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sliced smoked Traeger prime rib
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4.94 from 87 votes

Perfectly Smoked Traeger Prime Rib

Reverse seared, moist, and flavorful Smoked Traeger Prime Rib.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Resting Time1 day
Total Time5 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 528kcal

Ingredients

  • 8-10 lb 4-bone prime rib roast
  • 2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Garlic Herb Crust

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence 
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Instructions

Day 1 | Season The Prime Rib And Prepare Herbed Butter

  • Wash and dry prime rib, then set it onto a pan. If the roast has a thick fat cap, trim some of the fat from the top of the roast.
  • Mix kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, Montreal steak seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
  • Rub the seasoning into the prime rib. Go a little lighter on the ends, to keep them from being overly salty. Place on a rack over a tray and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.

Garlic Herb Buttery Crust

  • Prepare Herbed Butter: Add softened butter, herbs, and garlic cloves to a food processor (paid link). Blend until a paste is formed.
  • Using a spatula, transfer the herb mixture into a small Ziploc sandwich bag and roll it into a log. Refrigerate the herbed butter until needed.

Day 2: Smoking the Prime Rib

  • Six hours before you plan on eating the prime rib, pull it out of the fridge along with the butter. Give it 2 hours to come to room temperature. 
  • After the prime rib has rested for 1 hour and 45 minutes, set your Traeger or electric smoker to 225 degrees F. Select Super Smoke and preheat 15 minutes. Spread half of the herbed butter over the prime rib, then place prime rib on the grill. Insert the probe or a meat thermometer into the thickest part, and set the probe temperature to 120℉.
  • Begin checking the internal temperature after 3 hours. When the roast reaches 120℉, pull it off the grill and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, kick up the Traeger's temperature to 450°F.
  • Right before putting the prime rib back on the grill, brush the remaining herbed butter all over it. Re-insert the probe into the thickest part, and set the probe temperature to 130°F or 135°F for medium-rare to medium. It should take approximately 15-20 minutes to get to that temperature.
  • When the smoked prime rib is ready, remove from the grill and wrap in foil for 15 minutes. If it's going to be a while before you serve it, wrap the foil-wrapped roast in a clean towel and place in a small cooler (without ice) until ready to serve.

Notes

  • When seasoning the roast, use a large cookie tray underneath. The excess seasoning will land in the tray and can be used to season the areas you missed.
  • It's important to bring the prime rib to room temperature before it is smoked. Smoking a cold roast will add to the cooking time and who needs that?
  • Do not raise the lid of the smoker while the meat is cooking. It reduces the temperature inside and adds to the cooking time.
  • This recipe calls for cooking the meat low and slow. If you want to shorten the cooking time, you can kick up the temperature to 250℉.
  • If you'd like to make au jus to serve with the sliced prime rib, smoke the roast in an aluminum pan or tin to collect the yummy juices.
  • Resting the roast allows the juices to redistribute, so don't skip that part!
  • If you decided to debone the prime rib, use butcher's twine to secure the prime

Nutrition

Serving: 1(½ lb.) serving | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 498mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g