Smoked Prime Rib
Smoked Prime Rib is a company worthy meal! This prime rib roast (aka standing rib roast) is slow-smoked for flavor and then seared to create a delicious exterior crust.
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Over the years, I’ve smoked quite a few fun things in the backyard. In addition to the classics like pulled pork and smoked brisket, I’ve also tried out smoked peanuts, smoked spinach artichoke dip and smoked queso. My thought is if it can be cooked indoors, then it can also be smoked outdoors!
We’re adding a new one to the list of smoked recipes today: Smoked Prime Rib. Prime Rib is a classic main course for holidays and special occasions. Prime Rib, also known as Standing Rib Roast, is often slow cooked in the oven. This time, we’re adding a tasty rub and putting it over the coals in the smoker!
What is a Prime Rib Roast?
A Prime Rib Roast is also known as a Standing Rib Roast. In addition to its rich beef flavor, prime rib roasts are known for their tenderness. Prime Rib is one of the most tender cuts of beef, and it features generous marbling throughout the cut.
Prime Rib is an expensive cut of meat. It’s often served as a centerpiece for holiday meals or special celebrations. Prime Rib Roasts freeze quite well, so I like to pick one up whenever I find them on a super sale at the store. I found this roast around the holidays, and I froze it until late spring when I was ready to smoke it. Just plan ahead as it will take 1-2 days to thaw a frozen beef rib roast in the refrigerator!
How much Smoked Prime Rib do I need per person?
If you are planning on serving this Smoked Prime Rib as the main course, then plan on 1 pound per person. The roast will lose some volume while cooking and trimming, but 1 pound per person is still a generous amount that should leave you with leftovers for sandwiches the next day. We whipped up an easy horseradish sauce for leftover sandwiches – woah!
What grade Prime Rib should I buy?
The grade of beef makes a huge difference in terms of flavor and tenderness. While it might seem confusing, Prime Rib is not necessarily prime grade. Prime Rib refers to the primal cut of beef rather than the quality. In terms of quality, there are 8 grades of beef, and the top 3 (USDA Prime, USDA Choice and USDA Select) are the ones you are most likely to see in grocery stores.
Despite it’s name, Prime Rib is not always USDA Prime grade. I recommend purchasing the best quality beef you can afford – and keep an eye out for sales during the holiday season!
Ingredients for Smoked Prime Rib Roast
- 8-10 pound bone-in prime rib roast
- Olive oil
- Herbs and Seasonings: salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic powder, dried thyme, onion powder, smoked paprika
- Wood chunks, for smoking
- Lump charcoal, for smoking
How to Make Smoked Prime Rib
Whenever using a smoker, I recommend going with wood chunks instead of wood chips. Chunks are larger, so they provide a more even amount of smoke throughout the entire cooking process. Chips are great for quick bursts of smoke flavor on a grill, but chunks are the way to go when it comes to smoking.
Wood chunks can be purchased in a variety of types: apple, mesquite, cherry, hickory and maple are some of the most common. Different types of meat go better with different types of wood, though. For this Smoked Prime Rib, I recommend mesquite or hickory. Woods chunks can usually be found in home improvement stores, but I’ve been using these wood chunks from Amazon with good results.
When it comes to temperature, low and slow is the best option for smoking Prime Rib Roasts. I recommend smoking the roast at 225°F – 250°F until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 120°F. Depending on the size of your roast, this will take ~4 hours. Plan on ~30-40 minutes per pound for this step.
An instant read meat thermometer or digital probe is a must for smoking large roasts like this. I use this digital probe when smoking meats – I like this one as it has a wireless monitor so you don’t have to keep walking by the smoker. It also has 4 different probes, so you can smoke 4 different things at once. That’s not helpful for larger cuts like this prime rib roast, but it is helpful if you’re smoking multiple smaller cuts like pork shoulders.
Once the internal temperature reaches 120°F, remove the roast from the smoker and tent with foil for about 20 minutes. While the roast is resting, increase the smoker temperature to 425°F. (You may need to remove the offset plate in your smoker to do this.) From there, sear the roast until it reaches your preferred doneness – 130°F for Rare, 135°F for Medium-Rare or 140°F for Medium.
Why Reverse Sear and Rest before carving?
The reverse sear method calls for cooking meat at a low temperature for a longer amount of time before increasing the temperature for a short time at the end of cooking. This method creates a beautiful crust on the exterior of the roast while at the same time keeping the meat juicy.
How to Reheat Leftover Smoked Prime Rib
Store any leftover Smoked Prime Rib in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze any leftover meat, slice the roast and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat leftovers, place slices in a shallow baking dish with ~¼ cup of beef broth. Cover dish with foil and place it in a 250°F oven for 10-15 minutes. Another fun idea for leftovers is to carve off any excess fat and then chop the meat into small pieces. Reheat the chopped prime rib in a skillet and then serve on sandwiches with a horseradish cream sauce.
