BBQ Brisket
BBQ Brisket is one of those awesome Texas recipes I can never get enough of. I could eat this meat regularly. It’s served at any decent BBQ restaurant in Texas. Many restaurants will even serve it to you by the pound. Drench it in BBQ sauce and you’re good to go! This 5-ingredient recipe is something special. It’s also incredibly easy. The only labor intensive part is cutting down the meat after it cooks. (My husband’s job). As a general rule, we allow one hour per pound of meat and cook at 200 degrees. Briskets are ideal to cook the night before you need them.
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BBQ Brisket is my comfort food meal. Add some Potato Salad, The Best Deviled Eggs, Southern Baked Beans with Pineapple (Bacon & French-Fried Onions) and Maple Bacon Stuffed Jalapenos and I’m a very happy camper. This BBQ Brisket recipe is so amazing and succulent. Moreover, anyone who tries John’s delicious brisket loves it, too. We marinate it in a special sauce, then cook it over low heat (usually overnight). Then after cutting it all down we add a 50-50 mixture of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce or Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce and water and reheat before serving. It is fabulous!
I first got this recipe from Kathy Waite, our dear pastor’s wife. We were members of Southwest Baptist Church in DeSoto, Texas, back in the late 90s. She was a young mom with small children while I had teenagers at the time. I was fortunate enough to collect several fabulous recipes from Kathy. We both loved to cook and both of us entertained a good deal. She made this one time for a church barbecue. We stopped making brisket the way we had been, and started making it this way instead. You just can’t beat this recipe.
For those of you from the northern parts of our country, we don’t use corned beef brisket. Ugh. Sorry! I really don’t like that stuff. Here in Texas the meat markets and grocery stores carry beef brisket that has not been cured that way.
It is wonderfully tender because you slow cook it or smoke it in a smoker for hours first. Then after cutting off all the fat you cut the meat down and slather it with a tasty barbecue sauce. We had never eaten brisket before moving to Texas. We didn’t know what we were missing. BBQ brisket is one of the most delicious ways to prepare brisket and so much tastier than corned beef brisket, in my opinion.
If you want to make this recipe gluten free, then you’ll need to find a gluten free soy sauce, a gluten free Worcestershire sauce and a gluten free BBQ sauce. Specialty stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market and Sprouts usually carry these products.
I first made this recipe in October 2012. BBQ Brisket has always been one of our go-to meats when we have parties at our home. Yesterday, for our Memorial Day weekend Pool Party Blast (2014), I served up BBQ Brisket to a houseful of company. Yum. It’s so tender and delicious.
This recipe is even gluten free without the barbecue sauce. It’s hard to find BBQ sauces that doesn’t have wheat used as a thickener, but there are a few. Or, you make your own from scratch. I’ve updated some of the presentation pictures to better reflect this juicy, delectable meat dish. I hope you enjoy them.
Yes, we love our BBQ Brisket. I recently remade this recipe again (May 2018) for Memorial Day. We actually cooked off three briskets. One had the fat flap on top and the other two had been trimmed down. I highly recommend you get the briskets with the fat flap (or the point). When you cook them fat-side-up, the fat cooks down into the meat and makes it especially tender. When you don’t have that flap of fat, the briskets can be tougher.
The recipe is pretty basic. It’s best if you poke the meat with a fork and marinate the brisket in the marinade overnight if possible. I generally cook these overnight. Then the next day we cut them down. For our party, we did this a couple of days ahead of time and then reheated the meat in a 300 degree oven for about an hour to warm up the meat. We mix whatever BBQ sauce we use 50-50 with water. Then pour the sauce over top and also serve BBQ sauce on the side for those who want more. (I put the sauce on the meat before refrigerating and reheating so the meat doesn’t dry out).
I’ve updated the pictures showing how we cut down the meat, too. This will help anyone who’s never cooked a brisket before. We separate the top flap (point) from the main brisket (flat). Then we cut off all the fat before slicing down the meat in slices. As a general rule, one large brisket will serve 20-25 people easily–especially when you’re serving other food. Yes, add Bacon Potato Salad, Southern Baked Beans with Pineapple (Bacon and French-Fried Onions), deviled eggs and Maple Bacon Stuffed Jalapenos and you have a meal made in heaven.
