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A close up shot of the poor mans brisket on a cutting board with a fork and spice rub in the background.
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5 from 40 votes

Easy Traeger Smoked Chuck Roast - The Poor Man's Brisket

The cheaper, just-as-good alternative to smoked brisket. Enter the poor man's brisket.
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 6 hours
Resting time 2 hours
Total Time 16 hours
Servings 4 people
Cost $30/ 35€

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1.3 kg chuck roast look for good marbling
  • 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice for the spray
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • salt to taste

For the Injection Brine

  • 25 g salt (about 1½ tbsp)
  • 500 ml cold water (about 2 cups)

For the Dry Beef Rub

  • 3 tbsp Aleppo chili powder (24g)
  • 3 tbsp Urfa pepper, ground (24g)
  • 3 tbsp sweet paprika, ground (29g)
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder (10g)
  • ¼ cup white sugar (67g)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (67g)
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper (5g)
Metric - US Imperial

Instructions

  • The night before you plan to smoke your chuck roast do this:
    - Trim the chuck of excess fat, but leave a little fat on.
    - Mix the salt and water together for the brine. Inject the brine into the meat with about 6-7 injections.
    - Dry off the meat on the outside and brush with a little bit of Worchestershire sauce.
    - Sprinkle a heavy coating of the dry rub over all sides of the chuck roast.
    - Then sprinkle a generous amount of salt around all sides.
    - Allow to dry in the fridge, uncovered overnight on a resting rack with a tray underneath.
    A close up of the poor mans brisket dried, brined and rubbed overnight on a resting rack.
  • The next day, preheat your pellet smoker to 300°F/150°C.
    Optional: fill a pellet tube smoker halfway and ignite or use the super smoke setting on your pellet smoker.
    Once your pit is hot, move the resting rack with beef onto the smoker. Set a timer for 1 hour.
    The raw chuck roast on the Traeger.
  • After one hour, spray the meat with orange juice. Spray the dryer areas more with the juice. Repeat every 30 minutes until you reach the 4 hours total of smoking time.
    Another picture of the poor mans brisket on the smoker.
  • Once the chuck roast has a nice looking bark, remove it from the smoker and place it in a bbq tray. Add the beef stock to the tray.
    The smoked chuck roast in a tray with beef stock.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and finish on the Traeger (or in your oven) for 1+½ to 2 hours or until fork tender.
    The chuck roast covered in aluminum foil.
  • The chuck roast is ready when it hits around 207°F/97°C or when the meat pulls away easily but doesn't fall apart. You can also use a knife or skewer to test for resistance in the meat - it should slide easily through the meat.
    Once ready, lift off one corner of the aluminum foil and let rest for 1-2 hours.
    Allowing the meat to rest in the foil.
  • After resting, slice the meat with a sharp knife, against the grain. Brush the meat with the dripping at the bottom of the pan and serve directly in the pan. Enjoy!
    Traeger Smoked Chuck Roast – Poor Mans Brisket-20

Notes

You can easily reheat the chuck in the aluminum pan with the juices. Re-cover with foil and place back on the Traeger for 5-10 minutes. Leftovers can also be quickly microwaved until hot.
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