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Home » Recipes

The best recipe for Barbecue Brisket {Using A DIY Smoker}

By Karrie on May 18, 2015 | Updated May 6, 2019 | 19 Comments

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I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

So this recipe for barbecue brisket takes HOURS! But would you believe it is one of the easiest things I have made on the grill lately? It may take hours until it is ready to eat, but most of the work is babysitting the grill. This means, sipping on a strawberry lemonade, reading a good book and soaking up some early summer rays. Oh wait, you’re a mom? Yeah, me too…that is enough time to break up about three sibling quarrels, change two dirty diapers, help with a last minute school project and finish up the cupcakes for the bake sale. Throw in one load of dishes and two loads of laundry and we have a very productive, mom-friendly Brisket!

This recipe for barbecue brisket is cooked on the grill. You can choose to use a smoker box for a deeper, smokey flavor or not. If you want to smoke your brisket check out my post on making your own smoker box to put right on the grill. You can put this diy smoker together in seconds and it only costs about $0.75!

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Mix all your spices up in a small bowl. This is enough to cover a small to medium brisket around 2-6 lbs. When choosing a brisket, make sure it is one with a thick layer of fat on one side. This will help keep the meat moist and give it more flavor as it cooks.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Rub the spices onto your brisket in a thick layer and let sit at room temperature while you get your grill ready.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Turn your far left heating element on high, and leave the rest off. Place your diy smoker box over the heating element that is on, and let it heat up until it starts smoking, about 10-15 minutes. Once it is producing smoke, place your brisket on the top rack of your grill to the right. Again refer to this post for detailed instructions. Make sure your brisket it fat side up! This allows the fat juices and flavor the sink down into the meat, instead of just dripping off the bottom.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Between 1 and 2 hours your brisket will start to drip juice. Make sure you have an old pan underneath your brisket to catch the drippings. You will want to use the drippings to brush onto the brisket about every 30 minutes until it is finished. I love using my silicone brush for this! It’s easy to clean and you never have to worry about stray brush hairs in your food! The only time you should be opening your grill is to baste. Work quickly as not to lose too much heat or smoke. Smoke for about 1 1/2 hours per pound.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the meat. Once it is above 160 degrees, you can remove your brisket. However it is suggested to let it come to 185 degrees, it may take a while longer, but the brisket will be much more tender. Remove the brisket from the grill and let rest for at least a half hour before slicing.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

When ready to slice, make sure to use a sharp knife and cut against the grain.

I love happymoneysaver.com for all their tips in saving money, but they have really stepped up their recipe game! This seriously is the best recipe for barbecue brisket and she uses a DIY smoker on the gas grill that she made for 75 cents!

Serve with your favorite sides. No need to be fancy, the brisket speaks for itself! This goes so great with my homemade BBQ sauce!

**Disclaimer: I am by no means a BBQ/smoking expert! This brisket turned out fantastic and our family loved it, however there may be other practices of smoking that work better! Feel free to experiment and research what works best for you. Please share any tips or ideas you may have in the comments below!

Happy Grilling!

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The best recipe for Barbecue Brisket {Using A DIY Smoker}

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword brisket
Servings 5 -8 servings
Print
Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 4 hours hrs
Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
This barbecue brisket is easy to make and something the whole family will love!

Ingredients
 

  • 3-6 lb Brisket fat intact
  • 1/4 cup Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Oregano
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
  • 1 tbsp Salt

Instructions

  • Mix spices together in a bowl and generously rub into the brisket.
  • Place on the grill over indirect heat with a drip pan directly under the meat.
  • After about an hour, start to use the drippings to baste the brisket every half hour.
  • Grill or smoke (if using a smoker box) for 1 1/2 hours per pound of meat, or until internal temperature is between 160 degrees and 185 degrees.

Nutrition

Serving: 17g | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 3012mg | Potassium: 1054mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2675IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 6.8mg

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posted in: Family Favorites, From Scratch, Recipes

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Melissa Brod says

    June 22, 2021

    I’m gonna try this…hope I do good.

    Reply
  2. Robert Bloch says

    July 20, 2020

    At what temp on a gas grill?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      July 27, 2020

      Turn on one heating element to high and leave the rest off. This should produce enough heat to keep your grill between 225 and 250 degrees, which is optimal smoking temperature for most meats.

      Reply
  3. Teresa Hall says

    July 12, 2020

    5 stars
    This was the absolute best recipe ever!! I marinated my brisket for 2 days and the result was picture perfect and so moist with crispy smoked skin on the edges!! Definitely a winner and the DIY homemade smoker was genius!!

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      July 13, 2020

      Wonderful, so happy you loved it!

      Reply
    • Paula says

      May 10, 2022

      Do you have a recipe for the marinade?

      Reply
  4. julie says

    May 8, 2020

    My brisket didn’t produce any drippings not sure why

    Reply
  5. David says

    February 6, 2019

    What temperature should the bbq be?

    Reply
  6. Art Portz says

    August 10, 2018

    I have a master built sportsman elite 225 to 230 oak and Apple chips ,about 4 hours on smoke 3 1/2 covered turned out ausom

    Reply
  7. Jerry Baker says

    July 15, 2018

    5 stars
    DO NOT use the packet. Use the recipe provided. Simple, yet delicious! This came out perfect!

    Thanks, Karrie!

    Reply
  8. François Dagenais says

    October 28, 2016

    IMG_9312.jpeg
    Smoked brisket
    Dear KT
    Thanks for a clear step by step, fool proof recipe!
    Culinary success!
    François
    Québec
    Canada

    Reply
  9. dalia says

    October 20, 2015

    It looks yum! I love the flavor of the spices. I always find a hard time to mix them in the right proportion so what I usually do is get barbecue spice mix from any store outside, usually it is the Horton Spice Mills and get the work done. But I would definitely like to try it out this way. Once again, great blog!

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      October 20, 2015

      Thanks Dalia!

      Reply
  10. pwkemmer says

    May 25, 2015

    Are you using pork or beef?

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      May 25, 2015

      Beef!

      Reply
  11. Nanc says

    May 18, 2015

    Perfect! I just bought a huge beef brisket yesterday! (Had the butcher cut it into 3 big pieces) I’m going to try this, this weekend! Perfect timing! And sounds GOOD!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      May 25, 2015

      5 stars
      Well, Tried this recipe today, along with your directions for the DIY smoker, and YOU NAILED IT!!!! I’m 66 years old, and I think “it’s the bomb” means fantastic! I can’t believe how well the little smoker thing worked! The spice rub, everything was 5 star! Family couldn’t get enough! The “bark” was wonderful, the meat inside, tender and so flavorful!
      Thank you Karrie for a great dinner!!!

      Reply
    • Natasha Carrillo says

      July 5, 2019

      5 stars
      Huuuuge hit! Made this for 4th Of July and everyone loved it! The spice mix was just perfect, and your instructions for DIY smoker box was very helpful! I chopped the burnt ends into one inch pieces and cooked them for about another hour in the drip juices and omg, delicious! Thanks for the great post!

      Reply
      • Karrie says

        July 8, 2019

        So happy you loved it!!!! Yay!!

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