Brisket in Half the Time [Gas-Grilled and Oven-Finished]

Brisket in Half the Time [Gas-Grilled and Oven-Finished]

When you don’t have time (or a smoker) you can make brisket in half the time using a gas grill and finish it in the oven. For the last three years my husband and I have bought a half side of beef. It’s an amazing thing to have a well-stocked freezer. After experiencing this convenience I don’t want to live without it if I can help it. Buying a side of beef also forces you to learn how to cook cuts of meat that you might not normally buy. That brings me to brisket. It’s such a challenging cut of beef for the home cook. You have to cook it low and slow like pork shoulder to break down all the collagen, and it needs to reach a temperature of 210 before that happens. However, at that temperature you run the risk of the meat getting dried out.

How to make brisket without a smoker

I don’t have a smoker. I didn’t want to spend 10 hours trying to cook this brisket on my gas grill. So I turned to a trusted source, America’s Test Kitchen. Sure enough, they have a method that starts 2 hours on the grill with some wood chips and finishes in the oven. I realize that “breaks the rules” for true barbecue enthusiasts, but it was the solution I needed. My 3 lb. brisket cooked in 4 1/2 hours instead of the 8, 10, or 12 hours it can take (depending on the size) in a smoker. While the brisket is cooking you can enjoy your day, and make a few easy side dishes.

What is a good dry rub for brisket

Dry rub
4 Tablespoons of paprika
2 Tablespoons of chili powder
2 Tablespoons of cumin
2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon of oregano
1 Tablespoon of allspice
1 Tablespoon of mustard powder
1 Tablespoon of medium grind of black pepper
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 Tablespoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of white pepper
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

How to make brisket in half the time using a gas grill and oven [step-by-step instructions]

Brisket in Half the Time, Gas-Grilled and Oven-Finished
(Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)
brisket from 3 to 11 pounds
1/2 cup to 1 cup of dry rub
2 cups of wood chips, soaked for 15 minutes
BBQ sauce for serving (homemade or use your favorite bottled sauce)

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl (make a head and keep for months in an airtight container).

Make sure the brisket doesn’t have a fat cap thicker than 1/4 inch. If it does trim some fat off but be sure leave some of the fat cap so that it self bastes as it cooks. Rub the spice mixture generously all over the brisket, patting it in, making sure it’s fully covered. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator in a glass dish for at least 2 hours up to two days.  I did this the night before I cooked it. You can use leftover rub for ribs or other cuts of pork.

Plan on at least 5 hours of cooking time and 30 minutes of resting time for larger cuts of meat. For a small brisket it will still take 4 hours of cooking time plus 30 minutes of resting time. Working your way backward from the time you want to serve to figure out when you need to start cooking. One hour before you start cooking take the brisket out of the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.

30 minutes before your chosen cooking start time soak wood chips in water.  I used two Weber prepackaged wood chips. You can also place soaked wood chips in a foil pack with a few knife slashes in the top to let the smoke out.

15 minutes before your chosen cooking start time light the grill and keep both burners on high. Place the wood chips to one side.

At your chosen cook start time open the grill lid (you should see smoke from the wood chips), turn off the side of the grill opposite the wood chips, clean those grates and place the brisket on the “cool” side, close the lid and grill for 2 hours with opening or touching the lid again. Turn down the “hot” side to medium or medium low. You want the temperature to eventually drop to about 275 degrees and remain there.

After about 1 hour and 45 minutes of cooking time on the grill preheat your oven to 300 degrees and prepare a foil pouch crimping two pieces together if necessary to make the foil wide enough to fold over and accommodate the brisket.

After two hours on the grill move the brisket to the foil, seal the brisket in the foil, and place in a preheated oven for another 2 to 3 hours. Unless you have a small 3 lb brisket chances are you will need three more hours of cooking time. Bake until the internal temperature reads 210 degrees. Vent the package to let steam out and let the brisket rest for 20 – 30 minutes. While the brisket is resting you can make homemade BBQ sauce (or you can heat up some of your favorite bottled sauce).

Place rested brisket on cutting board. If you have a full cut brisket there is actually two different pieces/parts and the grain runs in different directions on each.

Separate the two distinct pieces then cut each piece in this slices against the grain.

What to serve with Brisket

Copycat Original Open Pit Barbecue Sauce

 

Mom’s Potato Salad

Classic Broccoli Salad

Fruit Platter for a Crowd

You might also like

 

 

Gas-Grilled Chicken Thighs with Asian Flair

Corn Pudding

Blistered Shishito Peppers

 Tuscan Lemon and Rosemary Spatchcock Chicken on a Gas Grill

This recipe has no ratings just yet.

