When you think of chuck roasts, you might instantly think of a pot roast. Well, that is until you smoke your chuck roasts Texas-style. When you smoke a chuck roast, you get all the beef flavor with slow-smoked beef’s tender and juicy texture. I love this recipe because it is faster and easier to make than large briskets, and my family loves it. I always make extra because the meat can be used in so many different recipes, like my smoked chili recipe.
Can You Smoke a Chuck Roast Like a Brisket?
Chuck roast is very similar to the brisket point. They both come from the front of the cow and are tricky pieces of meat that did a lot of work during the cow’s life. They have a lot of tough connective tissue that can only be broken down through low-and-slow cooking. They also have a lot of intramuscular fat marbling that will break down through the smoking process.
Smoked chuck roast is our favorite substitute for beef brisket. That’s right, you can make smoked beef chuck roast like a Texas-style brisket. Chuck roasts aren’t just for pot roasts anymore.
What Is A Chuck Roast?
The chuck roast is part of the chuck primal cut from the shoulder of the cow. It is a hardworking area of the cow, producing tough pieces of meat. However, the chuck roast and its fellow cuts pack a very beefy flavor that will stand up to both the dry rub and a sprinkling of Montreal Steak seasoning.
Chuck roasts are also used for ground 80/20 hamburger meat that you find in the supermarket. Its intramuscular marbling makes it ideal for making burgers.
Chuck Roast on a Pellet Grill
I like smoking chuck roasts on my Green Mountain pellet grill with Bear Mountain Savory BBQ Pellets. Smoking a chuck roast can take a few hours, so a pellet grill makes it easy while still producing that smokey beef flavor I love from a smoked chuck roast.
How To Prepare A Chuck Roast For Smoking
You want a well-marbled piece of chuck roast because all that fat will help keep the interior moist throughout the smoking process. Coat the chuck roast evenly with yellow mustard or whatever binder you like. Then, season with salt, black pepper, and garlic.
I also add Montreal Steak seasoning lightly for that extra pop of intense flavor in the bark. If you have the time, let the rub rest on the chuck roast for an hour or two or overnight in the fridge.
How Long To Cook a Chuck Roast on a Pellet Grill
Depending on the size of your chuck roast, it can take 4-6 hours to smoke. It’s a two-step process: You smoke the meat uncovered for about 3 hours of the internal temperature gets to around 160º degrees F. Then wrap the chuck roast and smoke it for another 2-3 hours until you hit the desired temperature of around 204ºF. I’ll go into more details below.
What Temperature Do You Smoke Chuck Roast
I smoke chuck roasts on the pellet grill at 225°F.
Ingredients:
- 6 tsp Salt, Pepper and Garlic Rub
- Montreal Steak seasoning
- Yellow Mustard (or your preferred binder)
- Apple juice (substitute beef stock)
If you want to make your own SPG rub, combine 2 tsp Himalayan Pink salt or coarse salt, 2 tsp coarse ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder. You can modify the dry rub as needed to fit the size of your chuck roast. Just remember that it is two parts salt, two parts pepper, and one part garlic powder. If you are looking for more ideas, take a look at our spin on a Texas rub.
Equipment:
- Smoker of your choice (I use a GMG Pellet Grill)
- Temperature probe
- Smoking Wood – I use Bear Mountain Pellets
- Aluminum foil (or pink butcher paper)
- Spritz bottle
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Coat the chuck roast with a thin, even layer of yellow mustard.
- Coat the chuck roast thoroughly with the base dry rub.
- Sprinkle all surfaces lightly with the Montreal Steak seasoning.
- Place on the preheated smoker and insert your temperature probe.
- Spritz the chuck roast every hour using the spritz bottle filled with apple juice. This helps keep the meat moist and develops the bark.
- After the bark has developed the way you want and the roast’s internal temperature is 160°F, remove it from the smoker and wrap it in aluminum foil or pink butcher paper and place it back on the smoker.
- Monitor the temperature until it reaches 204°F, then check how tender the meat is. If you can slide the temperature probe out and then back into a new spot with no resistance, remove the chuck roast and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
- Slice like this smoked chuck roast and serve! If you want tender and juicy shredded beef, try this recipe for smoked shredded beef using a chuck roast.
Smoked Chuck Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker of your choice (I used a GMG Pellet Grill)
- Temperature Probe (I used a Thermapen ONE)
- Aluminum foil (or pink butcher paper)
- Spritz bottle
Ingredients
- 6 tsp Salt, Pepper and Garlic Rub Make your own SPG if you want too
- 2 tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning
- 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
- 1/4 cup Apple juice substitute beef broth
- 3 lbs Chuck Roast
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Coat the chuck roast with a thin, even layer of yellow mustard.
- Coat the chuck roast thoroughly with the base dry rub and pat it into the meat.
- Sprinkle all surfaces lightly with the Montreal Steak seasoning and pat it into the meat.
- Smoke your chuck roast with the fat side up at 225 degrees F.
- Spritz the chuck roast every hour using the spritz bottle filled with apple juice. This helps keep the meat moist and develops the bark.
- After the bark has developed the way you want and its internal temperature is between 160° degrees. Wrap it in aluminum foil or butcher paper and place it back on the smoker.
- Monitor the temperature until it reaches 204°F, then check to see how tender the meat is. If you can slide the temperature probe out and then back into a new spot with no resistance, then remove the chuck roast and let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute4
- Slice your smoked chuck roast and serve!
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When should I wrap smoked chuck roast?
A: You want to give the bark plenty of time to develop, but you don’t want to dry out the exterior of the chuck roast. You should wrap between 150°F and 160°F or when your bark is completely developed.
Q: What is the best temp for smoked chuck roast?
A: You want to take your chuck roast to 204°F, but the texture of the roast is more important. Use the probe test to see when the chuck roast is ready. Insert the temperature probe into the roast in a couple of different places; if the probe inserts smoothly without resistance, your chuck roast is done!
Q: How long should I rest the smoked chuck roast?
A: You want to let your chuck roast rest for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the roast and help break down any remaining connective tissue. You can let it rest for up to two hours if the internal temperature remains over 140°F. You want to keep it wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or butcher paper while it rests.