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!
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!
Table of Contents
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.
Ingredients
- Brisket (point or flat)
- Your favorite BBQ rub (I put Butt Rub on everything)
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Optional Ingredient – For a smoke ring
- Prague powder (Pink curing salt)
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
- Sous vide machine (there are a lot of affordable options)
- Large container
- Vacuum sealer
Step-by-Step Directions
- Set your sous vide machine to 155°F.
- Trim the brisket to your liking (if needed).
- Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
- Season the brisket with your favorite rub and press the rub in.
- Vacuum seal the brisket. Seal twice on each side for added safety.
- Drop the brisket in and let it cook for the next 30 or so (+/-6) hours.
- 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.
- 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).
- Pull from smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Sous Vide Brisket FAQs
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.
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.
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:
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.
Sous Vide Smoked Brisket
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.
- Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
- Season the brisket with your favorite rub and press the rub in.
- Vacuum seal the brisket. Seal twice on each side for added safety.
- Drop the brisket in and let it cook for the next 30 or so (+/-6) hours.
- 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.
- 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).
- Pull from smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Add a bit of pink curing salt (no more than 1/2 tsp). Be careful not to overdo it.
- Smoke before you sous vide (or smoke both before and after sous vide). You’ll sacrifice some bark if you only smoke before.
Brisket Sides
Need a side for your sous vide brisket? Try:
- Buttery Sous Vide Corn on the Cob – Fresh or Frozen
- Sous Vide Asparagus: A Bright Taste of Spring
- Sous Vide Broccolini: Tender and Bright, Yet Crisp
Did You Know?
Brisket makes for great beef bacon? If we have you curious, read our beef bacon guide here.