Smoked Pulled Beef Chuck Roast
On December 14, 2020 (Updated August 27, 2024)
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moked Pulled Beef Chuck Roast is like best Sunday pot roast you’ve ever had with an extra kiss of smoked flavor you never knew you wanted. Tender, melt in your mouth, full of beefy flavor.
Smoked Chuck Roast
Chuck roasts are well marbled pieces of beef with some really tight connective tissue. They tend to be a tougher cut of meat, but some TLC from the smoker can make them ultra tasty. By smoking a chuck roast low and slow, you allow that fat to slowly render and the low heat to break down and soften that connective tissue that can make chuck roasts chewy.
Chuck roasts are popular for making pot roast, and while many folks are familiar with cooking these in a slow cooker or oven, smoking them is the way to go, IMHO.
You also can’t go wrong with this recipe! It’s beyond easy to make with only 4 INGREDIENTS. Yes. You heard me. Four. Chuck roast, onion, beef stock, and some nummy beef seasoning are all that stand between you and dinner.
How to Smoke a Chuck Roast for Pulled Beef
I season my chuck roasts liberally with my Signature Beef Seasoning, but you can also use equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder to add flavor without masking or covering up the beef. From there, the chuck roast hits the smoker at 225 degrees F. I use oak wood for this recipe, because I feel like oak can really stand up and support that rich beef flavor. While the chuck roast smokes during this first step, I like to spritz with beef stock every hour to keep things moist.
Next step is to increase the heat on the smoker to 250 degrees F. Add the smoked chuck roast to a pan of beef stock and onions and return to the smoker to keep on cooking! You’re shooting for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F before you cover the whole pan tightly with foil and let that chuck roast finish cooking.
Internal Temperature for Smoked Chuck Roast
My recommended internal temperature for chuck roast is at least 200 degrees F. At that temperature, the connective tissues in the chuck will have broken down and gelatinized so they just melt in your mouth. Since we also covered the roast and braised in liquid, the roast will be incredibly juicy and tender as well.
If you don’t already own one, I really recommending getting a high quality instant read thermometer. I’ve used Thermoworks products for years and love their quality.
Tips for Smoking Pulled Beef
Hold up, meat lover! Before you dive into this tasty recipe, check out these tips for getting the most out of your meat:
- Grab some claws. Snag some meat shredders to make quick work of shredded the meat.
- Cook to tenderness, not time or temperature. Getting your roast up above 200 degrees is where you’ll start to see the roast get tender. Some chuck roasts need to hit 210 before they are ready to shred. Keep checking for tenderness and meat that easily pulls apart.
- Add your favorite flavors! Beef broth and onions are classic flavors. You could also add in herbs, red wine, potatoes, carrots, or mushrooms to braise with the beef.
More Pulled Meat Recipes
Whether you’re a fan of pulled beef, chicken, or pork, Hey Grill Hey has all the recipe to keep your meat tooth satisfied! Check out more tasty recipes below!
Smoked Chuck Roast Recipe
Chicken Rub
$12.99
Beef Rub
$12.99 – $25.99
Smoked Chuck Roast (for pulled beef)
Video
Equipment
- Smoker I highly recommend this one!
Ingredients
- 1 chuck roast 3-4 pounds
- 1 yellow or white onion sliced
- 3 cups beef stock divided use
- 3 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. When ready to cook, start your smoker going at 225 degrees F and preheat with the lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Season the chuck roast. Season the roast liberally with the Beef Seasoning (or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder), using your hands to press the rub into every surface of the meat. (Optional, rub your meat the night before smoking and refrigerate).1 chuck roast, 3 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning
- Smoke the roast. Put the roast directly on your grill grate, fat-side up, and cook for 3 hours, spraying with 1 cup of the beef stock every hour (reserve the other 2 cups of stock).3 cups beef stock
- Add the broth and onions. Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a large disposable aluminum foil pan and pour the remaining 2 cups of stock in the bottom of the pan. Transfer the roast into the pan on top of the onions and set the pan in the grill.3 cups beef stock, 1 yellow or white onion
- Finish smoking. Increase your grill temperature to 250 degrees F, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (about 3 more hours). If you're watching a thermometer, you'll notice the temperature will stay between 155 and 165 degrees for quite a while. This is called the stall period and is totally normal.
