Ultra Juicy Smoked Beef Chuck Roast Recipe

4.67 from 192 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. boneless beef 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 until the stall 160-170 degrees internal temperature, spritzing with apple juice every 30-40 minutes.
At 160-170 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 and meat fibers 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

What If My Chuck Roast Is Smaller Than 4 Pounds?

If your chuck roast is smaller than 4 pounds, don’t rely on the listed 6-hour cooking time. Smaller roasts can lose moisture much more quickly than larger ones, so they often need to be wrapped earlier in the cooking process to prevent them from drying out.

For a smaller chuck roast, you can smoke it uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches approximately 145–150°F. When it reaches the stall, wrap it tightly in butcher paper or place it in an aluminum pan with about 1 cup of beef broth and a little additional barbecue rub. Cover the pan tightly with foil and continue cooking.

Keep the smoker or oven at 225°F and continue cooking until the roast reaches an internal temperature of approximately 190–195°F and feels tender when tested with a probe.

Most importantly, cook to internal temperature and tenderness—not to a mandatory time frame. Smaller chuck roasts can behave differently depending on their thickness, fat content, and shape, so let the meat tell you when it is ready.

Once it is finished cooking, keep it wrapped and rest it as long as you reasonably can before serving. A good rest will help preserve moisture and give the connective tissue time to further break down.

Nutrition