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    Home » Beef

    Published: Mar 4, 2021 · Modified: Sep 26, 2023 by Mads Martigan · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Smoked Ribeye Roast

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Learn step by step how to make a smoked ribeye roast on ANY grill or smoker!

    Whether you've got a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, a Masterbuilt electric smoker, or even just an old Weber kettle, we've got step by step instructions for you.

    Take your prime rib to the next level with this smoked rib roast that is sure to impress even the most discerning guests!

    slicing into a smoked ribeye roast

    A ribeye roast, sometimes called a prime rib or rib roast is actually the same thing they cut ribeye steaks from.

    But today, we are smoking a ribeye roast whole and the going to slice and serve like a delicious prime rib.

    We are going to cover:

    • How to prep your ribeye roast for the smoker
    • How to set up different grills and smokers for a smoked ribeye roast
    • What temperature to smoke your rib roast
    • The best wood choices for a smoked ribeye roast
    • How to know precisely when your smoked prime rib roast is finished
    • How to rest, slice, and serve your perfect smoked ribeye roast.

    Wow, that's a lot...so let's jump in!

    Jump to:
    • How Big a Roast Should I Buy?
    • How to Prepare
    • Top Seasonings and Marinades
    • Wood Choices
    • Smoker and Internal Temperature
    • Cooking Time
    • Reverse Searing
    • Carve and Serve
    • What to Serve on the Side
    • 📖 Recipe

    How Big a Roast Should I Buy?

    Ribeye roasts generally come with the bones removed, but then tied back on by the butcher for presentation and to held them against the meat while cooking.

    You will see some ribeye roasts with 3-4 bones and others with as many as 6. Usually the roast will be about 2 lbs per bone.

    a raw ribeye roast

    So an 8 lb ribeye roast will have 4 bones.

    A general rule is to count on 1 lb per person so an 8 lb ribeye roast would serve about 8 people .

    How to Prepare

    Thankfully you won't need to do much of anything to your ribeye roast other than season it before you smoke it.

    Don't remove the strings before cooking!

    bones of a ribeye roast

    These strings are holding the bones in place and you want to keep everything held together while it is cooking.

    Top Seasonings and Marinades

    mixing the spice rub for a smoked ribeye roast

    When it comes to an expensive, top of the line cut of meat like a prime rib, or ribeye roast, you want to keep the seasonings simple and let the meat shine through.

    Save the flashy sugary and spicy BBQ rubs for your brisket, ribs and pork butts.

    For our recipe below, we simply mix kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh minced garlic to form our exterior bark.

    Ideally use a HIGH smoke point oil to help the rub adhere to the meat such as avocado or grapeseed oil, especially if you plan to reverse sear at the end of the cook as we go into detail on below.

    BetterBody Foods Avocado Oil, Refined Non-GMO High Smoke Point Cooking Oil
    Check Price on Amazon

    You should also avoid any BBQ and Spice rubs with a heavy amount of sugar in them if you plan to use high heat searing or else the sugar will burn.

    We coat and marinate the ribeye roast for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator before placing on the smoker.

    This gives the salt loads of time to penetrate the meat and really flavor it all the way through.

    Wood Choices

    For a big robust piece of beef like a smoked ribeye roast, go with something like hickory or pecan that will compliment the beef well.

    wood chips for an electric smoker

    If you want to keep it simple and straightforward, choose a lighter smoking wood like oak, apple, or peach, although these lighter fruitwoods may not impart as much smokey flavor into the beef as they might with chicken or fish.

    When in doubt, you can always mix and match your choices/

    Western BBQ Smoking Wood Chips Variety Pack Bundle (4)- Apple, Mesquite, Hickory, and Cherry Flavors
    • Contains most popular flavors- Apple, Mesquite, Hickory, and Cherry
    • Works with electric and gas grills
    Check Price on Amazon

    Smoker and Internal Temperature

    We recommend setting up the smoker to cook at 275°F.

    This seems to be the sweet spot where its low enough that the outside doesn't overcook but also high enough that the roast doesn't cook so long that it dries out.

    You HAVE to use a good instant read meat thermometer to know where the internal temperature is of your smoked ribeye roast.

    Ideally you want a good leave in probe thermometer like the Thermopro as well as a second instant read to spot check different depths and areas on the roast.

    ThermoPro Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer for BBQ
    Check Price on Amazon

    While we have used and recommended ThermoPro for years, lately we have also become big fans of the MEATER leave in thermometer.

    It is extremely accurate and has an incredible 165 foot bluetooth range and works right with your smartphone so you don't need to carry a separate controller around with you like many other remote thermometers require.

    It's got a great free app that is constantly being updated and even has an algorithm to predict how much longer your type of meat will take to cook based on cooking temperature, target temperature, and current internal temperature.

    It's like a GPS for your meat!

