This Smoked BBQ Beef Sandwich recipe is a family favorite and it’s fairly simple to make.
You can make this recipe ahead of time as meal prep for a busy week, or to enjoy at your next gathering.
These are the best sandwiches when you’re craving some brisket sandwiches, but don’t have the time to cook a brisket. They’re loaded with tender, smoked beef that’s smothered in BBQ sauce and served on a flaky croissant.
This is truly the ultimate upgrade to any BBQ sandwich. Add some of your favorite toppings like pickled jalapeños or fried onions for the ultimate bite.
Be sure to give this easy recipe a try the next time you’re planning out some family friendly meals!
Ingredients you will need
Meat: Beef chuck roast or any well marbled beef roast or beef ribs
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder blend or your favorite beed dry rub
Binder for seasoning: Yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce or olive oil
Sandwich: Buttery croissant, pickled jalapeños, fried onions
Braising: Cherry Coke / Cherry Dr. Pepper or beef broth and BBQ Sauce
How to make my Smoked BBQ Beef Sandwich Recipe
Preheat your smoker to a low heat of 275° F using cherry wood for sweet smoke flavor.
Coat the boneless chuck roast with a layer of yellow mustard. This will serve as a binder and help the seasoning stick to the meat during the cook.
Generously season the chuck roast on all sides with a salt, black pepper, garlic powder blend.
Place the seasoned chuck roast on the grill grate of the smoker for 3 hours at 275° F, indirect of the heat. Spritz the the cut of beef every hour with some beef stock, this will add layers of flavor.
Remove from the smoker once the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees f.
Place the roast in a Dutch oven, then add some diced onions and cherry cola. You can also use an aluminum foil pan for this part if you do not have a dutch oven.
Put the lid on the Dutch oven then let it braise on low for an additional 2 hours.
Slow cooking with a low heat will break down the connective tissue /muscle fibers which will then allow the meat to become fall apart tender.
After for 2 hours, remove the lid from the dutch oven then add the bbq sauce. Let it cook uncovered for another hour until the roast reaches 200° F and is probe tender.
Shred the beef with a fork or by using a pair of rubber gloves lined with cotton on the inside. Remove any excess fat that may be in the shredded beef.
Mix the meat with the au jus in the dutch oven, then serve on a croissant with pickled jalapeños and fried onions.
FAQs for Smoked BBQ Beef Sandwiches
What if I don’t have a smoker?
You can easily cook the pot roast in a slow cooker / crockpot or an Instant Pot. Cooking using these alternative methods allow for more flexibility and the cooking time may vary a bit. They will lack the delicious smoker flavor, so you can always add a little bit of liquid smoke or use a smokey BBQ sauce.
Other sandwich toppings to consider
If you don’t want to use pickled jalapeños, you can substitute them out with some pickled red onion or dill pickles. A creamy coleslaw would be another great option to add to these easy BBQ beef sandwiches.
Sandwich Buns
Freshly baked croissants brought this recipe to another level with the flakey, buttery deliciousness. You can also just use plain hamburger buns or a brioche bun is another great option that have a lot of flavor.
How long is the Smoked BBQ Beef good for?
Store the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container such as a ziplock bag for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the smoked BBQ beef in freezer bags or vacuum sealed bags for up to 3 months.
What to serve with Smoked BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Potato salad is always a great option that pair well with BBQ.
Calico Baked Beans are a classic BBQ side dish and are a great way to feed a crowd.
Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts is our family’s favorite side dish. Charred brussels sprouts cooking with bacon never tasted so good.
Looking for other delicious BBQ recipes?
Check out some of my other favorite recipes below!
Cheese Stuffed BBQ Meatballs – Smoked BBQ meatballs stuffed with gooey cheese. These are the ultimate appetizers for the big game! Best part is, you can make these ahead of time!
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends – By far one of my most popular recipes for a good reason. Juicy smoked pork belly smothered in a sweet BBQ sauce for the perfect bite of BBQ.
Bourbon Bacon Jam Wings – Smokey chicken wings coated in some sticky bacon jam. These are hands down one of my favorite things to make and they’re always a huge crowd pleaser.
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Smoked BBQ Beef Sandwich Recipe
This BBQ beef croissant sandwich recipe is a family favorite and it’s easy to make. Serve it on a buttery croissant for the ultimate bite of BBQ.
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
- 4 pound chuck roast
- 1 large yellow onion
- 12 oz cherry cola or cherry Dr. Pepper
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp salt, pepper, garlic powder blend
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
- 1/4 crispy onion straws
- 8 croissants
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 275° F using cherry wood for sweet smoke flavor.
- Use yellow mustard as a binder then season the chuck roast on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder.
- Place the chuck roast on the smoker for 3 hours.
- Remove from smoker once the roast reaches an internal temp of 165° F.
- Place the roast in the Dutch oven, then add the diced onions, cherry cola.
- Put the lid on the Dutch oven then let it braise on low for an additional 2 hours.
- After for 2 hours, remove the lid then add the bbq sauce. Let it cook uncovered for another hour until the roast reaches 200° F and is probe tender.
- Shred the beef then serve on a croissant with pickled jalapeños and fried onions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Smoking and Braising
- Cuisine: American
1 Comment
This barbecue sandwich had so much flavor. I love how the sandwich was on a croissant. It brings it to the next level.