- Cover with foil. Once your roast hits 165, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and continue cooking until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers at least 200 degrees, up to 202 degrees F (this step can take another 3 hours). Every roast will be done at a slightly different temperature, so look for your probe to slide into the meat like it is sliding into softened butter.
- Rest, shred, and enjoy. Remove the pan from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes. Separate the roast from the cooking liquid. Shred the roast and separate the fat from the cooking liquid. Moisten the roast with the remaining cooking liquid, or make it into au jus for dipping, or turn it into gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published in March 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Found a Chuck roast in the freezer and wanted to try something different.This is best recipe I have found. I never got a chance to shred it as the family was slicing and eating it right out of the pan. I placed onions, small trio potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in the pan and the vegetables were fantastic. Wish I had a picture but there wasn’t much left after the piranhas, I mean the family, got done. I have tried several of your recipes and none have failed me. Thanks for all your efforts to help make folks like me look good. You are my “go to” when it just has to be great.
wrap to get over the stall
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am currently following this recipe but have a question: I usually wrap meat in foil during the stall to maintain moisture and speed up the cooking process. If I am following this recipe appropriately, it has us foiling after the stall, right? Just making sure because I don’t want to dry this out!
I made this for my family of 4 thinking we would have leftovers. I think my 8 year old son ate about 2 lbs by himself. This is an awesome way to do beef sandwiches.
In this recipe, are you using regular granulated salt or Kosher salt for the rub?
Kosher!
I did mine a little different before I got this recipe. I started my chuck roast at 160 and smoked it for two hours. I then added broth, potatoes, carrots, and turned up to 250. After 6 hours total, the internal meat probe reads 197 degrees. I will give it another hour and shoot for 202 degrees. I just can’t imagine it being tender as it seems the meat is probably boiling in liquid. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Tried this tonight on the Traeger – turned out great! – Used Chuck roast only 2.5 lbs – I shortened each step around 30 min. – I checked after wrapping in foil only after 2 hours, and it was already 208-209. I took it off and let it sit for another 30-40 min. I then chopped it up – very tender and plenty of smoky bark on the edges, and poured the juices all over it, served on bun with coleslaw – man it was awesome! Big hit with Family.
I only use this style for making chuck roasts, which is what I switched over to to replicate brisket bbq but in half the time it takes to smoke/bbq brisket. I only tweak this recipe slightly each time, 1. I usually pre-make a more hearty stock for the braising and for the spritz I use a mixture of wine or beer and strained/ filtered broth (so it doesn’t clog the sprayer). I let mine go to 202-205 and then wrap in uncoated butcher paper and let it rest in a cooler for a couple hours. I use a pellet smoker and can usually fit 3 or 4 in there at a time to maximize my pellet usage. The ones not consumed right away go into fridge unshredded and vacuum sealed for the freezer the next day. They vacuum sealed roast can be tossed in simmering water or Sous vide to reheat. Love it! Hats off to the chef that came up with this method
I absolutely love this recipe and it works great with pretty well any cut of beef. Big time family favourite.
Great recipe. First time trying pulled beef. Went all in and did 28+ lbs (Covid cooking for my parents, my wife’s parents, friends and neighbors). Everyone gave it rave reviews. The seasoning (salt, pepper, and garlic) isn’t overpowering and complements the good beef flavor of the chuck roast along with the smoke. It came out fall apart tender with a ready to serve au jus. I will definitely be cooking it again. After reading reviews, I heated up the beef stock before adding it in the pans so I didn’t get a big temp drop in my smoker.