Traeger Prime Rib

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This Traeger prime rib is seasoned with delicious herbs, smoked, and roasted to perfection. The perfect easy recipe for the meat lovers in your life.

Slow roasted prime rib can be made with either a bone-in or boneless cut of prime rib roast. Crust it with classic herbs like black pepper, Hawaiian salt, garlic powder, and rosemary and roast it to perfection. This easy smoked prime rib recipe will be sure to please.

If you’ve ever had prime rib, then you know how delectable, tender, and juicy the meat can be. It can seem intimidating, but let me tell you this recipe makes the whole process super easy.

The secret to the smoky flavor in this rib roast is achieved with a Traeger grill. Traeger is known for its wood pellet grills. Hardwood pellets fuel the fire and pack in an incredible amount of flavor.

Here in Hawai’i we like to use kiawe, which is a type of mesquite, for grilling. Traeger carries mesquite wood pellets and is what I would recommend for this smoked prime rib recipe.

Ways to make a prime rib

There are two common ways to cook a prime rib: seared and reverse seared.

Seared prime rib is made by cooking the beef at a high heat for a short period initially, then turning the temperature down and cooking it low and slow until the desired temperature is reached.

Reverse sear is the opposite, cooking the prime rib low and slow and then increasing the heat at the very end to sear the outside.

Both ways create a delicious seared and crusted layer externally and a tender and juicy interior.

I find using the searing method can often cause the outer ring of the prime rib to be cooked to a further temperature than the center and can sometimes create an undesirable grayish ring.

Reverse searing creates a more even cook throughout and they way I enjoy making my prime ribs.

Temperature and cook times

Prime rib cook time will largely depend on the internal doneness you want to achieve.

• For medium-rare 125-130F
• For medium 135-140F
• For medium well 145-150F

Of note, remember the meat will continue cooking when removed from the grill. Remove meat at 5-10 degrees lower than your desired temperature to prevent over cooking.

Using a meat thermometer is essential in this recipe.

Cook time will vary depending on the temperature of your grill.

Grill at 250F

• About 25 minutes per pound of meat for medium rare
• About 30 minutes per pound for medium
• About 35 minutes per pound for medium-well

Grill at 325F

• About 20 minutes per pound of meat for medium rare
• About 25 minutes per pound for medium
• About 30 minutes per pound for medium-well

Grill at 350F

• About 15 minutes per pound of meat for medium rare
• About 20 minutes per pound for medium
• About 25 minutes per pound for medium-well

Ingredients for Traeger prime rib

(Full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)

For the prime rib

• Rib eye roast. As mentioned earlier, use either bone-in or boneless here.
• Fresh ground black pepper. Freshly ground pepper gives a pop of flavor and can pack on the heat. Adjust based on your desired heat level.
• Hawaiian salt. These are larger, more coarse crystals compared to classic table salt.
• Garlic powder. Using the ried and finely ground garlic allows the prime rib to be evenly seasoned.
• Rosemary. A classic flavor used in making prime ribs.

For the au jus

• Red wine. Choose a wine you would drink, or opt for a cooking wine.
• Flour. This will help thicken the sauce slightly.
• Worcestershire sauce. Say that three times fast.
• Beef stock. Beef broth can be used here as well. Broth tends to be slightly thinner than stock. You can add a little more flour to thicken to the consistency you like.

How to make a Traeger prime rib

1. Rest the prime rib. Remove roast from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before cooking.
2. Make the rub. Combine pepper, salt, garlic powder, and rosemary in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.
3. Season the meat. Generously season the meat with the rub.
4. Cook the meat. Place meat in a roasting pan fat side up. Cook in a preheated grill at 250F until an internal temperature of 120F.
5. Allow time to rest. Remove the meat from the grill and set under a foil tent for 15-20 minutes.
6. Sear meat. Increase grill temperature to 450F. Place prime rib back on the grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until an internal temperature of 125F for medium rare. Remembering that the temperature will rise after removing it from the grill.
7. Allow time to rest again.
8. Make the au jus. Pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a pan. Add red wine and reduce until about half or you no longer small the alcohol in the wine.Sprinkle in the flour and add the Worcestershire sauce and ¼ cup of beef stock. Whisk until well combined. Pour remaining beef stock and whisk until smooth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve with prime rib.
9. Carve and serve. 

***No smoker grill? Not to worry. This recipe can also be made in an oven using the same recipe as above. You can use liquid smoke to give it that added smoky flavor if you’d like.

Tips for the best smoked prime rib

• Begin cooking the meat from room temperature. This allows a more even cook.
• Use a meat thermometer. I suggest getting a probe type one that allows the thermometer to stay in the meat while cooking. This ensures you get the perfect temperature of meat every time.
• Don’t over cook. Remember the meat will continue cooking when removed from the heat. Be sure to pull the meat off the heat 5-10 below your desired cook time to prevent over cooking.
• Let it rest. This allows the juices to settle and redistribute throughout the meat.

FAQs

Perfect sides to go with smoked prime rib

• Instant Pot mashed potatoes
• Macaroni salad
• Purple sweet potato mash
• Pickled onions
• Sweet bread

Smoked Prime Rib

Relle Lum

This Traeger prime rib is seasoned with delicious herbs, smoked, and roasted to perfection. The perfect easy recipe for the meat lovers in your life.

4.70 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Additional Time 15 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 55 mins

Course Beef

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 853 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the prime rib

• 4 pound rib eye roast bone in or boneless
• ⅛ cup fresh ground black pepper
• ⅛ cup Hawaiian salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon rosemary

For the au jus

• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ¼ cup beef stock

Instructions

 

• For the prime rib: Remove roast from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat Traeger to 250F.
• To a small bowl add pepper, salt, garlic powder, and rosemary. Mix until well combined.
• Generously coat the roast with the seasoning.
• Place roast on a roasting pan fat side up. Place in the Traeger and cook until an internal temperature of 120F.
• Remove from the grill, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 15-20min.
• Increase grill temperature to 450F. Once the grill has reached the correct temperature, place roast back in the grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until an internal temperature of 130F for medium rare.
• Remove from the grill and allow to rest before slicing.
• For the au jus: Pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a pan. Add red wine and reduce until about half or you no longer small the alcohol in the wine.
• Sprinkle in the flour and add the Worcestershire sauce and ¼ cup of beef stock. Whisk until well combined.
• Pour remaining beef stock and whisk until smooth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve with prime rib.

Notes

Begin cooking the meat from room temperature. This allows a more even cook.

Use a meat thermometer. I suggest getting a probe type one that allows the thermometer to stay in the meat while cooking. This ensures you get the perfect temperature of meat every time.

Don’t over cook. Remember the meat will continue cooking when removed from the heat. Be sure to pull the meat off the heat 5-10 below your desired cook time to prevent over cooking.

Let it rest. This allows the juices to settle and redistribute throughout the meat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 853kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 77gFat: 58gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 236mgSodium: 2568mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Keyword beef, beef recipe, grilling, keeping it relle, prime rib, smoked prime rib, smoker grill, traeger prime rib, trager

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