How to Smoke a Brisket Point

Ask any seasoned pitmaster, and they’ll tell you the brisket point is the most delicious part of the brisket.

While smoking a whole brisket is the traditional route, focusing on just the point not only cuts down cook time but also lets you nail the perfect texture without worrying about the lean flat drying out.

Whether you’re after burnt ends, perfectly sliced brisket, or chopped beef for sandwiches, the brisket point delivers unmatched richness and deep smoky flavor

What you can make with smoked brisket point 

1. Sliced Brisket Point – you can slice the brisket point like you would slice the flat or a whole-packer brisket. These slices will have significantly more fat than the flat portion of the brisket but can be some of the most tender sliced brisket you’ve ever had. 

2. Brisket Burnt Ends – another great way to use a smoked brisket flat is to chop it up into cubes and make Brisket Burnt Ends. This process requires a bit more time on the smoker after you’ve added the brisket cubes to a pan with BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and honey. 

3. Chopped Beef – my favorite way to use a smoke brisket flat is to shred it into what’s known as Chopped Beef. Chopped Beef is very popular in Texas and is traditionally used to make chopped beef sandwiches, chopped beef tacos, or as the filling for a Loaded BBQ Baked Potato. 

Ingredients for Smoked Brisket Point:

• Brisket Point – The more marbled and flavorful half of a whole brisket. While you can sometimes find it sold separately, most stores primarily carry the brisket flat. You may need to ask your butcher or purchase a whole-packer brisket and separate the point yourself.
• Yellow Mustard – Helps the seasoning stick without adding strong flavor.
• Coarse Salt & Black Pepper – The classic Texas-style seasoning for a bold, beefy crust. I like to also add a layer of BBQ rub, in this case I used Texas Sweet Heat by HEB.

What Makes the Point Special?

A whole beef brisket comprises two muscles known as the Flat and the Point. While it’s common to smoke a brisket whole with both muscles connected, you can also separate the two muscles and smoke them separately.

The flat will be the leaner muscle in a brisket, typically called the “first cut” or “lean sliced beef.” The point is the fattier muscle of the two, commonly used for Brisket Burnt Ends and Chopped Beef, but it can also be sliced for those who like a fattier slice of brisket. 

If you’re looking for a great way to smoke a brisket flat, check out our Smoked Brisket Flat recipe! 

How to smoke a brisket point

Smoking a brisket point is very similar to smoking a whole-packer brisket or a smoked brisket flat.

The only significant difference is that it will cook faster than the other two, and you also don’t need to wrap the point mid-cook. Wrapping brisket helps to keep the meat moist, but since the brisket point has so much intra-muscular fat, it will stay moist and juicy even without wrapping.

1. Trim the brisket

If you are starting with a whole packer brisket, you must first separate the flat from the point. 

Once you have your brisket flat separated from the point, you can use a knife to trim off any excess fat or thin pieces of meat. You want the point to be fairly uniform in size so that it cooks evenly. 

2. Season 

Coat the point in a thin layer of mustard to act as a binder. You won’t be able to taste the mustard in the final product, but it helps the seasoning stick to the meat more evenly.

When seasoning brisket, I like to start with a base layer of a sweeter seasoning. Brisket is typically savory, but the point has so much fat that it pairs nicely with a blend of sweet and savory spices. For this recipe, I used Texas Sweet Heat by HEB, but any sweet BBQ rub will work great. 

After the base layer of seasoning, you can go over the top with a layer of coarse ground black pepper and Kosher salt. This will help give you a beautiful bark and get that classic, Texas brisket flavor we all know and love. 

Once the brisket point is seasoned, let it rest at room temperature while you fire up the smoker. 

3. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your smoker to 250°F. 

This recipe works on any smoker or pellet grill as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 250°F for at least eight hours. I used my Traeger Ironwood XL pellet grill and the Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ pellets for this recipe. 

4. Smoke your brisket point 

Once your smoker is preheated, you can place the brisket point directly on the grates. Let it smoke for six to eight hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F.

The best way to monitor the temperature of your brisket is to use an instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks ThermaPen. Alternatively, you can use a Bluetooth thermometer like the MEATER Pro to monitor the temperature straight from your phone. 

One great thing about smoking a brisket point is that you don’t need to mess with it during the cooking process. While I like to wrap my whole briskets and brisket flats in butcher paper, the brisket point has enough fat content that it doesn’t need to be wrapped to keep it moist. 

Once the point reaches an internal temperature of 200°F, you can remove it from the smoker and transfer it to an aluminum pan wrapped in foil.

Store it in a dry cooler or Cambro for at least an hour to rest. This will allow the juices in the meat to redistribute and help keep your brisket moist for slicing. 

Whether you’re slicing brisket point up for sandwiches or enjoying burnt ends, I guarantee you’ll enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth bite of beef.

Have you tried smoking a brisket point? If so, please leave a rating and comment below to let us know how your brisket turned out, and feel free to share any personal tips or tweaks.