This Smoked Chuck Beef Roast recipe is going to blow you away! Invite guests (or not! 😁) as this one is going to go down as a huge fan favorite! With just a few simple steps and a delicious dry rub, you’ll be the star of the cookout!
Most of us don’t think about smoking a beef roast. I know I didn’t, but I had the opportunity to buy two chuck pot roasts this past weekend at a farm and was excited to try it out. My family said they never expected it to be so tender and juicy…it was definitely exceeded our expectations.
🍽️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Feeds a Crowd | It feeds around 12 people sliced or it can feed up to 18 when serving it up as pulled beef sandwiches with a cheese sauce, slaw or sauce layered on buns.
Great for Potlucks and Parties | Since this is a hands off, entertaining using this as the main dish is easy for the next bbq.
Tastes Delicious + Easy to Make | Smoked roast beef with or without a lot of seasoning inevitably ends up tender and scrumptious. This is one of the best cuts of roast to smoke as all of the collagen breaks down leaving your with meat that is easy to slice without worry about on the grain or against the grain.
15 minutes to Prepare | Simple rub that you can make or use a jarred version to make this an amazing meal in under 15 minutes prep time.
The Grill Does Most of the Work | After the simple prep, putting it on the grill and allowing it to smoke away all hands off.
🥩 Ingredients
Seasonings & Spices | I like to use a blend of sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. It’s delicious! Best of all, you probably have all of them in your pantry already.
Roast | Stick with a chuck roast to get the best results. I used a grass-fed organic beef from a local farm, but use what you can find.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Start with a five pound chuck roast. Remove the wrapping, rinse it with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Place on a large platter or cutting board.
Step Two: Wrap butcher’s twine around the circumference and across the top. I wrapped it across the top three times. You are doing this to keep the roast intact as it slowly cooks. Definitely pull it tight, as the roast will shrink slightly as it cooks.
Step Three: Mix together all the ingredients for the rub listed below into a bowl and stir. That’s it. Make a bit extra to save for later if you are grilling again soon. This is such an easy rub, that you’ll want extra to use on other meals.
Step Four: Cover the top and bottom of the chuck roast with the rub.
Step Five: Set the grill (any smoker works whether it’s a pellet smoker or Kamado version) to 225 degrees on indirect heat. Add wood chips to the grill for the smoke flavor. I used hickory this time, but you can use whichever kind you like. Place a foil pan beneath the grating to catch drippings. If you don’t do this step, the smoker will fill with an acrid smoke as the drippings hit the coals.
Step Six: Check the roast after four hours and remove it after five hours, or when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. That should be a nice medium. If your roast gets closer to 190-200, it will be considered well done and a darker, firmer bark or outside crust. Tent the roast for at least 30 minutes after removing it from the grill to allow it to continue cooking and the juices to stay inside the roast.
Note: For the most accurate measurements of temperature, use a wireless meat thermometer. Here is an article on the best wireless meat thermometers on the market.
💡 Recipe Tips
The two big things to meal prep this recipe are:
- Prep the rub ahead of time. It really does save time as you are rummaging through your cupboards trying to find the spices, measuring and such.
- Prep the chuck roast to the point of wrapping it with the kitchen twine and placing on a platter in the refrigerator.
- Don’t slice it until you are ready to serve as it will dry out quickly and you will lose a lot of juices.
Pulled Beef Option
If you plan on making pulled beef roast sandwiches, continue to cook it until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. You’ll want the meat to fall apart easily and the connective tissues will need to soften. The best way to do this is to wrap the roast in foil during the last hour and place it back on the smoker. This is the best way I have found for pulling the meat. Don’t allow it to go over the 200 degree mark as it will be overcooked and dry.
Internal Temperature
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperatures. I usually cook it to 180-190 degrees for slicing and take it off knowing it will continue to cook after it is removed. The temperature usually rises about 10 more degrees after I take it off the grill. It typically takes around five hours for a five pound chuck roast to reach this temperature.
The key is: Plan ahead for the rise in temperature. You can take it off at 180 and let it sit for the extra 30-60 minutes but know it will still continue to rise and it may become hotter than you want.
Recipe FAQS
While it’s not the end of the world if you skip this step, it is a game-changer. If you skip adding the twine, the meat isn’t going to stay together properly and may even end up dried out. For best results, add the twine and thank yourself later. The twine can be found at your local grocery store with the kitchen items, it is not a specialty item that needs to be ordered.
You can freeze this after cooking with no problem! I love to freeze my extra meat for my lunches or to make a busy weeknight meal go easier.
Slice up the roast and wrap in Press n Seal.
Place wrapped up meat into a freezer safe gallon Ziploc bag. If you don’t use a freezer safe version, it won’t keep properly. Don’t skip this step. I also like to do it this way as I can open up the Ziploc bag and grab a portion-controlled, pre-wrapped Press n Seal package of meat to defrost while the rest can remain in the freezer safe bag.
A five pound roast at 225 degrees takes about five hours to reach an internal temperature of 170-180 degrees. Monitor the temperatures closely. Remove the roast about 10 degrees shy of what your target internal temperature is going to be. Tent the roast after pulling it off of the smoker and allow to rest for 30-60 minutes.
Related Recipes
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Smoked Chuck Roast
Ingredients
Roast Rub
- 1½ tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic Salt
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Chuck Roast
- 5 lb Chuck Roast
Instructions
Steak Rub
- Measure out and combine all spices for rub and stir well. This can be stored in sealed container until ready to use.
Setting up Smoker
- Set temperature at 225 on grill for indirect heat. Add in smoking chips. I used hickory.
- Put a disposable pan in between grill grate and coals to catch drippings
- Wrap chuck roast with butcher's twine 4-5 times
- Spread the rub all over on both sides
Smoking Chuck Roast
- Lay on grill grate to smoke for about five hours, depending on the size of the roast.
- Check the roast after four hours and remove it after five hours, or when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. That should be a nice medium. If your roast gets closer to 190-200, it will be considered well done and a darker, firmer bark or outside crust.
Tenting Indoors
- Tent the roast for at least 30 minutes after removing it from the grill to allow it to continue cooking and the juices to stay inside the roast.
Serving
- Slice up right before serving to keep the juices in the roast or the slices will dry out. Don't worry which way you cut it as the collagen should be all broken down and allow you to slice through like butter. Don't slice this all up or it will dry out. Slice as much as you need and then move on.
Notes
Nutrition
