A basic guide for how to grill brisket on a gas grill with a rub and barbecue sauce recipe. This recipe was originally posted on June 29, 2016.
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Do you want to know how to grill brisket? The first time I grilled brisket I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I don’t own a smoker (yet). I do own a gas grill which I very much enjoy grilling on and creating new recipes with. Smoked beef brisket is something we would always order from popular local BBQ joints. But now if I want to I can grill my own. So here is my hopefully informative post on how to grill brisket on a gas grill.
I had several sources of help for this tutorial. Back in 2016 this was a sponsored post on behalf of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix and Dry Rub from Kroger. But that was several years ago and since then this post for how to grill brisket has become my most popular in terms of organic search visits thanks to Google. So I decided to revamp the post and recipe to reflect my grilling abilities and make it more my own to reflect my blog and business.
I found my guide for grilling brisket HERE but I changed a few steps. After letting the brisket warm up a bit out of the fridge and sit with the dry rub I grilled it just a bit directly over low heat to get that crispy exterior going. Then I transferred the brisket to a (grill safe) foil pan to keep it cooking low and slow before basting it toward the end of grilling time with my recipe for Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce. Let me emphasize that this recipe is for those who are new to grilling brisket and do not own a smoker (like me). This is not a recipe for more experienced barbecue enthusiasts!
Tips for How to Grill Brisket on a Gas Grill:
- Everything for this recipe should be able to be purchased at your local grocery – no fancy equipment or ingredients required
- I used foil pans similar to these
- By turning my Weber gas grill to LOW heat on one half and OFF on the other half I was able to maintain a temperature of about 300 degrees for the entire grilling process
- I always use a digital thermometer like this one to check the internal temperature of my grilled meats
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How to Grill Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 3 - pound brisket
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 grill safe foil pans
- 2 cups hickory wood chips
Instructions
- Whisk together the sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Rub the outside of the brisket evenly with the rub. Allow the rubbed brisket to sit on a cutting board on the counter for 30 minutes.
- Pour the wood chips in one of the foil pans and add enough water to just cover the chips. Cover with foil and cut slits in the foil to allow smoke to escape.
- Light your grill and scrape the grates clean.
- Turn the burners on one half of the grill off. Keep the burners on the other half set to LOW heat.
- Place the brisket directly on the lit side of the grill, fatty side up and grill for about 5 minutes. Turn the brisket over and grill for 5 minutes more.
- Place the brisket into the remaining, clean foil pan (fat side up) and move it to the unlit side of the grill. Place the covered foil pan with the wood chips in it on the lit side of the grill and close the grill.
- Allow the brisket to cook for approximately three hours. You want your grill temperature to remain at about 300 degrees which can be achieved by adjusting the grill vents. With my gas grill keeping one side lit on low and one side off, plus opening the vents, kept it at this temperature.
- In about the final 30 minutes of grilling time, turn the brisket over so the fat side is down next to the foil and baste the non-fatty side of the brisket with your favorite barbecue sauce. I have linked to my favorite barbecue sauce in this post if you would like the recipe for Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce.
- Remove the brisket from the grill and baste again. Allow to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
SNK Social Fame says
Very well written post you share here valuable information you will be share with us, it’s really helpful for me I like to read this article.
Susie says
I see a lot of pissing and moaning about brisket where ever you’re from is the best. Good for you all.
I have a question, do you leave the brisket UNCOVERED for the whole 3 hours? I wasn’t sure. I read about someone else wrapping theirs.
Thanks for the follow up. Don’t listen to the Debbie Downers.
Susie
foodtasticmom says
I appreciate your positive comment. I’ll admit, out of over 800 recipes that I have created, brisket is not one that I would have expected to end up on page one of Google. I am definitely more an expert with my air fryer, or slow cooker. I enjoy grilling. If I were to pick one of my grilling recipes to really show off it would be this one – https://www.foodtasticmom.com/bourbon-brined-pork
Some of the negative comments that I’ve received – they’ve been hard to take. I did not set out for this brisket recipe to rank so well. There are so many other bloggers and backyard grillers and smokers that should be consulted about brisket, instead of me. But, here we are.
Anyway, yes, I left mine uncovered for the whole 3 hours. But I think I’d listen to those saying they wrapped theirs. 🙂 Good luck!
RobQ says
Thanks for the recipe; this gave me some ideas. I have a Weber smoker at my cabin at the lake but my home is in the city and I can’t use a real smoker here.
I’ve done several on my gas grill now, and here are some suggestions:
Make sure you apply the rub at least 24 hours before cooking. Longer is better.
Use kosher or sea salt, not table salt. No sugar in the rub. I also add a little ancho chili.
No BBQ suce. None. Never.
No sear over direct heat at the beginning is necessary.
I get the grill very hot with the smoker chips on but the meat off. Once it starts to smoke, I turn the gas way down and then put the meat on. That way I get the smoke flavour into the meat early in the cooking process (just like on the weber smoker)
I have tried using a drip pan filled with water under the meat, with a grate on top, but that seems to dry out the meat; too much fat escapes. So I put it right in the foil pan as you suggest.
I have had much better luck with a much lower temperature than you suggest (I shoot for about 210 for most of the cooking process)
Once the meat hits about 150, I double wrap in tinfoil (“texas crutch”) and cook until it hits about 200. This can be done in the oven, to save propane and get better control of cooking temperature.
When done I wrap in towels and put in a cooler for at least 90 minutes to hold it at that temperature and allow the juices to redistribute.
RobQ says
Also, don’t bother soaking the chips. All that does is delay the smoke until the water has evaporated.
