Smoked Top Round Roast {London Broil} is a great way to create a delicious and tender meal on the grill. A simple rub and choice wood chips make all the difference!
Top Round Roast, or London Broil as it is commonly labeled by butchers, is the lean cut of meat found in the backside round section of the cow.
It is packed with flavor but lacks a tender texture, so it is best to smoke it or marinade / grill it. This is a cut that is best served rare or medium rare and sliced thin even when using prime vs choice options.
Smoking allows this economical cut of beef (try smoking eye of round roast or rump roast the same concept) to really take center stage. Just a couple of simple steps allow you to no longer pass up this budget-friendly option.
🍽️ Why This Works
Easy | There is nothing wrong with using just a simple rub. Use your favorite. Sure, you can make your own, but sometimes I just like to use one that is readily available. I had some Burnt Sacrifice Santa Maria steak rub available and used that. Don’t be afraid of a simple kosher salt and pepper.
Delicious | I always prefer smoking when I have a tougher cut of meat as we did with the Smoked Chuck Roast. The low and slow approach breaks down the connective tissues and makes the steak so tender!
Simple + Hands Off | Always have great hands off, quick to prep main dish that you can make on a busy Saturday in your back pocket. Put this on the smoker and go mow the lawn, trim the hedges, or clean out the garage. It is not a recipe that you have to stand there and watch, and the results are so tender and amazing.
🥩 Ingredients
Top Round Roast | This is a lean cut of meat found near the eye round and bottom round portion of the cow. This means it tends to not be a tender cut of meat coming from the inside the rear leg of the animal that does all the work.
It still has a good flavor and a great price point though, so it’s best to find options that give you incredible results.
Some butchers refer to it as London Broil but that is a cooking technique and not as a specific cut. They often label Shoulder London Broil, Top Round London Broil, or Bottom Round London Broil because all of these meats are thicker and not as tender.
Butchers who label it London Broil confuse shoppers though when they do this.
A true London Broil uses a flank steak (or top round, blade, or sirloin tip) that is marinated and broiled, and cut across the grain of the meat to help its tenderness.
Top round won’t have the long connective tissues running through it like a London broil/flank steak will which comes from the leg muscles. The top round will look and taste more like a top sirloin roast.
Rub | We used the Burnt Sacrifice Santa Maria Rub but feel free to use any rub that you love, including making your own.
⏲️ Equipment
Smoker | You will need a smoker to make this tender, flavorful cut of meat. Whether you have a Big Green Egg, Traeger, Masterbuilt or Pit Boss – they will all work for this recipe. Pellet grills are very easy to dial in the temperature.
Wood Chips | While we used Sassafras for this, you can easily use oak, cherry, maple or even some of the more robust varieties like mesquite or hickory. Check out our Wood Chip Selection Guide for more detailed information on the choices.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Heat the grill to 225-250°F. Set it up for indirect heat. For the Big Green Egg, I added the plate setter. For a gas grill, simply turn off the center burners.
Step Two: Liberally coat the top round with the steak seasoning. If it doesn’t stick right away, rub the steak with a teaspoon of olive oil and then add the rub. Make sure to get the sides.
Step Three: Add the smoking wood to the grill. For this one, I used some Sassafras, but any of the richer, stronger flavors will work.
Step Four: Add the steak to the smoker for about 30 minutes per pound to reach an internal temperature of 135°F for a medium rare. Use a wireless thermometer to make sure you don’t overcook the meat.
As with most recipes, we do recommend you bring it off the grill and tent it with foil while it rests to have all the juices stay INSIDE the meat instead of running out.
REVERSE SEAR OPTION: Once you have it smoked, remove the top round from the grill and remove the plate setter, if using the Big Green Egg. Otherwise, turn on all the burners and heat up to 450°F or so. To get a great crust and sear marks, the grill must be HOT.
Once it is brought up to temperature, place the roast on the grill and sear it for 1-2 minutes each side.
If you are planning to reverse sear, take the meat off a few degrees UNDER 135°F as it will continue to cook if you tent it. Also, if you are reverse searing, it will get cooked for an additional 2-4 more minutes on a very high heat source which has a good chance of knocking it closer to a medium rather than medium rare.
For a pellet smoker like Traeger, Pit Boss or Camp Chef, set the temperature to 225-250°F and smoke for 30 minutes per pound until you reach an internal temp of 135°F and remove from heat source. Reverse sear, if desired.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Take it out of the fridge a few minutes early and slice it before microwaving it. Then the outside and ends won’t overcook while you are still trying to heat up the middle.
