Pellet Grill Smoked Prime Rib Roast

Jump to Recipe

If you want to feel confident in making the best smoked prime rib then this is the recipe you need. I have been preparing prime rib for over 25 years in fine dining kitchens as well as my back yard. Follow these simple steps along with helpful tips in choosing the perfect roast. Lets get Cooking!

Why You Should Make This Recipe

Back in my Chef days I worked every holiday including Christmas and New Years.

Every year we would make between 20-30 prime rib roasts for the special menu. I have provably cooked over 1000 rib roasts in my day so I feel very qualified to share this method with you.

I keep it simple but no joke this roast is packed with flavor ad cooked to perfection every time!

In my opinion, you can't serve a Prime Rib Roast without a side of creamy horseradish sauce and smoked au jus.

Love prime rib and looking for another way to prepare it? Check out my Weber Kettle Rotisserie Prime Rib Recipe and Deep Fried Prime Rib recipe.

Ingredient List

• Meat: For this recipe, the first thing you are going to need to start with is 10 lbs of USDA prime Bone-In Rib Roast (8-11 lb average).
• Seasoning: It's time to shake up those shakers by adding, kosher salt, black pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, rosemary, and thyme.
• For cooking: When cooking the roast, I used avocado oil before seasoning.

For the full list of ingredients and measurements, don't forget to check out the recipe card down below.

Choosing a Prime Rib Roast

• Picking out a prime rib roast can be a little confusing, but if you know what to look for, you can make an educated purchase and know you're getting a great piece of meat.
• Around the holiday, Rib Roasts will start to pop up in the sale section of your local grocery store.
• There can be a wide variety of different quality grades and a wide price range. "Prime" is most likely the highest grade of beef you will find at the grocery store, followed by "Choice" and then "Select".
• I've made amazing smoked prime rib with all three grades of beef, so don't be afraid if you don't want to shell out the big bucks for Prime grade beef.
• If you really want to live the high life and impress friends and family, you might look into ordering a Wagyu Rib Roast online but be prepared to take out a small line of credit to pay for it.
• Once you have decided what grade of beef you want and where to buy it you will most likely see a large display loaded with Rib roasts of all different sizes.
• Be sure to look for a bone-in prime rib if possible, but boneless prime rib is also tasty. Look at the cross-section of the Roast and look for bright red color with nicely marbled meat.
• If it looks gray or discolored, avoid those cuts. The roast should be even from one end to the other so it cooks evenly.
• Some Prime Rib Roasts will already be tied, and the rib bones will be partially separated. If not, you can ask the butcher to tie off your roast.

How Big a Prime Rib Roast Do I Need?

My general rule when deciding how large a roast you'll need is each bone will serve 2-3 adults. If you have eight adults, then a four-bone Rib Roast will give everyone a healthy portion.

Then you can let everyone fight over who gets the bones. Most full rib roasts have 11 bones, so unless you serve more than 23-25 people, you should be fine with one roast.

If you are serving 3 guests per bone, you will be fine, but make sure you have a good sharp knife because you'll be making half to three-quarter-inch slices.

Cooking Instructions

1. Prep the prime rib. 2-3 days before cooking, unwrap the rib roast and pat it completely dry, and place it on a sheet pan with a cooling rack in the fridge.
2. Prep the smoker. On Cook Day, Preheat the Smoker to 225 Degrees F.
3. Season the prime rib. Rub the Rib Roast with avocado oil on all sides, including the bones, then liberally season the roast on all sides, patting the seasoning into the roast.
4. Smoke the prime rib. Place the temperature probe at a 45-degree angle so the point of the probe is in the center at the thickest part of the roast. Place roast on the smoker and cook for 4-5 hours until roast reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees F.
5. Rest the meat. Once the roast has reached 125 degrees F. remove the roast from the pit and rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour before removing the bones and slicing.

How to Reheat Prime Rib

If you plan to use the reheat method you are going to want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and place sliced prime rib on a sheet pan with about ¾ cup of au jus, and cook for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to warm the meat. For well done, you will need to cook sliced prime rib for about 18-22 minutes.

I know that seems low, but the key to an evenly cooked prime rib roast is to bring the temperature of the roast up evenly.

By doing this and using this method, you will avoid having the outside overcooked and the center raw.

Pro Tip: Ensure your prime rib is bone-side down, not sitting directly above the heat source, and with the probe placed into the center of the roast.

Serving Smoked Prime Rib

Once your roast has reached 125 degrees F, it's time to pull it off the pit and let it rest for about 1 hour before slicing!

If you intend to serve the roast immediately, you can simply remove the string, then place the roast on its side and slice along the bone to remove it.

Slice the bones individually and set them aside. Place the roast flat on a large cutting board and begin slicing enough slices for the number of guests you're serving.

Pro Tip: You don't need to slice the whole roast if you have extra.

How long to smoke Prime Rib on Pellet Grill

In my house, we have a few family members that like and need their prime rib served closer to well done.

.... I know, I know, but it's my mother, and she gave birth to me. So I'll burn her steak if she wants me to.

If you have someone like that in your house, give this a shot!

I always give my mom the end cut, which is normally my favorite because it has the most crust and seasoning, but it's also cooked a little further than the center cuts.

Once you have cut off the pieces you want, place the slices on a sheet pan and pour over a few ladles full of au jus, and put it in a 400-degree oven until they reach an internal temp of about 160 degrees F.

What to serve with Smoked Prime Rib Roast

• Cast Iron Roasted New Potatoes
• Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Bake
• Bobby Flay's Grilled Home Fries Recipe
• Homemade Spicy Honey Cornbread Muffin Recipe
• Kale Rockefeller
• Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Prepping Your Smoked Prime Rib Roast

The rib roast prep begins days before it's time to cook your roast. Alton Brown recommends pulling your roast out of the packaging one week before cooking.

I think that's great, but 2-3 days seems fine for me. When you unwrap the rib, make sure to pat it dry and place it on a sheet pan with a cooling rack.

Do not season the meat; place it uncovered in the fridge to dry out. This will slightly intensify the beef flavor, but more importantly, it will firm up the roast for a better texture when smoked.

On the day of the cook, take the roast out about 60 minutes before you place it on the smoker. Ninety minutes on a more giant 8-11 bone roast.

Before seasoning the smoked prime rib, lightly rub a neutral-flavored oil ( I prefer Avocado Oil) all over the roast, including the bones and underneath.

For the seasoning, you can go with a spice rub or you can make your own. The flavors you want are pretty simple, including salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and rosemary.

Smoked Prime Rib FAQs

---