Southern-Style Smoked Beef Brisket with Caribbean Spice Rub
A tender smoked beef brisket infused with a robust blend of southern regional spices, slow-cooked to juicy perfection. This American-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 500 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 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
- 4 lbs beef brisket
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups apple 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: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and soak 2 cups of apple wood chips in water for 30 minutes.
- Step 2: In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp coarse salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp smoked paprika to create the regional spice rub.
- Step 3: Pat dry 4 lbs beef brisket with paper towels, then rub 2 tbsp vegetable oil evenly over the surface to help the rub adhere.
- Step 4: Generously coat the brisket with the spice rub on all sides, pressing gently so it sticks.
- Step 5: Place the brisket fat side up on the smoker grate, and add the soaked apple wood chips to the smoker box.
- Step 6: Smoke the brisket at 225°F for approximately 8 hours or until internal temperature reaches 195°F, adding wood chips every hour for continuous smoke.
- Step 7: Remove the brisket, wrap tightly in foil, and let rest for 1 hour before slicing thinly against the grain and serving.







