If smoked brisket is stretching your budget, consider smoked chuck roast instead. This underrated, wallet-friendly cut becomes incredibly tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow on the smoker. I like to pair this smoked beef roast with Traeger smoked potatoes for a hearty, satisfying meal.
Discover how simple it is to smoke a chuck roast that’s tender, juicy, and packed with rich, smoky flavor. It’s the perfect brisket alternative for BBQ lovers on a budget.
Like brisket, chuck roast is a tougher cut that transforms beautifully with low-and-slow smoking. By taking it to an internal temperature of 203–205°F, the connective tissue breaks down into rich, melt-in-your-mouth gelatin, delivering incredible texture and flavor in every bite.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Beef Chuck roast is much more affordable than beef brisket, so it's a great alternative.
- The flavor is amazing, especially when smoked with my suggested seasoning and BBQ sauce.
- Leftover smoked beef roast can be added to mac and cheese, tacos, beans, or used to replace the meat in these tri-tip sandwiches.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chuck Roast: I used a 31/2-lb Angus choice beef chuck roast. The smoking time may need to be adjusted if your roast is larger or smaller.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce, or make my homemade huckleberry BBQ sauce instead.
- Spices: I used Santa Maria dry rub, but you may substitute your favorite seasoning. Or make a simple rub with a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cayenne pepper can also be added for a spicy kick.
- Apple Juice (optional): To spritz the roast hourly to keep it moist. You can substitute apple cider vinegar or beef stock, or beef broth.
🍖 How to Smoke A Chuck Roast
Step 1: Slather the chuck roast with BBQ sauce, then season generously with Santa Maria rub or your favorite spice mix. Place on a wire rack over a pan, uncovered. Allow the flavors to penetrate the meat for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 2: Prep your pellet grill by cleaning (if necessary), then add pellets to the hopper. Preheat smoker to 225°F, with super smoke selected. Place roast directly on the grill and insert a meat thermometer or probe into the thickest part. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160°F-165°F (mine took six hours). Spritz with apple juice every hour.
Pro Tip: Placing a water pan in your smoker can maintain moisture and prevent the meat from drying out.
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Step 3: Remove roast and place in an aluminum disposable pan, on butcher paper, or heavy aluminum foil. Add ¼ cup apple juice, then seal tightly. Turn up the temperature to 250°F, then return roast to smoker. Continue to smoke until the internal temperature reaches 203°F-205°F (approximately 3 hours).
Step 4: After smoking, rest the roast (while still sealed) for 30 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute for a more flavorful and tender roast. Slice against the grain or shred to serve in tacos.
Pro Tip: If you need to let the smoked beef roast rest longer, keep it sealed, then wrap it in a towel and store it in a cooler or a warm oven until ready to serve.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve smoked chuck roast with smoked corn on the cob, smoked mac and cheese, baked beans, or for a lighter meal, try a roasted beetroot salad or this arugula pear goat cheese salad.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
When smoking beef, choose any of the following: Mesquite, pecan, hickory, and oak.
To smoke a chuck roast at 225°F, the general rule of thumb is 1.5 to 2 hours per pound.
No, it's not necessary to flip a chuck roast when smoking it. Smoking uses indirect heat, so both sides of the meat will cook evenly over time.
Yes, both cuts of meat have tough fibers that benefit from low and slow smoking. Chuck roast requires less cooking time since it weighs less and is perfect for a smaller family.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Target an internal temperature of 203–205°F for peak tenderness. Use a meat probe and check for a buttery-soft feel rather than just relying on temp.
- Resist the temptation of lifting the lid more than necessary, as this will extend the smoking time.
- Depending on how tender the smoked beef roast is, it can be sliced like brisket or shredded for sandwiches, tacos, or nachos.
- You may want to smoke 2 to 3 roasts at once to feed a larger crowd.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
🍗 More Smoker Recipes
If you enjoy this smoked chuck roast recipe, try these other readers' favorites!
📖 Recipe
Smoked Chuck Roast That Rivals Brisket
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3.5-4 lb chuck roast
- ¼ cup huckleberry BBQ sauce (or favorite BBQ sauce)
- 3 Tbs Santa Maria rub (or favorite spice rub)
- 1 cup apple juice (or apple cider vinegar)
Instructions
- Slather the chuck roast with BBQ sauce, then season generously with Santa Maria rub or your favorite spice mix. Place on a wire rack over a pan, uncovered. Allow the flavors to penetrate the meat for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Prep your pellet grill by cleaning (if necessary), then add pellets to the hopper. Preheat smoker to 225°F, with super smoke selected. Place roast directly on the grill and insert a meat thermometer or probe into the thickest part. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160°F-165°F (mine took six hours). Spritz with apple juice every hour.
- Remove roast and place in an aluminum disposable pan, on butcher paper, or heavy aluminum foil. Add ¼ cup apple juice, then seal tightly. Turn up the temperature to 250°F, then return roast to smoker. Continue to smoke until the internal temperature reaches 203°F-205°F (approximately 3 hours).
- After smoking, rest the roast (while still sealed) for 30 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute for a more flavorful and tender roast. Slice against the grain or shred to serve in tacos.
Notes
- Placing a water pan in your smoker can maintain moisture and prevent the meat from drying out.
- Resist the temptation of lifting the lid more than necessary, as this will extend the smoking time.
- If you need to let it rest longer, keep it sealed, then wrap it in a towel and store it in a cooler until ready to serve.
- Target an internal temperature of 203–205°F for peak tenderness. Use a meat probe and check for a buttery-soft feel rather than just relying on temp.
- Depending on how tender it is, chuck roast can be sliced like brisket or shredded for sandwiches, tacos, or nachos.
- You may want to smoke 2 to 3 roasts at once to feed a larger crowd.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Hilda Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this roast as much as we do!