Jerrell says
Had to try this out. Made a few personal tweaks, but the brisket turned out GREAT. I chose not to add sauce, also I wrapped my brisket in foil when I removed it from the direct heat. Thanks for posting!
foodtasticmom says
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Frank V says
Quick Q: what should the interval temp of the meat be when done?
foodtasticmom says
Internal temperature should be 195 degrees F. And may rise 10 more degrees after it is take off the heat.
Tampa Brisket Noob says
I added
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
added 1 cup beef broth to the pan
I did not add BBQ at any point.
I cooked my brisket for 4 hours
I sliced it into 1/4 inch pieces. It was very chewy but not dry. I put half in the oven with more beef broth at 300 degrees to see what happened, and the other half in to a pressure cooker for 30 minutes with one onion cut into quarters…
The pressure cooker brisket turned into the most magical meat I have ever eaten! Needless to say, when my wife asked me for more and the children were licking their plates, I turned to the oven brisket to see where we were… Chewy but moist… Into the pressure cooker it went for 30 minutes! Now it’s juicy too!
foodtasticmom says
Had no idea a pressure cooker could be useful for tenderizing meat. Thanks for sharing.
Joseph says
I don’t care if you cook it in a toaster oven if it tastes good. I guess I grew up that way… never questioning the “how,” just thankful for the good food!
Katie Komloske says
Trying this next week for the 4th…thank you for the recipe and making it so easy to understand and follow. The comment thread, while hilarious at times, was actually very helpful so big thanks to the trailblazers that tried this and gave some tips…can’t wait, I’ll try to remember to take some pics! Happy 4th!!
Edward Greenberg says
This was a great recipe. Very easy to follow for a first timer. And the meat came out delicious. Real smoked flavor. Wouldn’t call myself a connoseur but I know what I like. Everyone in the family enjoyed it. Thanks.
foodtasticmom says
You’re very welcome. Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment!
Miles says
I’m doing a variation of this for passover right now. I have a tiny grill (Webber Q) and I’m cooking a 12lb brisket. I make a pan out of tinfoil and cover about 90% grill with it and make a packet of wood chips and throw those on top of part of the burner. I try to keep the temp at about 250 for 5ish hours with an oven thermometer on top of the brisket to monitor the temp.
Last year it was awesome, juicy and soft inside with a beautiful smoke ring and a crispy bark. I really didn’t think I could get this kind of result from a small gas grill but everyone told me it was some of the best brisket they’d ever had. Gas grill haters can put it where the sun don’t shine.
Fingers crossed it will be so good again.
foodtasticmom says
Thank you for sharing. Really glad this recipe is providing a great foundation for success! Fingers crossed…
RobQ says
Great recipe; thanks. I do own a smoker at my summer cabin but live in a densely populated part of the city the rest of the year so need to find ways to do things with gas that approximate the smoker, at least as much as I can. The ideas in this recipe get me a lot of the way there.
I have done 4 briskets this way and have a couple suggestions to make it even better:
– stuff a couple of garlic cloves inside the rolled brisket before cooking
– sear it on higher temperature than “low” at the beginning. Sometimes I do it on a cast iron pan on the stovetop and that has yielded excellent results, and the rub survives the searing process better there than on the grill (where some of it will burn off)
– place the meat on a small grate or frame inside the foil tray, with a little water under it; replicates the moisture you get from the water pan/bowl that’s under the meat in a Weber hot-smoker.
– cook at lower than 300; More like the 225-250 range that you target on a Weber bullet smoker, and for longer than 3 hours; more like 5
– I use Bradley Smoker pucks, mesquite, right on the grill, instead of soaked wood chips; you get a much more intense and natural smoked flavour and they burn nice and slow
– I’ve had luck covering the brisket tray entirely with tinfoil four the final half of the cooking time, (once the smoke has done its job,) to help keep it juicy.
foodtasticmom says
This is so helpful. Thank you for taking the time to share all of your tips!
Katir says
I guess I’m an abomination hahaha!!! I cook my brisket this way because I don’t own a smoker but I have one grill that’s old, so I let it get super smokey with old wood from my apple tree, dried lavender, and sage. (abomination lol) BUT I have never tasted a better brisket, and yes I’ve been to Texas. It’s not the “how” it’s the “what” and the LOVE you put in your cooking!
foodtasticmom says
Love this. Thanks so much for the positivity! I really appreciate it 🙂
Lisa kaufman says
Can I slice and freeze it? Thanks! Making it right now for Rosh Hashanah. Figured with the holiday so early, I would try it bbq. If anyone needs a great recipe that’s cooked in the oven, let me know. I have one!
foodtasticmom says
I have not tried freezing it, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Let us know how it works if you freeze it! Feel free to share your oven recipe in the comments 🙂
Dave Cook says
I understand that not everyone can afford a smoker, but brisket should be done low and slow if you want it done properly. What I would recommend (as kind of a happy medium) is setting your grill no higher than 250, and cooking to an internal temp of 203 to 210. For the smoke flavor you can pick up a smoke tube for 20 bucks or less online that you can use to add that smoke flavor. I would rest it for at least 30 minutes and let the “customer” add sauce to their preference. Be creative and play “mad scientist” with the rub. Not everything has to have a mass produced seasoning blend. Grill/smoke on!
foodtasticmom says
Well, this recipe does instruct to cook low and slow. And I do provide a recipe for seasoning. Nothing mass produced here. I totally agree that everyone should play “mad scientist” with rubs and sauce to suit their own taste preference. I don’t mind if my recipes are altered in that way at all. Thanks for the tip about the smoke tube. I didn’t know those existed!