May 4, 2021
Beef

How To Smoke A Chuck Roast

Smoking a chuck roast transforms an affordable cut of beef into tender, juicy slices packed with rich, beefy flavor and smoke. With the right temperature, seasoning, and patience, chuck roast becomes a versatile BBQ staple perfect for slicing or pulling.

Chuck roast is one of the most underrated cuts for the smoker. While this is not a traditional cut that is often smoked, it can be a great option for those looking to enjoy smoking a cut of beef without the cost of a whole brisket (I also think this makes for great practice).

When smoked properly, chuck roast develops a beautiful bark, stays juicy, and can be served sliced like brisket or pulled beef for sandwiches, tacos, and bowls. It’s a great versatile option and can also be great for making smoked chuck roast burnt ends, too.

What Is Chuck Roast?

A chuck roast is a cut that comes from the shoulder region of a cow. It tends to be a meat cut that loves lower and slower cooking, both through roasting and braising (cooking in liquid) to break down the tougher connective tissues into tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces.

You can find this cut usually as a whole roast, in smaller pieces (used for stew), or sometimes even ground into meat. It has more saturated fat and lends to having an incredible flavor when prepared correctly- usually, any process that involves low and slow cooking, such as braising or smoking, works best.

Can You Smoke A Chuck Roast Like A Brisket?

Yes, you can smoke a chuck roast similar to how you smoke a brisket. In fact, while I love a good brisket, this is a great alternative both in terms of time and cost.

A chuck roast tends to come in 3-5 lb. pieces in comparison to a brisket, which could often average between 10-16 lbs. The smaller size (yet still you get a large amount of meat) is a good way to practice your brisket smoking skills on a more forgiving cut of meat.

Keep your charcoal grill or pellet smoker set to low and slow heat (I like to smoke mine at 250 F.). Use wood chips and flavor combinations that you prefer (I used oak for mine) here as well.

Adding a dry rub to a smoked chuck roast and putting it on the smoker

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Chuck Roast?

Every single cook is different, but you have a good 6-8 hour window on average to smoke a chuck roast. While having an ideal time in mind based on how large your roast is, the real indicator for when your chuck roast can be pulled from your smoker is about internal temperature.

A good rule of thumb with most smoked BBQ with a lot of denser connective tissue (think smoke pulled pork, brisket, burnt ends, etc.) is to check when the internal temperature reaches between 195 F. – 203 F. Check for tenderness, and the meat will tell you when it’s ready!

How to Season a Chuck Roast

Seasoning should be simple and bold.

Start by patting the roast dry, then apply a light coat of oil or mustard to help the seasoning stick. Use a basic rub of salt, pepper, and garlic, or your favorite beef seasoning.

For best results, season the roast at least one hour before smoking or up to overnight.

Best Wood for Smoking Chuck Roast

Chuck roast pairs well with a variety of woods.

Oak is a classic choice for beef, providing a strong but balanced smoke. Hickory adds a deeper smoke flavor, while cherry or pecan offers a slightly sweeter profile.

Avoid overpowering woods like mesquite for long cooks.

What Is A Stall?

A stall is where the internal temp of the chuck roast (or other large cut of pork or beef) hits the 150-170 F. mark and stops going up for what can feel like several hours. If you have never experienced a stall in BBQ, do not panic. Your grill still works, and this is totally normal.

One method often used in any BBQ stall is to tightly wrap the meat to help encourage it through this time period and keep those temps climbing (low and slow). With a chuck roast, I like the traditional braising method and place the meat in a large foil pan with beef stock or beef broth, BBQ spices, onion slices, and whole garlic cloves, and cover the pan tightly with foil.

This helps break the stall while braising the meat. I did this around the three-hour mark for a 4.5 lb. chuck roast. Do not do this until your bark has fully set on your meat as well.

Using beef stock to move the chuck roast through a stall.

Slicing VS. Pulling:

You have two options for serving your chuck roast, and honestly, you cannot go wrong with either method.

For Slicing: I chose to slice mine (like a brisket for the poor man’s brisket effect). Slicing works best if you let the bark tighten back up out of the braising liquid for 15-20 minutes on your smoker. Once the bark tightens back up a bit, wrap it back in foil (without the liquid), then wrap it in a towel and let it rest for about an hour.

Remove it from the towel and the foil, then slice it on the bias (if possible, since it’s hard to see the meat’s grains when the bark is set) and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Some areas may be a little fattier (most of the fat will render, but some remains).

Serve it up with the extra beef stock over the top or with my Texas mop sauce or this Memphis BBQ sauce recipe.

For Pulling: All that beautiful beef stock comes in so handy for the pulled beef roast. I like to strain mine out and reserve some in the foil pan (discard the large pieces of onion and garlic). Use your hands or two forks to pull the beef and shred it like you would a pork butt.

In the reserve au jus mixture, place that pulled beef back in for serving or add it to the side for dipping (like a dipped beef sandwich or a Chicago Italian beef). Pulled beef is amazing for a BBQ bowl with your favorite sides or on a bun or bread (low carb optional) of your choice!

Other tips and techniques to note:

Start with a room-temperature chuck roast if possible.
Keep your rub simple (I went with salt, pepper, smoky paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder), but use what you like.
Spray your meat to set your bark every hour until you wrap it with beef broth. This helps the smoke adhere and prevents the bark from cracking, and keeps it moist.
Always use a meat thermometer to help you keep track of where your meat is and when it’s done.

Sliced smoked chuck roast on a cutting board

More Recipes To Try