Is learning how to smoke prime rib one of your BBQ fantasies? You’re in the right place! We’ve taken smoked prime rib to a whole new level with a fantastic homemade dry rub, a zesty bacon horseradish sauce, and a reverse sear for an appetizing crust. Feast mode on!
When you are looking for a dramatic centerpiece for your holiday dinner table, nothing beats a rib roast, with its tender, juicy meat that cuts with a fork. Match that with a big pan of potatoes, roasted veggies, and a gorgeous salad, and there is nothing that can come close.
This is a holiday classic that’s easy to master! Once the roast is placed in the smoker, it’s all hands off and you can walk away without having to worry too much.
Of course, I had to make this gorgeous cut of meat shine so I seasoned it with a carefully balanced homemade dry rub and a bacon horseradish sauce. This is a culinary masterpiece anyone can pull off!
🥩 Ingredients
Prime Rib
We used a boneless prime rib from the butcher. You are looking for a nice red roast that has a lot of marbling to create that amazing flavor.
Prime Grade vs Choice Grade – For the ultimate results, choose the prime grade roast when smoking. It is going to have the best marbling which results in it being more tender and packed with flavor.
If you chose a grass fed prime rib, it will have less marbling but still maintains excellent flavor.
Choice Grade is 50% of all beef found in grocery stores and will have less marbling. Choice beef will cost $1-4 per pound less than Prime.
Homemade Rib Roast Rub
This recipe is so flexible that using the rub created here or choosing an old family favorite to adapt will work out equally well. The spices we chose are pantry staples and highlight the taste of smoked beef:
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried rosemary
Creamy Bacon Horseradish Sauce
🛒Prepared Horseradish | This is the horseradish with vinegar, salt and sugar all combined.
Make sure to pick this one up and not horseradish sauce which has a dairy like sour cream, mayonnaise or heavy cream. If you have never purchased this before, you will find it next to the other condiments in a glass or plastic container.
🛒Sour Cream
🛒Worcestershire
🛒Bacon | This is an optional add-in that is so fun to have in the horseradish sauce. Since it is optional, use as little as you like or not at all.
Our original horseradish sauce we’ve been making for years is the same recipe without the bacon. It doesn’t matter if you have thick or thin bacon, just chop it up pretty small.
🛒Chives
🔥 Instructions
Prime Rib Rub
👉Measure and add all the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl. Mix well. You will need about 2 tablespoons of this mixture for your roast.
Horseradish Sauce
👉Step 1: Add the prepared horseradish, bacon, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and chives into a bowl.
👉Step 2: Stir until the mixture is uniform.
👉Step 3: Place this in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
Note: The smoking time for a prime rib is over 2 hours so you can make this after you set the roast in the smoker and it will have enough time to rest in the fridge. This recipe is similar to the chive dip we use for tater tot bombs.
Smoked Prime Rib Roast
👉Step 1: Remove the packaging from the roast. Dry off any excess moisture using paper towels. Tie the roast across the thick center 2-3 times and along the long side once. This will keep it nice and together on the grill.
👉Step 2: Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the rub on all sides of the roast. A larger roast may require a bit more rub.
👉Step 3: Wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.
👉Step 4: Heat up the smoker to 225-250°F on indirect heat. Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the grill is heating up.
👉Step 5: Once the smoker is up to temperature, add the smoking wood chunks or chips. Place the roast on the grill grate fat side up, and insert your temperature probe to monitor the internal temps. If your roast has bones, make sure the probes don’t touch them.
👉Step 6: Cook until the internal temperature is 10 degrees below your target temperature. I like my prime rib medium rare which is 135°F so I removed it from the smoker at 125°F. If using a plate setter, remove it and bring the grill temperature up to 400-425°F. You’ll need this high temperature to sear the exterior of the meat.
👉Step 7: Once the grill is up to 400-425°F, place the roast back on the grill and sear it on all sides until the internal temperature reaches your desired level. For prime rib, I aim for medium rare which is 135°F.
Doneness Levels: Medium rare – 135°F; Medium – 145°F; Medium well – 150°F.
👉Step 8: Remove the roast, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
👉Step 9: After resting, slice your prime rib against the grain into your preferred thickness for maximum tenderness and flavor in every bite.
❗ Expert Tips
📌Smoking Wood Options | Always choose the wood based on the meat and people that you are serving. For long-smoked red meats, hickory and mesquite are common, but that doesn’t mean you can’t choose woods that give a milder smoke flavor.
Check our free smoking wood chart to determine the optimal smoke flavor and intensity to suit your preferences.
📌Temperature Monitoring | This is probably one of the most important things for smoking a large cut like a prime rib.
Whether you like it medium rare like me, or you’re after a higher doneness level, using a meat thermometer is the only way to accurately monitor the prime rib’s internal temperature as it smokes. Don’t skip it!
📌Resting Time | Don’t slice into the roast as soon as you take it off the grill. Let it rest for 15-30 minutes on the counter before slicing and serving.
Otherwise, the juices won’t have time to redistribute and they will end up on your plate.
🍱 Storage & Reheating
Once the feast is over, resist the lazy nature of a full belly and save those leftovers before you take a nap. This smoked meat is delicious and worth saving!
Here’s how to keep leftover prime rib fresh and safe to eat for as long as possible.
❄️Fridge | Cool quickly and store in airtight containers to enjoy within 3-4 days.
🧊Freezer | Wrap well in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place in heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 3 months, minimizing freezer burn and preserving quality.
♨️Reheating | To maintain the juiciness and tenderness, gentle reheating is key. Explore our detailed guide on how to reheat prime rib, where we walk through methods to revive your prime rib so each slice will taste the same as fresh.
