Traeger Chuck Roast

My family loves when I make this Traeger chuck roast.

A pull-apart chuck roast is the ultimate comfort food, delivering juicy, tender meat that falls apart easily with this recipe. With its deep marbling, this technique transforms into shredded beef when slow-cooked, giving off deep flavors and an irresistible texture.

And to make it happen I used my Traeger Ironwood 885 to enhance the recipe by providing consistent heat and a subtle smoky flavor. The precise temperature control ensures a hassle-free cook with the convection fan circulating the smoke, infusing rich wood-fired flavors into the chuck roast.

Why should you try this Traeger Chuck Roast

• Effortless Cooking: Thanks to the precision of the Ironwood’s temperature control, you can achieve a perfectly tender roast without the need for constant attention.
• Impressive Flavor: The slow smoke and natural marbling of the chuck roast guarantee a rich, mouthwatering beef flavor in every bite.
• Meal Versatility: The versatility of shredded roast offers a multitude of possibilities—pair it with potatoes, in tacos, or over rice to create diverse meal options for each day of the week.

Ingredients for Pulled Beef Chuck Roast

• 3-4 lb chuck roast: Selecting a well-marbled cut of meat is essential for tender, juicy results. Marbling, the streaks of fat running through the muscle, significantly enhances the flavor and juiciness of the meat during the cooking process. As the intramuscular fat melts, it effectively bastes the meat from the inside, ensuring a moist and flavorful outcome.
• 2 tbsp Bear & Burton’s W Sauce:  I love W sauce as it offers a versatile sauce made from whole ingredients that deliver a distinctive flavor boost that transforms an ordinary binder into something extraordinary. 
• 2 tbsp Smoked Q Rock’s Bourbon Brisket Rub:  Beef welcomes heavy salt and pepper flavors, and that is just what this rub delivers.
• 1 tbsp Smoked Q Rock’s Coffee Rub: Add this rub to create complex layered flavor that delivers on some deep umami flavors. 
• 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Roast Beef Base:  The Original Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base is made with actual roasted beef. I really feel like it gives it a richer, more robust flavor than ordinary bouillons or soup stocks. 

How To Make Traeger Chuck Roast (Step By Step)

1. Preheat the Traeger: Before I get ready to prep the chuck roast I set my Traeger Ironwood 885 to 225°F and turned on the super smoke function. For this recipe I used Traeger Signature pellets to deliver complex smokiness. 

2. Prepare the Chuck Roast: To get started I rub the chuck roast with some Bear & Burton’s W Sauce before hitting it with a heavy dose of my Rock’s Bourbon Brisket Rub, before then finishing with a dusting of my Rock’s Coffee Rub.  After I season the top side, I flip it over and season the other side the same way.

3. Low & Slow: To get started I place the seasoned chuck roast directly on the grill grates and smoke for 3-4 hours at 225º with Super Smoke turned on, until the internal temperature reaches 150°F.  While the chuck roast was in it’s smoked bath, I brought some water to a boil and added in some Better than Bouillon before bringing it to a boil and setting aside.

4. Wrap and Finish: Once I’ve hit 150ºF, I transferred the roast to a foil pan and poured the prepared beef broth around the chuck roast before tightly covering it with aluminum foil and return to the grill. Then I raised the temperature to 350°F and cooked for another 2-3 hours, until I hit an internal temperature of 208ºF.

5. Rest and Shred: Once I hit my temp I let the chuck roast rest for an hour before shredding it with my hands.  When I am ready to shred, I pour the pan liquid into a fat separator to used later to re-hydrate or make a gravy. 

Variations and Substitutions:

Alternate Rubs: If you want to keep with the same flavor profile, but don’t have direct access to Smoked Q rubs, try using Killer Hogs AP to substitute for the Bourbon Brisket rub and Whiskey Bent the Grind to substitute for Rock’s Coffee Rub. 

Substitution or variation: Swap out the beef broth for other Better than Bouillon flavors like chicken or vegetable or my favorite Mushroom Base for different flavor profiles. 

Tips and tricks for making this Pulled Beef Chuck Roast

• Rest in a Cooler: After removing the roast from the Traeger, wrap it in foil and place it in an insulated cooler (without ice) for a few hours. This extended resting period allows the meat to relax and reabsorb its juices, making it even more tender and flavorful, especially when you are not ready to serve when you pull it off the smoker.
• Use Drippings for Gravy: Don’t discard the flavorful liquid left in the foil pan. Pour it into a fat separator, then use it to create a delicious gravy by reducing it on the stovetop with a flour and butter roux to make a rich, smoky gravy that you can drizzle over the shredded beef or mashed potatoes.
• Double Up on Smoke: If you love extra smoky flavor, put the cooked and shredded beef chuck roast on the smoker low and slow to reheat for future servings.