Smoked Brisket Point

Smoked brisket point is the fattiest, most flavorful cut on the whole brisket, and you only need 2 ingredients to make it. A simple Texas-style rub and low and slow smoking on the pellet grill or smoker will give you a perfect brisket point that can be used for sandwiches, nachos, chili, and more.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Resting Time1

Total Time7 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, barbecue

Keyword: how to smoke brisket point, smoked brisket point, smoked point of brisket

Servings: people

Ingredients

5-7 lb brisket point
Texas-style rub

Instructions

Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 250°F with your choice of wood or pellets. Post oak, hickory, or a competition-style blend all work great for beef. *I personally use and recommend Smokin' Pecan pellets made from pecan shells.
Trim the brisket point. Use a sharp knife to remove large sections of the hard, waxy exterior fat. You don't need to be as precise as you would with a whole packer brisket - just focus on trimming away any thick, solid fat that won't render during the cook. Leave the softer fat that runs through the middle of the point in place.
Season the entire brisket point generously with Texas-style BBQ rub. Cover all sides - top, bottom, and edges.
Place the brisket point directly on the smoker grates. Close the lid, and smoke at 250℉ until the internal temperature reaches approximately 165°F, approximately 4-5 hours depending on the size of your brisket and what grill you have.
Remove the brisket point from the smoker and set it on two large sheets of overlapping aluminum foil. Fold and crinkle the sides of the foil up around the bottom half of the brisket, forming a tight boat shape. You're not fully wrapping the brisket - you're creating a foil boat that cradles the bottom of the meat and captures the juices while leaving the top exposed. This keeps the bark intact while helping the brisket power through the stall.
Return the brisket point to the smoker and continue cooking until it's probe tender. Target an internal temperature of 200–205°F, but temperature is just a guideline - probe tenderness is the real indicator. When a probe thermometer slides into the thickest part of the point with zero resistance, like going into warm butter, it's done. This second phase typically takes another 2–3 hours.
Rest the brisket point before slicing or chopping. Remove it from the smoker and allow it to rest, still in the foil boat, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This step is non-negotiable.
Slice, chop, or pull. Then serve.

Notes

Cooking time - The cooking times in this recipe are provided as a guide only. You should always smoke meats to the proper internal temperatures or probe tenderness, NOT to a specific time.
Leftover brisket point - Freeze leftover brisket point and then reheat for a wide range of recipes, from brisket chili to brisket egg rolls to brisket nachos. We prefer to freeze in vacuum bags and reheat by sous vide method.
The "long hold" - You should rest your brisket point for at least 1 full hour. However, we prefer a "long hold" method for many large cuts of smoked meat like brisket and pork butt. For this brisket point, I wrapped the whole piece of beef (still in the foil boat) in plastic wrap. Then I placed it in a countertop oven set to 150°F to keep it at a safe temperature for 6-8 hours, or overnight. With the oven set to 150°F, it keeps the brisket out of the temperature danger zone, but it also doesn't continue to cook. We find that a long hold produces a very tender and juicy brisket.
For the Texas-style rub - Get our Texas rub recipe here: https://pelletsandpits.com/texas-style-rub-recipe/ - This is our go-to rub for smoked brisket and other types of smoked beef recipes.

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