The Best Smoked Prime Rib
- Darcey Olson
- December 2, 2019
- Last Updated: December 2, 2020
Mix it up this holiday season by serving this smoked prime rib recipe. USDA Prime Rib Roast is coated in garlic and herbs, and smoked low and slow, to create a perfectly seasoned crisp crust to compliment the buttery interior.
Many of you have made our 5-star Melt-in-your-Mouth Prime Rib Recipe and asked for a Smoked Prime Rib version. Not one to disappoint, we mixed together a huge batch of our favorite Prime Rib Rub and went to work. Our Smoked Prime Rib Rub Recipe is the same as our Oven Roasted Prime Rib Rub recipe. It’s a classic and a keeper.
How To Smoke A Prime Rib
Four steps separate you from a perfectly cooked smoked prime rib.
Step 1. Season the roast up to 4 days in advance. This serves as a nice dry brine.
Step 2. Smoke the prime rib roast between 225-250.
Step 3. Remove the roast and let it rest for 20 minutes or more.
Step 4. Carve and enjoy!
Best Wood For Smoking Prime Rib
It would be a sin to overpower the beautiful beef flavor with a heavy hit of smoke. The smoke should compliment the prime rib, not dominate it. As such, stick with a mild wood such as apple wood, cherry wood or even oak.
Prime Rib Recipe Tips
Tip 1. Select a “USDA Prime” rated prime rib. Even though it’s called “Prime Rib” the name is misleading. There are 3 different quality levels: Prime, Choice and Select. If your budget can swing it, always go for the USDA Prime Rated Prime Rib. Choice is a decent option, and much less expensive, however it won’t quite measure up to the buttery goodness of the USDA Prime rated steak.
Tip 2. Always use a thermometer. You want to cook based on temperature not time. Our go-to digital thermometer is the Thermaworks Dot. It never fails.
Tip 3. While not mandatory, we like to bone and tie our Prime Rib so it’s easier to cut after being cooked. If you’re not sure how to do this, watch this You Tube video. It’s incredibly easy to do.
Tip 4. Depending on what’s available to you and your budget, you can either make a smoked prime rib with the bones or a smoked boneless prime rib. The flavor won’t be affected if you go with boneless, however, many folks like to keep the bones on to act as a buffer between the grill grate/heat and the meat. Totally up to you. The recipe instructions stay the same.
Prime Rib Temperature Chart
Cook prime rib by temperature not time. Here are the “final doneness temperatures”. Your “pull from the heat” temperature will be 5-7°F below the temperatures called out below.
Rare 120-129°F
Medium Rare 130-134°F
Medium 135-144°F
Medium Well 145-154°F
Well Done 155-164°F
How Long To Smoke Prime Rib
It takes about 40 minutes per pound to reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees F when smoking at 225 degrees F. Depending on the size of your roast, here’s a good guideline to calculate your roast’s cooking time:
4 Pound Roast = approx. 2.6 hours
6 Pound Roast = approx. 4 hours
8 Pound Roast = approx. 5.3 hours
10 Pound Roast = approx. 6.6 hours
TIP- to speed up the cooking time, you can set your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 225. It will take approx. 30 minutes per pound vs. 40 minutes per pound. The above time does not include the 20 minutes of resting and any searing you opt to do before serving.
How Much Prime Rib To Serve Per Person
Your best bet is to buy .75 lb – 1 lb per person. We always go with 1 pound per person to ensure everyone grubs down and leaves full. We love having leftovers to make Instant Pot Bone Broth.
Do you Smoke Prime Rib Fat Up or Down?
Place the prime rib roast directly on the grill grate, fat side up.
Side Dishes That Go With Prime Rib
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Mushrooms in Garlic Butter Sauce
Sautéed Mushrooms
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
What Wine Pairs With Prime Rib
Wine – Bordeaux, Riojo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec
Beer – Brown Ale, Porter, Stout, Amber Ale
Our Smoked Prime Rib recipe will quickly become a family favorite and a new holiday staple. Nothing beats a crispy seasoned exterior that compliments a buttery interior. Eat up!
Smoked Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 1 4-Bone Prime Rib, (8-10 lb.) (*Note 1)
- 3 TBSP Olive Oil
- 1 Batch Prime Rib Rub
Instructions
- Coat the prime rib with olive oil and then generously coat the roast with the Prime Rib Rub. Store in the refrigerator. This can be done up to 4-days in advance.
- Pre-heat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the prime rib directly on the grill grate, fat-side up. If using, insert your thermometer into the center of the roast to monitor the temperature as it smokes. Place the lid on the smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 5 degrees UNDER your desired doneness temperature (for example, if you want a final temp of 135, pull the meat off the smoker at 130).
- Remove the roast to a large cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes.
- OPTIONAL STEP: To sear the exterior, heat your grill or oven to 400 degrees F while the roast is resting. Place the roast on the grill and sear on each side for approx. 1-2 minutes. If using the oven, it should only take about 2-3 minutes. You just want to crisp up the exterior, not continue to cook it.
- Remove the bones and twine (if not using a boneless roast). Carve and immediately enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Darcey!
I’m a fully caffeinated full time food blogger and lover of the outdoors, travel, and wine (not necessarily in that order).
