• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
Fox Valley Foodie
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About the Fox Valley Foodie
  • Subscribe
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Smoking Grilling & BBQ

    Smoked Beef Chuck Roast

    Published: Apr 14, 2023 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Smoked beef roast recipe featuring a BBQ rubbed smoked chuck roast #bbq #smoked #beef

    This smoked beef chuck roast is tender, juicy, and as flavorful as a smoked brisket. Best of all, using a chuck roast is easier and quicker to prepare.

    There are many cuts of beef that are suitable for smoking. However, chuck roast is one of the best unsung heroes of the smoker. Unlike a large beef brisket, a chuck roast require minimal effort because it doesn't need to linger in a smoker for upwards of 18 hours. It is ready in a fraction of the time. Also, since it is a fattier beef roast, it smokes up delectably tender, moist, and loaded with smoke flavor!

    Smoked beef roast.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Chuck roast - Chuck roast is a tougher cut of meat with a lot of fat and connective tissue. This breaks down as it smokes and creates a juicy smoked beef roast. If you would like to smoke a leaner cut of beef, try smoking a rump roast, but be aware it only needs to be cooked to medium-rare. It should be ready to eat in approximately three hours, and when sliced thinly it makes phenomenal sandwiches!
    • Yellow mustard - This adds flavor and helps the seasoning stick. You can use other types of mustard, or even olive oil.
    • BBQ Dry Rub - You can use my homemade barbecue dry rub or your favorite spice mix from the grocery store. My rub contains a mixture of brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, coarse black pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground mustard.
    • Wood chips - I recommend mesquite, hickory, or oak wood chips (or pellets if using a pellet smoker).
    Smoked chuck roast.

    How to smoke it

    Begin making this smoked beef roast recipe by preheating your smoker to a low heat of around 235 degrees. As the smoker heats up, generously rub yellow mustard over the whole roast, then liberally dust it with your BBQ rub.

    Add your wood chips to the smoker, and once you have a steady stream of smoke, set the chuck roast on the grates and smoke for 6-8 hours, or until perfectly tender.

    The smoked chuck roast is done smoking when the internal temperature of the roast reaches 180 degrees if you plan to cut it into thin slices, or 205 degrees if you wish to have shredded smoked beef. Let the chuck roast rest for 30 minutes to allow the juices to settle prior to slicing or shredding.

    Tip: If your smoker temperature didn't stay under control and the roast is too tough when it reaches the proper temperature, wrap it in foil and place it back in the smoker. It will get increasingly tender the longer it cooks.

    Note: I did test this recipe by also wrapping a chuck roast in aluminum foil for the second half of the cooking session, as well. It finished cooking in only 4 hours (two unwrapped and 2 hours wrapped). However, the final result wasn't nearly as good. It lacked the delicious black bark on the exterior. It looked braised rather than smoked and didn't have as much smoky flavor. I recommend only using foil if you are in a hurry and need to speed up the smoking process.

    How to smoke beef roast.

    Storing and Reheating Leftovers

    This is a great recipe to smoke in advance to enjoy throughout the week. The leftover smoked beef roast should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one week. Leftovers can be used for incredible roast beef sandwiches or enjoyed on their own.

    Reheat individual servings of meat in the microwave or gently simmer slices in beef broth in a slow cooker or saucepan on your stovetop. The beef broth will transform into a delicious au jus! Alternatively, your smoked roast can be frozen for up to two months.

    Serving sliced smoked beef chuck roast.

    What to Serve with Smoked Beef Roast

    All of your favorite BBQ fixin's will be right at home next to your smoked beef roast. In particular, I recommend a table spread consisting of smoked baked beans, homemade vinegar coleslaw, and finally, a crisp tequilaberry salad. Oh, and of course, a refreshing cucumber martini to wash it all down!

