Sous Vide Brisket comes out fall apart tender, juicy and delicious every time. Get the perfect “bark” by finishing it on your grill, smoker or even the oven!
I love that sous vide is basically a “set it and forget it” way of cooking. Meaning you can put your food in the water bath, walk away, and let it cook for hours on end with no fear of overcooking.
That’s because sous vide cooks up to a certain temperature, and then just holds your food there until you’re ready to eat.
And while this makes the sous vide the perfect tool for cooking on busy nights – sous vide chicken breasts, pork chops, and ribeye, have come to my rescue many times – this Sous Vide Smoked Brisket is not a dish you’re just going to throw into the sous vide and eat that night.
The process of making brisket takes more time – anywhere from 24-72 hours to be exact. So plan ahead for this one.
But the great part is that you can sous vide the brisket up to a week before you plan to serve it, then just keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, throw it onto your smoker, grill or into the oven for 2-3 hours and you’re good to go.
That’s actually what makes this the perfect dish for weekends with friends and family. All the prep work is done ahead of time, leaving you free to enjoy the day.
Another reason this sous vide brisket is the perfect recipe? It turns out deliciously tender every time! The low and slow cook time breaks down the fibers in the meat and renders the fat so it’s extremely juicy and flavorful.
Serve it with a side of homemade BBQ sauce, vinegar coleslaw, and mac and cheese for the most perfect meal ever!
Or check out these 35+ EASY Sides for BBQ!
How to Choose Brisket
- Look for a brisket with a lot of fat and marbling. You can use either a flat cut or a point cut brisket, though a point cut is generally more tender. But the main thing you want to look for is the fat cap still attached. A brisket that is trimmed too much will come out more dry.
What Temperature Do You Sous Vide Brisket?
- Tender steak-like texture // 135-degrees: Not fall apart tender, will still hold its shape. (36-72 hours)
- Fall apart tender // 155-degrees: Super tender and moist. (24-36 hours)
How Long Do You Sous Vide Beef Brisket?
- The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become. When cooking at 135-degrees, I like to cook it for 72 hours. If cooking at 155-degrees, 36 hours will give you very tender meat.
Sous Vide Brisket Seasoning
I like to season my brisket simply with salt and pepper to let the true flavor of the beef shine through. If you’ll be finishing your brisket in the oven (rather than on the smoker or grill) and want a smoky flavor, add some liquid smoke to the vacuum bag before the sous vide process.
A tip I learned from Serious Eats, is to add some pink curing salt to the spice rub mixture so that your brisket will have a pink smoke ring. This step is optional, but makes for a nice presentation.
Of course, if you would like to add additional spices to your brisket, you could definitely add them to your rub. Cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and mustard powder are all great options.
How Do You Cook Beef Brisket in Sous Vide?
- Rub brisket with salt and pepper, add liquid smoke if finishing in oven.
- Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to remove as much air as possible. (You may want to double bag since this is a long cook time and the spices may interfere with a proper seal.)
- Cook 24-72 hours at your preferred temperature (155-degrees for fall apart texture).
- Remove from sous vide and pat dry well with paper towels.
- Rub with additional spice mixture.
- Finish on the grill, smoker or oven (instructions below).
Can You Sous Vide a Whole Brisket?
- For this recipe, I use a 4-6 pound brisket. If it will fit into your vacuum seal bag, you can leave it whole. If not, you can cut it into 2-3 pieces and seal them separately.
Note: You may need to double bag the brisket if the seal doesn’t form properly. It’s always a good idea to be on the safe side, especially with a long cook like this.
How Do You Finish Sous Vide Brisket?
- Grill: Grill over indirect heat at a temperature of about 225-degrees for 3 hours.
- Smoker: Preheat smoker to 225-degrees. Add brisket and cook for 3 hours.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 275-degrees convection (or 300-degrees standard). Add brisket and cook for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
Reheating Brisket Sous Vide
- I love using the sous vide to reheat leftovers since it won’t dry out your meat. To do so, just heat your water bath to 165 degrees. Add your bagged brisket and heat for 30 minutes – 1 hour until warmed through.
Uses for Leftover Brisket
- Tacos, enchiladas, burritos
- Salad topping
- Pizza topping
- Scrambled with eggs
- Added to soups or chilis
- Topping for baked potatoes
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Wine Pairings for Brisket
- I suggest a light-bodied, fruit forward red like a Beaujolais or Grenache to pair with the salty-fatty beef.
What to serve with Brisket
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Cheddar Spoon Bread
- Barbecue Sauce
- The BEST Baked Beans
- Apple Slaw
- Pickles & Pickled Onions
- Grilled Potato Salad
- Macaroni & Cheese
- MORE → 35+ EASY Sides for Brisket
- PLUS → 17+ Sauces for Brisket
More sous vide recipes:
- Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
- Sous Vide Pork Chops
- Sous Vide Homemade Limoncello Recipe
- Sous Vide Filet Mignon
- Sous Vide Infused Vodka
- Sous Vide Vanilla Extract
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Sous Vide Brisket Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 brisket (4-6 pounds)
- ¼ cup coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons salt pink curing salt (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional – if finishing in oven)
Instructions
- Set sous vide to 155-degrees.
