Best Smoked Prime Rib Roast On Pellet Grill

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!

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.

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

1. 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

1. Preheat your pellet grill to 225 degrees F.
2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Use a basting brush to brush the butter mixture onto the roast, covering the entire roast.
5. 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.

Smoke The Prime Rib Roast

1. 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.

2. 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.
3. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

5. 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.
6. 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.

Carving The Prime Rib Roast

1. Place the smoked rib roast on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice along the bone to separate the meat from the bone.
2. Cut the meat against the grain into slices. You can slice the roast as thick or as thin as you like.
3. Serve with a drizzle of au jus on each slice if desired.
4. 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.

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.