Roast Beef Slow Smoked - Easy BBQ Smoker Recipes & Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What roast is best for slow smoking? ›

Chuck Roast

These large, thick cuts of meat slowly cook as the temperature in the smoker rises, preserving flavorful juices and preventing the exterior from toughening before the interior is cooked.

Preheat smoker to 250°F. Place chuck roast in smoker and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F to 170°F (4 to 6 hours). Wrap tightly in 2 layers of foil or peach paper and return to smoker until internal temperature reaches 200°F to 205°F (45 minutes to 1 hour).

Adding Extra 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. Binding with Twine: Binding the meat in twine can help ensure the meat maintains it's shape during the smoking process.

Smoked Roast Beef

Season it with your seasoning blend or dry rub, making sure to cover the entire roast. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Sear the roast on all sides in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Add the roast to the smoker, close the lid, and cook for 3-5 hours.

Water Pan – Use a water pan in your smoker to maintain a humid environment so the meat doesn't cook with hot, dry air. Water works well, but you can also fill the water pan with beer, apple juice and cider vinegar for flavorful twists.

Once it's in the 250℉ oven, you want the internal temperature of the roast to come to 130℉ for rare; about 150℉ for medium, or 160℉ for well. So you need to watch that carefully. Your 3-pound roast (depending on how densely you tie it up) will take 2 to 2.5 hrs for rare … a bit longer to reach the higher temps.

Chuck roast should be cooked to an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F to be fall apart tender. The high internal temperature allows collagen to break down, making the meat melt in your mouth tender. You don't want to cook the chuck roast past 200F, however, because it can become mushy.

Small cuts of meat will undoubtedly cook faster than larger pieces. If need be, we recommend flipping smaller cuts only once, preferably halfway through cooking. Larger cuts will need at least more than one flip to result in tender and juicy pieces of meat.

If you're a fan of braised-like smoked meat, foil is the way to go. Foil is not breathable and tends to trap in all the juices and fat from the meat. Once your meat is cooked and taken off the smoker to rest, those fats and juices are then reabsorbed, locking in all that goodness and flavor.

What do you rub on meat before smoking? ›

In its essence, a dry rub is a simple mixture of a few seasonings such as salt, spices, herbs, and sugar. These ingredients are mixed together to form a dry rub. The dry rub is then applied to the surface of the meat before you start cooking or smoking it. The main purpose of a dry rub is to add flavor.

Doneness: Smoking meat low and slow before searing cooks it more evenly, creating a consistent degree of doneness throughout the cut.

Smoked chuck roasts can also be braised in the smoker using an aluminum foil pan and some liquid for shredded beef that will be used for barbecue sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and more. Chuck roasts are usually smoked at 225℉ (107℃) for 2 hours per pound or 1.5 hours per pound at 250℉ (121℃).

Over-smoked meat typically has been exposed to too much smoke for too long. Over-smoked meat isn't usually bitter but has a strong, pungent smoke flavor that is unpleasant. Badly smoked meat has a bitter taste. It might even make the tip of your tongue tingle from the creosote.

Chuck roast and top round roast are good choices for the slow cooker, which allows them to tenderize over time.

Best Cuts of Meat for Smoking

Our top choices are brisket, pork shoulder (for pulled pork), pork chops, and ribs. You can also give our St. Louis Ribs a try in your new smoker. Beef brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs are three cuts that offer sufficient fat to keep them juicy and tender when done.

The best cut of beef to smoke is up to you and how much time you have to prepare it. But nothing beats a smoked brisket, tri-tip, and a prime rib. These are just the highlights of the beef cuts, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy other delicious parts of the animal.

7-Bone Chuck Roast

Identified by the 7-shaped bone it contains. Rich and flavorful, it's ideal for the slow-cooker.