The bottom round roast, also referred to as the rump roast, is a lean cut of beef located near the hindquarters of the steer. This is an affordable cut that is quite lean with plenty of beefy flavor. It is what you are likely to get when you order sliced roast beef at the deli counter.
A bottom round roast is often oven baked. It can also be braised for a long time in liquid to be served as a pot roast. This cut is also used to make beef jerky. However, it is a really nice protein for cooking in your smoker.
You don’t need to do too much to the roast prior to smoking it. It doesn’t require a marinade or brine in my opinion. But, it can benefit from a good amount of seasoning or even a coating of mustard with a dry rub applied to form a crust.
You may be wondering how long to smoke a rump roast. The answer may surprise you. This roast takes less than 2 hours to smoke to a perfect pink interior with an internal temperature of 135°F. A medium rare smoked beef roast is best sliced very thinly before serving.
I recommend either an electric smoker or a pellet grill, such as a Traeger pellet grill. A Traeger bottom round roast is fairly easy to prepare because you don’t need to tend to the grill once the roast goes inside it. Just fill the hopper with the desired pellets and relax.
Pro tip #1: Traeger pellets have approximately 10% moisture content. You will not need to add a bowl of water to the grill to impart extra moisture.
If using an electric smoker, choose flavorful wood chips, such as hickory. Remember to check the water bowl and the chips approximately at 45 minutes. Replenish both as needed.
Smoked Bottom Round Roast Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide
This is a simple recipe that promises excellent results. Preparation time is less than 10 minutes. Cook time is approximately 90 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. You should be able to feed 10 people with a 3 pound roast.
Equipment Needed
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Small mixing bowl
- Wire whisk
- Smoker
- Hickory or mesquite wood chips or pellets
- Digital or probe meat thermometer
- Cutting board
- Aluminum foil
- Very sharp carving knife
Ingredients
- 3 pound bottom round roast
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Smoked Bottom Round Roast – Instructions
Step 1: Remove the roast from the refrigerator 40 minutes prior to cooking and allow it to come to room temperature.
Step 2: Set up and preheat your smoker to 250°F. If using an electric smoker, fill the water bowl half way and place wood chips in the tray. Open the top vent and. For a pellet grill, fill the hopper with enough pellets for up to 2 hours and ignite the grill with the top open. Close the doors and lids on both smokers and allow them to come to temperature.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sugar.
Step 4: Coat the beef with the mustard using a brush or your hands. Place the spice rub on all side of the roast, pressing it into the mustard so it sticks.
Step 5: Place the roast directly on the smoker rack. Insert the probe thermometer in one end of the roast (if a thermometer is attached). Smoke for 90 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 130 to 135°F. Remember to check the water, wood chips, or pellets and replenish as needed.
Step 6: Remove the cooked round roast to a clean cutting board and tent with foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Pro tip #2: Resting the meat serves 2 purposes: The meat will continue to cook to approximately 140°F and the juices will be reabsorbed into the muscle. Don’t skip this step.
Step 7: Slice the cooked bottom round roast as thinly as possible, similar to how a deli would slice it. This results in tender portions that are not chewy. Place the slices on a platter and serve with your favorite side dishes.
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Smoked Bottom Round Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Small mixing bowl
- Wire whisk
- Smoker
- Hickory or mesquite wood chips or pellets
- Digital or probe meat thermometer
- Cutting board
- Aluminum foil
- Very sharp carving knife
Ingredients
- 3 pound bottom round roast
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Remove the roast from the refrigerator 40 minutes prior to cooking and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Set up and preheat your smoker to 250°F.
- If using an electric smoker, fill the water bowl half way and place wood chips in the tray.
- Open the top vent and. For a pellet grill, fill the hopper with enough pellets for up to 2 hours and ignite the grill with the top open.
- Close the doors and lids on both smokers and allow them to come to temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sugar.
- Coat the beef with the mustard using a brush or your hands.
- Place the spice rub on all side of the roast, pressing it into the mustard so it sticks.
- Place the roast directly on the smoker rack.
- Insert the probe thermometer in one end of the roast (if a thermometer is attached).
- Smoke for 90 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 130 to 135°F.
- Remember to check the water, wood chips, or pellets and replenish as needed.
- Remove the cooked round roast to a clean cutting board and tent with foil.
- Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the cooked bottom round roast as thinly as possible, similar to how a deli would slice it.
- This results in tender portions that are not chewy.
- Place the slices on a platter and serve with your favorite side dishes.
Nutrition
Side Dish and Leftover Ideas
I am a fan of serving roast beef with a vegetable mash or purée. Mashed potatoes would be my first choice. You could also prepare creamy & cheesy grits, a cauliflower purée, or some creamed spinach.
While you have your smoker fired up, why not smoke some Brussels sprouts, green beans, some sweet onions, or mushrooms. Take those smoked onions and mushrooms and make a nice gravy or sauce to go with the roast beef.
Making smoky sandwiches with the leftover beef is a great idea. A French dip sandwich is roast beef on a crusty roll dipped in au jus or beef stock. Smoked bottom round roast slices on a hard roll with lettuce, tomato, and Russian dressing is delicious. And why not shave that beef and create cheese steak sandwiches with some peppers and onions piled on?
Pro tip #3: If you want to catch the juices of the roast for au jus, place a disposable foil pan on the rack below the meat. There won’t be a lot, but the intense smoky flavor will enhance your beef broth for the dip.
Wrapping it Up
When looking to feed a crowd, try smoking an economically priced bottom round roast. This cut has more beef flavor than the pricier, more tender cuts of the animal. While the meat is lean, it is a bit tougher than other cuts. The way to deal with that aspect is to slow cook the roast in your smoker, rest the meat, and slice it very thinly.
Pro tip #4: If you are fortunate enough to own a deli style meat slicer, use that to really slice the meat thinly. If you have an electric knife, that will enable you to shave the meat for sandwiches. Otherwise, make sure your carving knife is well sharpened.
A bottom round roast does not require much preparation prior to smoking. This could not be an easier portion of protein to cook in your smoker. And, it only takes 90 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. Just remember to keep an eye on the thermometer so that the beef doesn’t cook beyond 135°F.
Prepare your side dishes or sandwich ingredients while the roast is cooking. You can smoke vegetables on the rack above the beef to avoid cross contamination. It is awesome to be able to cook the majority of the meal in the smoker.
Impress your friends and family by smoking a bottom round roast and some sides. Enjoy!