🔄 Additions & Substitutions
👍Chives Substitute | If you don’t have chives but have green onions, simply substitute 1 tbsp of green onions (scallions) = 1 tbsp chives.
👍Dairy-Free Sour Cream Substitute | For those who can’t consume dairy, the sour cream for the horseradish bacon sauce can be replaced with coconut cream, pureed silken tofu, almond milk yogurt, or cashew cream.
There are also plant-based dairy-free sour cream products available in grocery stores and at online retailers.
👍Dry Rub Variations | This is a fun area to change up the recipe. There are endless options in grocery stores and online, but also homemade ones.
Making a rub is too easy if you ask me. This all-purpose dry rub for grilling will pair nicely with prime rib and other beef cuts. Another favorite of mine is the beef rib rub, perfect for rich and flavorful meats.
Here are a few more popular seasoning blends:
- Classic Herb: Thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and black pepper provide a traditional flavor profile.
- Spicy Kick: Mix paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder for those who enjoy a bit of heat.
- Sweet and Smoky: For a hint of sweetness with depth, blend brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and ground mustard.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
The tender and smoky prime rib pairs well with a variety of sides although I find simple ones are the best for balancing this rich-tasting meat.
We love grilled balsamic carrots and smoked asparagus bundles for their impressive appearance. Place them next to your gorgeous smoked prime rib for a high-end restaurant experience!
For a larger crowd, I often make some grilled corn on the cob in the husk, grilled broccolini, or grilled patty pan squash. These sides are easy to scale and will lighten up that filling prime rib meat.
You can’t go wrong with smoked baked potatoes, grilled sweet potato wedges, grilled sweet potato casserole, or cheesy grilled potato skins. I never have leftovers when I make these, for any of my BBQ cookouts. Not surprising at all!
❓ Recipe FAQ
You can still smoke this but NOT using it risks that your meat will not have a uniform shape or cook evenly.
Almost all grocery stores have it in their kitchen section. We bought ours at Walmart. If choosing to cook this during the holidays, it will be harder to find the closer you get to the holiday.
During the holidays, check the holiday cooking displays at grocery stores as they tend to move it there. Once you start using the twine you will find you use it all the time as we have tying the meat in Smoked Pork Crown and Smoked Chuck Roast or even wrapping Salmon in Cedar Wraps.
Look to have one pound of meat for each person – which sounds like a lot. There will be excess fat cut off and dripping lost. Plus everyone will want their fair share.
Timing target ESTIMATE 30-35 minutes per pound if smoking at 225°F. This is an estimate for timing and works pretty solid at a smaller roast. When the roast gets upwards of 14+ pounds, this estimation is far less accurate. Always use the temperature probe as this is a great example where the time/pound just won’t work out.
Use a thermometer like the ones we use to determine the finished temperature. Don’t just rely on the time. Poke the probe deep into the roast and target the following temperatures: Medium Rare – 135°F, Medium – 145°F, Medium Well -150°F according to Certified Angus Beef. USDA and Foodsafety.gov both recommend beef be cooked to a minimum of 145°F. Also remember that the ends will get done faster than the middle.
Yes! We seared it on the grill, but you can sear it on a cast iron skillet too. If you choose to use the oven, you can broil it until it is crispy on the outside to the desired doneness.
Absolutely! Just keep in mind this is a smaller cut and the smoking time will be shorter. Always use a meat thermometer for accurate measurement of the meat’s internal temperature.
No, you don’t need to unless it gets too dark but that is unlikely to happen. Foil tenting is generally just during the resting phase.
You can, but remember that when this is done, the outer crust is built and the smoke has a hard time penetrating to the inside. If you really want to sear first, I would just grill the meat rather than smoke the meat.
Related Recipes
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How to Smoke a Prime Rib
Equipment
- Smoker
- Small Bowl for making the dry rub
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Large Bowl for making the horseradish bacon sauce
Ingredients
Prime Rib
- 5 lb Prime Rib Roast
Rib Roast Rub
- 3 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 3 tbsp Black Pepper coarse grind
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Rosemary
Sour Cream Bacon Horseradish Sauce
- 4 slices Bacon cooked, chopped
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Prepared Horseradish
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp Chives chopped
Instructions
Prime Rib Rub
- Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl and stir. You will use about 2 tbsp of this mixture for your roast.
Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce
- Add the prepared horseradish, bacon, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and chives into a bowl.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Place the sauce in the refrigerator for 2 hours to let the flavors blend.
Smoked Prime Rib Roast
- Remove the packaging from the roast. Dry off any excess moisture using paper towels. Tie the roast across the thicker center 2-3 times and along the long side once. This will keep it nice and together on the grill.
- Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of the rub on all sides of the roast. Larger roasts may require a bit more.
- Wrap the seasoned prime rib in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the fridge and let it dry brine overnight.
- Heat up the smoker to 225-250°F on indirect heat. Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the grill is heating up.
- Once the smoker is up to temperature, place the roast FATTY SIDE UP on the grill grates and insert your temperature probe to monitor the internal temperature. If you're smoking a bone-in roast, make sure the probe is not touching the bones.
- Cook until the internal temperature is 10 degrees below your target temperature. I like my prime rib medium rare which is 135°F so I removed it from the smoker at 125°F. If using a plate setter, remove it and bring the grill temperature up to 400-425°F. You’ll need this high temperature to sear the exterior of the meat.
- Once the grill is up to 400-425°F, place the roast back on the grill and sear it on all sides until the internal temperature reaches your desired level. For prime rib, I aim for medium rare which is 135°F.
- Remove the roast, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
- After resting, slice your prime rib against the grain into your preferred thickness and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
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