Perfect Smoked Prime Rib

Prime rib is a holiday centerpiece for a reason, but it also makes people nervous. This recipe is built to remove that stress.

For best results, dry brine a bone-in prime rib overnight, season it with a simple pepper-forward rub, coat it in herb butter, and smoke it using my gradual “climb method.”

The temperature increases in stages, allowing the roast to cook evenly from edge to center while still developing a deep crust.

Testing the perfect smoked prime rib recipe

Most traditional prime rib recipes start with a hot sear followed by a long roast at a lower temperature. I’ve found this approach doesn’t work as well when smoking, and you risk overcooking the ribeye cap before the center is ready.

I also tested the classic reverse-sear method. It improved internal doneness, but finishing at very high heat still caused uneven results on larger, bone-in roasts.

After multiple test cooks, I changed the approach entirely and landed on what I call the Climb Method. Instead of jumping between low heat and extreme heat, the smoker temperature increases gradually throughout the cook. This allows the roast to pick up smoke early, then slowly render fat and build a crust without spiking the internal temperature.

This method consistently produced a wall-to-wall medium-rare prime rib with a controlled crust and no scorched ribeye cap. For an expensive cut, this gave me the most repeatable results.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Bone-in rib roast – In this recipe, we used a 3-bone USDA Choice prime rib roast from Snake River Farms. It’s one of their more affordable prime rib options, although definitely still a treat.
• Kosher salt – is used to dry brine the roast overnight, removing excess moisture from the meat.  
• Rub – it’s a simple combination of salt, cracked pepper, ground pepper, and garlic.
• Butter – we use room-temperature salted butter to make our compound butter for the prime rib.
• Fresh herbs – using minced fresh rosemary, parsley, and thyme in our simple compound butter will enhance the flavor and color of the roast. 

Equipment you’ll need

• Filet or boning knife – a sharp and flexible knife is required to trim this roast. I used our 6-inch boning knife.
• Meat thermometer – I recommend a wireless probe thermometer for this recipe to track the temperature of the roast accurately. I used my new Meater Pro. 
• Butcher’s twine – Butcher’s twine is used to tie the bones back on.

What is a prime rib roast?

Prime rib, also called a standing rib roast, comes from the rib section of the cow. It is a large cut that runs along the spine and includes up to seven ribs, though most butchers sell it in smaller portions.

Three- and four-bone roasts are the most common sizes you will find, and they strike a good balance between manageable size and even cooking. 

Don’t be confused by the word “prime” in the name. Prime rib refers to the cut itself, not the USDA grading. You will commonly see Choice, Prime, and American Wagyu versions of this roast. Higher grades offer more marbling, but a well-marbled Choice roast can still produce excellent results.

When buying a prime rib, look for strong marbling throughout the meat and a well-developed ribeye cap, also known as the spinalis. That cap is where much of the flavor and tenderness comes from.

The ‘climb method’ for smoking prime rib

The Climb Method starts the roast low to establish an even internal temperature, then gradually increases the smoker temperature throughout the cook. Instead of jumping from low heat to extreme heat, the roast moves through controlled temperature stages.

I start at 225°F to allow the meat to absorb smoke. After the first hour, I increase the smoker temperature by 25°F every 30 minutes until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 125°F.

Beginning low builds flavor, while the gradual temperature increases render fat and develop the crust without shocking the meat. This approach works well on large, bone-in roasts where sudden heat spikes tend to overcook the ribeye cap.

I cap the smoker at 350°F. Higher temperatures add risk without improving the final result. Using this method, most three-bone roasts finish in about 3–4 hours, depending on size.

How to make smoked prime rib step by step

1. Trim

Trim off any hanging or hard pieces of fat. The top of your roast might have some lifted membrane, but you can peel that right off. 

This next step is optional but makes for a great presentation. French the bones by cutting in between them, down about two inches. Trim off all of the meat around the bone tips. 

Cut the rack of bones off the roast by slowly pulling the bones back and cutting towards them. Make sure to do this part slowly so that you keep your roast manageable. I like to do this now as it makes it easier to carve at the end, but I’ll tie the bones back on to help protect the meat as it cooks.

There’s also a pretty thick, hard piece of fat attached to the roast and under the tips of the bones. You can cut it out for a leaner look or keep the fat on if you prefer.  

2. Season the roast

Season the roast and the bones with Kosher salt to prepare it for a dry brine. This will help pull the moisture out of the meat so that you can achieve a better sear at the end. 

3. Tie the roast

Tie the bones back onto the roast by using butcher’s twine. I use about 2 feet of butcher’s twine per strand to have enough to work with, then I cut the excess off.

I tie a butcher’s knot between each bone to keep the roast together. You can tie a double knot in place of a butcher’s knot.

4. Overnight brine

Place the roast in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight to dry brine. 

5. Fire up the smoker

The next day, preheat your smoker to 225°F, using hickory, oak, cherry pellets, or a pellet blend. For this Traeger prime rib, I used my Timberline XL although, any pellet grill or smoker will work for this recipe.

6. Season

Make the homemade rub by combining cracked pepper, ground pepper, garlic, and salt.

Season the roast generously. Because of the dry brine, you can use less salt than you normally would for steaks and roasts. 

7. Compound butter

Make the compound butter by adding minced rosemary, thyme, parsley, and the remaining rub to two sticks of room-temperature salted butter and mixing until combined.

Cover the roast completely with the butter, and don’t be shy! 

8. Inserting the thermometer

Place the roast on a wire rack on the baking sheet and insert your probe thermometer into the very center of the roast.

A good rib roast will set you back $150 all the way up to $500, so I don’t like to mess around with cooking time estimates.

I used a Meater Pro Wireless Thermometer which tracks the internal temperature at 5 different points to give you a more accurate reading,to track the temp accurately throughout the cooking process.

9. Smoke using the “The Climb Method”

Place the roast on the smoker and smoke at 225°F for one hour. This will create a base temperature for the roast. 

Then, after the first hour, increase the temperature to 25°F every 30 minutes until the roast reaches 125°F internally.

So it will go from: 225°F to 250°F to 275°F, to 300°F to 325°F and then 350°F. A 3-bone roast will likely reach 125°F right when you turn the smoker to 350°F. 

If using a larger roast, make sure to never go past 350°F to protect the ribeye cap from overcooking. 

Just keep it at 350°F until the internal temperature is 125°F for a medium rare closer to the rare-er side or 130°F for a classic pink medium rare. 

10. Rest and carve

Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes until carving.

Remove the twine and carve into ½ inch slices against the grain. Cut the rack of ribs into individual ribs and save them for your favorite people or keep them for yourself as an ultimate pitmaster snack. 

Essential sides for prime rib

I like to serve it with extra compound butter and our easy horseradish sauce, which is creamy, tangy, and has a little kick that makes it perfect for pairing with rich prime rib.

Smoked Prime Rib Recipe

Follow this recipe, and you’ll have a perfectly smoked prime rib on your pellet grill for your next holiday gathering. This recipe delivers a perfectly juicy, medium-rare roast with a rich crust that will wow your guests. Don’t forget to leave a 5-star rating if you give this recipe a try and share any questions about prime rib in the comments below.