Best Butcher Paper for Smoking Brisket

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The short answer

For smoking brisket, use pink (peach) butcher paper that is food-grade, unbleached, unwaxed and uncoated, in an 18-inch roll for most briskets or a 24-inch roll for whole packers over about 14 pounds. Bryco Goods with a dispenser box is our top pick for home cooks, Blue Smoke and Big Tex are strong 18-inch alternatives, and DIY CREW 24-inch is the pick for big briskets. Never use waxed or freezer paper in a smoker.

Feeding a crowd? Our BBQ meat calculator tells you how much to buy and roughly how long the cook will take.

Our picks at a glance

Pick	Product	Size	Best for	Amazon
Best overall	Bryco Goods Pink Butcher Paper with Dispenser Box	18″ x 175′	Home cooks who want clean, easy tearing	Check price
Best small roll	Bryco Goods Pink Butcher Paper	18″ x 100′	Occasional brisket cooks	Check price
Best 18″ value	Blue Smoke Pink Butcher Paper	18″ x 175′	Regular smokers	Check price
Best heavy paper	Big Tex by Alliance Pink Butcher Paper (40 lb)	18″ x 175′	Those who want a well-known foodservice paper	Check price
Best for big briskets	DIY CREW Pink Butcher Paper	24″ x 200′	Whole packers, pork butts, beef ribs	Check price
Also consider	Oren pink butcher paper	18″ rolls	Popular, widely reviewed alternative	Check price

How we picked

We compared product listings and owner reviews across major retailers, and BBQ publications’ guidance on wrapping. Every pick is sold as food-grade pink (peach) butcher paper that is unwaxed and uncoated. We weighted roll width, length, how well the paper holds up when soaked with beef tallow, whether a dispenser or cutter is included, and owner reports of tearing.

Why pink butcher paper for brisket?

Wrapping is the “Texas crutch”: once the brisket has built a good bark and stalled (the internal temperature plateaus, commonly somewhere around 150–170°F as moisture evaporates from the surface), you wrap it to push through the stall faster and keep it moist. Foil does that too, but it traps all the steam and softens the bark. Butcher paper is breathable, so some moisture escapes, the bark stays firmer, and you still power through the stall. Pink (peach) paper became the standard after Central Texas pitmasters popularized it; the color comes from the paper itself, not a coating.

	Pink butcher paper	Aluminum foil	No wrap
Bark	Firm, slightly softened	Soft, braised	Firmest, crunchiest
Speed through the stall	Faster	Fastest	Slowest
Moisture	Good	Most retained	Least; risk of drying
Best for	Classic Texas-style brisket	Tender ribs, faster cooks	Bark lovers with time to spare

1. Bryco Goods Pink Butcher Paper with Dispenser Box — Best overall

Bryco Goods is one of the most popular pink butcher paper brands, made in the USA and sold as food-grade, unbleached, unwaxed and uncoated. This version comes in a dispenser box with a cutting edge, which solves the most annoying part of butcher paper: tearing clean, even sheets with greasy hands. The 18″ x 175′ roll covers many brisket cooks.

Good to know: for briskets over about 14 pounds, an 18″ roll requires overlapping two sheets side by side.

Check Bryco Goods with dispenser on Amazon → →

2. Bryco Goods 18″ x 100′ Roll — Best small roll

If you smoke a brisket a few times a year, the 100-foot roll is plenty and costs less up front. It is the same paper as the larger roll, just shorter, and it doubles for wrapping pork butts, beef ribs and sandwiches.

Check the Bryco 100′ roll on Amazon → →

3. Blue Smoke Pink Butcher Paper — Best 18″ value

Blue Smoke’s standard-width roll is 18 inches by 175 feet, unwaxed and uncoated, and food-grade. It is a well-reviewed alternative when Bryco is out of stock or priced higher, and owners report it holds together well when saturated with rendered fat.

Check Blue Smoke butcher paper on Amazon → →

4. Big Tex by Alliance Pink Butcher Paper — Best heavy paper

Alliance’s Big Tex paper is a 40 lb basis-weight pink butcher paper sold in 18″ x 175′ rolls, a format widely used in restaurants and meat markets. It is a good fit for people who want a foodservice-grade paper rather than a consumer brand.

Good to know: it ships as a plain roll on a 2-inch core, so you will need a dispenser or a steady hand to tear it cleanly.

Check Big Tex butcher paper on Amazon → →

5. DIY CREW 24″ x 200′ — Best for big briskets

Whole packer briskets often run 12 to 18 pounds and are wider than an 18-inch sheet comfortably covers. A 24-inch roll lets you wrap them with a single wide sheet, which is quicker and leaves fewer seams to leak. At 200 feet, this unwaxed, uncoated, made-in-USA roll lasts a long time for frequent smokers and competition cooks.

Good to know: a 24-inch roll is bulky to store and needs a larger dispenser if you use one.

Check DIY CREW 24″ on Amazon → →

6. Oren Pink Butcher Paper — Also consider

Oren is another widely reviewed pink butcher paper brand sold in 18-inch rolls in several lengths. Check the listing for size and confirm it states unwaxed and uncoated, as with any paper you put in a smoker.

Search Oren pink butcher paper on Amazon → →

How to wrap a brisket in butcher paper

• Wait for the bark. Wrap once the bark is set and dark and does not smear when touched, usually around the stall.
• Tear two long sheets (about four times the brisket’s length) and overlap them, or use one 24-inch sheet.
• Optional: brush the paper with a little tallow or beef fat where the brisket will sit.
• Place the brisket fat side up near the bottom of the paper, fold the bottom edge over it, fold in the sides tightly, then roll it forward, folding the sides in again as you go.
• Return it seam side down to the smoker and cook until probe-tender, typically around 200–205°F internal, then rest it wrapped for at least an hour.

Buying checklist

• Food-grade, unwaxed, uncoated: non-negotiable. Waxed paper, freezer paper (plastic-coated on one side) and parchment are not substitutes.
• Width: 18″ for most briskets, pork butts and ribs; 24″ for whole packers and beef ribs.
• Length: a brisket typically uses several feet of paper, so 175′ or longer rolls are economical for regular smokers.
• Dispenser: a box or wall-mounted cutter makes clean tearing much easier.
• Safety: keep wrapped meat away from open flames and the firebox opening in offset smokers. Paper is safe at normal smoking temperatures but can scorch near direct flame.

FAQ

What kind of butcher paper is best for brisket?

Food-grade pink (peach) butcher paper that is unbleached, unwaxed and uncoated. An 18-inch roll suits most briskets, and a 24-inch roll is easier for whole packers.

Can I use regular white butcher paper or freezer paper for smoking?

Uncoated white butcher paper can work, but freezer paper has a plastic coating on one side and should not go in a smoker. Pink paper is the standard because it is strong when wet and breathable.

When should I wrap brisket in butcher paper?

Once the bark is well set and the brisket has stalled, commonly somewhere in the 150 to 170°F internal range. Wrapping too early softens the bark.

Is butcher paper better than foil for brisket?

Paper keeps a firmer bark because it breathes, while foil traps steam and softens the bark but speeds the cook the most. Many Texas-style cooks prefer paper; foil is fine if speed and moisture matter more.

Can butcher paper catch fire in a smoker?

At normal smoking temperatures of roughly 225 to 275°F it will not ignite, but it can scorch or burn if it touches open flame or sits right next to an offset firebox.