Smoked Garlic Butter Prime Rib
On February 28, 2023 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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Smoked garlic butter prime rib is the best version of smoked prime rib on the internet. Slathered in herb-infused compound butter and slow-smoked to perfection, this prime rib is sure to be the crowning glory of your holiday table.
Garlic Butter Prime Rib
I am all about slow-smoked hunks of beef, and there is nothing more indulgent or delicious than a smoked prime cut of a beef rib roast. I’ve been smoking prime rib for years, but this method quickly shot up to the top of my favorite recipes. The entire roast is enrobed in seasoned garlic butter to infuse the roast with flavor and slowly baste the meat’s exterior during the smoking process.
Another bonus from this smoked garlic butter crust is the melted browned butter drippings. I smoke my garlic butter prime rib on a rack above a baking sheet. That way, as the meat smokes and the butter slowly melts, it collects underneath the roast and bubbles and browns. When the roast is finished, I strain that gorgeous butter, season it with a little salt, and use that as a finishing sauce to drizzle over the sliced prime rib. It’s absolutely indulgent.
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Prime Rib
The base of this recipe is extremely simple. All you need to season the roast is high-quality salt and black pepper (Adjust the 1 Tablespoon amounts here as needed to cover the entire roast).
- 8-10 pound bone-in prime rib roast
- 1 Tablespoon coarse ground salt
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
For the garlic herb butter, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 16 ounces softened butter
- 8 cloves minced garlic
- 2 sprigs of finely minced rosemary
- 2 sprigs of finely minced thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
The flavors in the seasoned butter are inspired by a resting butter I use on grilled steaks. The idea is to enhance the beef’s natural flavor without overpowering those subtle earthy notes in the meat. The butter has fresh garlic, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper. It’s simple but absolutely incredible. The garlic and herbs smoke on the outside edges of the prime rib roast and make the most delicious crust ever!
How to Make Garlic Butter Prime Rib
Let’s get going on making this amazing roast! The process is fairly straightforward and should result in an incredible, unforgettable meal. Here’s how to make garlic butter prime rib:
- Preheat. Fire up your favorite smoker and allow it to fully preheat to 225 degrees F with oak or hickory wood.
- Prep. Trim the top of the roast down to 1/4 inch thick. Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Slather in garlic butter. Make the garlic butter in a small bowl, and then slather the roast on all sides with the butter.
- Smoke. Place the buttered roast on a flat baking rack above a rimmed baking sheet on the smoker. Smoke until the prime rib reaches 120 degrees F for Rare doneness, 125 degrees F for Medium-Rare, or 130 degrees F for Medium doneness.
- Rest. Remove the prime rib from the smoker and rest for 20 minutes. Increase the temperature of the smoker to 400 degrees F. Strain the butter and drippings from the baking sheet and set aside.
- Sear. Once the grill reaches 400 degrees F, place the prime rib directly on the grill grates and sear the meat until it reaches your preferred final doneness (130 degrees F for Rare, 135 degrees F for Medium-Rare, or 140 degrees F for Medium).
- Enjoy. Remove the garlic butter prime rib from the smoker and rest for around 15 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved drippings before slicing and serving.
How Long to Smoke Garlic Butter Prime Rib
Plan approximately 35 minutes per pound at 225 degrees F for smoking a rare roast. If you like your prime rib closer to medium, plan on 40 minutes per pound. Don’t forget to allow at least 30 minutes of rest time and another 15 minutes or so for the high-heat sear before serving when factoring in the total amount of time it will take to smoke this garlic butter prime rib.
Of course, the most essential part of smoking a perfectly pink prime rib roast is cooking it to the correct internal temperature. For that, I recommend getting an internal thermometer that you can use to track your prime rib during the entire cooking process.
More Prime Rib Recipes
If you liked this garlic prime rib recipe, chances are you’ll love these other two recipes from Hey Grill Hey as well. You can check them both out at the links provided below.
Garlic Butter Prime Rib Recipe
This recipe was created for you, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. Over at the Hey Grill Hey Store, we have sauces, rubs, and more to save you time and energy when you’re busy at the grill. Check it out today!
This post was originally published in October 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Smoked Garlic Butter Prime Rib
Video
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 pound bone-in prime rib roast
Garlic Herb Butter
- 16 ounces butter softened
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary finely minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves finely minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect cooking. I recommend oak or hickory for this recipe.
- Prep the prime rib. While the grill is warming up, prepare your roast. Trim any excess fat from the top of the roast down to 1/4 inch thick. Season on all sides with an even sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Slather in garlic butter. In a small bowl combine the softened butter, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Slather the entire roast with the garlic butter.
