The BEST Brisket Rub
On May 09, 2022 (Updated May 10, 2024)
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This brisket rub is a beautiful salt and pepper-based rub that has 4 added seasonings to bring out the richness of the brisket while amplifying the overall flavor of your perfectly smoked brisket. I’m not kidding when I say it is the best brisket rub around! If you’re looking for a rub for smoking a Texas-style brisket, this is the one!
Smoked Brisket Rub
This rub is a great savory rub when you are looking to kick things up a notch when smoking brisket. A good rub will accentuate the flavors of the beef without overpowering them, and this rub does just that. It only contains 6 ingredients, many of which you likely have in your pantry right now. Simpy mix them in a small bowl and store them in a airtight container (I like using these glass spice bottles) for storing all my homemade spices and rubs, and they will last at least a month. The longer you store this rub, the more you lose the potency of the seasonings. While it can last longer, I highly recommend using in less than 4 weeks.
This rub is gorgeously balanced. Salt and pepper add a classic base, onion powder and garlic powder bring earthy, aromatic elements, and the smoked paprika adds color and a kiss of flavor. The coriander is a bit acidic, and it almost tastes citrusy. It’s a bright note to lift the flavor of the beef.
Beef Brisket Seasoning
This rub is perfect when liberally coated on beef brisket. It begins with a salt and pepper base in equal parts. This simple mixture is often called a Dalmatian rub by Texas pit masters. If you’re a beef brisket purist, you’ll likely stick to these two simple seasonings. Although, if we’re being honest, I’ve spent a lot of time in central Texas, working with pitmasters in some of the biggest restaurants there, and none of them use salt and pepper only, I like to get a little adventurous with my flavors and try something new.
Enter: Susie’s flavor-packed beef brisket rub for smoking. By adding my own flavor profile of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ground coriander to the salt and pepper base, this rub beautifully compliments the richness of beef without being too overpowering.
The most important part of this rub is the pepper and salt. And believe me when I say you can’t use fine ground table salt or fine black pepper like you would put in your shaker for this rub.
For best results, use coarse grind or restaurant grind black pepper and coarse salt (I find the best for rubs is Morton kosher salt). It is a flat, almost flaky salt with a nice, clean flavor. By having more coarse granules on the outside of a brisket, they help to form the crispy bark on the outside of the brisket.
Ingredients for the Best Brisket Rub
The ingredients in this brisket rub are key to having a beautifully balanced, fantastically flavorful brisket. This rub combines 6 flavorful elements to help you achieve the best-flavored brisket around.
- Coarse kosher salt
- Coarse black pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Ground coriander
How to Make Brisket Rub
Once you have all the ingredients assembled you’re ready to make this brisket rub! It’s so ridiculously easy to make rubs from scratch at home, and this one is no exception! Here’s how to make this brisket rub recipe.
- Combine. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use a fork to evenly mix and break up any clumps that form.
- Use or store. This rub is ready to be used immediately, or you can store it for later use. I like to make my rub ahead of time so it’s ready to go when I make my brisket. I store all my homemade rubs and seasonings in these glass spice jars and they fit right in with my storebought seasonings.
Beef Brisket Recipes
This rub is made to perfectly compliment the low and slow smoked flavor of beef brisket. Check out these recipes below to begin smoking a brisket.
- Texas Crutch: Smoked Brisket in Foil
- Texas Style Smoked Beef Brisket
- How to Smoke a Brisket
- Drunk Brisket with Bacon BBQ Sauce
Best Brisket Rub Recipe
Here’s hoping this brisket rub recipe helps you make the most amazing Texas-style beef brisket of your life. If you need a quick refresher on making a brisket, best sure to check out my post for Brisket 101. I cover all the basics to making an awesome brisket.
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Quick note: This post was originally published in July 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Brisket Rub
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
Instructions
- Combine. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to crush any clumps of seasonings.
- Use or store. This rub can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks like a delicious recipe. With the servings you provided for seasonings- would you adjust differently for a 10 pound brisket? Thanks.
You’ll probably use less rub. Just be sure to give it a generous coating on all sides.
You don’t say how long you left the brisket in the smoker. Can this recipe be modified for the oven? Jim
This recipe is actually just for the rub itself. Brisket cook time depends a lot on the cut of meat, the smoker used, and other factors. For an 8-1 pound brisket, you can estimate 12-18 hours total time.
Meant to give it 5 stars! My bad!
I feel like if you don’t add a little brown sugar, you’re really missing out. I made the recipe exactly as written here last night and thought, “Man, this is pretty good but it’s definitely missing a little sweetness.” I added just a teaspoon of brown sugar and it made a HUGE difference. And then, as you mentioned in the video… because I like a little heat, I added 1/2 teaspoon each of ancho, chipotle, and cayenne for a little more smokiness and spice.
We liked it so well that we will be using it on our steaks in the future! Thank you for a solid recipe! <3
Can I achieve the same dark bark when I cook the brisket in the oven. Before bark became famous. I used to cook a brisket in the oven (store bought rub) rubbed it the night before and baked it the next day. It did not come out dark but I was always getting compliments. I covered it with aluminum foil when I baked it in the oven. I’m all for learning new ways of cooking things.
Foil is a good way to get close, but to get that really crispy, bark on the outside, the smoker is the way to go.
Hi Dahlia, can you please share cooking instructions to cook it in the oven? I don’t have a smoker (Europe based) and I’m desperately looking for a way to cook it in the oven or maybe a slow cooker. Thanks!
Used this recipe for my very first brisket and it came out PERFECT. Couldn’t have asked for better results. The only thing I did differently was add in a tablespoon of smoked garlic powder in addition to everything else listed here.
I came across this and haven’t used it yet but I gave it a 4 star because it is really close to the one I make.. mine isn’t listed anywhere.. and yeah its probably damn good. Pardon the language. I was curious about different rubs is how I found this.
I really loved it as is, but loved reading how other folks made it their own! I appreciate this recipe so much! Thanks from Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba!