How To Smoke Corned Beef Brisket

Learn how to smoke corned beef brisket, make a homemade pastrami-style deli rub, and create juicy thin slices of smoked corned beef (aka pastrami) for sandwiches, hashes, and more!

While corned beef is a classic come St. Patrick’s day, you do not need any excuse to celebrate the deliciousness that is smoked corned beef. Before we really dive into this cook it is essential to note a few things about this recipe.

1. Smoked corned beef is technically called pastrami, no judgment here if you use these terms interchangeably.
2. Make your own homemade pastrami rub. A few simple spices blend together to create a solid flavor and bark.
3. While you can brine your own (see notes below for this process) but this recipe was done with an uncooked pre-brined grocery store brisket. Please see details on how to prepare your corned beef for the grill utilizing either method below in the preparation steps.

Don’t want to smoke a whole corned beef brisket? Try this Turkey Pastrami recipe too!

Supplies Needed:

• Sharp Knife
• Paper Towel
• Baking Sheet
• Meat thermometer (Use one for tracking the smoking process and a temperature probe for testing tenderness)
• Aluminum Foil, Deep Foil Pan, or Butcher Paper
• Pastry Brush
• Spice Grinder
• Small Bowl

Ingredients:

Pastrami Dry Rub–

• Black Peppercorns
• Juniper Berries
• Coriander
• Yellow Mustard Seeds
• Brown Sugar
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder

Smoked Corned Beef-

• Fully Brined and Cured Brisket Flat (though you can still use the entire brisket if you prefer)
• Yellow Mustard or Whole Grain Mustard
• Beef Broth and Beef Tallow (bot hare used to build the bark)

How To Brine A Brisket For Corned Beef:

You can brine your own brisket at home, but please note that the curing process is long and can take several days. Brining is a simple process that tenderizes and adds flavor to the meat by making a saltwater solution and utilizing pink salt (not Himalayan salt but a curing salt) to get the iconic color and flavor you see in corn beef and pastrami.

Home Cured Brisket:

• 1-gallon water
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. In a large pot, combine the water, kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice, garlic, and bay leaves. Stir well to dissolve the salt and sugar.
2. Place the brisket in a large container or zip-top bag and pour the brine over the top, making sure the meat is completely submerged.
3. Cover the container or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 5 days, and up to 10 days. Flip the brisket over every day to ensure that it’s evenly brined.
4. After the brisket has finished brining, remove it from the brine and rinse it well with cold water to remove any excess brine and salt.
5. Place the brisket into a large container filled with enough water to cover the top. Let it soak in the clean water outside of the salt solution for an hour and then dump the water and repeat this again for an additional hour with new water. This removes some of the intensity in the salt brine so the smoked beef is not too salty to enjoy.

Pro Tip: Using a store bought corned beef (usually just the flat cut) that’s already brined? Remove it from the packaging (discard the spice packet) and rinse it under cold running water to remove the seasoning on the outside from curing and then follow step 5 listed above to soak it and remove excess salt.

How To Smoke A Corned Beef Brisket:

1. Preheat the smoker to a low temperature between 225-250 degrees F. Add your favorite wood chips and set the smoker for indirect heat.
2. After following the brining or rinsing method listed above, pat the corned beef as dry as possible with paper towels. Premix the homemade pastrami dry rub spices together.
3. Lightly coat the entire brisket in yellow mustard as the binder.
4. Sprinkle an even layer of homemade pastrami dry rub over the entire corned beef and let the meat rest briefly while the grill comes up to temperature.
5. Place the corned beef brisket onto the grill grates fat side up and smoke for 3-4 hours to build the bark. After the first hour, you can lightly spray the outside of the beef with beef broth. Do this every hour or so until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
6. When the smoked corned beef brisket hits the stall wrap it tightly in foil (I prefer foil for this cook over butcher paper but you can use butcher paper too). Before wrapping lightly brush some melted beef tallow or spray again with beef broth over the bark of the brisket. Place it back on the smoker and increase the grill temperature to 275 F. and let it cook until it’s tender and reaches a temperature between 195-203 F. Use a thermometer probe to check for tenderness in the meat.
7. Remove the smoked corned beef from the grill and keep it wrapped in the foil. Wrap it in a clean hand towel and place it in a small cooler to stay warm and finish carry over cooking to rest for at least an hour before unwrapping.
8. After the resting period, remove it from the foil and slice the smoked corned beef into thin slices and serve with your favorite sides, rye bread, sauerkraut, and dressing.

What To Serve With Smoked Corned Beef:

When the smoked corned beef is freshly sliced off the grill I love to make a big platter and serve it family style. You can eat it as is or with some grilled cabbage steaks. The leftovers make amazing Reuben sandwiches loaded with corned beef, swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and sauerkraut, on thick bakery rye bread with pickles on the side.

Here are some other ways I like to use smoked corned beef:

• Cauliflower Mash Colcannon Potatoes
• Brussel Sprout Corned Beef Hash Recipe
• Reuben Swiss Cheese Cups

Pro Tip: Reheat leftover corned beef slices in a steamer basket on the stove to keep the beef tender and juicy and not too dry!