If you’re looking for a fantastic smoked prime rib recipe, then keep this one handy! We don’t smoke a prime rib roast often (maybe once a year at most), but it’s always a tasty meal when we do. Happy smoking!
Did you make this Smoked Prime Rib at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Smoked Prime Rib Roast
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 8-10 pound beef ribeye roast aka prime rib roast or standing rib roast
- wood chunks or chips for smoking
- {garnish} chopped parsley or fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- If necessary, trim off any excess fat on the roast, leaving ~¼” of fat cap around outside.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and seasonings. Rub this mixture evenly over all surfaces of the roast.
- Cover roast with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove roast from refrigerator ~45 minutes before you put it on the grill. (Note: This is a great time to go ahead and prepare grill. If using wood chips, this is a great time to soak them in water – I recommend using wood chunks for smoking, though. See comments in post!)
- Prepare grill for indirect cooking and preheat grill to 225°F using oak or apple wood chunks or chips.
- Insert probe-style meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast without touching any bones.
- Place roast in smoker, rib bones down.
- Smoke for 2-6 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 120°F. (Note: The time range varies significantly based on the size of your roast. Plan on ~40 minutes/pound for a medium roast.)
- Carefully remove roast to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let roast rest for 20-30 minutes. (Note: Leave probe in roast as it will be used again when searing.)
- While roast is resting, prepare the grill/smoker for direct grilling and heat to 425°F.
- Place roast on grill until temperature reaches 130°F (rare), 135°F (medium-rare) or 140°F (medium). This will only take a couple of minutes, so keep a close watch on the temperature!
- Remove roast back to cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
- Using a sharp knife, carve roast in between the ribs. (For thinner slices, remove ribs before carving.)
- Garnish with chopped parsley or fresh rosemary sprigs before serving.
Notes
Looking for more tasty beef recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu cant wait to try this in my air fryer at home as i dont have smoker at home i never had smoked prime rib before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
You know, that’s an interesting point about tofu here, Ramya. I’ve never smoked tofu, but it could be a fun twist! I’m not sure how to get the smoked flavor into an air fryer though…
That’s one handsome Prime rib!
One thing I’ve always wondered is whether you can smoke on a regular grill rather than a dedicated smoker. I see your recipe calls for placing the roast on a grill, and also includes searing at the end, which I assume you can’t do in a smoker—so I’m guessing that’s the case?
I think this would depend on the type of smoker you use, Frank. We have a Big Green Egg, and I simply removed the plate setter (the big ceramic piece that converts the Egg from grill to smoker) when I was ready to sear this. It was a bit of a pain since the plate setter was hot, but I just used grilling gloves and set it to the side. Of course, you could get fancy and just sear it on a ‘regular’ grill (i.e. gas) instead of the smoker/grill combo. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Wow! What a showstopper, David! Looks amazing! We haven’t used our smoker in such a long time and this is just the excuse to break it out. I bet leftovers would be amazing on a sandwich too. And now I’m hungry. 😉
Oh you definitely need to pull that smoker out, Dawn! Pick a nice warm day and fire it up. And you nailed it with the leftovers – we chopped ’em up and served them on rolls with a bit of horseradish cream sauce! 🙂
Prime rib is one of my most favourite cuts of meat, and you sure did it justice here, David! It looks so tender and flavorful!
Thank you so much, Michelle! This prime rib was incredibly tender, and it had the added flavor from the smoker. SO good! 🙂
Wow, wow, wow, this prime rib roast looks phenomenal, David! So succulent, so tender, and I bet I can almost feel the wonderful aroma! Sadly we don’t have a smoker (yet), but as soon as we get one, I will need to try this recipe.
Thanks so much, Ben! This prime rib really did turn out well on the smoker. I highly recommend getting a smoker! They take a bit of learning to figure out the basics, but then the sky is the limit in terms of all of the delicious meats and foods you can smoke!!
This made my mouth water! I love the idea of adding a tasty rub and putting it over the coals in the smoker. It sounds like a delicious twist on a classic main course for holidays and special occasions.
This is indeed a special occasion meal just because prime rib is one of the more expensive cuts of beef – at least here in the States. But the slow cooked method in a smoker yields a meal that is sure to please everyone! 🙂
Nothing nicer than smoked foods even if they are bad for us:=) But they just taste and smell soooo good. I adore smoked salt and that is really! bad for me but nevertheless …
Everything is bad for us in some way, Sherry! And, yes, I totally agree with you about smoked salt. Have you ever tried the smoked Maldon flaked sea salt? It’s SO cool!