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Nothing looks more impressive on a dinner table than a prime rib roast. The proportions are huge, the sensory overload is immense and it can add the wow factor to any dinner party or BBQ.
Most recipes involve roasting the prime rib in the oven, but we know the smoker makes everything better.
In this recipe, I’ll share my technique for the perfect medium-rare smoked prime rib roast.
Recipe eBook
Smoking Times
What is prime rib?
The prime rib or standing rib roast comes from the same part of the animal as a ribeye steak.
It is a large cut of beef that spans along the spine and includes seven rib bones.
You will usually see anywhere from three to five bone roasts sitting in the window of the butcher.
The prime rib is known by a few different names, such as the boneless rib roast, beef rib roast, and standing rib roast.
When sliced into individual servings, it is also known as tomahawk steak with the bone, or when removed you have your common rib-eye steak.
Don’t be confused by the word prime in the name. The word “prime” refers to the actual cut of meat that comes from the primal muscle, it has nothing to do with the USDA grading of meat. Although if you can get your hands on a prime grade one you should go for it!
For this recipe, we are using a 3-bone American Wagyu prime rib from Snake River Farms. We highly recommend their products, and their American Wagyu is exceptional, with excellent marbling.
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How to select a prime rib
The main factor is going to be your budget. This is a big cut of beef and this can generally come with a price tag to match.
Expect to pay $10 per pound for USDA Choice and much higher depending on the grade.
Next up is quality, how much marbling do you want? You want a good ratio of marbling to meat. Sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Make sure to inspect the meat and opt for the one that has the best marbling and overall appearance.
You can choose from prime, choice, or select USDA grading, while specialty and online butchers will have even more choices.
Bone-in vs. boneless
I prefer to select a bone-in prime rib when smoking. Apart from looking mighty impressive, the bones help to shield the meat from direct heat, protecting it from the heat source while cooking.
The debate about whether the bone helps with the flavor is a discussion for another day. I chose bone-in for protection from direct heat, and for presentation purposes.
If you choose a bone in one, you can french them by cutting the fat and meat around and between the bones leaving them exposed for better presentation.
You can also remove the bones entirely, season underneath where the bones were, and then tie them back on.
How much prime rib per person?
A good general rule of thumb is to allow one pound of uncooked prime rib per person. This is likely overkill, but it allows for the volume lost due to trimming and the cooking process.
Plus some leftover prime rib never hurt anyone!
If you have a bone-in cut, you can use the number of bones as a guide.
When you start slicing the fully cooked roast into individual pieces where the bones are, each rib eye will roughly weigh around 3-4lbs. So more than enough to feed 3-4 people per bone with sides.
How long does it take to smoke a prime rib?
The amount of time you need to allow to smoke prime rib depends on a number of factors:
- How big is the rib roast?
- What temp are you smoking/cooking it at?
- What type of smoker or BBQ are you using?
- What quality is the meat?
To give you a rough guide for a 6lb rib roast cooked to medium rare of 125°F internal tmperature:
- Smoked at 225°F will take around 5 hours
- Smoked at 275°F will take around 4½ hours
- Smoked at 300°F will take around 4 hours
- Smoked at 350°F will take around 3½ and a half hours
These again, are rough guides and nothing beats using a meat thermometer and cooking to temperature, not time.
Free Chart: Download a free copy of our smoking times and temperatures chart so you can refer back to it whenever you need.
How to make Smoked Prime Rib
1. Trim
Most butchers will sell you a trimmed roast, and if the bones are in, they will be cleaned.
If they aren’t, run a filleting knife up and down the bone removing any leftover meat or membrane. This in no way affects the cook, it is more for the presentation of the final product.
Next up, you will want to truss the rib roast. It is made of a couple of muscles, these are the Spinalis Dorsi (Outer muscle) and the Longissimus Dorsi (inner muscle) and they can become quite loose during any cook.
It is best to truss them as a whole rib roast is quite heavy and you do not want it falling apart as you bring it out of the smoker to the table.
To do that wrap some butcher twine between each bone or every 3-4 inches and tie in a double knot. Then cut off the excess twine.