If you use this as a roast beef, let it cool completely and slice it with a food slicer. Wrap the slices in Saran and bring them out for homemade roast beef sandwiches.
Additions and Substitutions
Change up the Rub. the beauty of this recipe is that you can modify it to use the ingredients you have on hand. A nice salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder mixture leaves a classic flavor for the smoked beef.
Smoking Beef Roasts Options. If you intend to use this to make smoked roast beef sandwiches, you can load the smoked top round roast with a bit more seasoning. Since the roast beef is sliced very thin, it can handle more seasoning on the outside. Serve this on bread or buns with lettuce, cheese and a bit of horseradish sauce! So Delicious!
🥦 Serving Suggestions
We love a good beef recipe off of the grill and there are so many delicious options out there to pair it with including a cold microbrew or a glass of red wine. Some of our favorite BBQ Sides are:
Grilled Sweet Potatoes in Foil. This is easy to throw on the grill while the meat is smoking. You don’t really need to monitor it until you’re ready to take it off to serve.
Grilled Broccolini. This is an extremely fast recipe that can be made in the last few minutes on the grill.
Grilled Sweet Onions. I love to make these if I am planning to slice the top round for roast beef sandwiches. The charred flavor of the onions work perfectly with the smoked beef.
Grilled Patty Pan Squash. You can only find these squash in the autumn, but when they are out, you’ll love their flavors.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn. This is a classic (and easy) recipe that works for a BBQ or family gathering. Kids love it!
❗ Expert Tips
Always clean and oil the grill grate before adding the meat. It will minimize the chance of sticking.
Choose your wood carefully. Sassafras and Hickory are going to give you a robust/strong smoke flavor. It will smell like you stepped into a BBQ joint.
If your family prefers a just a little smoke flavor, then grab a couple pieces of fruit wood instead.
Slice the roast against the grain for maximum tenderness.
This meat is going to turn out to be so tender due to the smoking that you could make your own version of Poor Man’s Burnt Ends with it.
How to Cook Top Round Steak?
I prefer smoking it on a low temperature. This can be a tough cut of meat and the low-and-slow approach really helps to break down the connective tissues and results in an incredibly tender roast. It is perfect as a London broil or sliced thin for roast beef sandwiches.
Recipe FAQ
No, the low and slow temperature cooking will make this a great, tender cut once you have it smoked. It’s almost as simple as using your crockpot.
It’s ok. Don’t throw it away! You can slice it up super thin or you can use the food processor and grind it down to make a sandwich mix out of it with mayo, pickles and onions.
Absolutely. Once you have it smoked, remove the top round from the grill and remove the plate setter using grill gloves, if using the Big Green Egg. Otherwise turn on all the burners and heat it up to 400°F or so. Remember, to get a crust and sear marks, it has to be HOT.
Not when smoking you don’t. Smoking it rare to medium rare yields a tender cut if not cooked over 135°F. Reaching for a medium-well done version will do better in a marinade for about 4-6 hours to help break down more of the tissues.
Shoot for 225°F when smoking. When you smoked at 225°F it takes a bit longer (not much) but you are giving the meat longer to tenderize. Don’t go above 250°F though or it will cook too fast and be very tough.
Related Recipes
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Smoked Top Round Roast
Equipment
- Smoking Wood Chips
Ingredients
- 1 lb Top Round Roast
- ¼ cup Steak Seasoning I used Burnt Sacrifice Santa Maria Rub
Instructions
- Heat the grill to 250°F using indirect heat.
- Cover the steaks with your favorite steak seasoning. Make sure to get the sides too.
- Add wood chips to the grill and place the top round on the grate.
- Add the steak to the smoker for about 30 minutes per pound to reach a temperature of 135°F for a medium rare. Use a wireless thermometer to make sure you don't overcook the meat.
- A gentle, billowing smoke will leave an amazing flavor while the low temperature will slowly break down the connective tissue.
- REVERSE SEAR OPTION: Once you have it smoked, remove the top round from the grill and remove the plate setter, if using the Big Green Egg. Otherwise turn on all the burners and heat up to 450°F or so. Remember to get a crust and sear marks, it has to be HOT, not 350°F. Once it is brought up to temperature, place the steak on the grill and sear it for 1-2 minutes each side.
- Serve as a London Broil or let it cool and slice it thin for Smoked Roast Beef Sandwiches.
Notes
Nutrition