    MEATER Plus | 165ft Long Range Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer with Bluetooth for The Oven, Grill, Kitchen, BBQ, Smoker, Sous Vide, Rotisserie
    • ► 2 Sensors, 1 Probe: Dual temperature sensors can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously. Dishwasher safe.
    • ► Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Can estimate how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
    • ► Connectivity Suite: Monitor your cook from a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. Extend your range Using MEATER Link WiFi and MEATER Cloud to use Alexa and monitor your cook from a computer.
    Check Price on Amazon

    Anyways, back to our smoked ribeye roast...

    We are going to slowly bring the internal temperature up to about 120°F, then crank the heat as hot as we can to reverse sear the ribeye roast until the internal temperature hits about 133°F and then remove it from the smoker.

    You can't do all this without accurate thermometers.  There is very little room for error when smoking a ribeye roast.

    We are particular fans of this one from ThermoPro because of its durability and affordable price.

    Everyone from beginner smokers to competition cooks need to use instant thermometers to consistently make great food.

    So keep it handy and use it often.

    ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Digital Meat Thermometer - Backlit
    Check Price on Amazon

    Cooking Time

    A general guide is that it will take about 15-20 minutes per pound to smoke a ribeye roast at 275°F.

    So plan on a 6 lb prime rib roast to take about 90-120 minutes to cook.

    temperature probe in a ribeye roast in a smoker

    Then you will need to let the meat rest for 45-60 minutes after cooking it before carving.

    No joke.

    Unless you want all those delicious juices running all over your cutting board instead of staying in the meat where you want them, you need to set aside time for the meat to rest, and a large piece of beef like this needs extra time.

    Reverse Searing

    reverse searing a rack of lamb after smoking

    "Reverse Searing" is just a fancy term for searing your meat at the very end, once it is pretty much all the way cooked through, in order to get a nice crispy exterior crust that you sometimes just can't get from low and slow smoking alone.

    In this case, we are not technically going to sear the ribeye roast like we might do with a steak in a pan like we did with our smoked ribeye steak recipe.

    Rather, we are going to bring the temperature of our smoker or grill up as high as it will go right at the very end of cooking, and only for a few minutes, in order to get a nice, golden brown crust on the outside of our smoked ribeye roast without overcooking the inside.

    This step isn't 100% necessary.

    You can just as easily leave it on the smoker 275°F until it goes all the way up to 133°F internally, we just think you'll like the contrast of textures you get from a crispy crust and a fall apart tender interior.

    And it isn't that hard to do, so keep reading!

    If  you wish to reverse sear the meat, you will want to smoke it at 275°F only until it reaches an internal temperature of about 115-120°F.  At this point it will still be very rare.

    Next, you will either open up all the vents, turn up the burners or temperature settings, or move it to an indoor oven preheated to 500°F.

    smoked ribeye roast

    You need to watch your smoked ribeye roast VERY closely at this point as it may only need maybe 2-4 minutes total at this temperature.

    Watch for the exterior fat to begin to sizzle and crisp up, watch for the color to turn from grayish to medium-dark brown, and whatever you do, do no leave it unattended to burn or over cook!

    Use your meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has reached 130-133°F and no further.  If it is still too rare you can always throw it back in the smoker for another minute or two but if you over cook it, there's no going back.

    Carve and Serve

    You will then remove the smoed ribeye roast from the hot smoker, grill, or oven and let it rest.

    You can tent loosely with foil but DO NOT wrap it tightly or it will overcook from its own residual heat.

    Let the smoked ribeye roast rest for 45-60 minutes before carving.

    Once the smoked ribeye roast has rested you will want to cut the ties an remove them from the roast.

    removing the strings from a smoked ribeye roast

    The roast should separate easily from the slab of bones where the butcher cut them apart.

    Set the rib bones aside for a midnight snack.  These are delicious and can be sliced and eaten like a rack of ribs or you can use the meat for other purposes.

    Place the rest of the rost on the cutting board.Carving

    Use a good meat slicing knife and cut the smoked ribeye roast into nice thick slices based on how many guests you are serving.

    We particularly like this meat slicing knife from Mairico.

    MAIRICO Ultra Sharp Premium 11-inch Stainless Steel Carving Knife - Ergonomic Design - Best for Slicing Roasts, Meats, Fruits and Vegetables
    • IMPECCABLE PERFORMANCE: The long, ultra sharp blade is engineered to deliver highly precise cuts with minimal effort.
    Check Price on Amazon

    Want to review our 5 FAVORITE Meat Cutting knives of the past year? Check out this Complete List HERE!

    The outside slices will be more done than the very center if you have guests who prefer various levels of doneness.

    medium rare smoked ribeye roast

    What to Serve on the Side

    You also can't go wrong with a flavorful jus or horseradish cream to cut through the richness of the smoked ribeye roast.

    On the side you can serve roasted asparagus or brussel sprouts.  You can even cook them on the smoker alongside the roast if you wish.