2. Dry brine
The prime rib I cooked weighed about 10.5lbs before I trimmed it. Because it was so large I dry-brined it with kosher salt overnight.
You can read about the process of dry brining here. It’s a step that I highly recommend and it will ensure that the entire roast is seasoned throughout the meat, even in the thickest parts.
3. Season
After you have dry brined, mix a combination of softened unsalted butter and prime rib seasoning, then cover the entire roast with it.
Just make sure you watch how much salt is in the rub you’re using if you have dry brined already.
We have a prime rib rub recipe you can check out, or our Beef Rub would also work a treat.
Apply liberally to steak, brisket, beef ribs, and vegetables for a flavor that’s robust but isn’t overpowering, so you can still taste the beef.
- Made & packed fresh in the USA from the highest quality ingredients
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4. Fire up the smoker
Fire up your smoker to 225°F degrees.
I used my Traeger Timberline 1300 pellet grill with Bear Mountain hickory pellets. My pellet smoker has a super smoke feature which I used the entire time.
5. Smoking the prime rib roast
Once the smoker is ready, you can place the prime rib roast in the smoker.
I place a probe into the center of the meat and let it smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 123°F. That’s the sweet spot for me. I prefer medium rare but if you don’t, feel free to continue cooking a little longer until you reach your desired internal temperature.
To finish I put a sear on the outside by transferring it to a ripping hot grill or cast iron pan.
After you sear the prime rib, remove it and rest for 30 minutes covered loosely in aluminum foil. The temperature will continue to rise by about 10 degrees while resting.
Serving suggestions
Serving is easy enough done by slicing between each bone. Then remove the bones and slice each separated rib eye into slices around ¼” to ⅓” thick.
Make sure you use a good sharp knife, like our 12″ Smoke Kitchen Slicing Knife, and secure the roast on a good cutting board or butcher block before slicing.
Each separated rib eye will easily feed 2 to 3 adults, so long as you have enough sides.
If you are cooking a boneless cut, then just slice it into your desired portion size.
A few more centerpieces with ‘wow factor’
- Smoked orange and herb roasted chicken
- Smoked ham with hot honey bourbon glaze
- Smoked leg of lamb
- Smoked whole turkey
Smoked prime rib recipe
Perfect Smoked Prime Rib Roast
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in prime rib roast - 3 bones, about 10–12 lb, see note 1
- ¼ cup Kosher salt - for dry brine
Rub
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
Compound butter
- 2 sticks butter - room temperature
- 2 sprigs rosemary - minced
- 2 sprigs thyme - minced
- 2 sprigs parsley - minced
- remaining rub seasoning
Instructions
- Trim off any loose or hard pieces of fat from the roast. If there is a thin membrane lifting on the surface, peel or trim it away.
- If you want a cleaner presentation, trim the meat away from the tips of the bones by cutting down between each bone about 2 inches, then removing the meat around the bone ends. This step is optional.
- Carefully cut the rack of bones away from the roast, keeping it in one piece. Pull the bones back slightly as you cut toward them so the roast stays manageable. This makes carving easier later and helps the roast cook more evenly, but it is optional. Tie the bones back onto the roast with butcher’s twine, using one knot between each bone to hold everything in place.
- Season the roast and bones evenly with kosher salt. Place uncovered in the refrigerator and dry brine for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 225°F. Use oak, hickory, cherry, or a mild pellet blend.
- Combine all rub ingredients, reserving about 1 tablespoon for the compound butter. Season the roast evenly, using less salt than usual since the meat has already been dry brined.
- Mix the softened butter with the herbs and remaining rub until fully combined. Coat the roast evenly on all sides.
- Insert a probe thermometer into the center of the roast, avoiding bone. Place the roast on the smoker and cook at 225°F for 1 hour. Then increase the smoker temperature by 25°F every 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 125°F. Do not exceed 350°F.
- Remove the roast from the smoker and rest for at least 15 minutes. Remove the twine, separate the bones, and slice into ½-inch slices against the grain.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.