Smoked Prime Rib

If you are looking to smoke your Holiday Prime Rib this year, look no further. Here's a foolproof way to smoke that roast!

This year I was tasked with keeping up with the family's tradition of making the Prime Rib for Christmas Dinner. I wanted to do something a little different so I decided to smoke it on my pellet grill!

I made a "deal" with my father-in-law that he would buy it and I would smoke it. The stressor here is that I have never smoked a prime rib on my new grill before. At almost $12 a pound, no pressure right? If something goes wrong we could always order Domino's right?

Turns out it's not as difficult as you would think. All you need to ensure is that you season your roast at least overnight and that you have enough quality pellets to get you through the cook.

The hard part with cooking an expensive cut of meat like this one is ensuring that you reach the proper internal temperature.

If you don't have a really good digital thermometer, do yourself a favor and get one before you try this recipe. You can get one less than $20 on Amazon which is so much cheaper than a $100 cut of meat.

For this recipe, the seasonings are approximate. What I mean by this is to adjust to what you have in your pantry or what flavor profile you are looking for. This recipe is hard to mess up if you don't deviate too far from what I am suggesting.

I just can't stress enough how important it is for a cook like this to cook to the Internal Temperature and not to the time listed in this recipe. There are way too many factors that can sway things.

It's also equally important to let the meat rest after smoking before slicing. I know you may be tempted to cut it up as soon as you get it off the grill but trust me, wait a solid 30 minutes before slicing. Use a quality thermometer to ensure the internal temperatures are ok.

BTW, make sure you check out our article on How to Store Fresh Rosemary If you grow rosemary in your home garden, you need to check this article out!

🔪 Equipment Needed

You will need a food processor to make this Smoked Prime Rib recipe.

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Smoked Prime Rib recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Prime Rib Roast, Garlic Cloves, Olive Oil, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Thyme, Coarse Salt, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder.

🥣 How to make Smoked Prime Rib

In a food processor, blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and oil until a rough paste forms.
Place the roast on a sheet pan over a wire rack and rub it generously with the herb paste on all sides.
In a small bowl, combine the coarse salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
Season the prime rib roast with the spice mixture generously on all sides. Chill the prime rib roast uncovered in the refrigerator overnight, or for a minimum of 12 hours.
Once the prime rib has chilled for at least 12 hours, heat your grill to 250°F. Place roast on the grill and smoke for 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 110°F.
Increase the temperature to 400°F and grill for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125°F - 140°F.
Remove the roast from the grill, cover tightly in foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.
The final temperature should be 125 - 140°F after resting.