    Smoked Mashed Potatoes and a glass of spicy Australian Malbec will pair nicely against the garlic and beef.

    📖 Recipe

    slicing into a smoked ribeye roast

    Smoked Ribeye Roast with a Garlic Crust

    A prime rib roast rubbed with a minced garlic paste, smoked to perfection on any grill or smoker and then reverse seared at the end to finish a perfect crust.
    Whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger or Pit Boss, an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional propane grill like a Weber, you can still follow the same basic principles below. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Rest Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Australian, BBQ, Smoked
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 550 kcal

    Equipment

    • Smoker or Grill
    • Cutting Board
    • Meat Slicing Knife
    • Aluminum foil pan
    • Instant Read Thermometer
    • Dual Probe Thermometer
    • Wood for smoking (chunks, chips, or pellets). Preferably Hickory or Pecan.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Ribeye Roast, bone-in, tied 5-8 lbs (plan on 1 lb per person served)
    • ½ cup Kosher Salt
    • ½ cup Black Pepper
    • ¼ cup Fresh minced garlic
    • Cooking Oil High smoke point like avocado or grapeseed oil

    Instructions
     

    Prep Ribeye Roast

    • Take ribeye roast out of packaging but DO NOT cut and remove strings.
      a raw ribeye roast
    • Rub with a thin layer of cooking oil
      spreading oil on a ribeye roast to smoke
    • Mix salt, pepper, and garlic thoroughly and coat the entire outside of the rib roast with the mixture.
      mixing the spice rub for a smoked ribeye roast
    • Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to put on the smoker.

    Set up Smoker

    • Start or light your smoker and bring the temperature up to 275°F. If using a gas or charcoal grill, only light one side and set the grill up for indirect heat.
    • Add wood to the smoker using either chunks or a smoker box or pellet tube smoker placed over the burners on a gas rill.
      vent on an electric smoker

    Smoke the Ribeye Roast

    • Place the ribeye roast in the cooking chamber away from any direct heat. Place a temperature probe into the deepest part of the rib roast.
      placinga ribeye roast in the smoker
    • Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 120°F.
      a ribeye roast cooking in a smoker
    • Crank the burners, turn up the heat, or open all the vents to reverse sear the roast at the end.
    • Watch closely to make sure it does not burn and cook until the internal temperature rises to about 130-133°F then remove from the smoker or grill.
      smoked ribeye roast

    Rest, Slice and Serve

    • Let the smoked ribeye roast rest in an aluminum foil pan, uncovered or very loosely tented with foil for 45 minutes.
    • Cut the ties off the rib roast and gently remove the slab of bones away from the rest of the roast. Do not discard, these are delicious.
      removing the strings from a smoked ribeye roast
    • Place the main part of the roast on a cutting board and slice in thick slices for each guest.
      slicing into a smoked ribeye roast
    • Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 550kcal
    Keyword barbecue, bbq, BBQ Rub, Beef, Beef Rub, Charcoal, Dry Brine, electric smoker, Garlic, Gas, Grilled, Grilling, Grills, How to, Masterbuilt, pellet grill, pellet smoked, Pit Boss, Prime Rib, Propane, propane smoker, reverse sear, rib roast, Ribeye, ribeye roast, Roast, Setting up a Smoker, smoked, smoked prime rib, smoked rib roast, smoked ribeye, smoked ribeye roast, Smoker, Smoking, traeger, wood smoke
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jim P. says

      March 07, 2021 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      Did this last night on out Traeger. Came out really well but next time I would have pulled it off a little sooner, maybe closer to 120 or 125, but thanks for sharing!

    2. Mad Backyard says

      March 07, 2021 at 11:02 am

      Thanks, Jim. You are right you can always pull it off a little earlier if you like it more on the rare side. You can always put it back on if needed but can't put that genie back in the bottle if you over do it!

    3. Sheila says

      April 08, 2021 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      This came out great on Easter, nd looked beautiful. Thanks for the tip about leaving the bones attached while it cooks!

    4. Mads Martigan says

      April 08, 2021 at 9:14 am

      Glad to hear it Sheila!

    5. Frank Dunks says

      December 28, 2021 at 1:26 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the superb directions on rib eye roast smoking. I have a Yoder smoker grill, and we agreed that our Christmas dinner was the best we have ever had. Thanks again for the help.

    6. Mads Martigan says

      January 02, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      That's great Frank! Glad the ribeye roast came out well and thanks for the feedback. We are actually getting ready to do a whole series about Yoder smokers so stay tuned!

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    Robert "Mads" Martigan, the founder of Mad Backyard

    Hi, I'm Mads, the founder of Mad Backyard and an avid outdoorsman, barbecue/smoker buff, and pellet grilling enthusiast who loves to share my passion for outdoor living and outdoor cooking with the world.

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