”Brisket

July 9, 2015

By:

Directions
  • Step 1 ” servings=”6-8″ prep_time=”2-24H” cook_time=”4-5H” total_time=”6-29H” difficulty=”Intermediate” print=”yes” image=”https://nutrivorelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/4AC3EA52-FDD5-45F1-A1F9-6AC944ECF2B0-300×225.jpeg” ingredients=”brisket from 3 to 11 pounds
  • Step 2 2 cups of wood chips, soaked for 15 minutes
  • Step 3 BBQ sauce for serving (homemade or use your favorite bottled sauce)
  • Step 4 1/2 cup to 1 cup of dry rub (recipe follows)
  • Step 5 4 Tablespoons of paprika
  • Step 6 2 Tablespoons of chili powder
  • Step 7 2 Tablespoons of cumin
  • Step 8 2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar
  • Step 9 1 Tablespoon of seasoned salt
  • Step 10 1 Tablespoon salt
  • Step 11 1 Tablespoon of oregano
  • Step 12 1 Tablespoon of allspice
  • Step 13 1 Tablespoon of mustard powder
  • Step 14 1 Tablespoon of medium grind of black pepper
  • Step 15 1 Tablespoon of sugar
  • Step 16 1 Tablespoon of garlic
  • Step 17 1 teaspoon of white pepper
  • Step 18 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper” ]Mix all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl (make a head and keep for months in an airtight container).
  • Step 19 Make sure the brisket doesn’t have a fat cap thicker than 1/4 inch. If it does trim some fat off but be sure leave some of the fat cap so that it self bastes as it cooks.
  • Step 20 Rub the spice mixture generously all over the brisket, patting it in, making sure it’s fully covered. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator in a glass dish for at least 2 hours up to two days.
  • Step 21 Plan on at least 5 hours of cooking time and 30 minutes of resting time for larger cuts of meat. For a small brisket it will still take 4 hours of cooking time plus 30 minutes of resting time. Working your way backward from the time you want to serve to figure out when you need to start cooking. One hour before you start cooking take the brisket out of the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
  • Step 22 30 minutes before your chosen cooking start time soak wood chips in water.  I used two Weber prepackaged wood chips. You can also place soaked wood chips in a foil pack with a few knife slashes in the top to let the smoke out.
  • Step 23 15 minutes before your chosen cooking start time light the grill and keep both burners on high. Place the wood chips to one side.
  • Step 24 At your chosen cook start time open the grill lid (you should see smoke from the wood chips), turn off the side of the grill opposite the wood chips, clean those grates and place the brisket on the “cool” side, close the lid and grill for 2 hours with opening or touching the lid again. Turn down the “hot” side to medium or medium low. You want the temperature to eventually drop to about 275 degrees and remain there.
  • Step 25 After about 1 hour and 45 minutes of cooking time on the grill preheat your oven to 300 degrees and prepare a foil pouch crimping two pieces together if necessary to make the foil wide enough to fold over and accommodate the brisket.
  • Step 26 After two hours on the grill move the brisket to the foil, seal the brisket in the foil, and place in a preheated oven for another 2 to 3 hours. Unless you have a small 3 lb brisket chances are you will need three more hours of cooking time. Bake until the internal temperature reads 210 degrees.
  • Step 27 Vent the package to let steam out and let the brisket rest for 20 – 30 minutes. While the brisket is resting you can make homemade BBQ sauce (or you can heat up some of your favorite bottled sauce).
  • Step 28 Place rested brisket on cutting board. If you have a full cut brisket there is actually two different pieces/parts and the grain runs in different directions on each. Separate the two distinct pieces then cut each piece in this slices against the grain.
  • Step 29 Serve with warm barbecue sauce and sides.

3 thoughts on “Brisket in Half the Time [Gas-Grilled and Oven-Finished]”

  • This was really informative and helpful. I love grilling but hardly ever do it because getting the meat as tender as I like it takes sooo long! So most of the time, I don’t even bother and end up making something else. I’ll definitely be trying that rub too, it sounds absolutely delicious. I think it’ll be a hit in this house, especially since we hardly ever enjoy grilled meat. It’ll be a wonderful treat. Thank you for sharing!

    Demetrius Guevara @ Solaire Gas Grills

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Verified by MonsterInsights