50/50 salt and pepper mix. Throw in some garlic powder if you have it handy.

Special Equipment Needed

Brisket being cooked in a sous vide water bath. Joule immersion circulator and a 16L Anova container being used.
My sous vide setup for this cook. Using a Joule and 16 L Anova container, which was just large enough for this 8lb flat.

Step-by-Step Directions

  1. Set your sous vide machine to 155°F.
  2. Trim the brisket to your liking (if needed).
  3. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
  4. Season the brisket with your favorite rub and press the rub in.
  5. Vacuum seal the brisket. Seal twice on each side for added safety.
  6. Drop the brisket in and let it cook for the next 30 or so (+/-6) hours.
  7. Remove the bag with brisket and drop it into an ice bath for 30 minutes.
  8. Place the brisket in the fridge, for up to 1 week, until ready to smoke.
  9. Prepare your smoker. I like to use cherry wood. Target 250°F / 121°C.
  10. Take the brisket out of the bag and dry it using paper towel.
  11. Again, season and press in your favorite rub.
  12. Once the smoke is “clean”, smoke the brisket indirect for 2.5 hours, fat cap side up. Optional: Use the brisket drippings from the bag to create steam in the smoker. (e.g. add them to the water bowl of a Weber Smokey Mountain, in a foil pan on the plate setter of a Big Green Egg, etc.). If you have a meat thermometer handy, do not exceed an internal temp on the brisket of 155°F / 68°C (what we originally cooked the brisket to).
  13. Pull from smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
  14. Slice and serve.
Brisket on  a smoker.
The brisket on my Weber Smokey Mountain.

Sous Vide Brisket FAQs

What’s the difference between the brisket point and flat?

The difference between a brisket point and flat when it comes to smoking meat is that the point has more intramuscular fat, which makes it juicy or “moist” and more forgiving when it comes to cooking. The flat is leaner but slices much more cleanly.

Can you sous vide a brisket after smoking?

Yes, you can sous vide a brisket after smoking. I would smoke the brisket for about 2.5 hours, which is about as long as meat absorbs smoke. You should get a bit more smokey flavor when you smoke first at the sacrifice of some proper bark when serving. You could always double smoke, both before and after sous vide, if time affords.

Can you smoke the brisket right after sous vide?

Smoking the brisket right after sous vide would lessen the smokiness of your brisket. Cold meat absorbs smoke better, which is why we refrigerate the brisket after an ice bath to cease cooking.

Expert Tips

The recipe here is straightforward. However, since we’re dealing with a rather large food item, there are a couple equipment considerations worth thinking through before cooking your brisket.

Container

You’ll need a container large enough to handle the brisket you plan on cooking. You’ll also want to make sure it has a lid, given the length of our cook. If you’re all set here, great!

If not, for an affordable DIY solution, you can read my post on modifying a cooler here: DIY Build a Sous Vide Cooler to Cook In.

If you’re not looking to DIY, the container below is a good option that should be able to handle any size brisket:

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Vacuum Sealer

You’re going to need a vacuum sealer for this method. I’m hoping you have one and if you don’t, you find my top choices here: 11 Best Sous Vide Vacuum Sealers.

Assuming you have a vacuum sealer, you may need to buy special bags, depending on the size of the brisket. The cut-off, subject to shape, etc. is around 8lbs for a flat before you need to use a special bag.

Brisket folding over a knife when picked up by it. Very tender.

Sous Vide Smoked Brisket

This recipe works great for all brisket, whether the point or flat. You end up with perfectly juicy and flavorful smoked brisket with WAY less effort than the traditional brisket method on a smoker.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Inactive Cook Time (Sous Vide) 1 day 6 hours
Total Time 1 day 8 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people
Calories 405 kcal

Equipment

  • Sous Vide Cooker
  • Sous Vide Container
  • Vacuum Sealer
  • Vacuum Seal Bags
  • Smoker optional

Ingredients
  

  • 8 lb Brisket Beef
  • Your favorite BBQ rub

Instructions
 

  • Set the sous vide cooker to 155°F / 68°C.
  • Trim the brisket to your liking if needed.
    Trimming brisket on a cutting board with a knife.
  • Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
    Patting the brisket dry with a paper towel.
  • Season the brisket with your favorite rub and press the rub in.
    Sprinkling Butt Rub all over the brisket.
  • Vacuum seal the brisket. Seal twice on each side for added safety.
    Brisket being vacuum sealed by a FoodSaver machine.
  • Drop the brisket in and let it cook for the next 30 or so (+/-6) hours.
    Brisket in sous vide bath.
  • Remove the bag with brisket and drop it into an ice bath for 30 minutes.
  • Place the brisket in the fridge, for up to 1 week, until ready to smoke.
  • Prepare your smoker. I like to use cherry wood. Target 250°F / 121°C.
    Weber Smokey Mountain being set up.
  • Take the brisket out of the bag and dry it using paper towel.
  • Again, season and press in your favorite rub.
  • Once the smoke is "clean", smoke the brisket indirect for 2.5 hours, fat cap side up. Optional: Use the brisket drippings from the bag to create steam in the smoker. (e.g. add them to the water bowl of a Weber Smokey Mountain, in a foil pan on the plate setter of a Big Green Egg, etc.). If you have a meat thermometer handy, do not exceed an internal temp on the brisket of 155°F / 68°C (what we originally cooked the brisket to).
    Sous vide brisket placed on smoker.
  • Pull from smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
    Brisket resting on a cutting board.
  • Slice and serve.
    Slicing brisket with a fork and knife on a cutting board.

Notes

If you don’t have a smoker, you can add a little liquid smoke to the sous vide bag before sealing and finish by searing on a grill, cast iron pan or broiler.
Though the smoke ring has no impact on flavor, if you want a smoke ring, either:
  1. Add a bit of pink curing salt (no more than 1/2 tsp). Be careful not to overdo it.
  2. Smoke before you sous vide (or smoke both before and after sous vide). You’ll sacrifice some bark if you only smoke before.
Substitutions: If you don’t have any rub handy, you can always use a simple 50/50 salt and pepper mix. Throw in some garlic powder if you have it handy.
  
Keyword BBQ, Beef, Brisket

Brisket Sides

Need a side for your sous vide brisket? Try:

Did You Know?

Brisket makes for great beef bacon? If we have you curious, read our beef bacon guide here.

Author

    by
  • Rishi

    Rishi is an avid home chef and the owner-operator of Top Sous Vide. He's been cooking sous vide for over 7 years and loves experimenting with new foods. Whether it's a simple family dinner for his wife and 3 kids or an elaborate meal for a group of friends, his food is always a crowd pleaser!

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