How To Smoke A Prime Rib On A Pitboss Pellet Grill

How To Smoke A Prime Rib On A Pitboss!  Now I have loved learning to fine-tune my smoking on my pellet grill. This is seriously a dinner we have on repeat for Christmas every year… and sometimes just because.

I love smoking my holiday meats, or any meat for that matter! I own a Pit Boss Pro 1100 as my pellet grill.  My Pitboss came from Lowes, but Walmart and Amazon carry other Pit Boss girls options or Pit Boss websites themselves. 

How Long To Thaw A Prime Rib:

As with any meat thawing, a Prime Rib in a fridge is the safest way to thaw and control the temperature of the roast. There will be some variance in doing this in the fridge, but it will take 4 to 7 hours per pound to thaw on average.

Now, if you are ready to cook or forgot to pull the meat, you can place the meat in a sealed plastic bag and squeeze out all the air. Fill a large bowl or container with cold water and submerge the bag. Swap out the water every 30 minutes to thaw the meat out.

What Is Prime Rib?

Most people assume that all Prime Ribs are made equal, but they aren’t.  Almost everyone I know confuses a Prime Rib and Rib-eye.  I can’t pick a favorite; they are both fantastic.

Rib roast vs prime rib what is the difference? Most Prime Ribs are made out of a Rib Roast.  You can buy these boneless or as a bone-in. I love the bone-in for more flavor and the bones to make broth.  Christmas is a good time for many grocery stores will have their roasts on sale to stock up and freeze a couple. The Rib Roasts are marbled with fat as well, making them juicy and tender as well.

Ingredients For Smoked Prime Rib

Now, there is not much you need for smoking a prime rib. It’s basic, like any other meat you smoke: a binder, a rub, and a flavor of pellets.

Binders For Prime Rib

What this does is allows for the rub to really get onto and into the meat. You will want to rub the roast down with this before doing the seasoning or rubs.

• Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Butter
• Cooking Spray-not my favorite option

Prime Rib Rubs For Smoking:

A good seasoning can make or break Prime Rib. One of my butchers will season the prime rib for you, which I always go for to save steps and time. I like to allow my prime rib to set overnight to let the seasoning take effect and even tenderize a bit. I also love a good Homemade Prime Rib Rub, it is so easy to make.

• Snider’s Prime Rib & Roast
• Traeger Grills Prime Rib Rub
• Pit Boss Rub For Prime Beef & Brisket
• Kinders Prime Rib Rub

The ingredients for a homemade rub can include; black pepper, garlic salt, kosher salt, ground cloves, garlic powder, and thyme. You can also use any other combination you prefer. 

Supplies For Smoked Prime Rib Roast

• Butcher Paper– Also commonly called pink paper, it can be wrapped or tied around your prime rib. This allows smoke to penetrate the meat while also retaining moisture and regulating steam!
• Butcher’s Twine– This isn’t a must, but it can help. It allows for even cooking and helps retain juices and shape. It also allows the rib to stay with the bone. You will want to do a twine wrap every 1.5-2 inches.

At What Temperature Do You Smoke Prime Rib?

Now, you can smoke at any temperature. I believe that low and slow is the way to go!

If your smoker has a smoke setting, you can allow the prime rib to smoke in the smoker before turning it up. Sometimes, this will cook the meat slowly, reducing the cooking time.

• 225 degrees f. for ~40 minutes per pound of meat.
• 275 degrees Fahrenheit for ~20 minutes per pound of meat.

How To Smoke A Prime Rib On A Pitboss Pellet Grill

Get your hopper full and ready; you can use any flavor of pellets. I have been on a Mesquite Pellet kick lately. Cherry is a good flavor for pellets as well.

Money and time-saving tips from the old lady. If you order pellets online from Walmart and spend $35, they will drop them off at your door for free!! Their everyday price on pit boss pellets is amazing, plus the expert grill brand has a great price. (see them ->here)

Prime Rib is greasy meat, so ensure your pellet grill is clean; this will help prevent a fire if it gets too hot. 

