Smoked Prime Rib Recipe

Smoked prime rib is an amazing meal any time of the year! Tender, juicy, packed with smokey flavor - it's sure to be a total hit!

Smoked prime rib is a fancy dinner dish that you don’t see on the menu every week, which means that when you do add it to the menu, it’s important that everything goes right and the smoked prime rib recipe of choice is top-notch and amazing. There’s nothing worse than looking forward to a recipe and having it fall short of your expectations!

This smoked prime rib recipe is incredible and well worth the effort. Pair the finished roast with some easy scalloped potatoes or oven-roasted asparagus, and you have yourself a high-class dinner to look forward to all week. Finish it up with mytriple berry pie for dessert, and you’ll think you died and went to heaven!

How to smoke prime rib

1. Remove your prime rib from the fridge and let it come to room temp for about 20 minutes. Leave the roast tied together.
2. Preheat your smoker to 265 degrees.
3. Spread butter over your prime rib roast, making sure to get it entirely covered.
4. Rub your garlic, pepper, salt, and herbs all over the roast, pressing it hard into the butter.
5. Place the prime rib roast on the smoker and roast for about 30 minutes per pound. You want the internal temperature to be about 135 degrees.
6. Remove the prime rib roast from the smoker and then let it rest for a good 1520 minutes before slicing and serving.
7. Remember to cut and remove the strings as you slice the prime rib and remove the bottom bones if you want to make even smaller slices. (The bones should just slide off).

How long does it take to smoke prime rib?

Because every slice or prime rib is different, I can’t give you an exact time-frame for how long to smoke prime rib other than that you want to smoke it for 30 minutes per pound. So look at the packaging on your prime rib roast and see what it’s size is, and do a few minor calculations.

You’ll know your roast is ready when the internal temperature reaches 135ºF, so check back on it often throughout the cooking process to ensure that it’s cooking nicely and giving you a better idea of how long it’s going to take to complete it’s cooking.

What cut of meat is prime rib?

A prime rib roast is cut from the back upper section of a steer and usually comprises a 7 rib bone, although you may purchase one with as few as 3 bones.