Guinness and Mushroom Braised Smoked Shredded Brisket
On March 10, 2021 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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This Guinness and Mushroom Braised Smoked Shredded Brisket is the ultimate brisket when you want a rich, saucy flavor combined with delicious smoked brisket. Save the drippings for the most amazing gravy and you have a meal ready to feed a hungry crowd.
Guinness and Mushroom Braised Brisket
I couldn’t talk about this recipe without mentioning Todd. He loves the beef and mushrooms flavor combo, and he loves brisket. Every once in a while, I’ve got to cook something just for him. This Guinness and mushroom braised brisket came into being knowing Todd would go gaga over it, and it was a total hit.
This brisket is the best of the best. Rich, smoked brisket combines with earthy mushrooms and beer for the most magical flavor marriage. The sauce is velvety and the meat is tender.
Braised then Smoked Shredded Brisket
This brisket is just as good served on a holiday (hello St. Patrick’s Day!) as it is at a weekend party. This brisket feeds a crowd, and I can guarantee no one will go home hungry!
Now, I know most brisket recipes I share are for Texas Style smoked and sliced briskets. Some BBQ purists may even claim that a shredded brisket is overcooked, but I just believe this is a different way of doing things. And I like different. Stepping outside of the norm can taste pretty dang good sometimes!
This recipe uses the brisket flat, but would work well for other tough beef cuts like chuck roasts. Non-smoked briskets are often braised in liquid because it helps retain moisture in the meat and then coats the finished shreds with flavor. We are combining the two cooking methods with a smoke first and then a flavorful braise.
How to Braise Brisket
New to the brisket braising game? Fear not! It’s a fairly straightforward process that adds all sorts of moisture and flavor to your brisket. Make sure to scroll below to the printable recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Trim and season. Trim the brisket flat and season on all sides with Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning. If you don’t have any Beef Seasoning on hand you can season your brisket with equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Smoke. Smoke the brisket for 3 hours in your favorite smoker preheated to 250 degrees F.
- Braise. Place sliced onions, the brisket, and remaining ingredients for the braise in a disposable aluminum pan. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.
- Finish smoking. Finish smoking the brisket for another 5-7 hours or until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 205-210 degrees F.
- Rest and shred. Remove the brisket from the smoker and allow it to rest for 45 minutes. Once rested, transfer the brisket to a cutting board and strain the braising liquid. Using forks or shredder claws, shred the braised brisket.
- Make the gravy. Scroll below to the bottom of the post for full instructions on making the gravy. This is a must-have and adds a creamy bit of goodness to the brisket.
- Enjoy. Serve the shredded brisket alongside the gravy. I also recommend making some mashed potatoes or egg noodles to serve with the gravy. It’s simply to die for!
Tips for Making Braised Brisket
Here are some tips for making this awesome braised then smoked shredded brisket. It’s a beast of a recipe, but I’m confident you can master it in no time!
- Don’t be scared of cooking brisket past the slicing point. If you’re familiar with my Texas style brisket recipe, you’d think this is overcooked. This brisket recipe is different and designed to shred. The braising liquid helps keep things moist and the luscious gravy brings in the richness.
- Get creative with your sides. This brisket is absolutely delicious, but that mushroom sauce sets it apart. Serve this meat with some mashed potatoes, wide egg noodles, or rice, and drizzle that mushroom gravy alllllll over.
- Use your knife. Your brisket should shred pretty easily, but you’ll likely have some really long strands. Don’t be afraid to grab your chef’s knife and cut the brisket down into smaller, more manageable pieces before shredding.
- Cook to tenderness, not necessarily time. You’ve got a ballpark temperature guideline for 205-210 degrees F, but every brisket is different. You really want your brisket to have no resistance when you insert the thermometer probe. Peel back that foil and see if you can easily shred off a piece of meat with a fork to test for doneness.
Ready to tackle this amazing meal? Scroll below to the full recipe and get on it, friends!
More Brisket Recipes
Ready to smoke ALL THE BRISKET recipes? Hey Grill Hey has you covered. From a whole packer brisket to burned ends, check out some of our favorites below:
Braised and Smoked Shredded Brisket Recipe
Guinness and Mushroom Braised Smoked Shredded Brisket
This Guinness and Mushroom Braised Smoked Shredded Brisket is the ultimate brisket when you want some good flavor combined with a delicious smoked brisket. Save the drippings for the most amazing gravy for a side of potatoes and who have a meal ready to feed a hungry crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 pound brisket flat trimmed
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
Braising Liquid
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup beer Guinness
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Guinness and Mushroom Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 16 ounces white button mushrooms sliced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I like a combination of oak and cherry for this recipe.
- Trim the brisket. Trim excess fat on top of brisket down to about 1/4 inch thick. Season on all sides with Beef seasoning.
- Smoke the brisket. Place the seasoned brisket on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 3 hours.
- Make the braise. Place sliced onions into disposable aluminum pan. Place the brisket on top of the onions. Pour the beer, beef stock, and Worcestershire over the top of the brisket. Top with the thyme sprigs and cover tightly with two layers of foil.
- Continue smoking. Return the covered brisket to the smoker, close the lid, and continue to cook for 5-7 more hours, or until the brisket is incredibly tender and reads an internal temperature of about 205-210 degrees F. If you are used to smoking brisket for slicing, you can plan on cooking this brisket to a higher temperature and for a little past where you would normally pull it off.
- Rest the brisket. Remove the covered brisket from the smoker and allow to rest in the pan at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. When rested, uncover and carefully transfer the brisket to a large cutting board. Strain the braising liquid. Reserve 2 cups of the liquid for the mushroom sauce and add any remaining liquid back to the aluminum pan.
- Make the gravy. In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons of flour and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the 2 cups of hot, strained braising liquid from your brisket and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, as needed.
- Shred the brisket and serve. Using two forks or meat shredding claws, shred your brisket into strands. Carefully transfer the shredded brisket back into the pan with the remaining strained liquid. Gently mix to combine and allow that brisket to absorb some of the cooking liquid. Serve your shredded brisket alongside the mushroom sauce. Delicious on top of mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles.
Nutrition
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 887mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
For the braising phase, can I use my Camp Chef Square Dutch Oven? Will it come out okay?
Just did this today. Made up your Brisket rub. 6 pound flat After a 3 hour smoke, I put it in the oven at 250 instead of burning up pellets. Took 4 hours to get to 207. Sliced some and shredded the rest. My wife said it’s the best brisket I’ve done so far!! Thank You!!!
I’m hoping to do this recipe on a 8 lb brisket. When I’ve done brisket in the past the are generally around 14 lbs and I started them the night before (11pm) and finished before resting around 3 pm. I’m assuming this recipe doesn’t take as long because of higher temps and covering it with liquid?? Basically trying to decide whether to start night before or first thing in the morning?
Thanks, Darren
It’ll still take a long time to cook. Just watch your temps closely and make sure to give yourself plenty of extra time!
I just started to cure my brisket using your home cure recipe. Can that be used in this recipe or will the flavors be off?