BBQ Brisket is a fabulous beef main dish.
Every bite is mouthwatering and delicious.
BBQ Brisket is terrific served with Bacon Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs, and Southern Baked Beans with Pineapple (Bacon and French-Fried Onions). It didn’t hurt to have Maple Bacon Stuffed Jalapenos as well. Yum.
After cooking the brisket and cutting it down into slices, we pour a 50-50 mix of BBQ sauce and water over top of the meat, then reheat it for a few minutes before serving.
Here’s what we did.
I used these ingredients, plus two other briskets. All of these ingredients were gluten free including the BBQ sauce. But if you’re looking for gluten free you have to be careful, most BBQ sauces, worcestershire sauces and soy sauces are NOT gluten free.
Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and liquid smoke in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Place the brisket on a large bread board. Using a large pronged fork, pierce through the meat on both sides really well. Keep doing it until you get the surface area well covered with holes. The marinade needs to soak into the brisket, so if you only do a few it won’t come out as tasty. You may need to do 75-100 piercings on each side! Do not cut so deeply that you score the pan and it drains down into your oven, however!
Do not try to do this in the foil pan you cook the brisket in or it will put holes in the bottom of the pan and you’ll have dripping in the oven!
Turn the meat over and pierce the other side with a fork.
Place the meat in a aluminum roaster pan. (I placed parchment paper on the bottom). Pour sauce slowly over meat in pan.
Rub the marinade into the meat with your hands. Then turn the brisket over so the fat side is facing up. Cover, refrigerate and allow the sauce to soak into the meat for about 24 hours. Turn brisket over several times in the marinade while being refrigerated.
Cook the brisket fat side up, covered with foil for the entire baking time.
Most briskets weigh about 12-13 lbs. As a general guide, cook the brisket at 200 degrees about 1 hour for every pound of meat. Don’t undercook. If you are cooking multiple things in the oven like we were, it will take even longer. These took 18-20 hours of cooking. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
If you look in the pan you will see that all that fat has now melted into oil. Pour the oil off in an old milk jug and dispose in the trash. You do not want this stuff going down the drain. Oil and fat clogs sewer and septic systems.
Remove brisket from foil pan and place on cookie sheet. First cut the top fat flap or “point” off the main brisket or “flat.”
You need a really sharp knife or an electric knife.
Trim off all the fat.
The bottom part of the brisket is known as the “flat” and the part in John’s hand is known as the “point.”
Trim off all the fat on the “point” section.
Slice down the meat from the point.
Cut the fat off the “flat” part of the brisket.
The meat will have a lot of fat that has to be trimmed off.
The original length of the brisket pieces will be about the length of a hand. However, we prefer to cut them into smaller pieces to serve.
Dilute BBQ sauce 50-50 with water. Then pour BBQ sauce over top of the meat to saturate it.
If you’re going to serve immediately, just cover with foil and briefly reheat. Otherwise, you can wrap the dish in foil and refrigerate for 24 hours. Reheat in a 300 degree oven for about an hour or until heated through.
This was the fat pile after three briskets.
Each brisket serves about 20-25 people (depending on how much food is being served with it. This is great for potlucks, barbecues, or family reunions). Here’s what it looks like without BBQ sauce added. (It’s tender and delicious this way, too)
BBQ Brisket is relatively easy to make once you learn how to cut it down.
Here in Texas, everyone loves to eat BBQ Brisket for summer holidays when they’re entertaining lots of family and friends.
Add some my best ever Deviled Eggs, Bacon Potato Salad, Southern Baked Beans and Maple Bacon Stuffed Jalapenos and you have a meal to die for. 🙂
If you prefer, you can drizzle the BBQ sauce over individual servings.
Here’s the recipe.
BBQ BRISKET
(Recipe given to me by Kathy Waite, when we attended Southwest Baptist Church, DeSoto, TX)
BBQ Brisket
Equipment
- 1 large cooking fork to prick the meat
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 electric carving knife (easier than a regular knife)
- 1 10x15" glass baking dish
- 2 small bowls
- 2 wooden spoons
- 1 aluminum foil
- 1 meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 12-15 lb. beef brisket NOT corned beef brisket
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins makes a gluten free sauce)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (San-J makes a Tamari low sodium gluten free sauce)
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke
- 1 bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce (Heinz now makes a gluten free BBQ sauce)
- water as needed
Instructions
- Use equal parts of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and liquid smoke.
