Hot and Fast Brisket
On October 06, 2020 (Updated September 26, 2024)
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Have a hankering for brisket, but short on time? Try your hand at this process for making Hot and Fast Brisket on the smoker. It’ll give you that soft and delicious brisket you know and love in half the time!
Hot and Fast Brisket
Hot and fast is a unique way to cook a brisket when you’re short on time. This brisket produces a completely different flavor profile than a low and slow brisket. It produces a super tender, almost steak-like flavor that is ready quickly. The flavor is still awesome, but don’t expect it to taste exactly like brisket.
How to Cook Brisket Hot and Fast
Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat the smoker . With your smoker running at 275 degrees F, I used oak and cherry for this recipe, as it’s my favorite flavor combination for smoked beef brisket. For this particular brisket, I used my drum smoker, but you can use whatever smoker you have in your backyard.
- Trim the Brisket. For instructions on how to trim a brisket, check out my brisket series post on How to Trim a Brisket.
- Slather with yellow mustard. Liberally coat all sides of the brisket with yellow mustard. Keep in mind that the mustard flavor cook out. The acidity and moisture will greatly help with hot and fast application of this brisket. You can also use apple cider vinegar as well.
- Season. For this recipe I highly recommend my Signature Beef Seasoning, but you can also try out my Brisket Rub or keep it simple with equal parts coarse salt, course black pepper, and garlic powder. Season liberally and pat (I actually “slap” the seasoning onto the meat).
- Smoke the brisket. Place your seasoned brisket on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 160-170 degrees F.
- Wrap the brisket. Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil.
- Continue smoking. Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 204-208 degrees F and the thermometer slides into the meat like butter.
- Rest the meat. This is a crucial step, and you only need a fast rest. Keep it in the foil, place a towel on the top, and rest for 1 hour.
- Slice and serve. Separate the point from the flat and slice up the brisket.
While this brisket will not have all the same elements as a traditional low and slow brisket, you’ll find it is still tender, juicy, and delicious.
Tips for Making Hot and Fast Brisket
Hot and fast brisket is a whole different creature, and as such, it requires different handling. Take these tips into consideration before diving into the recipe:
- Place the brisket fat cap down. While I usually smoke brisket with the fat cap up, this hot and fast brisket requires things done a bit different. By placing the brisket flat cap down it will help insulate the brisket and prevent the brisket from turning into jerky in the hotter temperature.
- Use aluminum foil to wrap. Since this is a hot and fast brisket, we’re going to wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil to keep it going nice and fast.
- Go by temp AND feel. Not only do you need to cook the brisket to 204-208 degrees F, but you also need to make sure the meat is nice and soft. Use an instant read meat thermometer to get an accurate internal temp. If the meat doesn’t have that bend and wiggly and the probe doesn’t slide in easily, let it cook longer.
More Popular Brisket Recipes
Looking for a more traditional way to cook brisket? These recipes will get you those gorgeous, bark-covered slices of brisket:
Hot and Fast Brisket Recipe
Hot and Fast Brisket
Have a hankering for brisket, but short on time? Try your hand at this process for making Hot and Fast Brisket on the smoker. It'll give you that soft and delicious brisket you know and love in half the time!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 14-17 pound whole packer beef brisket
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to at least 275 degrees F (mine was running closer to 300 degrees F). I recommend using oak and cherry wood for smoked brisket.
- Trim the brisket. Make sure your brisket is trimmed down to have 1/4 inch of fat across the fat cap on top of the brisket. Remove any excess silver skin on the bottom of the brisket. Use a sharp knife to trim away most of the thick, hard white fat that runs between the point muscle and the flat.
- Slather with mustard and season. Slather your brisket on all sides with the yellow mustard. Holding your seasoning about 12 inches above your brisket, shake it on in an even layer. Use your hands to pat the seasoning down.
- Place the brisket on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke until the thickest part of the brisket is reading between 160 and 170 degrees F. This step took about 3 hours on my smoker, but yours may be slightly different depending on your brisket size and the temperature of your smoker. Make sure you are utilizing a thermometer to keep track of your brisket temperatures.
- Wrap the brisket. Lay out large sheets of aluminum foil on a large work surface. Carefully transfer the brisket to the foil and wrap tightly. Return to the smoker and continue cooking at 275 degrees F until the brisket is finished cooking. This step can be expected to take around 2 hours. Briskets typically start to become tender at around 200 degrees F, so that is when you want to start checking for tenderness. Each brisket will finish at a different temperature and hot and fast briskets tend to need to go to a higher internal temperature (204-208 degrees F) before they become tender. To check for tenderness, slide your thermometer into the thickets part of the meat. You want it to feel like the thermometer is gliding easily into softened butter with little resistance.
- Rest for 1 hour. Remove your smoked brisket from the smoker to a sheet pan and cover with a towel. Allow the brisket to rest for at least an hour. If your brisket is done earlier than expected, you can rest your brisket in a cooler with towels to keep it hot for several hours.
- Slice and serve. Once your brisket has rested, it is time to slice and serve. Separate the point from the flat and slice each against the grain. Arrange the sliced brisket on a platter and serve with your favorite sides and BBQ sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 1060kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 141g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 422mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 2257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 13mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I USED THIS RECIPE. I AM A NOVICE USING A TRAGER PELLET SMOKER AND DOING THE HOT FAST METHOD. THE FLAT WAS 9.5 LBS AND IT COOKED IN 4 HOURS AT 275F. AT 2HRS TEMP PROBE WAS AT 165. IT WAS THEN FOIL WRAPPED AND AT 4HRS THE INTERNAL WAS 204. THIS COOKED MUCH FASTER THAN I THOUGHT. SO IT WAS WRAPPED IN A TOWEL AND PUT IN A COOLER. TRYING TO HOLD IT 4HRS. THERE DIDN’T APPEAR TO BE A STALL POINT. WE WILL HOPEFULLY SERVE IT SOON.
Thanks. I will try this. I smoke Brisket in an aluminum pan. When it is time to wrap I just cover the pan with foil. Would this make a difference in terms of moistness of the brisket
Loved the video and all your other food methods I’ve pinned from Pinterest! Could I use the same method on my Green Mountain Grill/Smoker using their new heat shield.