This chipotle maple barbecue beef brisket is beef brisket is massaged with a tangy spice rub and slathered with a barbecue sauce packed with sweet heat. Balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and chipotle all contribute to its superbly smooth flavor.
What we appreciate almost as much as this barbecue beef brisket recipe and its ridiculously compelling taste is its backyard barbecue feel—minus the backyard barbecue. Okay, it may call for an initial turn over a hot grill rack, but that’s just to imbue it with an extra dash of smokiness before it heads into the oven. If you’re in the midst of a torrential downpour or the dead of winter yet you desperately crave brisket, this little number is what you want.–Renee Schettler Rossi
What To Do With Leftovers
This sassy, saucy, sweetly spicy meat makes marvie tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, omelets, and more. So much more. So much so that we’ve learned to do the honorable thing and stash some of the leftovers in the waaaaaaay back of the fridge in an unmarked container and sneak the brisket into work along with some tortillas the next day. Trust us when we say it’s best not to leave the microwave unattended while it’s reheating.
☞ Contents
Chipotle Maple Barbecue Beef Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 (3 1/2-to-4-pound) beef brisket
- 2 tablespoons Quito’s Butt Rub or your fave barbecue rub
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup Chipotle-Maple Barbecue Sauce plus more for serving
- 1 cup beer
Directions
- Place the beef in a baking dish and sprinkle it with the Butt Rub.
- Stir the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar together in a small bowl and pour it over the brisket, turning it several times to coat it evenly on all sides. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176°C). Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Allow the brisket to sit at room temperature for a spell.
- Transfer the brisket to a plate, allowing any excess marinade to drip back into the baking dish. Reserve the marinade. Transfer the brisket to the grill or grill pan and cook, turning only once, until slightly charred but not cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
- Place the seared brisket in a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet and pour the reserved marinade over it. Stir the barbecue sauce and beer together in a small bowl and pour it over the brisket, turning it several times to coat it evenly on all sides. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil or a tight-fitting lid and roast the brisket for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until it pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Remove the brisket from the oven and let cool slightly. Transfer the brisket to a rimmed cutting board and thinly slice across the grain or use two forks to shred it. Serve the brisket warm, with additional warm barbecue sauce drizzled over the top or served on the table.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This isn’t a barbecue brisket in the true sense of the word, but more of a braised brisket in a spicy barbecue sauce. Sliced or shredded, it would still make a nice brisket sandwich. After 3 hours in the oven, the meat was pulling apart nicely. While you could skim the fat off of the braising liquid, I don’t think I’d use it as a sauce. It was a bit too salty for my tastes. If using the accompanying barbecue sauce recipe, I’d start with one chipotle pepper, and then build up from there—using three peppers was too spicy for us (slight burning of the tongue and lots of sniffling), but the flavor of the sauce was very nice. It’s hard to find a barbecue sauce recipe that doesn’t start with ketchup, so I was happy to see this build on tomatoes. All in all, this is not a brisket I’d make in the summer (we like to grill outside), but I’d certainly make it when the weather outside is less than pleasant and I’m craving a good barbecue dish.
Being a Southerner, I had to try another brisket recipe, and this was a winner! The recipe jumped around some, but once the components were assembled, it pretty much took care of itself in the oven. That makes for a perfect party dish. I had never cooked a brisket at such a high heat, but since it was in the marinade and sauce, it stayed very moist. The Chipotle Maple Barbecue sauce was tangy, vinegary, sweet, and smoky. I liked the idea of using the crushed tomatoes instead of the usual ketchup as a base. This will be my new go-to barbeque sauce in the future. Also, for years, I’ve degreased (chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours) the brisket cooking liquid and used it to flavor a pot of pinto beans. I soak and cook the dry beans with the flavored cooking liquid, and the beans are delicious.
Originally published May 26, 2018
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Hello,
I was wondering if I could substitute pork or chicken rather than beef?
Hi Lori, I’m sure that you could substitute pork or chicken, though I can’t tell you the exact cook times as we only tested it with beef. Let us know if you do it.