Slow-Smoked Beef Brisket with House-Made BBQ Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-27 · Updated 2026-06-27

Tender, slow-smoked beef brisket infused with a smoky rub and served with a tangy, house-made barbecue sauce. This barbecue recipe, ready in about 495 minutes, pairs beef brisket, paprika, brown sugar for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 530 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs beef brisket
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup water

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Combine 2 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, and 1 tbsp chili powder in a bowl to create the rub. Rub this mixture evenly all over the 4 lbs beef brisket, pressing it into the meat.
2. Step 2: Preheat your smoker to 225°F. Place the brisket fat side up on the smoker grate, and smoke for 6-8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 195°F and the meat is tender.
3. Step 3: While the brisket smokes, prepare the barbecue sauce by whisking together 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, 2 tbsp honey, and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Step 4: Remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest for 30 minutes, then slice against the grain. Serve with the warm house-made barbecue sauce drizzled over the slices.