Smoked Chuck Roast (With Secret Ingredient)

Smoked Chuck Roast rivals even the most tender cut of beef when cooked low and slow. This smoked beef roast recipe leaves you with juicy slices of beef infused with a bold smoky flavor.

Our unique Smoked Chuck Roast recipe uses our favorite “secret ingredient”: beef boullion! We also use it when making Sous Vide Chuck Roast and Sous Vide London Broil!

More popular smoker recipes: Smoked Prime Rib, Smoked London Broil, Smoked Tri Tip and Smoked Leg of Lamb.

Smoked Beef Roast

Beef chuck roast has little marbling, therefore can be a tough cut of beef when not prepared properly. It’s why making a chuck roast in oven oftentimes doesn’t yield ideal results. 

Smoking chuck roast allows the muscle to break down and the fat to render leading to a perfectly tender smoked chuck steak.

Smoked Beef Chuck Roast

Chuck roast originates from the shoulder of the cow, a highly active muscle group. Since it’s a highly used muscle, the cut has minimal intramuscular fat. Less fat = less tenderness.

Chuck roast on the smoker is an excellent way to extract the softness hidden within this tough cut of beef. As you can see from the below picture, there is very little fat on the outside of the roast needing to be trimmed.

Ingredients

The smoked chuck roast ingredients list is short and sweet:

• Chuck Roast (2-4 lb)
• Beef Boullion Base
• Montreal Steak Seasoning

Smoked Pot Roast

You can absolutely smoke a chuck roast to make a smoked pot roast! To make, just follow these recipe card variations:

When the internal temperature of the roast reaches your desired temp, remove it and follow the “resting” instructions detailed below. While the roast is resting, you can smoke the vegetables.

To smoke the vegetables, add 2 cups of beef broth, sliced carrots and diced potatoes to a disposable aluminum foil pan. Place on the smoker and cook for approximately one hour until the vegetables are soft. Remove and serve with the smoked chuck roast.

Dipping Sauces

If you enjoy good steak dipping sauce recipes, we recommend serving this beef chuck roast with Horseradish Aioli, Horseradish Sauce or even a mushroom sauce for added flavor.

Temperature

There are two routes you can take in terms of final internal temperature; one produces sliceable chuck roast while the other temperature produces shreddable chuck roast.

Sliced Chuck Roast – cook until the internal temperature reaches 195°F.

Pulled Style Chuck Roast – cook until the internal temperature reaches 205°F.

Time

To smoke a chuck beef roast, cook by temperature, not time. Anticipate a cook time of approximately 1.5 hours per pound when cooked at 250°F. Add time for your desired rest period as well.

How To Smoke Chuck Roast

This smoked chuck roast recipe works great on a pellet/electric smoker or manual smoker using charcoal or wood. We provide instructions for both methods. Just make sure you have the supplies called out below.

Charcoal – Pre-heat the coals until just washed over. Dump them in the center of your grill and open the vents to 25%. Create smoke by placing wood chunks directly on the pre-heated coals.

Pellet/Electric Smoker (Chuck roast on pellet grill) – Pre-heat the grill to 225° F. Follow the manufacture’s instructions to get an even smoke. Traeger Chuck Roast is amazing!

Supplies

• Energy Source – Charcoal, pellets, propane, gas, etc.
• Smoking Wood –   Chunks, chips or pellets.
• Water Bottle – Use it to spritz the roast while cooking. We use an inexpensive spray bottles from Amazon.
• Thermometer – Always use a meat thermometer. Our go-to digital thermometer is the Thermaworks Dot.
• Aluminum Foil (or peach butcher paper)

Wood Recommendations

The smoke should compliment the smoked beef roast, not overpower it. As such we stick to cherry wood, apple wood, pecan or oak. If you enjoy a deep hit of smoke you can go with hickory; beef roast can take it.

Dry Brine

If you’re into dry brining beef, go ahead and slather with the beef bouillon paste and Montreal steak seasoning and place in the refrigerator covered for up to 24 hours in advance. 

Dry brining will help draw the excess water from the roast and then reverse course to infuse the seasoning back into the meat. It will help enhance the flavor and help tenderize by breaking down the muscle fibers.

Note – do not dry brine over 24 hours as the meat will become mushy.

Wrapping

Wrapping the roast is uber important to keep it juicy. You can utilize either aluminum foil or peach butcher paper. We’ve used both and don’t find a huge difference in the bark when using aluminum foil; the roast isn’t in the foil long enough to soften the bark.

If you’re uber particular about the bark, go with peach butcher paper to be safe. Again, there isn’t a big enough difference to purchase a roll if you don’t already have it on-hand.

Resting

As with most smoked beef recipes, resting is a key aspect to ensure a juicy chuck roast! You can actually rest the meat for up to 2 hours, with extra steps.

Short Rest Period – Place the smoked chuck roast, still wrapped in foil with the thermometer in place, on the kitchen counter or microwave and let rest for up to 20 minutes.

Long Rest Period – Place the smoked chuck roast, still wrapped in foil with the thermometer attached, in an over or smoker set to 180°. Let rest for up to 2 hours. Alternatively, you can place in a cooler. 

Smoking A Chuck Roast Tips

• Always use a thermometer. You want to cook based on temperature not time. Our go-to digital thermometer is the Thermaworks Dot. It never fails.
• Spritz the meat with water or apple cider vinegar every 45-60 minutes to ensure moisture.
• Slice thin and against the grain. I repeat. Slice thin and against the grain.

Leftover Ideas

If you have leftovers, consider making a tri tip sandwich or prime rib sandwich. Just replace the prime rib or tri tip with the smoked chuck roast.

Side Dish Ideas

Anything goes when it comes to beef recipes. Here are our favorite:

Smoked Baked Beans
Smoked Asparagus
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Balsamic Glazed Brussel Sprouts
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Drink Pairings

Wine – Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo

Chuck Roast Recipes