Smoked Brisket Sliders Recipe
Dressed with pickles, onions, & bbq sauce
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Ingredients
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Brisket
Sliders & Toppings
Optional Finishing Sauce (Pan Juices)
Method
Brisket
- 1
Trim & Season
Trim excess fat from the brisket, leaving approximately 1/8–1/4 inch fat cap for flavor. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Rub the yellow mustard all over the exterior to help the rub adhere. In a small bowl combine kosher salt, coarse black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Rub the spice mix evenly over all sides of the brisket. Let rest refrigerated for 1–2 hours or at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 2
Prepare Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C). If using a charcoal/gas grill set up for indirect heat and add soaked wood chunks or chips to the coals/foil packet. Place a drip pan under the grill grates where the brisket will sit and add 1 cup apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 cup beef broth (or water) to the pan to maintain moisture and catch drippings.
- 3
Smoke the Brisket
Place brisket fat-side up on the smoker grate away from direct heat. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the flat. Smoke until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (about 4–6 hours depending on size and smoker). Maintain smoker temperature at 220–240°F and replenish wood as needed.
- 4
Wrap (Texas Crutch)
When the brisket stalls (around 150–170°F) or when it reaches 165°F, remove it and wrap tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper with the drip pan juices poured in. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F and it feels probe-tender (probe slides in with little resistance). This typically takes another 2–4 hours.
- 5
Rest
Remove the wrapped brisket from the smoker and let it rest for at least 1 hour in an insulated cooler or oven (turned off). Resting allows juices to redistribute and makes slicing easier.
Finish & Assemble
- 6
Slice & Shred
Unwrap the rested brisket and reserve the juices that collected inside the wrap. Separate the point and flat if desired. Using a sharp slicing knife, slice the brisket across the grain into thin slices (about 1/8–1/4 inch). For sliders, shred or chop some slices into bite-sized pieces so they sit nicely on buns.
- 7
Make Optional Finishing Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup reserved brisket drippings with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire (optional), and 2 tablespoons water or beef broth. Simmer gently 3–5 minutes to meld flavors and adjust seasoning. Strain if desired. Use this to moisten the brisket pieces before assembling sliders.
- 8
- 9
Dress & Assemble
Lightly toss the shredded/chopped brisket with 2–4 tablespoons of barbecue sauce or with the optional finishing sauce to coat (adjust to taste). Place a heaping tablespoon (or more) of brisket on the bottom half of each toasted bun. Top with 2–3 pickle slices and a few thin red onion rings. Drizzle an additional 1 teaspoon barbecue sauce over the meat if desired. Cap with top bun and garnish with chopped parsley if using.
- 10
Serve
Arrange sliders on a platter and serve immediately while warm. Provide extra barbecue sauce, pickles, and napkins. Leftover brisket stores well refrigerated for up to 4 days.