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Meet your new favorite way to cook chuck roast with my Smoked Beef Chuck Roast recipe! This flavor-packed, ultra-juicy smoked chuck roast is totally hands-off, beginner-friendly, and results in the juiciest chuck roast you might ever try.
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Chuck Roast in the Smoker
If you're looking for a delicious new way to serve chuck roast, this recipe is the answer! Ever since I got a smoker I've been totally addicted to smoking meat. From smoked pork butt to double-smoked ham, I'm having a hard time finding any cuts of meat that don't turn out magical in the smoker!
And as you all know, I love chuck roast recipes. My roast beef chuck is the most popular recipe I've ever made! So it was natural that I'd try to smoke chuck roast. Let me tell you, I'm so glad I took the plunge. Smoker chuck roast is one of a kind. Fall-apart tender, unbelievably juicy, and loaded with so much flavor I couldn't stop myself from eating all the scraps out of the pan.
Tools to Smoke Chuck Roast
- A wood pellet smoker or any other meat smoker!
- Aluminum foil for wrapping the meat.
- Wood pellets - I like mesquite the most, but any pellet will work great for beef. Oak, cherry, or hickory will taste great too.
- A metal baking pan. The disposable aluminum ones work great, or use a rimmed roasting pan.
- An instant read thermometer or a temperature probe for checking the internal temperature of the beef.
Ingredients in Smoked Beef Chuck
- Chuck roast: Bone-in or boneless chuck roast will work great. Because this cooks for so long, you don't need to adjust the cook time for bone-in.
- Onion: I prefer yellow onions or sweet onions.
- Garlic: Use whole garlic cloves. Crushed, bottled, or garlic powder just won't work the same.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work.
- Rosemary: You need whole fresh rosemary sprigs for this recipe.
- Thyme: Like the rosemary, you'll want fresh thyme, ideally in sprigs.
- Sea salt: It's always important with beef to use quality salt, like kosher salt or sea salt.
- Black pepper: A nice coarse black pepper works best, so I recommend freshly cracking your own.
Dry Rub for Smoked Beef
Looking to boost the flavor even more? Try using my roast beef dry rub, a simple but oh-so-delicious rub that uses paprika and brown sugar to emphasize the flavors of the beef.
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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How to Smoke Chuck Roast
- Step 1: Prepare the chuck roast. Take the roast out of the fridge and add a generous amount of salt and pepper (or dry rub) to the whole roast, then let it come to room temperature on the counter for about 20 minutes. Letting it come to room temperature helps it cook evenly in the smoker.
- Step 2: Preheat the smoker. While the roast is coming to room temperature, place pellets in the smoker and preheat it to 250°F. You want the temperature nice and low so the beef cooks very slowly, ensuring all that fat melts.
- Step 3: Smoke the beef. Place the beef roast directly on the grill grate and let smoke for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. I recommend using a meat thermometer or, ideally, a temperature probe.
- Step 4: Transfer to a pan. Remove the roast from the grill, handling it carefully to ensure as little lost juice as possible, and transfer it to a foil pan or a roasting pan. Surround it with quartered onions and whole garlic cloves, and place the rosemary, thyme, and the stick of butter on top of the roast itself. This ensures that as the butter melts, it will infuse the beef with the flavors of the herbs.
- Step 5: Cover and roast. Cover the pan with foil, then place it in the smoker or in the oven. Either one should be set to 275°F. Cook for another 1.5 hours, or until the meat reaches 200°F.
- Step 6: Remove and let rest. Remove the pan from the oven or smoker and take off the foil, then let it rest for 20 minutes. During this time the beef brisket will release liquid, then soak it back up again, leading to incredibly juicy, tender beef!
- Step 7: Slice or shred and serve! Slice the beef against the grain or shred it with two forks into pulled beef. Serve alongside the onions and garlic cloves- they're juicy, flavorful deliciousness!
Tips for Smoking Chuck Roast
- You can save on pellets by transferring the roast to the oven once it's covered in foil. It will cook just the same, as the smoke can't penetrate the foil.
- It's critical that you let the roast rest for 10-20 minutes after it's done cooking. This lets the meat release and then re-absorb its juices, leading to juicy slices.
- Reserve the juices left in the pan and use them for an easy beef gravy!
- You can add extra vegetables to the pan such as potatoes, carrots, or other hard vegetables, but the onions and garlic are a must.
- Because beef chuck contains so much fat and connective tissue, it's naturally so juicy that it doesn't need to be spritzed with apple juice or beef broth while smoking. However, it doesn't hurt to give it a spritz now and then if you desire.
How to Store Leftover Smoked Beef Roast
- Refrigerator: Slice the chuck roast, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend storing it with some of the juices to ensure it stays nice and moist.
- Freezer: Slice, then wrap the slices in foil. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively, shred the meat and freeze in a container. This is an excellent way to have pulled beef for later.
- As Leftovers: The slices can be reheated and served again, but I highly recommend remixing them into all sorts of delicious new meals. My favorite is roast beef sandwiches, or using the leftovers in place of steak in any of my leftover steak recipes!
FAQ
Every cut of meat is different, so I don't recommend using other cuts; they may require different cooking times, temperatures, or amounts of added moisture. Check out my list of smoked recipes below for other cuts!
You can serve this beef with just about anything, but I love savory sauces like homemade Texas BBQ sauce or vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce. It's also delicious with very simple dressing such as a bit of yellow mustard or gravy!
What to Serve with Smoked Chuck Roast
Chuck Roast Beef in the Smoker
This is a completely hands-off smoked beef recipe! Because the chuck roast is so high fat, it keeps itself moist without needing spritzing. That means you can pop it in the smoker, transfer it to a pan, and then serve- no more fussing required!
Smoked Chuck Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 lb. Chuck roast
- 2 large White onions
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 stick Butter
- 3 sprigs Rosemary
- 3 sprigs Thyme
- 2 Tablespoons Sea salt - coarse
- 2 Tablespoons Black pepper
Instructions
- Add pellets to the smoker, and preheat it to 250°F. Add salt and pepper to both sides of the roast and place it in the smoker.6 lb. Chuck roast,2 Tablespoons Sea salt,2 Tablespoons Black pepper
- Smoke the roast for 2.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. When the timer is almost up, quarter the onions, then place the roast in a metal baking pan and surround it with the onions and garlic. Place the rosemary and thyme on top and a stick of butter on top of that.2 large White onions,6 cloves Garlic,1 stick Butter,3 sprigs Rosemary,3 sprigs Thyme
- Cover the roasting pan with foil, then place it back in the smoker and raise the temperature to 275°F. Cook for another 1.5 hours, or until the meat reaches 200°F.
- Remove the pan from the smoker and remove the foil, then let the meat rest for 20 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can save on pellets by transferring the roast to the oven once it's covered in foil. It will cook just the same, as the smoke can't penetrate the foil.
- It's critical that you let the roast rest for 10-20 minutes after it's done cooking. This lets the meat release and then re-absorb its juices, leading to juicy slices.
- Reserve the juices left in the pan and use them for an easy beef gravy!
- You can add extra vegetables to the pan such as potatoes, carrots, or other hard vegetables, but the onions and garlic are a must.
- Because beef chuck contains so much fat and connective tissue, it's naturally so juicy that it doesn't need to be spritzed with apple juice or beef broth while smoking. However, it doesn't hurt to give it a spritz now and then if you desire.
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