It’s no secret that prime rib is delicious. It’s tender, juicy and a perfect medium-rare reddish pink throughout the center with a thin browned crust on the outsides. No browning or graying on the inner edges of the roast, just a band of fat then you hit the jackpot of juicy beef perfection. It can seem intimidating to make on your own and the price tag can be spendy, so no one wants to mess it up.. Luckily, it isn’t too difficult and this post will help you make a perfect prime rib without too much stress. Follow my steps on how to cook a smoked prime rib and you will get a glorious surprise when you cut into the roast and see the perfect cook and color.
Keeping it simple with seasoning.
Of course prime rib has to have a delicious taste too so I keep my seasoning very simple with sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper and garlic powder. You could add some rosemary or rosemary and garlic as well for a little herby flavoring if desired, I will add that as an option down below in the recipe. I don’t like to overwhelm the prime rib flavor but just add a little enhancement with simple seasoning.
What you need to know.
You need a meat thermometer to make prime rib, there is no guess work when it comes to prime rib, it’s all about temperatures so you simply have to have a thermometer to get the perfect cook. You don’t need a fancy or expensive thermometer, mine is a very basic stick with a circular manual gauge. Digital is great too, just as long as it reads the temperature it will work. The thermometer needs to be placed in the center of the roast at it’s thickest part.
Bring meat to room temp before cooking.
The roast should be brought close to room temperature before you cook it for even cooking. My roast sat out on the counter for about 1 and a half hours and the internal temperature before cooking was 60 degrees. I’m not saying you can’t take it straight from the refrigerator to smoker or grill because you can do that but it will take longer to cook and will be harder to get an even cook throughout. So if you have the time, I would recommend bringing the roast to room temp.
Why is a meat thermometer so important?
The insides of prime rib are a distinctive pinkish/red because it foregoes the Maillard reaction. Without getting technical, the Maillard reaction is responsible for the browning of meat and other cooked food when amino acids and sugars have a reaction when they reach a certain heat point. For a more technical and in depth explanation of the Maillard reaction you can read all about it on wikipedia HERE. But basically, when you cook beef at a low temperature it doesn’t brown but keeps that red color, which is just what we want for prime rib.
So how do you get the center to stay perfectly reddish pink while still getting a thin sear on the outsides?
You achieve that thin crust and reddish pink center through something called a reverse sear. Before I get to how to do reverse sear, let me walk you through the cooking process.
Cooking prime rib.
You will cook your prime rib roast at 225 F. for roughly 30 minutes per pound of meat (When meat is at about room temperature before cooking, more for a colder cut of meat), and remove when it reaches 120 F. at the center of the roast, the perfect temperature for medium-rare is 125 F. but the meat will rise 5 degrees when the meat rests and juices recirculate, causing the center to reach 125 F. the magic number for juicy reddish-pink meat.
Reverse searing.
To get the perfect reverse sear on the prime rib you will remove the meat from a 225 F. smoker or pellet grill and cover with aluminum foil and a towel so it can rest for 20 minutes. While it rests, heat your smoker up to 500 to 550 F. or whatever is the highest temperature on your particular smoker or grill. If your smoker doesn’t go up to high temperatures, consider using an oven for this last part. Once roast has rested for 20 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to roast’s top and place in the hot smoker or oven for 8-9 minutes. A nice brown sear should form on the outside of the roast and the center will remain at it’s rested temperature of 125 F.
Resting, slicing and serving.
No need to rest after that point but serve immediately. You want the prime rib to be served when it’s warm, so remove the bone, if your roast has one, by slicing close to the bone and around until it’s cleanly removed from the roast. Now carve the prime rib, cutting against the grain like you would cut a steak, to order and don’t wait too long, it’s a delicate temperature and will cool quickly. Add an au jus or sauce also helps keep the meat at the right temperature.
What wood should I smoke my prime rib?
Use mild woods like cherry, apple, maple or alder to smoke your prime rib, stronger ones like oak, mesquite or hickory will overwhelm the flavor of the prime rib.
What you need to make smoked prime rib:
This recipe is based on a 6 pound prime rib roast, bone in, adjust to your size roast.
- ~6 pound prime rib roast – bone in
- ~1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt – beef can handle a lot of salt so don’t be timid
- ~1 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- ~1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil – for the end reverse sear
- Optional ~1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
- Au jus or desired sauce for on top – optional
Instructions
- Take meat out of the refrigerator and bring it close to room temperature, I like it around 60 F. internal temperature.
- Fill smoker or pellet grill with a mild wood like alder, cherry, apple or maple.
- Pre-heat smoker to 225 F.
- Season prime rib with salt, pepper and garlic powder then place on a cooking pan that can handle the smoker.
- Insert thermometer into the center of the roast.
- Cook for roughly 3 hours, checking temperature on thermometer frequently for a temperature of 120 F.
- Once prime rib reaches 120 F. remove from smoker and cover with aluminum foil and a towel to rest for 20 minutes.
- Watch the thermometer as it will jump up to 125 F. once the juices recirculate.
- While prime rib is resting, heat smoker up to highest temperature. If your smoker doesn’t go to high temperatures then heat your oven to 500 to 550 F.
- Once roast is rested and smoker or oven is to temperature then add olive oil to top of roast and optional rosemary.
- Cook for 8-9 minutes so a thin reverse sear crust forms.
- Remove from smoker or oven and remove bone then slice to order and serve immediately, no need to rest the meat again.
- Enjoy with Au jus sauce or as is.
Here are a few other smoker recipes you might love like I do:
- Whole Smoked Chicken RECIPE HERE
- Smoked Corned Beef Brisket RECIPE HERE
- Apple Sage Smoked Pork Roast RECIPE HERE
- Smoked Turkey Compound Butter RECIPE HERE
- Smoke Turkey Brine RECIPE HERE
Smoked Prime Rib
Ingredients
- ~6 pound prime rib roast – bone in
- ~1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt – beef can handle a lot of salt so don't be timid
- ~1 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- ~1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil – for the end reverse sear
- Optional ~1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
- au jus or sauce of choice optional
Instructions
- Take meat out of the refrigerator and bring it close to room temperature, I like it around 60 F. internal temperature.
- Fill smoker or pellet grill with a mild wood like alder, cherry, apple or maple.
- Pre-heat smoker to 225 F.
- Season prime rib with salt, pepper and garlic powder then place on a cooking pan that can handle the smoker.
- Insert thermometer into the center of the roast.
- Cook for roughly 3 hours, checking temperature on thermometer frequently for a temperature of 120 F.
- Once prime rib reaches 120 F. remove from smoker and cover with aluminum foil and a towel to rest for 20 minutes.
- Watch the thermometer as it will jump up to 125 F. once the juices recirculate.
- While prime rib is resting, heat smoker up to highest temperature. If your smoker doesn’t go to high temperatures then heat your oven to 500 to 550 F.
- Once roast is rested and smoker or oven is to temperature then add olive oil to top of roast and optional rosemary.
- Cook for 8-9 minutes so a thin reverse sear crust forms.
- Remove from smoker or oven and remove bone then slice to order and serve immediately, no need to rest the meat again.
- Enjoy with Au jus sauce or as is.
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