Ultra Juicy Smoked Beef Chuck Roast Recipe

4.66 from 190 votes

Ultra Juicy Smoked Beef Chuck Roast Recipe

A simple smoked chuck roast can be prepared like barbecue brisket for smaller households at a fraction of the cost. This recipe will share the techniques for an ultra juicy experience with a great smoke ring and fantastic beefy flavor!

Course Beef

Cuisine Barbecue

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 7

Additional Time 1

Total Time 8 15

Calories 697kcal

Author Sarah Penrod

Ingredients

3-4 lb. smoked chuck roast
kosher salt
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
1 c. apple juice in a spray bottle
2 c. barbecue sauce for serving

Instructions

Remove chuck roast from the package, if you are going to do an overnight dry brine, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and wrap in saran wrap, or place in a dish tented with foil. Dry brine for 12-24 hours. After the dry brine, remove and pat dry. Continue on with the recipe.
For the rub sprinkle the chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper first, then coat with onion powder and garlic powder. No measuring is needed just sprinkle directly from the shaker. Seasonings should be generous but meat should be able to peek through. (See photos or video for examples.)
Prepare your smoker and set it to 225 degrees for a pellet smoker, or maintain heat from 225- 250 degrees for a standard wood-burning smoker. Place the chuck roast in the smoker and probe the meat in its thickest part. Close the chamber and smoke to 170 degrees internal temperature, spritzing with apple juice every 30-40 minutes.
At 170 degrees, remove the chuck roast and wrap well in pink butcher paper. Place back into the smoker at 225 degrees, until the internal temperature hits 195.
Remove the chuck roast and place in the oven at 170-180 degrees for 1 hour, or rest in an igloo cooler (still inside the peach paper). The fat will continue to break down during this time giving you a very juicy chuck roast.
Remove from the oven (or igloo cooler) and rest an additional hour if you like, or slice it up immediately. Serve with barbecue sauce if desired.

Video

Notes

If you get a smaller chuck roast than 4 pounds your time will be more than the listed 6 hours, plus resting. This is because the small chuck roast dehydrates and there is no water left to conduct heat. The stall begins earlier and we need to wrap it earlier to prevent drying out.

You may choose to smoke it for 2 hours and then wrap it in butcher paper or place it in an aluminum pan with a cup of beef broth and barbecue rub. Tent it with foil and then continue cooking.

Always cook to internal temperature, not a mandatory time frame. Cook at 225 degrees until the meat is 145-150 degrees for these smaller roasts, then wrap and continue cooking to 190-195 degrees. Rest as long as you can before serving.

Nutrition