The thought of smoking an entire beef brisket can be intimidating, expensive, and potentially wasteful for novice barbecuers and those with small households. Chuck roast is the little brother of the brisket, a cheaper, entry-level cut of meat that offers a very similar eating experience in a more manageable size.
I’ve smoked a lot of beef chuck roasts over the years as a Texas chef and caterer, and this instructional video will show you how to achieve exceptionally juicy meat and excellent smoke flavor in your own backyard.
Here is what we will cover in this step-by-step guide so that you can master smoked chuck roast with ease.
To get the best cook, you must first determine how long to smoke chuck roast per pound and what temperature to keep in your smoker.
Smoking a Beef Roast Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast
- White Onions
- Garlic
- Butter
- Sprigs Rosemary
- Sprigs Thyme
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
You can also try using my roast beef seasoning!
How to Smoke a Beef Roast
- Preheat your Traeger or any pellet smoker to 250°F. Make sure to remove your roast from the refrigerator and let it warm up a little while it’s preheating. Place the roast in the smoker after seasoning it on both sides. 2 Tablespoons of coarse sea salt and 2 Tablespoons of black pepper, 6 pounds of beef chuck roast
- Smoke for 2. 5 hours (or until internal temperature reaches 160°F). When the roast is almost finished within 2. 5 hours, quarter your onions. The roast should be placed in a roasting pan with the quartered onions and garlic cloves all around it. Place the stick of butter on top of the herbs, followed by the springs of rosemary and thyme. 1 stick of butter, 6 cloves of garlic, 3 sprigs of rosemary, 3 sprigs of thyme, and 2 large white onions
- Raise the temperature of your smoker to 275 degrees. Smoke the roast for an additional 1 hour with the foil covering the pan. 5 hours (or until the roast’s internal temperature reaches about 200 degrees)
- Before slicing and serving, remove from the smoker and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes uncovered. Enjoy!.
Smoking Beef Roast Tips
- For smoked beef recipes, pellet smokers like this Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker are ideal.
- You can finish cooking the roast in your oven at 275°F for the same amount of time if you want to save your pellets.
- I did this with mesquite pellets, but you can use any pellets you like.
- After the roast has finished cooking completely, letting it rest will allow it to reabsorb some of the moisture that was lost during cooking, making the roast more flavorful and moist overall. Let that roast rest!.
- If you’d like, you can use the juice to make gravy or au jus.
- When making this, you can add any vegetables you like, but I do advise leaving the onion and garlic with those veggies. They add some amazing flavors to this recipe. Carrots, celery, or potatoes would be good additions.
- You can slice or shred this recipe, whichever you prefer.
Smoking Beef Roast Internal Temperature
The smoked beef roast needs to reach an internal temperature of 200°F. The best way to check the internal temperature of the chuck roast is to use a meat thermometer.
Smoked roast beef gets more tender the longer it cooks. A low and slow cook yields fall-apart tenderness in well-marbled chuck roast. The ideal cooking time for tender smoked chuck roast beef is 4 hours.
Smoked Beef Roast FAQs
Smoking a chuck roast for two hours at 250°F takes four hours. 5 hours, and at 275°F for 1. 5 hours.
When smoking a roast, paper wrap is not necessary. For the first two hours, the smoked roast beef recipe is left uncovered and 5 hours, after which it is transferred to a roasting pan covered in foil for the final 1 5 hours.
By referring to my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef, you can sample more of the best beef cuts that suit your requirements and price range.
Pin it for later!Did you enjoy this page? Save it on Pinterest for later!
- Pellet smoker
- Meat thermometer (recommended)
- 6 Pound Beef Chuck Roast
- 2 Large White Onions
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Stick of Butter (½ cup)
- 3 Sprigs Rosemary
- 3 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Sea Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
Check out our Beef Temperature Chart for useful advice on how to cook any beef cut!
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 250°F. Make sure to remove your roast from the refrigerator and let it warm up a little while it’s preheating. Place the roast in the smoker after seasoning it on both sides. 2 Tablespoons of coarse sea salt and 2 Tablespoons of black pepper, 6 pounds of beef chuck roast
- Smoke for 2. 5 hours (or until internal temperature reaches 160°F). When the roast is almost finished with 2. 5 hours, quarter your onions. The roast should be placed in a roasting pan with the quartered onions and garlic cloves all around it. Next, arrange the thyme and rosemary springs on top, followed by the stick of butter. 1 stick of butter, 6 cloves of garlic, 3 sprigs of rosemary, 3 sprigs of thyme, and 2 large white onions
- Raise the temperature of your smoker to 275 degrees. Smoke the roast for an additional 1 hour with the foil covering the pan. 5 hours (or until the roast’s internal temperature reaches about 200 degrees)
- Before slicing and serving, remove from the smoker and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes uncovered. Enjoy! .
- The roast can be finished cooking in your oven at 275 degrees for the same amount of time if you want to save your pellets.
- I did this with mesquite pellets, but you can use any pellets you like.
- When the roast is fully cooked and left to rest, some of the moisture that was cooked out of it can be reabsorbed, making the roast more flavorful and moist overall.
- You can use the juice to make gravy, if desired.
- When making this, you can add any vegetables you like, but I do advise leaving the onion and garlic with those veggies. They add some amazing flavors to this recipe. Carrots, celery, or potatoes might be good additions.
- You can slice or shred this recipe, whichever you prefer.
Easier Than Brisket? Smoked Chuck Roast Recipe
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a beef roast at 225 degrees?
A pound of smoked chuck roast is smoked at 225° for two hours or at 250° for one and a half hours. This does not account for the meat’s resting period, which should last 1-2 hours for optimal results.
How long to smoke 5 lb roast?
At a smoking temperature of 225°F, a good rule of thumb is that it takes about 2 hours per pound.
Do you wrap beef roast when smoking?
Place chuck roast in smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F to 170°F. Return to smoker and tightly wrap in two layers of foil or peach paper until internal temperature reaches 200°F to 205°F (45–1 hour).
At what temp does chuck roast fall apart?
Chuck roast needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 190–195 degrees F to be tender enough to fall apart. The meat becomes tender and melts in your mouth thanks to the high internal temperature that causes collagen to break down.