There are so many amazing foods you can make on the smoker, and this elk recipe should be at the top of the list! If you’ve never had smoked elk, you’re truly missing out. This elk roast recipe is incredibly flavorful and very easy to smoke. While some smoker recipes can be complicated and require a lot of work, smoked elk doesn’t.
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
This is a beginner level smoker recipe and it’s super easy to prepare and make,Only simple and easy to find ingredients are used to season this elk roast,The flavor is out-of-this-world delicious. Juicy and tender, it has a very mild “gamey” flavor due to the smoking process.
🦌 Hunting Wild Elk
It’s a popular type of meat to hunt and you’ll find a lot of hunters looking to hunt this type of game. One of my readers advised me that the sale of wild elk is prohibited. It can be given away. It can be hunted if you follow all your local fish and game rules and regulations. Or it can be purchased from someone who farms elk… but it is illegal to buy wild game that was obtained through hunting. If you’re hunting elk, make sure you know what to look for. There are several diseases and parasites hunters watch for when butchering wild game. Spots on the liver, lungs, kidneys, and puss pockets under the skin are red flags that the hunter needs to be aware of. A newer concern for hunters is around CWD (Chronic Waste Disease). A lot of hunters play it as safe as possible and if there are any red flags, the hunter may opt to discard of the entire elk based on a lot of these diseases above can be transmitted to people.
🌡️ Cooking Temperature: Ranch Raised vs. Wild Elk
There’s a lot of different opinions around what temperature elk should be cooked to for the final done temperature. The rule I set for myself is simple. If the elk was raised at reputable ranch, I’ll eat a medium rare elk roast (130-135°F) with no problem. This is mainly because ranch raised elk has been vaccinated and must meet certain standards and criteria.
If the elk has been hunted by a hunter in the wild, I cook the meat to medium-well to well done. I typically pull it from the grill or smoker when an internal digital thermometer reaches 160°F, knowing it will cook up several degrees during the resting period. This practice significantly lowers the risk of ingesting parasites.
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
An elk roast will be a deep dark red color. I use a simple compound butter made with fresh minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper to cover the meat. Form there, I combine spices that have a robust flavor and really compliment the flavored butter. The red pepper flakes used in this elk recipe is more for flavor and not spice. If you like a bit of heat in your meat, add a bit more than the recipe calls for.
Preparing The Smoker
This elk recipe is smoker agnostic, meaning you can make it on any type of smoker you choose. Below is an overview of how to prepare four of the most common smokers.
Pellet and Electric Smokers
Both the electric smoker and pellet smokers run off electricity and needs to be plugged into an outside electrical outlet. Pellet smokers run on wood pellets and you have a choice whether or not you want to use wood with an electric smoker. With both of these smokers, you’ll digitally set the smoker to the desired temperature and when it’s preheated, you’ll be ready to start smoking your meat.
Charcoal Smoker
When using a charcoal smoker for any smoker recipe, it’s important to control the heat and feed the fire. When I use a charcoal smoker for this recipe, I use charcoal briquettes, a large handful of wood chips, and a small water pan. There’s no need to soak the wood chips. From there, remove the grill grate and place about 15 unlit charcoal briquettes on one side of the smoker. Then, place the wood chips on top of the briquettes. I use a chimney starter to light about 20 more briquettes and once hot, I dump them on top of the unlit pile of charcoal and wood chips. Place the grill grate back in place and put a small pan of water on the grate directly on top of the hot charcoals. Put the lid on the smoker and place a temperature gauge in one of the vents so you can regulate the internal temperature. When the internal temperature of the smoker gets around 225°F, you’re ready to start smoking the meat.
Gas Smoker
A gas smoker runs on a propane gas tank. When using a gas smoker, I highly recommend using wood chunks instead of wood chips. Chunks are going to burn a lot longer and I find they help produce more smoke faster. You’ll want to prepare the wood and water pan before igniting the flame. There’s a lot of opinions around the need for soaking wood chunks or chips. With this recipe, there is no need to soak the wood. Once the wood and water pan are in place, light the smoker. When the internal temperature reaches 225°F, you’re ready to start smoking the meat.
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
We’ll start by preparing the Garlic Herb Compound Butter. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper using either either a wire whisk or electric mixer. Once combined, set the butter mixture aside. From there, you’ll combine all the dry rub ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix the black pepper, rosemary, ground mustard, salt, garlic powder, dill, paprika, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Set the bowl aside. Using your hands, generously apply the compound butter directly to the elk roast, ensuring all sides are covered. Expert Tip: It can be challenging to evenly and smoothly apply the compound butter onto the elk roast. Instead of using your hands, try using a basting brush for the application. It’s ok if it’s not spread out perfectly even. As evenly as possible, sprinkle the dry rub mixture onto the entire elk roast, ensuring all sides and crevices are covered. While it may look clumpy, that butter mixture forms the most succulent crust during the smoking process. Prepare the smoker and preheat until the internal temperature reaches 225°F. Put the elk roast on the smoker rack and insert a digital thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 130°F, remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest for 5-7 minutes before serving. Expert Tip: For a medium-rare elk roast, I recommend pull the meat from the smoker when it reaches 130°F. During the resting period, the roast will continue to cook up about 3-5 degrees in temperature. Take a look at the crust that has formed while the elk roast was smoking. this is is a delicious piece of meat on it’s own but when crust like this forms, the flavor meter goes out the roof! Yes - it’s that delicious! After the resting period, slice the meat against the grain and then you’re ready to serve. This is going to be one of the best elk roast recipes you’re every going to make
If you hunt your own elk in the wild, it’s best to smoke the meat to medium-well to well done (160°F-165°F). I don’t recommend consuming freshly hunted wild elk cooked under medium-well. Ranch raised elk are vaccinated, similar to cattle and I feel comfortable eating medium-rare ranch raised elk, but not one that was wild and killed on a hunt. As I mentioned earlier, it can be challenging to evenly and smoothly apply the compound butter onto the meat. Instead of using your hands, try using a basting brush for a smoother application.Hickory wood pairs amazingly well when smoking elk. It adds a subtle bacon flavor. Elk tends to cook faster than other meats due to the lower fat content, so ensure you insert a digital meat thermometer when you place the meat on the smoker. This also eliminates you needing to open the lid on the smoker. You don’t want the smoke to escape.
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