This best Smoked Prime Rib Roast on a pellet grill is the perfect dish for any holiday meal or special occasion. With just a few simple steps, you'll have the most tender, juicy prime rib with a delicious outer crust you've ever had!
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I love prime rib, and I'm so excited to share this fantastic recipe with you! I have worked on it until it is absolutely perfect! Because prime rib is an expensive cut of meat, I know you don't want to make it and have it not turn out.
The roast is slathered in a flavorful butter mixture, covered in a delicious dry rub, smoked at a low temperature until nearly cooked through, then seared at a high temperature to create a crisp, flavorful bark.
Be sure to check out my Smoked Tri Tip Roast for another easy and delicious recipe!
Why I Love This Smoked Prime Rib Roast
- The finished roast is truly impressive. It is incredibly tender and full of flavor, making it perfect for a special dinner or holiday meal.
- It is actually incredibly easy to make. While it may take a bit of time to cook, the results are definitely worth it.
- This recipe is just so delicious! Like really delicious. There's nothing better than a juicy, tender prime rib served with all the fixings.
Ingredient Notes
- Prime rib roast. I used a five-pound bone-in prime rib roast, with two bones. You can also use a boneless prime rib roast.
- Prime rib dry rub. I used my homemade Prime Rib Rub recipe, which contains cracked black peppercorns, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, crushed rosemary, and ground thyme. This rub gives the prime rib a beautiful outer bark that is super flavorful. Feel free to use your favorite dry rub.
- Butter, chopped garlic, and Worcestershire sauce are mixed together and used as a binder for the dry rub and a basting liquid on the roast. This mixture keeps warm in the smoker, infused with amazing smoke flavor. You can also use garlic paste or garlic powder instead of chopped garlic.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Smoked Prime Rib Roast
Read all of the step-by-step instructions below or watch the video before starting.
Prepare the roast
- Remove the roast from the refrigerator and place it on a large baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to carefully trim the fat cap down so it is not too thick, but don't cut it all off. Let the roast sit out at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Make the binder and dry rub
- Preheat your pellet grill to 225 degrees F.
- While your pellet smoker is heating up, add the butter, chopped garlic cloves, and Worcestershire sauce to a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Turn the heat to low, and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes to let the garlic infuse the butter with flavor. Remove from the heat.
- Make the dry rub by mixing together the cracked black pepper, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, and ground thyme in a small bowl.
- Use a basting brush to brush the butter mixture onto the roast, covering the entire roast.
- Sprinkle the dry rub liberally over the entire outside of the roast, covering all sides. Use your hands to press the rub firmly against the meat.
Tip: Pour the dry rub into an empty shaker bottle, and shake it on the roast.
Smoke The Prime Rib Roast
- Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet and place the roast on the wire rack. Place roast on the pellet smoker, and insert a meat thermometer into the middle of the thickest part of the beef. Put the saucepan with the butter mixture on the grill rack beside the roast. Close the lid, and smoke the prime rib for one hour.
- Baste the roast with the butter mixture by letting the butter run off the tip of the brush. Drizzle it down all sides. Close the lid and smoke for another hour.
- Baste the roast again with the butter mixture. Close the lid, and smoke until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 130 degrees F.
Reverse Sear The Roast
- Once the roast reaches 130 degrees F, reverse sear it. To do this, remove the roast from the smoker and cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Leave the digital meat thermometer in the roast. You will likely see the temperature continue to climb.
- Slide the mobile deflector plate open on your grill (if you have one) and turn the temperature up to 400 degrees F. If your grill does not go that high, you can do a quick sear in a large pan on the stove or under the broiler in your oven.
- Very carefully, place the roast directly on the grill grate of your smoker. Let it sit for 15 seconds to 1 minute per side, depending on how charred you want the outside.
- The temperature will likely rise to 135 degrees F, which is medium rare. I think this is the perfect internal temperature for smoked prime rib, as the outside ends will be a bit more cooked. See the chart below for the desired doneness using internal temperature.
- Remove the seared roast from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Cover it with aluminum foil, making a tent around it, and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While it is resting, strain the juices from the baking sheet back into the saucepan with the basting mixture. Keep it warm on low heat on the stove.
Prime Rib Internal Temperature Doneness Guide
- Rare is 120 degrees F.
- Medium rare is 130-135 degrees F.
- Medium is 135-140 degrees F.
- Medium well is 145-155 degrees F.
- Well done is 155 degrees F.
Tip: I do not recommend cooking the roast higher than medium in the middle, as the outside ends will be medium well.
Carving The Prime Rib Roast
- Place the smoked rib roast on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice along the bone to separate the meat from the bone.
- Cut the meat against the grain into slices. You can slice the roast as thick or as thin as you like.
- Serve with a drizzle of au jus on each slice if desired.
- Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!
Equipment
You will need a smoker to make this delicious beef roast. I have made it on my Pit Boss pellet grill and my Traeger pellet grill. You can also use an electric smoker, but you will need to soak and replenish your wood chips as needed, as well as do the reverse sear in a cast iron skillet on the stove.
You will also need a good meat thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature.
Expert Tips
- Ensure the temperature probe is in the center of the meat's thickest part.