- Combine pepper, salt, and pink salt (if using) in a small bowl. Sprinkle brisket with ⅔ of mixture and rub to coat. Reserve the remaining spice mixture for finishing.
- Add the brisket to a vacuum bag and add liquid smoke (if finishing in the oven – not needed if finishing on the smoker or grill). If needed you can cut the brisket into 2-3 pieces so that it will fit into your bags. Seal.
- Place the bag(s) in the water bath, making sure not to block the intake or output sections of the sous vide, and cook for 24-36 hours.
- Remove brisket from water bath and place in a bowl of ice water for 30-45 minutes, until it reaches room temperature. (At this point, the brisket can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
- Remove brisket from bag and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Pat it very dry with paper towels then season with the remaining spice mixture.
To Finish on the Grill:
- Grill over indirect heat at a temperature of about 225-degrees for 3 hours.
To Finish on a Smoker:
- Preheat smoker to 225-degrees. Add brisket and cook for 3 hours.
To Finish in the Oven:
- Preheat oven to 275-degrees convection (or 300-degrees standard). Add brisket and cook for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
- Allow to rest 30 minutes. Then slice against the grain and serve.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
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Going to try this out. Any recommendations on oven time/temp for a thinner brisket? I don’t want to overcook in the oven after the long sous vide cook time and ruin it. It’s probably 2 in thick.
I am using a instant pot duo crisp air fryer (sou vide mode) as my method of preparation. Is there a recommendation on time per pound for cooking? (4 pound brisket) You mention in your article 36-72 hours, that’s a wide range. I am experimenting with a liquid solution inside the sous vide bag of Hickory salt smoke diluted in water. 1/2 cup salt in 8 cups water dilution. Using a chamber vac, running 4 marinade cycles at 40 seconds each then final run bag seal. let rest in refrigerator for 12 hrs then starting the sou vide cook. After cooking using the sou vide program I will finish it off in the instant pot using the air fryer function.
I am assuming you are using a whole 4-6 lb brisket (packer cut). Have you tried just a flat or point brisket cut?
I haven’t Michael – but they should both work just as well in this recipe.
Great recipe!!! The pictures are fabulous. Thank you.
When finishing over the grill is it 225 degrees fahrenheit or celcius?
When finishing over the grill is it 225 degrees fahrenheit or celcius?
Thanks
Hi! It’s 225 F.
I’m wondering why the finish in the oven is at a higher temperature (275F) vs the grill or smoker (225F). Why not set the oven to 225 as well?
Hi JHH – I’ve found that many ovens don’t keep a very accurate temperature at 225, so I gave the option for 275 degrees.
When do you trim the fat off?
Hi Sarah – I leave most of the fat in tact. It makes for a more juicy, finished brisket.
Is it ok to use the juices from the bag?
Hi Rich – I think that they’ll be extremely salty unfortunately 🙁
Great recipe, my kids go crazy for this! Over several cooks, I have made a few small changes.
1. I put my brisket in the sous Vide with just liquid smoke. No dry rub. Seasoning first, I lose too much as the water comes out.
2. I season after it has been cooled and dried. First a dry rub, then slater with sweet baby rays. As the edges get ‘burnt’ (dark almost black) you know its done.
3. I also cool mine at least 3 hours. I find it comes out much more tender if it has time to reabsorb the juices. Definitely don’t rush this. As it says above, you can Sous Vide and then refrigerate for up to a week. So no excuse not to let it sit.
Enjoy!
Finally! A brisket recipe that is not afraid of FAT. That is always what is missing in others that I have tried. Fat is where the flavor is. I have tried a lot of different versions but this the first that deliver the flavor and texture I have been looking for. The fat that one does not want can be removed after cooking. I always cheat a bit on the ingredients in recipes but this is the technique I have been looking for.
4.5 lbs, 155 degrees for 48 hrs. Perfect! The rest is up to you.
Thank you.
Thank you Rich!
I’ve got my first 7 lb flat in the sous vide at 155 right now. It will sit in the frig for a couple days before going in a smoker for finishing. Your recipe says 225 for 3 hours. Do you know what the internal temp should be at that point? I want to make sure not to dry it out, so I may stop early if it gets too hot. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Keen – With the sous vide, it’s virtually impossible to “overcook” your food, so I wouldn’t be too worried about the internal temp. Hope that helps!
Holy cow! This turned out so flavorful, tender, and juicy! My guests raved about it! No leftovers on this one. Salt and pepper only. No curing salt or liquid smoke. 7 lb Costco flat. Barely trimmed any fat. Cut in two to fit in vacuum bags. 155 degrees for 36 hours. 3 days in the refrigerator. About 30 minutes on the counter. Dried off an added the rest of the salt and pepper. 3 hours in my electric smoker using cherry wood chips. Mopped a couple times with the juice from the sous vide bags. An hour resting in a cooler. Nice thin slices against the grain served on brioche buns, in lettuce wraps, and corn tortillas. SO good! We’ll be doing this again! Thanks for the recipe!
I currently have the brisket in the Sous Vide. When it goes in the oven to you put it directly on the pan or do you put it on a rack in the pan? Also, I assume you do not cover with tinfoil, correct?
So excited to see how it turns out.
Hi Dana – I just put it directly in the pan, but I think you could also put it on a rack… I did not cover with foil.