- Usually ¼ cup of each will work.
- Prick meat thoroughly with a fork on both sides.
- Pour marinade over meat.
- Work the sauce into the meat with your hands.
- Marinate 24 hours.
- Baste and turn over meat several times while marinating.
- Bake in large roaster pan, covered with foil, 1 hour per pound at 200°, fat side up, until done.
- Check with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Slice down and place meat in a large 10x15" glass baking dish.
- Combine BBQ sauce with equal amount of water in a small bowl.
- Pour over top of brisket in baking dish.
- Reheat at 300, covered with foil, for about 30 minutes.
- Serve with additional BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 large 12-15 lb. brisket
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- ¼ cup Liquid smoke
- 16-oz. bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce)
- 16-oz. water
- Use equal parts of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and liquid smoke.
- Usually ¼ cup of each will work.
- Prick meat thoroughly with a fork on both sides.
- Pour marinade over meat.
- Marinate 24 hours.
- Bake in pan 1 hour per pound at 200°, fat side up, until done.
- Check with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Slice down.
- Serve with BBQ sauce.
Whenever we’ve made BBQ Brisket everyone wants seconds or thirds and to take home leftovers!
A great Texas favorite. This is a great way to cook up a less tender cut of meat and make it delicious.
I saved this one for you! Yum, yum!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
BBQ Brisket
Equipment
- 1 large cooking fork to prick the meat
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 electric carving knife (easier than a regular knife)
- 1 10×15" glass baking dish
- 2 small bowls
- 2 wooden spoons
- 1 aluminum foil
- 1 meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 12-15 lb. beef brisket NOT corned beef brisket
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins makes a gluten free sauce)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (San-J makes a Tamari low sodium gluten free sauce)
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke
- 1 bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce (Heinz now makes a gluten free BBQ sauce)
- water as needed
Instructions
- Use equal parts of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and liquid smoke.
- Usually ¼ cup of each will work.
- Prick meat thoroughly with a fork on both sides.
- Pour marinade over meat.
- Work the sauce into the meat with your hands.
- Marinate 24 hours.
- Baste and turn over meat several times while marinating.
- Bake in large roaster pan, covered with foil, 1 hour per pound at 200°, fat side up, until done.
- Check with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Slice down and place meat in a large 10×15″ glass baking dish.
- Combine BBQ sauce with equal amount of water in a small bowl.
- Pour over top of brisket in baking dish.
- Reheat at 300, covered with foil, for about 30 minutes.
- Serve with additional BBQ sauce if desired.
17 Comments
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lindsayballen
October 14, 2012 at 9:38 pm
That looks like some tasty BBQ! I would love to try it, but I need to wait for an occasion where I’m cooking for over 20 people haha!
Teresa
October 14, 2012 at 9:57 pm
You know you can make it and freeze it much smaller servings. It freezes well either with or without the BBQ sauce.
Terri at Time To Be Inspired
October 14, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Thanks for your great photos with excellent explanations of each step. I’ve done brisket a few times and it would have been great to have seen this first! I like that you cooked 3. That’s my kind of cooking!
Teresa
October 14, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking the BBQ Brisket.
I don’t think we’ve ever cooked more than 2 at once before. I would suggest you add extra cooking time. We had to put ours back in the oven a few extra hours.
You can cook a lot of this up and then freeze for meals later if you like. You can freeze with or without the BBQ sauce added on top. If you like brisket it’s almost easier to do a bunch of it at once and freeze to have in reserve.
Terri at Time To Be Inspired
October 14, 2012 at 9:15 pm
I made the mistake of following a recipe that cooked the brisket on the bar-b-que and we nearly had to call the fire department. There was so much fire, flame and heat that the front of my stainless steel bar-b-que warped slightly. It was rather scarey to say the least. I think the oven looks like a great alternative!
Teresa
October 14, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Try this sometime. It’s really delicious.
petit4chocolatier
October 14, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Wow Teresa, this looks so good!
Teresa
October 14, 2012 at 7:37 pm
It is SO good. And, if you don’t care for barbecue sauce it is extremely tasty without it, too!