Smoked Chuck Roast

5 from 11 votes

A simple way to prepare beef, this perfectly smoked chuck roast is covered in a simple garlic and herb butter rub that forms the most flavorful bark. The perfect meal for any occasion any time of the year!

Prep Time15

Smoke Time8

Total Time8 15

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

Any type of smoker

Ingredients

For The House Seasoning

1 cup kosher salt
¼ cup coarse black pepper
¼ cup garlic powder

For The Chuck Roast

3-5 lb beef chuck roast
2 Tablespoons Garlic Herb Compound Butter
2 Tablespoons House Seasoning

Instructions

To Make The House Seasoning (In Bulk)

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of salt, ¼ cup pepper, and ¼ garlic powder. Mix well to combine.
Important Note: This makes a batch of house seasoning that can be stored and used for later use. You will not use all of this house seasoning in this recipe.
Set aside 2 tablespoons for seasoning the roast and store the remaining rub in an airtight container for future use.

To Make The Roast

Coat the meat with 3 tablespoons of room temperature garlic herb compound butter.
Expert Tip: The butter will not spread evenly and that is ok! The clumps of butter help form the outer crust while smoking. You can use your hands to spread the butter but using a basting brush also helps for a more even spread.
Once the butter has been applied, generously apply 2 tablespoons of the House Seasoning onto all sides of the roast.
Place the roast directly on the smoker rack. Close the smoker lid and let it smoke low and slow.
About 2 hours into the smoke, insert a digital meat thermometer into the side of the meat until it reaches the center. Close the lid and continue to smoke.
When the internal temperature of the roast reaches 160°F, remove it from the smoker and double wrap it in aluminum foil.
Expert Tip: This process is called holding. This method helps melt the connective tissues resulting in the meat absorbing some of the liquid which produces more tender and juicy beef.
Place the wrapped meat back on the smoker and close the lid. When the internal meat probe reaches 190°F, remove the the wrapped meat from the smoker. It should have a succulent crust and appear incredibly juicy.
Place the smoked roast on a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Pour the leftover juice from the aluminum foil pouch over the slices of beef.

Notes

Add More Flavor: You can intensify the flavor of this recipe by seasoning the roast and then covering it in saran wrap and placing it in the refrigerator to marinate 24 hours before smoking. You then need to bring the uncovered roast to room temperature for a couple hour before smoking.
Binding the Roast: If you opt to bind the roast in twine, secure the meat with 1 to 2 pieces of twine tied around its circumference. Then, take 4 pieces of twine and go around the width at a 2 inch interval.
Additional Moisture: To add to the moisture of the roast, take an empty spray bottle and fill it with 1 cup of beef stock. Spray 3-4 squirts onto the roast every hour until you wrap it for the holding process.
Types of Wood: Oak, hickory, or pecan wood works really well when smoking a roast.
Resting Period: During the resting period, the internal temperature of the meat can increase by 10 degrees which is why I remove it when it hits 190°F so that the final doneness after the rest is around 200°F.
Slice Against the Grain: Always slice the meat against the grain so that you cut through the fibers. This helps make the meat more tender.
Slice vs. Shred: If you intend to slice the chuck roast after it's done, smoke it to an internal temperature of 190°F. To shred, smoke it until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 210°F.
To Reheat: For best results, place the leftover meat in an oven safe dish along with 3-4 tablespoons of beef broth and warm it in a preheated 250°F oven until warm.

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