If you’re looking to smoke a brisket, but don’t have the time to commit to a whole brisket, this smoked brisket dish is the perfect recipe for you. It’s full of flavor and ready in just one day, perfect for a weekend BBQ!
What is a Brisket Flat?
A full packer brisket is made up of two muscles, the flat one and the pointy one (also known as the deckle). The point is the fattiest section of the meat. The brisket slices with the tip are often the juiciest. BBQ Burnt Ends usually come from the spot.
The flat is the leanest part of the brisket that is often used for thin slices of meat on sandwiches. Chest flats are often more available and affordable at local stores. They are also easier to cook than a whole brisket and will take much less time to cook.
If you’re not yet ready to smoke a whole Texas-style smoked beef brisket or don’t have a large crowd to feed, a brisket platter is a great place to start.
Smoke a plate of brisket
If you’re craving brisket, but don’t plan on cooking overnightThis smoked brisket recipe is for you.
You don’t have to smoke a whole brisket to enjoy juicy, flavorful brisket. Let’s walk through the steps of cooking a beef brisket dish that will result in a tasty piece of beef that’s ready in less than a day.
Ingredients for this recipe
You don’t need much to smoke flat brisket. A simple seasoning and some tasty liquid for injection will keep the meat moist and flavorful without overpowering the flavor of the meat itself. Here’s what you need to flatten smoked brisket.
For the injection you will need the following:
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
You can purchase my Beef Rub from the Hey Grill Hey Store or you can replace this recipe with equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
How to cut a flat chest
Before injecting and smoking the brisket, cut the meat slightly to infuse it with extra moisture and flavor.
- Trim the top cap of the fat to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
- Remove the tail at the end of the meat if there are any tips left.
- Remove excess fat from the lower breast.
- Straighten your chest.
You can be a little more liberal when removing fat from a brisket dish. We use an injection into this meat, so the fat isn’t as necessary as if you were smoking a whole brisket.
How to smoke a brisket dish
Let’s quickly go over each step needed to prepare this tasty beef. Here’s how to smoke a brisket dish.
- Preheat. Turn on your favorite smoker and preheat it to 275 degrees F. I like to use oak and cherry for my brisket, but you can use whatever wood is your favorite.
- Put in order. Follow the instructions in the previous section to eliminate excess fat from your chest and level it out.
- Inject. Combine the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce in a jar. Usage a meat injector to inject the liquid evenly into the meat.
- Season. Sprinkle Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub evenly over meat. If you don’t have Beef Rub on hand, you can use equal parts coarse kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and garlic powder. Unlike my full brisket process, you don’t need to use a layer of yellow mustard on this meat before adding the seasoning. This meat is very moist after injection.
- Smoke. Place the brisket on the smoker. On my pellet grill, I placed the brisket fat side down. Close the lid and smoke for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat reaches 165 degrees F.
- Wrap. Place the brisket on a large sheet of butcher paper. Drizzle meat with melted beef tallow or clarified butter (ghee) and wrap tightly. Return the meat to the smoker.
- Finish smoking. Continue smoking until the flat of the brisket reaches a temperature of 200 degrees F.
- Rest. Remove the meat from the smoker. Rest 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Slice. Cut the meat against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Serve. Place your delicious meat on a platter and enjoy!
How long to smoke flat brisket
It takes about 6-8 hours to smoke flat brisket.
This time varies depending on the thickness and size of the brisket, the consistency of the heat on the smoker, and other factors as well. Time is not an accurate measurement for determining when meat is cooked. Use a instead Instant read meat thermometerand continue smoking until the apartment reaches an internal temperature of approximately 200 degrees F.
More brisket recipes
Now that you’ve made this smoked brisket dish recipe, you’re ready to try some other great brisket recipes from Hey Grill Hey! Check out some popular ones (where you can use this chest!) below:
Flat recipe with smoked brisket
Ready to tackle a whole chest? Join my members-only group The grill team to access my Brisket Pitmaster Class (and so much more!) to increase your confidence in all things barbecue. Together we can help you prepare a better barbecue, feed the people you love, and become a backyard barbecue hero!
Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F using your favorite hardwood. My favorite combination for brisket is an equal mix of oak and cherry.
Slice the brisket flat. Use a sharp knife to cut off most of the fat cap from the top of the brisket and all of the silver skin from the bottom of the brisket.
Inject the liquid into the meat. In a jar, combine the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Use a meat injector to distribute the injection every 2 to 3 inches across the entire brisket.
Season. Sprinkle Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub equally on all sides of brisket.
Smoke the brisket. Place the brisket on the smoker, close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F.
Wrap. Remove the meat to a large sheet of butcher paper. Sprinkle the brisket with 1/4 cup melted beef tallow and wrap it tightly, folding it as you wrap it to make sure there are no large air pockets or pieces of brisket exposed.
Continue smoking. Place the wrapped brisket back in the smoker, close the lid, and continue smoking at 275 degrees F for about 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is very tender. The thermometer probe should slide in and out as if it were softened butter and will probably read about 200 degrees F.
Rest. Remove the smoked brisket from the smoker to a baking sheet and let it rest for at least 45 minutes or up to an hour.
Cut and serve. Once the meat is well rested, open the paper and cut it against the grain. I like to shoot for slices about 1/4 inch thick. Serve with barbecue sauce, pickles, peppers and other tasty garnishes.
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 1G | Protein: 1G | Fat: 7G | Saturated fat: 3G | Polyunsaturated fats: 1G | Monounsaturated fats: 3G | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 3663mg | Potassium: 91mg | Sugar: 1G | Vitamin A: 3UI | Vitamin C: 1mg | Soccer: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in September 2022, but recently updated it with additional information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
