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Honey Bourbon Glazed BBQ Brisket

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Smoker or charcoal grill
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Basting brush
  • Foil or butcher paper
  • Sharp knife

Ingredients
  

For the Brisket

  • 1 whole beef brisket about 12 lbs
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Honey Bourbon Glaze

  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chili flakes optional

Instructions
 

Prep the Brisket

  1. Trim any excess fat from the brisket, leaving about ¼ inch for moisture. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a bowl. Rub the brisket generously on all sides and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Smoke the Brisket

  1. Preheat your smoker to 225°F using wood like hickory or oak. Place the brisket fat-side up and smoke for about 6 hours, or until it reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
    raw beef brisket resting on a black smoker grill

Wrap and Continue Smoking

  1. Wrap the brisket tightly in butcher paper or foil and return it to the smoker. Continue cooking for another 4 hours, until it reaches an internal temp of 200-205°F.

Make the Honey Bourbon Glaze

  1. While the brisket is smoking, combine honey, bourbon, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and chili flakes in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened.

Glaze and Rest

  1. Once the brisket is done, unwrap and brush it generously with the honey bourbon glaze. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing against the grain.