Beef Chuck BBQ Tacos

Beef Chuck Tacos (Smoked & Pulled BBQ Recipe)

Who doesn’t love a taco? Whether it’s fish, chicken, pork or beef, they’re always a crowd-pleaser. For me, slow-cooked beef chuck tacos are right up there with the best. If you’re looking for a cut that delivers big flavour, great value and consistently tender results, beef chuck is hard to beat. It’s one of my go-to choices for BBQ beef tacos and pulled beef recipes.

For this cook, I used a beef chuck eye roll, which sits right next to the ribeye. It’s slightly more tender and beautifully marbled, giving you an even richer result while still delivering that classic low and slow texture.

This cut comes from the shoulder of the cow, a well-worked muscle packed with connective tissue and rich marbling. That might sound like a challenge, but it’s exactly what makes it perfect for low and slow cooking. As it cooks, the fat renders down and the collagen breaks into gelatin. This gives you that melt-in-the-mouth pulled beef texture that works perfectly in tacos.

You’ll often see chuck sold as braising steak, chuck steak, flat iron or Denver steak, but for this recipe we’re using it the way it shines best, slow-cooked until it’s tender, juicy and full of flavour. It’s often called the “poor man’s brisket”, but honestly, for beef tacos on the BBQ, I think it’s even better. Rich, forgiving, and packed with deep beefy flavour, it’s a bit of a secret weapon for next-level tacos.

Preparing the Beef Chuck

I sourced the beef chuck eye roll online from Swaledale Butchers, and as always, the quality was spot on. When it comes to preparing beef chuck for smoking, starting with a good cut of meat makes all the difference.

The night before the cook, I coated the chuck with a layer of yellow mustard to act as a binder, then generously seasoned it with a Franklins Salt and Pepper Rub. This simple approach works perfectly for BBQ beef chuck, allowing the natural flavour of the beef to shine through while helping to build a great bark during the cook.

I left the beef chuck in the fridge overnight to let the seasoning properly penetrate the meat. Before cooking, I took it out of the fridge around two hours in advance to bring it closer to room temperature. This is an important step when preparing beef for the smoker to ensure even cooking.

Cooking the Beef Chuck (Chuck Eye Roll Method)

When it comes to how to smoke beef chuck, keeping things low and slow is key.

For this cook, I set up the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM), which has been my go-to smoker for years and is still going strong. If you’re looking at how to smoke beef chuck, a steady low-and-slow setup is key. I used briquettes from Green Olive Firewood along with a few olive wood chunks to add a subtle, rich smoke flavour that works perfectly with beef.

To keep the temperature consistent throughout the cook, I used a Flame Boss controller. This is an absolute game-changer when it comes to smoking beef chuck without having to constantly monitor the smoker.

I cooked the beef chuck eye roll low and slow until it reached an internal temperature of around 160°F (71°C). At this point, I removed it from the smoker and placed it into a braising tray with a rich liquid made from Thornbridge Chocolate Porter, sliced onion, garlic and a dried Morita chipotle chilli. This step is key for creating that tender, juicy pulled beef chuck.

Onto the Braise

The tray was tightly covered with foil and returned to the smoker until the internal temperature reached around 205°F (96°C). This is the sweet spot for slow-cooked beef chuck, where the connective tissue has fully broken down and the meat becomes perfectly tender.

You’ll know it’s ready when a probe slides in with little resistance.

Once cooked, I removed the beef chuck from the smoker and wrapped it in butcher’s paper to rest for a couple of hours. Resting is an essential step when cooking beef chuck on the BBQ, as it allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat moist.

For this recipe, I was prepping ahead, so the pulled beef chuck was refrigerated overnight. The next day, I transferred it to a slow cooker with 500ml of beef stock, 200ml of the reserved braising liquid and two tablespoons of mild Birria spice mix from Maya Mexican Food. It was cooked on low for five hours, resulting in incredibly rich, flavour-packed beef chuck tacos.

Putting It Together

Once the beef chuck was perfectly tender, it was time to bring everything together and build the tacos. I placed a colander over a bowl and used tongs to lift the pulled beef chuck out of the braising liquid. This allows the excess juices to drain off while keeping all that rich flavour ready to use later if needed.

To assemble the beef chuck tacos, I gently warmed the tortillas, ready for building the beef chuck tacos, before layering on a base of pickled cabbage for a bit of crunch and acidity. This was followed by a generous helping of the slow-cooked pulled beef chuck, which is the star of the show.

