If you’re planning to smoke a brisket, the Big Green Egg is your best ally. The Large and XL models offer the most room to maneuver, but the Medium Egg can still pull it off if you’re willing to trim the brisket down and get creative with placement. 

Start with high-quality fuel: only use 100% natural lump charcoal. It burns cleaner, hotter, and longer than anything else. Add a few wood chunks to coax out that deep, smoky flavor.

Here’s what else you’ll want on deck:

• Drip pan  – Helps catch rendered fat and keeps flare-ups at bay.
• Wireless meat thermometer – Monitor your temps without lifting the lid. 
• Butcher paper – Helps push the brisket through the stall without sacrificing that bark.
• Heat-resistant gloves – Protects your bare hands from that hot, delicious brisket
• Sturdy tongs, a sharp knife, and a solid cutting board – Brisket deserves to be sliced with precision and respect.

Pitmaster tip: Best wood for brisket? Post oak is the gold standard, but white oak, hickory, or a touch of pecan will get the job done.

Not all briskets are created equal. What you’re looking for is marbling: those fine veins of fat running through the meat that keep your brisket juicy through the long haul. If the brisket’s wrapped up tight in packaging, check the USDA grade on the label. From lowest to highest, you’ve got select, choice, and prime. Prime has the richest marbling and makes for the most forgiving cook.

As for the cut, go for the full packer brisket when possible. That means you’re getting both the flat and the point in one glorious slab. The flat is leaner, slices up nicely, and impresses at the dinner table. The point is the juicy, fattier end that proves flavor beats form.

A good rule of thumb? Plan on about half a pound of cooked brisket per adult.

Pitmaster tip: Ask your butcher for a USDA Prime packer cut. It’s worth the extra few bucks.

Smoking a great brisket starts with proper prep. Grab a sharp knife and trim the hard fat, the thick, waxy stuff that won’t render no matter how long you smoke it. You’re aiming for function: remove anything that’ll block seasoning or throw off the bark.

You’ll also want to square up the edges, since those thin, scraggly bits tend to dry out. As for the fat cap, don’t go too wild. That fat’s not just for flavor, it also helps shield the meat during the long hours on the Egg.

Pitmaster tip: Leave about ¼ to ½ inch of thickness on the fat cap. 

Don’t be shy when it comes to seasoning your brisket. This isn’t a dainty dish, so apply a generous layer of rub that will crust nicely. A binder like mustard helps the rub stick, but it isn’t necessary. Let it sit for 12 to 24 hours if you can. That rest time lets the salt do its job, drawing flavor deep into the meat.

Want to go a step further? Inject the brisket with beef stock for added moisture. 

Looking for a shortcut? Check out Big Green Egg’s signature rubs and our smoked brisket recipe.

Before you fire up your Big Green Egg to smoke that brisket, you’ll want to take a minute to get prepared. Start by clearing out any old ash from the firebox, and give the remaining coals a stir so any ash can be cleared out. Then, top off the firebox with a fresh batch of natural lump charcoal.

For the best temperature control, you’ll want to light your Egg in just one spot (the middle) and surround the flame with chunks of smoking wood. From here, the fire will slowly spread, igniting the chunks during the cook. Once you add the convEGGtor, you can’t add any more smoking wood.

Next, insert your convEGGtor to create a barrier between the fire and your brisket. You’re after indirect heat here. Drop in a drip pan to catch the fat and keep flare-ups at bay, then place your cooking grate on top.

Dial in your dome temperature between 225°F and 250°F (107 - 121°C) - that’s the brisket sweet spot. Just before your meat hits the grate, toss in a few chunks of wood to get that smoky brisket flavor. 

Once you’ve placed your brisket on the Big Green Egg, close the lid and embrace the wait. Maintain a dome temperature of 225–250°F, and let the meat ride for 6 to 8 hours, or until the internal temperature hits around 160°F (71°C). You’ll want to give it time to build a nice bark, because once you wrap your brisket, the bark will stop progressing. 

This is when you hit what’s called the stall. The internal temp will stop climbing and may even drop a little. Don’t panic. Instead, drizzle tallow over the brisket and wrap it in butcher paper to keep the moisture in while still allowing the bark to do its thing. You can buy tallow at the grocery store or make your own with trimmings from the brisket.  

Back on the Egg it goes. Keep it cooking low and steady until your brisket hits a final internal temperature of 203°F (95°C). This is the sweet spot. So slide a probe into the flat, and if it goes in like warm butter, you've just smoked something beautiful.

Pitmaster tip: Some people wrap their brisket in foil during the stall, but butcher paper will give you the most flavorful bark.

You might be tempted to slice into your brisket the moment it comes off the Egg. Don’t. Resting your brisket isn’t optional: this cut needs time for the juices to redistribute. Otherwise, all that flavor you worked for ends up on the cutting board.

The right way to rest a brisket? Wrap it in foil, then a towel, and tuck it into a small cooler that’s just big enough to hold the heat. Let it sit for at least an hour… more if you can. Yes, it’s worth it.

Slicing Tips

After what may feel like the longest hour of your life, it’s time to slice. Start by separating the flat from the point. They’re two different muscles, and they deserve their own approach. Use a long, sharp slicing knife to slice against the grain for both cuts. But pay attention: the grain runs in different directions between the flat and the point. The flat will give you clean, uniform slices. The point is richer and more marbled. It can be sliced and served or turned into delicious burnt ends.

Pitmaster tip: You can rest your brisket for more than an hour, especially if you are looking for truly standout flavor.