Sous Vide Brisket Recipe // No Grill or Smoker Required! (2024)

January 23, 2024August 12, 2020 by Erin

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 beef 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 Brisket!

How to Choose Brisket

• Look for a beef 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 F: Not fall apart tender, will still hold its shape. (36-72 hours)
• Fall apart tender // 155-degrees F: 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 F, 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.Here’s my go-to brisket dry rub recipe!

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 F 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 F. Add brisket and cook for 3 hours.
• Oven: Preheat oven to 275-degrees F convection (or 300-degrees F 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

Wine Pairings for Brisket

• I suggest a light-bodied, fruit forward red like aBeaujolaisorGrenache 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
• 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 Chicken Tenders
• Sous Vide Homemade Limoncello Recipe
• Sous Vide Filet Mignon
• Sous Vide Infused Vodka
• Sous Vide Vanilla Extract
• Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Did you try this sous vide beef brisket recipe?

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