Easy Smoked Corned Beef Brisket Recipe – Step By Step Perfection

When looking for fun St. Patrick’s Day recipes, we always recommend making your own smoked corned beef brisket. It’s great for a crowd and perfect for leftover dishes like Corned Beef Hash or Corned Beef Sandwiches. This corned beef brisket recipe uses a homemade cure over 7 days for the ultimate flavor.

Don’t have 7 days? That’s okay, we’ve included a bonus tip to speed up the brining process.

What is Corned Beef

Corned Beef is a salt-cured beef cut that has soaked in a wet curing brine (versus dry brine) for several days. The distinctive red color comes from a specific ingredient — Prague powder 1 — plus the mix of salt, herbs, and spices giving a distinctive aromatic and salty flavor.

While the root word evolved from German, referencing “small seeds” (like those used in corning spices), the English made corning more popular as a phrase referencing large rock salts used for curing. The Irish then continued with the popularity as English influence in Irish cuisine evolved. Irish immigrants brought the dish to America where it is traditionally enjoyed boiled with cabbage, corning spices, and vegetables.

Our smoked corned beef brisket recipe is our favorite way to add smoky flavor to the more traditional oven-baked versions.

Ingredients for Smoked Corned Beef Brisket

You have three steps: making the corning brine, rinsing and seasoning the brisket, and then smoking the brined brisket, all involving its own set of ingredients.

Brisket Flat

Unlike a typical Smoked Brisket recipe using a whole-packer brisket, for this recipe, we are starting with a brisket flat cut versus one with the point cut attached. The flat will brine evenly versus using a whole brisket, which would take much longer. When calculating the brine, use a 5-pound flat so the ratio of curing salt to water stays in balance.

You will also want a Brisket Seasoning that is mild on salt, because the brine infuses salty flavor into the meat and a salt-heavy rub can make it taste too salty.

Corned Beef Spices

We’re using a combination of sugar, salt, herbs, and spices to provide a balanced yet very aromatic flavor.

• Water – We use 4 quarts as it makes the ratio for the curing salt easier with a 5-pound Brisket Flat.
• Salts – Kosher Salt and Prague Powder 1
• Brown Sugar – You can use dark or light brown sugar. You can also use cane sugar if you prefer. The brown sugar just adds a touch of the molasses element.
• Aromatics – Mustard Seed, Coriander Seed, Cardamom Pods, Bay Leaves
• Heat – Whole Black Peppercorns, Red Chili Pepper Flakes

How To Make Smoked Corned Beef Brisket Cure

As we mentioned, curing corned beef just takes time. It is not overly complicated.

1. Make The Brine – In a large stockpot, add the 4 quarts of water. To the water, add sugar and salts. Stir until the solids incorporate into the water. Next, add the remaining Corning Seasonings.
2. Boil – Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the burner. Stir the brine to incorporate the flavor from the spices. The heat helps the aromatics escape the seeds and spices versus leaving the water cool. At this point, cool in the refrigerator until the temperature of the water is under 45 degrees F.
3. Trim – While the brine cools, this is a good time to trim the brisket of any excess fat and sliver skin.
4. Brine – Once the brine is cool, place the brisket into the stock pot or a large container. You do not want to place the meat into a warm brine (to prevent food-borne bacterial growth). Store in the refrigerator for 7 days while it brines.
5. Rotate – Once a day remove the brisket from the pot, and flip it over, and then re-submerge. This flipping allows a more even cure. If the brisket floats, consider adding something heavy to it to weigh it down.
6. Rinse – After 7 days, remove the cured brisket from the brine. Rinse the meat of excess brine under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Discard the brine. Now it’s time to season and then smoke it.

Steps for Smoked Corned Beef Brisket

1. Preheat Smoker: Prepare the smoker targeting 250 degrees Fahrenheit using a fruit wood like apple or cherry. Oak and hickory are good options if you want a more pronounced smoke flavor.
2. Season: Season the rinsed and dried brisket with the Brisket Rub. We go light on the rub because there is already a good amount of salt from the brine. If you have any aversion to salt, consider a rub that is salt-free or low salt.
3. Smoke: Place the seasoned cured brisket on the smoker, fat cap side down. Insert a meat thermometer probe into the beef and smoke, unwrapped. You will smoke the brisket until the internal temperature of the beef reaches 200 degrees F, or when the meat thermometer easily inserts into the meat with little resistance. *Plan roughly one hour per pound.
4. Remove/Rest: Once it reaches 200 degrees, remove the brisket from the smoker, wrap it in foil or butcher paper, and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes (up to an hour). Slice against the grain to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Side Dishes for Smoked Corned Beef

While I grew up with boiled potatoes and cabbage, you are encouraged to get creative with your sides. A creamy Horseradish Mashed Potato is one of our favorites, as are Grilled Carrots.

For something more elevated, consider our Duck Fat Potatoes or our Parsnip Puree recipe.