How To Cook Texas-Style Brisket in the Oven

Beefy brisket is the king of Texas barbecue. Yes, Texas has ribs and pulled pork, but tender, peppery brisket is what most people dream of when they think Texas barbecue. Swiped with Dijon mustard and packed with a salt and pepper coating before slow smoking produces a brisket that is ingenious in simplicity and mind-blowing in flavor.

The best Texas-style brisket is tender without falling apart and has a thick layer of smoky-peppery bark that surrounds each slice. While we can’t exactly replicate the terroir of a Texas smokehouse, we can slow-roast brisket in the oven at home. Roast the brisket at 300°F and keep it covered in foil for the first six hours, and uncover it in the last two to three hours of cooking. To learn more, here’s how to make Texas-style brisket in the oven at home.

Beef brisket is actually slow-cooked in a number of regional and ethnic cuisines, but Texas-style brisket means two things: smoke and pepper.

BBQ expert Robb Walsh says this particular style of brisket is most often found in Central Texas, but for everyone else outside the region, Texas-style brisket is what we think of when we think barbecue brisket. It is slow-smoked until tender but not falling part like pulled pork, and it has a thick bark, prized for its texture and peppery bite.

Texas-style brisket from the oven is never going to have the gorgeous pink ring around each slice, but we can give the brisket smoky flavor with liquid smoke and create a thick bark (while keeping the meat juicy) with an on-and-off-again foil tent in a low oven.

If you’ve got the choice between a flat or a point cut (this basically refers to the ends of the brisket), always choose the point — it has more fat, which keeps it from drying out in the oven.

• Use a salt and pepper rub. A coating of salt and pepper left on overnight will not only season the brisket but also create a protective coating, which will all at once keep the meat juicy and create a craggy crust. Coat the brisket with mustard first and you’ll have no problem packing on the salt, garlic powder, and cracked pepper.
• Rest overnight. This is a secret I learned from Austin’s beloved Franklin’s barbecue — every single one of their briskets are coated, seasoned, and rested overnight before smoking. This seasons the beef well and sets up the rub for its bark destiny.
• Roast low and slow. Most smokehouses have their smokers set around 250°F to smoke their briskets for anywhere from 12 to 18 hours. In the oven, that kind of time and temperature would dry the meat out, so use a slightly higher temperature of 300°F and keep the brisket covered in foil for the first six hours or until the brisket is 180°F in the thickest part.
• Cook uncovered for the best bark. The last two to three hours of cooking is about two things: bark and temperature. Uncover the brisket to get a crisp exterior bark and begin temping the brisket in the last stretch.
• Use a thermometer. Our ultimate goal for brisket that is tender but not falling apart is to get it to 200°F and keep it there for about an hour. Check the brisket every 30 minutes until it gets close.

Your Texas-style brisket is done when it holds 200°F for at least an hour and has a crispy bark. Pro smokers also use tongs to pick the brisket up at the middle and test for a bend. When held above the baking pan it should bend gently but not break. If it’s stiff, return it to the oven.

Rest the brisket loosely covered for 30 minutes before slicing. Slice the brisket thinly across the grain. Texans almost always serve sauce on the side, but some smokehouses skip sauce completely and you can too — this brisket is so peppery, smoky, and juicy it really doesn’t need it.