    Smoked beef roast

    Smoked Beef Chuck Roast

    This outrageously tender smoked beef chuck roast recipe is as juicy and as flavorful as a perfectly smoked brisket, but easier to prepare.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 6 hours hours
    Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 307kcal
    Author: Fox Valley Foodie

    Equipment

    • Smoker
    • Digital Thermometer

    Ingredients

    • 3 pound chuck roast
    • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard (or as needed)
    • ¼ cup BBQ dry rub (or as needed)
    • Wood chips for smoking

    Instructions

    • Preheat the smoker to 235 degrees. (You are aiming to keep it between 225-250 while smoking.
    • Rub chuck roast with yellow mustard then generously dust it with a BBQ dry rub. Use your hands to rub it into the meat.
    • Place the chuck roast in the smoker and add wood chips. Smoke for 6-8 hours, adding additional wood chips as needed.
    • Chuck roast is done smoking when it is tender and the temperature reaches 180-205 degrees. It will get more tender the longer it cooks. Remove the chuck roast at 180-190 degrees for slicing, or 205 degrees if shredding. For best results, let your roast rest for at least 30 minutes prior to slicing or shredding.

    Notes

    You can use any of your favorite wood chip flavors for smoking, however, hickory is a great one to start with if you are looking for some guidance.
    It is best to let your roast come close to room temperature prior to smoking, but this isn't required.
    You can smoke a larger or smaller chuck roast as desired. Expect the cooking time for a larger roast to be longer and a smaller roast to cook faster.
     

    Nutritional Information

    Calories: 307kcal | Protein: 32g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 564mg | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 3.6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @FoxValleyFoodie or tag #foxvalleyfoodie!

    This recipe was originally published here on April 19, 2019.

    More Smoked Beef Recipes

    • Smoked corned beef recipe.
      Smoked Corned Beef
    • Smoked hamburgers recipe.
      Smoked Hamburgers
    • Smoked Meatloaf
      Smoked Meatloaf
    • Smoked chili
      Smoked Chili

    Get My FREE eCookbook

    mailer

    Subscribe to FoxValleyFoodie.com and get each tantalizing new post sent directly to your inbox, along with my complementary eCookbook just for signing up!

    « Baked Portobello Mushrooms with Balsamic and Feta
    Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      January 03, 2020 at 4:07 pm

      Which electric smoker is good. And is there o e you can use indoors

      Reply
      • Fox Valley Foodie

        January 03, 2020 at 5:17 pm

        I use the Masterbuilt smoker linked in the post and I am very happy with it. You won't find any good indoor smokers as the smoke they produce would quickly become a problem, unless you built a special exhaust to vent outside.

        Reply
    2. Jay Jackson

      August 22, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      I have done many Chuck Roasts on the smoker and my favorite way is to sear over high heat in a cast iron skillet and then add beef broth, onions, garlic and my rub to the skillet before placing it over indirect heat until it gets to 205* ish degrees. I know its more like braising but you get the crust, the smoke flavor and the juiciest most tender meat ever!!!!

      Reply
    3. SarahS-Acton, MA

      June 09, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      We had some people coming over for the afternoon and supper, and we didn't have time to shop, so we took a chuck roast out of the freezer and thawed it overnight. The next day we made this roast, exactly according to the recipe, in our Big Green Egg. It turned out really, really good. Everyone raved about it. Thank you. Great recipe. We had never thought of smoking a chuck roast. Brilliant.

      Reply
    4. Joe

      April 24, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      I've made this many times the only thing i do different is I brine the chuck roast in beef broth than I rub spicy mustard on it before the rubb after about 4 hours I rap it in tinfoil and finish it come out just like a brisket

      Reply
    5. Tom Lyman

      April 23, 2019 at 5:25 pm

      I just smoked a striploin this past weekend on my wood burning smoker. 170 degrees for 4.5 hrs. Hickory and mesguite chips over royal oak lump coals. Dry rubbed with various seasonings. Absolutely fantastic!

      Reply
    5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Subscribe

    15834

    Get each tantalizing new recipe

    sent directly to your inbox.

    AND GET MY eCOOKBOOK FREE!

    Search for your favorite post!

    Popular Recipes

    Venison Meatloaf Recipe

    Venison Meatloaf

    Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Secret Ingredient

    Brown Sugar Meatloaf - With a Secret Ingredient

    How to make paprika

    How to Make Paprika

    Fried chicken gizzards recipe.

    Fried Chicken Gizzards

    Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs - Bone In

    Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone-In)

    Big Mac Sauce Copycat Recipe

    McDonald's Big Mac Sauce (Copycat Recipe)

    Close up Sloppy Joes

    Homemade Manwich (Sloppy Joes)

    Homemade mozzarella sticks with string cheese

    Homemade Mozzarella Sticks with String Cheese

    As featured in yahoo, buzzfeed, oprah, msn and more!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Fox Valley Foodie, LLC

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.