Start your smoker rolling smoke. I do mine on a setting of P7.

Once your smoker is rolling smoke, set the prime rib on the smoker’s grill grates and let it smoke!

Allow the smoker to smoke for as long as possible before increasing the temperature.  I prefer a 1-2-hour smoke, depending on the size of my Prime Rib.

Turn your smoker up; I do 200 degrees, so the prime rib cooks low and slow.  You can turn it up higher to cook it faster or the Prime Rib to be more well done.

Allow smoking until done.  You can wrap the prime rib in pink butcher paper while tobacco helps prevent drying out; I have tried this once and didn’t notice a difference.  I would try it again if I were smoking at a warmer temperature. 

I have also put the prime rib on a baking rack over a pan; this will prevent grease flare-ups and a potential grease fire.

Use a meat thermometer in the center of the roast to ensure your prime rib is cooked to your desired level of doneness.

Remove when to temperature and serve! 

At What Temperature Is A Prime Rib Done?

Use the time guidelines above for when to start checking the temperature of your meat. Knowing your preference for rareness will help you know what internal temperature to use a digital meat thermometer to cook the meat to. The ends of the prime rib roast will be more done, so take the temperature towards the middle of your roast.

• Rare is at 120 to 125 degrees F. The center will be bright red, with a pinkish color toward the exterior portion.
• Medium Rare is at 130 to 135 degrees F. The center is very pink and will be slightly brown toward the exterior portion. 
• Next, the Medium is at 140 to 145 degrees F. The center is light pink, and the outer portion is brown.
• Medium Well is at 150 to 155 degrees F. The center is not pink and is browner all the way around.
• Well Done is at 160 degrees F. and above, is not pink, and will be a darker brown.

How to store leftover Prime Rib

Either tightly wrap the leftover prime rib or store it in an air-tight container. The leftover prime rib meat is good for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also seal it with a food saver and store it in the freezer for three to six months.

Storing leftovers properly requires the right tools! My preferred storage method is if the leftovers can be sealed in a food saver. If not, then an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for the fridge is the way I go. The air-tight container and a freezer Ziploc bag are the next best bet for freezing the leftovers. I also use a food scale to measure portions and divide them into serving sizes.

Leftover Smoked Prime Rib Recipes

Smoked meat is the best next-day food, either as is or in a recipe. I love to use leftover prime rib to make food for the rest of the week following a holiday. My latest favorite has been Blackstone Prime Rib Breakfast hash! Check out my Best Leftover Prime Rib Recipes.

What To Serve With Prime Rib:

I love to Smoke Side Dishes! You can check out my favorite Smoked Side Dishes -> here! Below are my favorites to serve with Prime Rib. You can serve anything with it. You can serve anything with it, one of my go to is horseradish sauce or melted garlic herb butter.

Bread: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread, Garlic Parmesan Biscuit Pull Part Bread, English Muffin Garlic Cheese Bread, Easy Cheesy Monkey Bread

Sides: Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Smoked Baked Potatoes, Caesar Salad, Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes, Classic Smoked Green Bean Casserole, Air Fryer Broccoli, Grilled Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes, Grilled Corn On The Cob, Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Smoked Side Dishes: Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Green Bean Casserole, Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole, Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Loaded Cheesy Potatoes, Smoked Deviled Eggs, Smoked Loaded Baked Beans, Creamy Smoked Macaroni And Cheese, Smoked Loaded Cheesy Potatoes

Grilled Side Dishes: Cheesy Grilled Asparagus, Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Grilled Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes, Grilled Corn On The Cob, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (see my huge list of the grilled side dishes -> here)

What is your go-to Prime Rib Rub?

Pellet Smoker Recipes To check out

Looking for more smoker recipes? Be sure to check out Smoker Recipes. The post contains smoker recipes for everything from ham to macaroni and cheese to Prime Rib! See it ->here.

• Dutch Oven In The Smoker Recipes
• Special Occasion And Holiday Recipes
• Smoked Side Dishes
• Smoked Deli Salads
• Delicious Smoked Chicken Recipes