Smoked Brisket with Dry Rub (Paleo/Whole30)

Melt in your mouth Smoked Brisket with Dry Rub made on a Traeger for the perfect juicy and tender brisket. It’s dry rubbed with simple spices and smoked for hours for moist and flavorful beef brisket from a wood pellet grill. Paleo, Whole30, and gluten free.

Last updated on May 21, 2020.

Bring on the warm weather and the BBQs, parties, picnics! Which means it’s time for grilling and smoking! Or if you just want some juicy and tender meat for a delicious weeknight meal, I got ya covered.

This smoked brisket with dry rub is smoked for hours to yield a perfectly juicy on the inside, crispy bark on the outside, piece of brisket.

I will be the first to admit, BBQ isn’t my favorite. I know, how can I say that when I live in Austin, TX?!? When we first moved here 6 years ago, I was so excited to try some. I was living a paleo lifestyle for about a year and was previously a pescatarian. So all the meat was totally my thing.

I really enjoyed it, but turns out it’s not my favorite thing. I can have BBQ a few times a year and be happy. But when I do have it, I want it to be legit.

This smoked brisket totally hits the spot when you need some meat! It’s juicy and tender, moist, and melts in your mouth and fulfills your BBQ cravings.

I love making one on Sunday to have on hand throughout the week for easy meals. Add it to a breakfast hash, stuff it in a sweet potato, or just eat it with a few sides. You really can’t go wrong and it’s a lot cheaper than buying it from your local BBQ place where brisket can be $18-22/pound!

How to make smoked brisket with dry rub

This paleo smoked brisket with dry rub is really quite simple. All you need is a nice piece of brisket, some spices, salt and pepper, ACV, broth, and some patience. First start off by rubbing the brisket with the dry rub mixture and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Then, early the next morning, you start the smoking process. And when I say early, I mean early. We’ve made this a few times and if you wait too long, you won’t be eating dinner until 8-9pm (trust me, it’s happened to us).

We used our Traeger for this Whole30 brisket and makes it so easy. Simply just put your or smoker on smoke, and let it smoke for 4-5 hours. Every 45 minutes to an hour, you will spray it with the ACV and broth mixture to make sure it stays moist.

After it smokes for a handful of hours, you then turn the heat to 225 and cook it for an additional 4-8 hours, or however long depending on how big your piece of meat is. Finally, after it is done cooking, simply let it rest for 30 minute and slice!

You will have a juicy, melt in your mouth, smoked brisket.

For the best smoked brisket with dry rub:

Here are a few of my tips for the best smoked brisket:

• Get a nice piece of meat. Go to your local butcher or nicer grocery store if you can!
• You want the fat! The brisket should be trimmed, but you want the fat cap to make sure it stays juicy and moist while it cooks. We trim it down to about 1/4 inch thick. You can also ask your butcher to do this if it isn’t done already.
• Smoke it with the fat side up so it stays tender.
• For wood smoking, we like hickory or oak pellets.
• Be patient. No, seriously. The first time we made it we weren’t patient, and while it was good, it would of been a lot better if we waited longer.
• Enjoy some beverages while it cooks. Just kidding! But not really haha 😉

Smoked brisket rub (sugar free)

This smoked brisket uses a simple dry rub to give it all the flavor. The brisket rub consists of just simple spices you probably already have in your pantry. This sugar free brisket rub has no added sugars to keep it paleo and Whole30 approved.

Here is what you need:

• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• cumin
• cayenne

Simply just mix the spices up in a small bowl and rub it all over the brisket and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

How long to smoke a Brisket

The time it takes to smoke a brisket depends on how big it is. Usually it is around 1.5 hour per pound of meat when you are cooking at 225 degrees.

This is just a suggestion and times will vary on how thick your piece of meat is, the temperature of your smoker, the wind, and how much you open the smoker.

For this recipe, I suggest at least 9-10 hours. You can even go longer from 10-12 hours. The longer it is in there, the more tender it becomes! Just make sure to check the temperature of the brisket so you don’t overcook it. You don’t want dry and chewy meat.

How to tell when a smoked brisket is done

Brisket is done when it reaches the internal temperature of at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal temperature is about 190-195 degrees as it is the most tender then.

Smoked brisket will continue to cook even after it is removed the the smoker, so keep that in mind. We like to pull ours at about 185-190 degrees as the temperature will rise some as it is resting.

To test that it is done, simply use a meat thermometer and pierce the brisket in the thickest part. When the internal temperate is at least 180 degrees, it is done.

How to make smoked brisket if you don’t have a smoker

If you don’t have a smoker, don’t worry! While smoking the brisket with wood pellets gives it an amazing flavor, you can still do it on your gas grill.

I have not tried it, but this tutorial lays it all out on how to make brisket on a gas grill. The person that wrote it is neighbors with Aaron Franklin, so it should be legit.

What to serve with smoked brisket

Classic BBQ sides consist of potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. I love me some coleslaw, potato salad can be hit or miss depending on how it’s made, and baked beans are meh to me. Here are some of my favorite sides that would go great with this smoked brisket:

Chipotle Mexican Coleslaw

Healthy Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Chickpea Greek Salad

Air Fryer Potatoes

Summer Corn Salad

Grilled Cabbage Steaks

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