- Ensure your hopper is full of wood pellets before smoking. You do not want to run out halfway through the smoking process.
- Don't try to rush the cooking process. The key to the best prime rib is low and slow. Plan on 35 minutes per pound.
- For best results, don't open the lid except when basting the roast.
- Store leftover prime rib in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
It's best to smoke it fat side up so that the fat can render and drip down onto the meat, basting it as it cooks. This will help to keep the meat moist and flavorful.
There are a few different types of wood that work well, including cherry, hickory, and maple. Other good options are mesquite, oak, and pecan. You can also use Traeger Signature Blend or Pit Boss Competition Blend.
The cooking time is usually about 35 minutes per pound. This time can vary depending on the size of the roast and how hot your grill is. My roast was 5 pounds, and it took 3 hours to cook. If your roast is larger than 10 pounds it will be longer and not thicker, so the cooking time will not increase. Therefore a 10-pound roast and a 14-pound roast will take about 6 hours to cook.
It is done when the internal temperature reaches 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit. However, many people prefer to cook their prime rib to a slightly lower temperature, around 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
A one-pound prime rib will serve approximately two people. The general rule of thumb is one pound per person. This ensures that everyone gets a satisfying portion and there are plenty of leftovers. You can talk to your butcher to arrange a bone-in prime rib with 7 bones, which will feed 14 people. If you are planning on serving a larger crowd, you may want to consider smoking two or three prime ribs.
A prime rib roast, aka standing rib roast or ribeye roast, is a cut of meat that is taken from the rib section of the cow. It is usually one of the more expensive cuts of beef. It can be a boneless prime rib roast or a bone-in roast.
What To Serve With Smoked Prime Rib
Serve this tender roast with a side of Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Green Bean Casserole, and Ruth's Chris Copycat Sweet Potato Casserole for a show-stopping meal everyone will love!
It also goes great with Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Baked Beans, and Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes. For dessert, serve Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Cake.
Leftover Ideas
Slice it up and reheat it, make a prime rib sandwich, or dice it up and add it to a salad. You can also use it in place of venison in Instant Pot Venison Stew or in my Easy Smoked Chili Recipe.
More Delicious Smoker Recipes
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Recipe
Smoked Prime Rib Roast On Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 5-10 pound prime rib roast bone-in
For the Binder
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
For the Prime Rib Rub
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns cracked
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons rosemary crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your pellet grill to 225℉.
- Trim the roast: Remove the roast from the fridge. Trim off any fat that is hanging off. Leave some of the fat cap on. Let it come to room temperature while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Make the binder: Add the butter, garlic cloves, and Worcestershire to a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the butter is melted. Simmer for 10 minutes on low to let the garlic infuse the butter with flavor. Remove from heat. Use a basting brush to apply butter mixture onto the roast, making sure to cover all sides.
- Make the rub: Mix together black pepper, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, and ground thyme. Sprinkle the dry rub liberally over the entire roast, covering all sides. Use your hands to push the rub firmly against the meat.
- Smoke: Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and the roast on the rack. Place the roast on the pellet grill and place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the beef. Place the saucepan with the butter mixture on the grill rack. Close the lid and smoke for one hour. After one hour, baste the roast with the butter mixture. Let the butter run off the brush and drizzle it on the roast. Smoke for one more hour, until the internal temperature reaches 130℉. Remove the roast from the smoker, and cover it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Reverse Sear: Turn the temperature of your smoker to 400℉. Sear the roast for 1-2 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F, which is medium rare. The outside ends of the roast will be more well done. If you like your beef more well done, cook until the desired level of doneness is reached. Medium is 135℉-140℉, Medium Well is 145℉-155℉, and Well Done is 155℉. I do not recommend cooking it past medium well, as the outside ends will be more well done than the middle.
- Rest: Remove the seared roast from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. While it is resting, strain the juices from the baking sheet into the saucepan with the basting mixture. Keep warm on the stove.
- Slice and Serve: Cut the roast into slices as thick or as thin as you like. Drizzle the butter mixture on each slice. Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!
Video
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Recipe Notes:
- Ensure the temperature probe is in the center of the meat's thickest part.
- Ensure your hopper is full of wood pellets before smoking. You do not want to run out halfway through the smoking process.
- Don't try to rush the cooking process. The key to the best prime rib is low and slow. Plan on 35 minutes per pound.
- For best results, don't open the lid except when basting the roast.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
About Jeri Walker
Jeri Walker is the founder and CEO of Winding Creek Ranch. She is a self-taught home cook who specializes in easy family-friendly recipes. Jeri is also a food writer who regularly writes articles for MSN. Read about Jeri's journey and connect with her on your favorite social media channels!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
This beef is so succulent and flavorful!
Amy Liu Dong says
This dish makes my mouthwatering, it is so delicious!
Robert Mills says
I just got my Oklahoma Joe pellet grill and smoker I have cooked some steaks and shrimp that's was great now I'm going to your recipe for the prime rib and injoy
Jeri Walker says
Yay! That's so exciting to get a new smoker! Thanks for trying my prime rib recipe, let me know how you like it! It's one of my all-time favorites! 🙂