Prime rib is a meal that many of us love—but did you know that there are different ways you can make it? One easy way to make the perfect prime rib at home is by using a smoker. This is one cooking method that can really lock in some delicious flavors so you end up with a juicy plate full of prime rib meat in the end. Let’s explore how you can make a delicious prime rib dinner at home with your smoker. Don’t worry, this recipe is perfect for beginners!
What is a Prime Rib Roast?
A prime rib roast is a meat from beneath a cow’s ribs. When sold in smaller portions, the same cut of meat is also known as rib-eye steaks. Prime rib is known for having beautiful marbling that delivers a rich, buttery flavor and incredible juiciness.
Prepping Your Pellet Grill Prime Rib
Before you can dive in and make the perfect prime rib, you need to prepare the meat. This step can seem a bit odd the first time—but once you get your process down, you’ll be able to prep prime rib in your sleep!
Using a knife, make a downward cut to separate the bone from the meat (but don’t remove the bone off). To add flavor, season the prime rib with kosher salt, garlic powder (granulated garlic), and black pepper, both inside and outside. When the meat is seasoned, tie the prime rib back together with kitchen twine.
Recommended reading: How to prepare & cook prime rib to perfection?
How Long to Smoke a Prime Rib at 225°F?
Cook times for prime rib can vary. However, our recipe requires the prime rib to be cooked for a total of 3 to 4 hours at 225°F. You can cook the meat until it reaches the desired internal temperature, which is 107°F to 110°F for rare and 120°F to 125°F for medium rare. It is not advised to cook prime rib beyond this point because you will lose that juicy and delicious flavor.
Recommended reading: Smoking Meat Times and Temperatures Chart
Smoking Prime Rib on a Pellet Grill, Step-by-Step
You can easily make a delicious prime rib dinner at home using the right steps—and your favorite Z Grills smoker, of course. With this recipe, you will have succulent and flavorful prime rib in only a few short hours. If you follow these steps, you will bring the restaurant experience right to your home!
Recommended reading: Smoking prime rib basics
Preheat the Z Grills Pellet Grill to 225°F
Your first step before cooking is to heat up your Z Grills Pellet Grill to 225°F. It is important to ensure that the smoker is perfectly preheated before placing the meat inside. For this dish, we recommend using cherry wood pellets. This adds a perfect touch of cherry wood flavor that pulls out the meat’s flavor.
If you’re looking for a new grill, Z Grills is the ideal choice for your first wood pellet grill. We’re a grill manufacturer with over 30 years of experience within the industry. With over 650,000 pellet grills sold and 85 million cooks made.
Place the Rib into the Smoker
When the pellet grill has heated up, you can place the meat inside. To do this, you will want to place the prime rib directly over the rack. On the shelf underneath the rack, place a drip pan under the prime rib to catch any drippings. Add a little red wine to the pan and allow it to thicken up to make the perfect au jus.
Attach your meat probe if you are using one that can be left safely inside while the meat cooks.
Check the Internal Temperature of the Prime Rib
The cook time for this prime rib recipe is 3 to 4 hours, but you will want to start checking the meat close to hour 3. If you are using a digital thermometer with Bluetooth, it can be beneficial to set an alert. Your prime rib will reach a rare temperature at 110°F.
Finish at 500°F
After your prime rib reaches the desired temperature, it is time to let it set for a short while before entering the final cooking stage. Remove the prime rib from the grill, then heat the grill up to 500°F. Once the grill reaches the temperature, place the prime rib inside the grill for up to 15 minutes to get that perfect finish.
Remove and Loosely Tent with Foil
Following the final stage of the smoked prime rib cook time, you will remove the prime rib once again. Place the smoked prime rib on a cutting board or comparable surface and allow the meat to sit for at least 15 minutes under a loose foil tent. After the meat has rested, you can serve it up with sauce, as well as rice and asparagus for the sides. The meat should have a finely cooked exterior with a delicious, red, and juicy interior.
What Goes Well with Smoked Prime Rib?
Prime rib is one dish that is packed with meaty flavor, but it only gets better when you pair it with the perfect side dish. Many people enjoy a good smoked prime rib at a barbecue, so a side like this smoked potato salad can really pair well. However, if you are looking for a more savory pairing, you can match your smoked prime rib with smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese too! Of course, to bring more balance to your table, you can always pair your smoked prime rib with some delicious grilled vegetables.
Pro Tips for Perfect Smoked Prime Rib
Making that perfect smoked prime rib is all about using the right steps. You can enhance your prime rib cooking experience and enjoy a perfectly cooked dish by using the right approach while you do it. Whether you are cooking or reheating, you need to know how the prime rib will cook over time.
What Temperature is Best for Smoking Prime Rib?
Smoking temperatures can vary depending on the amount of meat you intend to cook and the duration of cooking. To create the perfect smoked prime rib, you will want to cook your prime rib at 225°F in the smoker for several hours.
What are the Best Wood Pellets for Smoking Prime Rib?
Wood pellets can add unique flavors to meat when you use them on a pellet grill. Prime rib is one meat that can really shine when you use cherry wood pellets. This understated flavor can bring an amazing twist to your prime rib!
How to Reheat Prime Rib
There are many different ways to reheat prime rib depending on what you want to use. Prime rib can be reheated in an oven at 250°F for roughly 10 minutes. In a smoker, you can reheat prime rib at 250°F for roughly 20 minutes per pound of meat. For each approach, you will want to add a pan with either water or broth in order to keep the prime rib from drying out while you reheat it.
Slow Smoked Prime Rib
Equipment
- Z Grills 11002B Pellet Grill with Wi-Fi
- Z Grills Cherry Wood Pellets
- Wireless Meat Probes
- Kitchen Twines
Ingredients
- 8 lbs Prime Rib
- 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
- 1/4 cup Black Pepper
- 1/8 cup Granulated Garlic
- 2 tbsp Red Wine
Instructions
- Using a knife, make a downward cut to separate the bone from the meat (but don’t remove the bone off).
- Generously season the prime rib with kosher salt, garlic powder (granulated garlic), and black pepper mixture, both inside and outside.
- Tie the prime rib back together with kitchen twine.
- Preheat your Z Grills 11002B pellet grill to 225°F using cherry pellets.
- Once the grill has come to temperature, place the meat on the upper rack. Then place a drip pan underneath the meat to catch any drippings. Add a little red wine to the pan and allow it to thicken up to make the perfect au jus. Close the lid.
- After 3 hours, check the internal temp of the meat. If it reaches 105-110°F, pull it out.
- Crank up the heat of the grill to 500°F, and cook the meat for about 15 minutes for the perfect finish.
- Remove the prime rib from the grill. Loosely tent it with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Serve with sauce.
