The Best Smoked Brisket Sandwich Toppings That Aren't Just Coleslaw Or BBQ Sauce

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We all crave the perfect smoked brisket sandwich. To achieve that goal, we tend to focus on the smoked brisket itself: how to select the best piece of brisket, just how much fat you should trim to keep your brisket juicy without being flabby, or even simply how long to cook your brisket to begin with. There's plenty of wisdom about how to make the most of your meat before it ever makes its way to your plate. But once the smoking is done, the work is far from over. You've still got your toppings to consider.

Coleslaw and a generous amount of barbecue sauce are perhaps the two most commonly used toppings for a brisket sandwich. And while there are certainly ways to elevate your coleslaw and a variety of sauces to choose from, deviating from these two choices might just be the change-up your brisket sandwich needs. That's the suggestion from Brandon Hurtado, anyway. The barbecue chef and author of "Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue" recently spoke with Chowhound about his go-to toppings for brisket sandwiches, giving you plenty of interesting options.

Coleslaw normally gives your brisket sandwich a decent helping of crunch as well as some acidity, depending on the slaw's composition. But to get a heaping helping of both, Hurtado suggests accompanying your brisket with some tangy homemade pickles instead. "I prefer housemade pickles (either dill or a sweet pickle) on my sandwiches," he says, pointing out that "the acidity is great for cutting through the richness of smoked meats."

He's certainly right about the acidity — acid and fatty meats go quite well together. The acidity in foods such as vinegary pickles helps cut through the fat in terms of taste, giving a lot more vibrancy to your overall dish. That's one reason red wine tends to pair very well with red meat. Of course, if you're making these pickles yourself, you can control just how zesty or sweet they become. You can also follow some tips to make sure your pickles become as crunchy as can be to give your brisket sandwich some wonderful textural contrast too.

What do you do if you're looking to move on from the mayonnaise-y heaviness of regular coleslaw but want a similar textural vibe? Simple. Just top your brisket sandwich with some pickled cabbage — in particular, some curtido. To those unfamiliar, curtido is a predominately-Salvadoran side (though versions can be found throughout Central America). In it, thinly sliced or shredded cabbage, red onion, carrot, and jalapeño are seasoned and left to marinate in vinegar for hours or even days. The result is a tangy, somewhat spicy and vinegary dish that adds plenty of acidity and crunch.

Typically, you'd find curtido served with pupusas, one of the must-try Latin American dishes, but there's nothing stopping you from tossing some onto your brisket sandwich. But Hurtado cautions that you shouldn't feel limited to brisket. "[A] spicy curtido or pickled cabbage goes great with pulled pork on a brioche bun," he adds. 

You're already whipping up a smoked brisket. While it cooks, why not maximize the Southern barbecue feeling with a scoop of creamy mac and cheese? Hurtado won't judge, saying, "[Y]ou can add a creamy mac and cheese to your BBQ sandwich for a 'loaded' style sando." It's hard to deny this delicious and indulgent combination of flavors.

Having the ultimate macaroni and cheese as a topping for your smoked brisket sandwich doesn't exactly fall in line with the ideology of pickles or curtido in that you don't really have any acid to cut through your fat. Instead, you're left with complementary flavors. But the rich, creamy mac and cheese pairs so well with the smoky notes of the brisket that whichever of these options you choose, you can be assured you're in for an ultra-flavorful brisket sandwich.