How to grill brisket fast
Have a hankering for brisket, but short on time? Try your hand at this process for making Hot and Fast Brisket on the smoker. It’ll give you that soft and delicious brisket you know and love in half the time!
Hot and Fast Brisket
Hot and fast is a unique way to cook a brisket when you’re short on time. This brisket produces a completely different flavor profile than a low and slow brisket. It produces a super tender, almost steak-like flavor that is ready quickly. The flavor is still awesome, but don’t expect it to taste exactly like brisket.
How to Cook Brisket Hot and Fast
Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat the smoker . With your smoker running at 275 degrees F, I used oak and cherry for this recipe, as it’s my favorite flavor combination for smoked beef brisket. For this particular brisket, I used my drum smoker, but you can use whatever smoker you have in your backyard.
- Trim the Brisket. For instructions on how to trim a brisket, check out my brisket series post on How to Trim a Brisket.
- Slather with yellow mustard. Liberally coat all sides of the brisket with yellow mustard. Keep in mind that the mustard flavor cook out. The acidity and moisture will greatly help with hot and fast application of this brisket. You can also use apple cider vinegar as well.
- Season. For this recipe I highly recommend my Signature Beef Seasoning, but you can also try out my Brisket Rub or keep it simple with equal parts coarse salt, course black pepper, and garlic powder. Season liberally and pat (I actually “slap” the seasoning onto the meat).
- Smoke the brisket. Place your seasoned brisket on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 160-170 degrees F.
- Wrap the brisket. Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil.
- Continue smoking. Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 204-208 degrees F and the thermometer slides into the meat like butter.
- Rest the meat. This is a crucial step, and you only need a fast rest. Keep it in the foil, place a towel on the top, and rest for 1 hour.
- Slice and serve. Separate the point from the flat and slice up the brisket.
While this brisket will not have all the same elements as a traditional low and slow brisket, you’ll find it is still tender, juicy, and delicious.
Tips for Making Hot and Fast Brisket
Hot and fast brisket is a whole different creature, and as such, it requires different handling. Take these tips into consideration before diving into the recipe:
- Place the brisket fat cap down. While I usually smoke brisket with the fat cap up, this hot and fast brisket requires things done a bit different. By placing the brisket flat cap down it will help insulate the brisket and prevent the brisket from turning into jerky in the hotter temperature.
- Use aluminum foil to wrap. Since this is a hot and fast brisket, we’re going to wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil to keep it going nice and fast.
- Go by temp AND feel. Not only do you need to cook the brisket to 204-208 degrees F, but you also need to make sure the meat is nice and soft. Use an instant read meat thermometer to get an accurate internal temp. If the meat doesn’t have that bend and wiggly and the probe doesn’t slide in easily, let it cook longer.