From there, I let everyone build their own tacos with a selection of fresh toppings. Options included Mozarella/Cheddar mix (70/30), Pico de Gallo, Aji Verde (Peruvian green sauce) and sliced jalapeños. These are all perfect for adding freshness, heat and extra flavour to these BBQ beef tacos.

To round things off, I served the tacos with a side of Mexican Elote. This pairs brilliantly with pulled beef tacos and adds another layer of smoky, creamy goodness to the plate.

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The Verdict

I was really chuffed with this cook. It felt relatively simple, albeit a long one, but the results couldn’t have been better. In fact, it was summed up perfectly when my son said:

This is up there with the best thing you’ve ever cooked.”

I’ll absolutely take that!

What makes these beef chuck tacos so good is how low effort they are for the level of flavour you get. The slow cooking does all the hard work, turning the beef into rich, tender, pull-apart meat that’s perfect for tacos and packed with deep, smoky flavour.

This is definitely going to be my go-to for feeding a crowd. If you’re looking for a reliable, flavour-packed BBQ beef taco recipe that delivers every time, this one ticks all the boxes. A proper crowd-pleasing pulled beef taco that’s well worth the time.

Using chuck eye roll gives you a cook that is slightly more tender, with a richness that really comes through in the final dish.

If you give this one a go, I’d love to see how you get on. Tag @Love2BBQUK on Instagram or Twitter and share your version!

Beef Chuck BBQ Tacos

Slow cooked beef chuck smoked and braised until perfectly tender, then served as juicy pulled beef tacos with fresh toppings. A flavour-packed BBQ taco recipe that’s made for a crowd.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 hours hrs

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: South American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Beef Chuck

• 1.6 kg Beef Chuck Eye Roll
• Yellow Mustard (or alternate binding)
• Franklin Salt and Pepper Rub or your own choice of rub

For Smoking & Braising

• 1 Bottle Thornbridge Chocolate Porter (or any dark porter/stout)
• 1 Onion sliced
• 4 Cloves Garlic crushed
• 1 Dried Morita chipotle chilli

For Reheating (Next Day)

• 500 ml Beef Stock
• 200 ml Reserved Braising Liquid
• 2 tbsp Birria Spice Mix

Method

 

1. To start, prepare the beef chuck the night before your cook. Lightly coat the meat with yellow mustard to act as a binder, then generously season with a salt and pepper rub. Place the beef chuck in the fridge overnight to allow the seasoning to develop and really enhance the flavour. On the day of cooking, remove it from the fridge around two hours before it goes on the smoker so it can come closer to room temperature.
   
2. Set up your smoker for low and slow cooking, aiming for a temperature of around 110–130°C (225–265°F). I used the Weber Smokey Mountain with briquettes and a few chunks of olive wood to add a subtle, rich smoke flavour. Once the smoker is stable, place the beef chuck on and cook it low and slow until the internal temperature reaches around 160°F (71°C), at which point a nice bark should have formed on the outside.
   
3. At this stage, remove the beef chuck from the smoker and transfer it into a tray. Add the braising liquid, made up of a dark porter, sliced onion, crushed garlic and a dried Morita chipotle chilli. Cover the tray tightly with foil and return it to the smoker. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches around 205°F (96°C), which is when the meat becomes perfectly tender and ready to pull.
4. Once cooked, take the beef chuck off the smoker and wrap it in butcher’s paper. Let it rest for one to two hours to allow the juices to redistribute and keep the meat moist. After resting, pull the beef apart using forks or meat claws, creating rich, tender pulled beef.
   
5. If you’re preparing this in advance, place the pulled beef chuck into the fridge overnight. The next day, transfer it into a slow cooker along with beef stock, some of the reserved braising liquid and a couple of tablespoons of birria spice mix. Cook on low for around five hours until the beef is reheated, juicy and packed with flavour.
   
6. To serve, warm your tortillas and start building the tacos with a base of pickled cabbage, followed by a generous portion of pulled beef chuck. Add your choice of toppings such as Pico de Gallo, Aji Verde and jalapeños, and serve with a side of Mexican elote for the full experience.

Notes

Quick Tips for Smoking Beef Chuck

• Cook at 110–130°C (225–265°F)
• Wrap at 160°F (71°C)
• Pull at 205°F (96°C)
• Rest for at least 1 hour