Smoky BBQ Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes and Baked Beans Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Temperature is the whole game with brisket, so trust the probe over any schedule. Insert it into the flat from the side, through the thickest part, and check several spots — briskets cook unevenly, and the point usually runs hotter sooner.

When the probe slides in with no resistance at 200°F (93°C), pull it even if the clock says otherwise. Keep the spritz light: wet surfaces repeatedly can wash the rub and slow the bark.

Make the rub in a big batch and keep it in a jar; it seasons burgers and roasts just as well. For a deeper smoke ring, apply the rub the night before and let the meat dry uncovered in the refrigerator. And slice only what will be eaten immediately — whole rested brisket reheats far better than cut slices, which dry out fast even with sauce.

Variations

• Foil-wrapped finish: Wrap in two layers of heavy foil instead of butcher paper when the bark sets. The bark softens slightly, but the meat braises in its own juices and finishes even faster on a cold or windy day.
• Spicy bark: Add 2 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder to the rub and a dash of hot sauce to the beans. The bark carries a steady heat that the sweet beans and creamy potatoes balance plate-wide.
• Coffee spritz: Replace the water in the spray bottle with strong cooled brewed coffee. It deepens the color of the bark and adds a roasted edge that pairs naturally with the brown sugar in the rub.
• Oven finish: After 5 hours of smoke, move the wrapped brisket to a 275°F (135°C) oven to finish to 200°F (93°C). The smoke ring and bark are already set, and the oven frees the smoker for the beans.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Slices with juices keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated; potatoes and beans keep 3 days in separate containers.

Freezer

Wrap slices with juices in foil, then a freezer bag; freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat

Warm slices, covered, in a 300°F (150°C) oven with a splash of water or sauce for 15–20 minutes; beans and mash reheat gently on the stove.

Cool leftovers within 2 hours of coming off the cutting board. Wrap slices tightly with a spoonful of the resting juices, or store the whole remaining brisket wrapped as it was. Keep the potatoes and beans in separate airtight containers so the mash keeps its texture and the beans keep their sauce.

The rub can be mixed up to a month ahead and kept in a sealed jar. The brisket can be trimmed and rubbed the night before and refrigerated uncovered, which improves the bark and saves 20 minutes on smoking day.

The baked beans hold beautifully and can be made a day ahead and reheated gently with a splash of water; the mashed potatoes are best made fresh, but can be held covered for an hour.

Serving ideas

Serve the brisket the way the video does: a warm rustic plate, a nest of mashed potatoes, a scoop of baked beans beside them, and the slices laid across the mash so the resting juices and barbecue sauce soak into the potatoes.

Offer extra barbecue sauce at the table, along with pickles or sliced raw onion if the table wants a sharp contrast to the rich meat.

For a crowd, slice the whole brisket and pass the platter with the sides in bowls, letting everyone build the plate. The point end, fattier and more unstructured, is best piled onto the mash as a loose, glossy serving.

Whatever is left of the point makes exceptional next-day sandwiches on soft white bread with a little of the warm beans over the top.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Smoky BBQ Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes and Baked Beans

Prep 45 minCook 8 hRest 1 hTotal 9 h 45 minServes 8

Ingredients

• 5 lb beef brisket, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 inch
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup water, for spritzing
• 1 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 4 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Trim the fat cap to about 1/4 inch and remove any hard, waxy fat so smoke can reach the meat. Score the surface lightly in a crosshatch, then blot the whole roast once more so the rub sticks evenly. Work with the meat cold, straight from the refrigerator, for the cleanest trim.
2. Stir the kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Coat every surface of the brisket generously, pressing the rub into the meat. Return the seasoned brisket to the refrigerator while the smoker heats, and take it out no more than 30 minutes before it goes on the grate.
3. Set the smoker or indirect grill to 250°F (121°C) and add your wood. Lay the brisket fat-side down on the grate, close the lid and smoke for about 6 hours, spritzing with water every hour once the surface starts to look dry. Keep the lid closed between spritzes.
4. When the bark is set, wrap the brisket in butcher paper and continue cooking to an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C), 2 to 3 hours more. Check through the thickest point of the flat. At 200°F (93°C) the meat is fully cooked; let it rest at least 3 minutes before any further handling.
5. While the brisket smokes, put the peeled, chunked russets in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch and salt it well. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 to 20 minutes until a fork slides through a chunk with no resistance. Drain thoroughly and let the steam escape for a minute.
6. Return the drained potatoes to the pot over low heat. Mash them, then fold in the softened butter, warm whole milk and sour cream until glossy and smooth. Season with kosher salt to taste, taste again, and hold the pot covered off the heat until serving time.
7. Cook the chopped bacon in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the pinto beans, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, mustard and apple cider vinegar, then simmer gently for 20 minutes until thick and glossy.
8. Move the wrapped brisket to a cutting board or a cooler and let it rest a full hour, or hold it in a 150°F (66°C) oven. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat instead of running onto the board the moment the knife touches it.
9. Unwrap the brisket, saving the juices. Find the direction the muscle fibers run and slice the flat crosswise into 1/4-inch slices with a long, thin knife. Work the point separately, since its grain runs a different way. Spoon the collected juices over the slices.
10. Spoon mashed potatoes and baked beans onto warm plates, lay the brisket slices over the mash and drizzle with barbecue sauce and any resting juices. Bring the plates straight to the table while the meat is still steaming, with extra sauce on the side.

Contains: milk, mustard

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

890

Protein

52 g

Carbohydrates

62 g

Fat

48 g

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.