Recipe for Smoked Beef Chuck Roast
David and I smoked our first chuck roast on his Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, a couple of weekends ago. Today, we are sharing a step-by-step guide about how we did it so that you can smoke a tender and juicy smoked chuck roast of your own.
A smoked chuck roast would be a great way to impress guests at your holiday party. Besides the fact that it's a little different from normal holiday meats, beef chuck is cheaper than beef prime rib or tenderloin, easier to get along with than brisket and it is a lot easier to come by in the grocery store.
Here's how we smoked a beef chuck roast on David's water smoker:
Smoked Chuck Roast | Servings: 8 to 10 | Time: 6-8 Hours +
What You'll Need:
- 4 to 5-pound beef chuck roast
- butcher's twine
Beef Rub:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Equipment and Supplies:
- water smoker or charcoal grill
- charcoal
- charcoal chimney
- wood chips, for ours we used a mixture of pecan, apple, and oak
- water
- probe thermometer and/or instant-read thermometer*
- tongs
- heavy-duty aluminum foil
#1 Prep the Chuck Roast for Smoking
Start with a chuck roast in the 5-pound range. Rinse it under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
Secure chuck roast with 1 to 2 pieces of twine, tied around its circumference and 3 to 4 pieces of twine going around the width at 1 to 1 ½-inch intervals, making a grid pattern with the twine.
Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl; stir with a whisk to mix and remove any clumps. Rub the spice rub onto the chuck roast on all sides. – Learn more about rubs HERE!
If you have time, wrap the roast in plastic wrap and let it cure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Smoking the roast right away is ok, but sitting in the refrigerator for several hours allows the rub to penetrate the meat.
#2 Prep the Smoker
Soak a few handfuls wood chips for about 30 minutes in water before placing on the coals.
Preheat the smoker or charcoal grill to 250 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half chimney-full.)
Alternatively, using a charcoal grill set up for indirect heat with a drip pan of water directly underneath the meat to stabilize the temperature.
If you are interested in purchasing a new smoker, please check out detailed research on how to find the best charcoal smoker to meet your needs here: SmokeySteakRanch.
#3 Smoking the Chuck Roast
When the coals are ready to cook, place the prepared chuck roast onto the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan filled with water and insert temperature probes (if using).
Toss a handful of soaked wood chips and some dry wood chunks onto the hot coals; cover and allow the beef to smoke.
When smoking meat, David likes to use a combination of dry and wet wood chunks, alternating between the two. The dry gives a quick intense smoke and brings the heat up. The wet wood chunks provide a lower, slower smoke and bring the heat down. Heat adjustments can be made using this technique, along with adjusting the vents on the smoker.
Bring the temperature up to 225 degrees F, using the vents and wet and dry wood chips to regulate the temperature. You will need to add fresh coals and more wood chips almost every hour for at least the first 4 hours.
#4 Low and Slow
Check the temperature of the smoker every hour, staying as close to 225 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or soaked wood chips to maintain temperature and smoke.
*Knowing the temp in your grill is crucial, so if your grill doesn't have a temperature gauge, purchase a digital BBQ thermometer. I gave David a brand new top of the line Thermoworks Smoke™ thermometer for his birthday last month. He was able to try it out on this chuck roast. It has 2 channels, one for the meat and one for the smoker, with a remote control. David is in love with it. Having the remote control saved him a lot of worrying about the smoker temperature. The alarm sounded each time it would fall below the ideal smoking temperature. If you are a serious pit master, we highly recommend it.
#5 Testing For Doneness
Smoke the chuck roast until a dark "bark" (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the meat is about 190 degrees F, about 6 to 8 hours; if you don't use a probe thermometer, use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness.
Knowing the temperature inside your smoker or grill is crucial. Even if your smoker or grill has a temperature gauge, we still highly recommend that you purchase a digital BBQ thermometer such as Smoke™ from Thermoworks. Thermoworks thermometers are some of the most accurate thermometers money can buy. This particular model was designed for competition BBQ teams and professional chefs. It has a two-channel alarm uses probes to accurately read the temperature of the meat and the pit.
The ideal temperature of a properly smoked chuck roast is no less than 160 degrees F for medium to 190 to 200 degrees F for well done. The internal temperature of the chuck roast can increase by 10 degrees even after it's been removed from the smoker, so keep that in mind. If the internal temperature is 190 degrees F when you take it off the smoker, it may rise to an optimal 200 degrees F, perfect! Any hotter than that and could overcook your chuck roast, which results in dry, chewy meat.
#6 Holding
Remove the chuck roast from the smoker wrap it in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil; return to the smoker for at least 1 hour maintaining an internal smoker temperature between 225 to 250 degrees F.
Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil captures the natural au jus for use in a sauce, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.
