Smoked Garlic Butter Prime Rib

Name: Smoked Garlic Butter Prime Rib
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 375 min
Total time: 405 min
Ingredients: 1 8-10 pound bone-in prime rib roast; coarse salt and pepper; 16 ounces softened butter; 8 cloves garlic (minced); 2 sprigs rosemary (finely minced); 2 sprigs thyme (finely minced); 2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons black pepper

By Hey Grill Hey

On February 28, 2023 (Updated October 24, 2023)

99 reviews

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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.

Sliced prime rib on a wooden cutting board being drizzled with garlic butter with text overlay - Garlic Butter Prime Rib.

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.

Sliced prime rib on a wooden cutting board.

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