Slow-Smoked Texas Brisket with Black Pepper Rub
A tender, smoky Texas-style brisket dry-rubbed with coarse black pepper and sea salt, slow-smoked to perfection for a flavorful crust and juicy interior. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 620 minutes, pairs beef brisket (whole packer, trimmed), coarse black pepper, kosher salt for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 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
- 5 pounds beef brisket (whole packer, trimmed)
- 3 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups hickory wood chips
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Mix 3 tablespoons coarse black pepper, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder in a bowl to create the dry rub.
- Step 2: Pat dry the 5-pound beef brisket with paper towels and evenly coat all sides with the dry rub, pressing gently to adhere.
- Step 3: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and add 2 cups hickory wood chips for smoke.
- Step 4: Place the brisket fat side up on the smoker grate and smoke for about 6 hours, maintaining temperature and replenishing wood chips as needed.
- Step 5: After 6 hours, wrap the brisket tightly in butcher paper or foil and continue smoking for another 3-4 hours until internal temperature reaches 200°F and the meat is tender.
- Step 6: Remove from smoker and let rest wrapped for 1 hour before slicing against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices to serve.