#7 Slicing the Smoked Chuck Roast
Remove the foil-wrapped chuck roast from the smoker. Carefully unwrap the layers of foil and transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with foil. Allow the chuck roast to cool until internal temperature drops to around 150 degrees F before serving, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Don't slice until the last possible minute. The smoked chuck roast dries out quickly once it is cut. When you are ready, start by cutting off and discarding the twine. With a sharp chef's knife, slice the chuck roast thinly, against the grain, about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. For best results, slice only what you are serving.
#8 Serving the Smoked Chuck Roast
Perfectly cooked meat should be moist and juicy. You can serve it simply sliced on a plate or as a sandwich. If you wish, drizzle some sauce (cheese or BBQ sauce) and serve slices of flat fanned out like a deck of cards surrounded by chunks of burnt ends.
For this smoked chuck roast, we made sandwiches with the slices and topped them with a homemade Beer Horseradish Cheddar Cheese Sauce.
We hope you will use this step-by-step guide to smoke a beef chuck roast of your own to enjoy with your family and friends. This was our first one, but definitely won't be our last.
Get smokin'!
Smoked Chuck Roast
This smoked chuck roast is cheaper than prime rib, easier to get along with than brisket and it is a whole lot easier to come by in the grocery store.
Servings 10
Calories 412 kcal
Prevent your screen from going to sleep
Beef Rub
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
#1 Prep the Chuck Roast for Smoking
-
Start with a chuck roast in the 5-pound range. Rinse it under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
-
Secure chuck roast with 1 to 2 pieces of twine, tied around its circumference and 3 to 4 pieces of twine going around the width at 1 to 1 ½-inch intervals, making a grid pattern with the twine.
-
Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl; stir with a whisk to mix and remove any clumps. Rub the spice rub onto the chuck roast on all sides. If you have time, wrap the roast in plastic wrap and let it cure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Smoking the roast right away is ok, but sitting in the refrigerator for several hours allows the rub to penetrate the meat.
#2 Prep the Smoker
-
Soak a few handfuls wood chips for about 30 minutes in water before placing on the coals.
-
Preheat the smoker or charcoal grill to 250 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half chimney-full.)
-
Alternatively, using a charcoal grill set up for indirect heat with a drip pan of water directly underneath the meat to stabilize the temperature.
#3 Smoking the Chuck Roast
-
When the coals are ready, place the prepared chuck roast onto the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan filled with water and insert temperature probes (if using). Toss a handful of soaked wood chips and some dry wood chunks onto the hot coals; cover and allow the beef to smoke.
-
David likes to use a combination of dry and wet wood chunks, alternating between the two. The dry gives a quick intense smoke and brings the heat up. The wet wood chunks provide a lower, slower smoke and bring the heat down. Heat adjustments can be made using this technique, along with adjusting the vents on the smoker.
-
Bring the temperature up to 225 degrees F, using the vents and wet and dry wood chips to regulate the temperature. You will need to add fresh coals and more wood chips almost every hour for at least the first 4 hours.
#4 Low and Slow
-
Check the temperature of the smoker every hour, staying as close to 225 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or soaked wood chips to maintain temperature and smoke.
#5 Testing For Doneness
-
Smoke the chuck roast until a dark "bark" (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the meat is about 190 degrees F, about 6 to 8 hours; if you don't use a probe thermometer, use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness.
-
The ideal temperature of a properly smoked chuck roast is no less than 160 degrees F for medium to 190 to 200 degrees F for well done. The internal temperature of the chuck roast can increase by 10 degrees even after it's been removed from the smoker, so keep that in mind. If the internal temperature is 190 degrees F when you take it off the smoker, it may rise to an optimal 200 degrees F, perfect! Any hotter than that and could overcook your chuck roast, which results in dry, chewy meat.
#6 Holding
-
Remove the chuck roast from the smoker wrap it in double-layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil; return to the smoker for at least 1 hour maintaining an internal smoker temperature between 225 to 250 degrees F.
-
Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil captures the natural au jus for use in a sauce, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.
#7 Slicing the Chuck Roast
-
Remove the foil-wrapped chuck roast from the smoker. Carefully unwrap the layers of foil and transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with foil. Allow the chuck roast to cool until internal temperature drops to around 150 degrees F before serving, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
-
Don't slice until the last possible minute. The chuck roast dries out quickly once it is cut. When you are ready, start by cutting off and discarding the twine. With a sharp chef's knife, slice the chuck roast thinly, against the grain, about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. For best results, slice only what you are serving.
#8 Serving the Chuck Roast
-
Perfectly cooked meat should be moist and juicy. You can serve it simply sliced on a plate or as a sandwich. If you wish, drizzle some sauce (cheese or BBQ sauce) and serve slices of flat fanned out like a deck of cards surrounded by chunks of burnt ends.
Calories: 412 kcal | Protein: 43 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Cholesterol: 156 mg | Sodium: 883 mg | Potassium: 769 mg | Vitamin A: 140 IU | Vitamin C: 0.2 mg | Calcium: 44 mg | Iron: 4.9 mg
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