- Smoke. Place the roast on a flat rack elevated above a baking sheet on the smoker. Close the lid, and smoke the roast until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F for Rare or 128 degrees F for Medium. For a rare, bone-in roast, plan on 35 minutes per pound of prime rib.
- Rest. Remove the roast to a cutting board and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Strain the butter and drippings from the baking sheet into a separate bowl and set aside. While the roast is resting, increase the temperature of your grill to 400 degrees F.
- Sear the roast. Once the grill is up to temperature, return the roast to the grill and sear until you reach your desired internal temperature. Pull the roast off at 130 degrees F for rare, 135 for medium rare, or 140 for medium. This process should go quickly, so keep a close eye on your temperature.
- Rest, slice, and serve. Remove the prime rib to the cutting board and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Drizzle the reserved butter and drippings over the roast for an extra decadent finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looking forward to making this today! I’m doing a “test run” to see if prime rib (smoked, of course) will be our definitive Christmas dinner. My quick question: what liquid should I put in the pan at the bottom of my electric smoker? I’ve used apple cider for chicken, ribs, etc. but not sure what to use here. Thanks!
You can just use water or even beef stock.
Nice name! You honestly don’t need any flavor in your water pan inside the smoker. The meat will not absorb any of those flavors. You can add flavor to your “crutch liquid” if you are doing a piece of meat like a brisket and that will help to add some flavor. Happy smoking!!
Should I coat it in the garlic butter the night before or just before cooking?
I usually coat just before smoking, but you could do it the night before if you need to.
How does a larger roast affect the cook time? I have a 13.5lb roast.
Once you get above 10 pounds, it won’t really increase the cook time too much, because the diameter and surface area of the roast being cooked is pretty similar. I would plan maybe 30-45 extra minutes at 225, butnyou could push that to an hour, just to be safe. Remember to plan on time to rest the meat also.
I cooked this recipe on 11/4/18 for the first time, cooked to medium temperature. Turned out great. However, one question I had was regarding the rest time between the smoker and the grill. The recipe calls for 20 minutes of rest between the smoking portion and the grilling portion. Pulling from a 225F smoker, the carryover cooking is only going to add about 5 degrees to the center temperature. But by 20 minutes, the outer portions of the meat have started to cool while the center has reached maximum temperature (+5 degrees from when taken out of smoker). I found that on a 400 degree grill after a 20 minute rest it took a very long time for the center temperature to start rising again because the outer portions had to absorb all the heat back before the center started cooking further. Is that expected? I had to leave it on the grill another 30-45 minutes @400 to get the last few degrees.
I have found with the larger roasts, that my carry over cooking is closer to 10 degrees (I usually leave in my thermometer). However, if yours is less, I would recommend leaving the roast on the smoke setting for a longer time to get you closer to that target temp. That way you don’t need to spend so much time during the searing phase.
Put your roast in a disposable pan, cover with foil.
Have an ice chest handy an put towels on the bottom, an towels on top
Close lid
Perfect
Kenneth, good idea. I wrap my roast to rest and then cover it with towels. Like Susie I leave my meat thermometer in and have seen an increase of 15-degrees internal during resting!
sound amazing !
I have found a prepared garlic butter sauce that will work great for this recipe. It is Northern Lights Amazing Garlic Butter Sauce and you can find it on Food Ideas website they sell direct to the public.
http://www.foodideasllc.com
Sounds like a great time saver!
What if you don’t have a grill to finish it on? Can you finish it in an oven? If so, how and at what temperature? I have a 4 1/2 pound boneless rib roast. Thanks.
Yes! Same process as on the grill!
If I am searing it in the oven is there a benefit to waiting the 20 minutes or can I go straight from the grill to the 400 degree oven?
Waiting helps the meat reach a nice, even temperature and helps the heat from the searing process only cook the outer edges further. It also allows the cells time to re-absorb the juices that have been pulled out.
Just wondering what wood is recommended for smoking this roast
If you like a stronger smoke flavor, I like oak. If you want something more mild, alder, cherry, or pecan work great.
For beef you can’t go wrong with oak, pecan or hickory.
Why is this the only recipe that comes up when I click on the “Marinated Turkey” recipe???
I’m not sure, but I would love to get that fixed. Where are you clicking on it from? My home page or another source?
being a meatcutter for over 40 yrs,always look for a pink color meat with nice white flecks of fat .ask the meatcutter cut the rib off the bones and tie it back on.we the rib is done,cut the strings,let the rib rest,and put the bones back in the pan,then into the hot grill or oven to cook the ribs alittle more.take the bones out and you have a great appitizer before the meal.and always be nice to your meatcutter. he can make or break your meal.
Thanks so much for your comment Mike!! I completely agree!! Having a good meatcutter is key!!
Prime Rib
Always good!!
I am assuming one should use unsalted butter with recipe?