Enhancing Your Beautiful Brisket With Dry Rub

As you probably know, brisket remains a hugely popular staple among pitmasters. No doubt you have looked through award-winning brisket rub recipes yourself to learn the ins and outs of brisket seasoning.

Although you could potentially submerge your brisket in a wet brine, dry brining it produces fantastic results. In fact, we are huge fans of applying a brisket dry rub. Although it takes a little time and a bit of babysitting to get right, the results are nothing short of phenomenal. The first time you bite into your dry-rubbed beef brisket, you will never go back to preparing this dish any other way.

Tips for the Perfect Smoked Brisket Rub Result

Beyond following our directions for smoking beef brisket on your Grilla, Silverbac or other wood pellet smoker grill, we encourage you to apply these tips for a reliable outcome:

• Invest in a good cut of meat: A delicious brisket never started with subpar meat.
• Take your time: This is not a rush-it type of meal. Be sure to get everything ready ahead of time and only make your smoked brisket rub when you have time to give it love.
• Experiment with different seasonings: We give some tried-and-true ideas on how to spice up your brisket. However, you can easily swap herbs, spices and mixes. Doing so will coax different flavors out of your brisket.
• Refrigerate your meat: Keeping it cool during the process is necessary to avoid bacteria build-up.

Ready to make a beef brisket that will have your hungry taste-testers clamoring for seconds and thirds? Follow our step-by-step brisket rub recipe and find out what you’ve been missing! Be sure to prep some veggie side dishes and a grilled dessert for good measure.

How to Season a Brisket

After all the work that choosing, trimming and smoking a brisket entails, you want to be sure the final result is bursting with flavor. Your seasoning is the hidden magic behind a truly unforgettable meal.

Wondering how to season a brisket? Most dry rub recipes are a blend of spices and brown sugar. You can reduce or eliminate the sugar for a more savory result, or leave it in for a sweeter aftertaste. The typical flavor profiles include a combination of paprika, salt, pepper, garlic and onion as well as mustard powder. For the best results, go for smoked paprika rather than the regular spice.

Once you’ve compiled your spices, all you have to do is measure according to your preferences, stir the ingredients together and either use it immediately or store it for later.

How Long Should You Season the Brisket?

Once your brisket is trimmed, place the seasoning mix onto your meat. Use your hands to spread the beef brisket rub over the surface of the meat. You can add the seasoning right before smoking the brisket or let it marinate for up to 24 hours.

If you’ll be browning your meat using a brisket seasoning mix that contains sugar, you’ll want to add the rub after the meat has been browned to avoid burning the sugar.

How Long Will the Brisket Dry Rub Last?

The shelf life of your dry rub will depend on the exact recipe you use. There are plenty of variations out there, so you can get creative and mix and match the flavors according to your preferences. If you’re using powder instead of freshly minced onion and garlic, your dry rub should be able to last for up to four months in a sealed container.

Brisket Seasoning Variations to Try

One of the greatest parts of brisket dry rub — besides the mouth-watering smoked flavor — is its versatility. You can add or remove flavors to customize it to your taste. Love a spicy burn? Add crushed red pepper flakes or ground chipotle pepper to your rub. If you’re all about the garlic, double or even triple the amount of garlic in your recipe. For some Mexican cuisine flavor, mix in some chili powder, cumin and ground coriander.

Play around with different seasonings until you’ve curated your own signature dry rub. You can also try one of our award-winning sauces and rubs for a taste you and your guests won’t be able to resist.