Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Smoked prime rib sliced on a wooden cutting board

Traeger Smoked Prime Rib with Horseradish Cream

Mads Martigan
This prime rib is seasoned with a savory bbq rub and then smoked to perfection on a Traeger pellet grill before we turn up the heat and reverse sear it for an amazing exterior crust.
Served optionally with a horseradish cream sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Save Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Holiday, Smoked
Servings 8 people
Calories 1341 kcal

Equipment

  • Traeger Pellet Grill
  • Cutting Board
  • Meat Slicing Knife
  • Aluminum foil pan
  • Instant Read Thermometer
  • Dual Probe Thermometer
  • Pellets for smoking, preferably hickory and oak.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Prime Rib Roast bones removed but tied on, 5-8 lbs (plan on 1 lb per person served)
  • Cooking Oil High smoke point oil like avocado or grapeseed oil

Savory Beef Rub for Prime Rib

  • ½ cup Kosher Salt
  • ½ cup Black Pepper
  • ¼ cup Fresh Minced Garlic about 10 cloves fresh
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Rosemary or can substitute fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • ½ tablespoon Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme

Horseradish Cream (optional)

  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • ¼ cup Horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon Stone Ground or Dijon Mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
  • Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Season the Prime Rib

  • Take prime rib out of the packaging but DO NOT cut and remove strings.
    1 Prime Rib Roast
  • Rub with a thin layer of cooking oil.
    Cooking Oil
  • Mix all the rub ingredients and thoroughly and coat the entire outside of the prime rib including the sides with the mixture.
    ½ cup Kosher Salt, ½ cup Black Pepper, ¼ cup Fresh Minced Garlic, 1 tablespoon Paprika, 1 tablespoon Dried Rosemary, ½ tablespoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to put on the Traeger.

Start the Traeger Grill

  • Load the hopper of the Traeger with your chosen wood pellets.
  • Turn on the Traeger and move the dial to the "Smoke" setting.
  • Leave the lid open for 5-7 minutes until you start seeing white billowing smoke coming out of the grill. This means the initial pellets are igniting.
  • Close the lid and turn the temperature dial to 250°F. Allow 10-15 minutes for the grill to come up to temperature.

Smoke the Prime Rib on the Traeger

  • Remove the prime rib roast from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
  • Once the temperature of the Traeger hits 250°F, place the roast in the cooking chamber. Place a temperature probe into the deepest part of the rib roast.
    prime rib smoking on a Traeger pellet grill
  • Cook at this temperature until the internal temperature reaches about 110°F.

Prepare the Horseradish Cream Sauce (optional)

  • While the prime rib is smoking on the Traeger, you can prepare the horseradish cream sauce if you wish.
  • Combine all the horseradish cream sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to incorporate. Add extra salt as needed.
    1 cup Sour Cream, ¼ cup Horseradish, 1 tablespoon Stone Ground or Dijon Mustard, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
    horseradish cream sauce mixed in a glass bowl with a small silicone spatula
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to serve with the prime rib later.

Reverse Sear the Prime Rib on the Traeger

  • Once the internal temperature of the prime rib reaches 110°F, turn the temperature of the Traeger as high as it will go.
  • Watch closely to make sure it does not burn and cook until the internal temperature rises to about 120-125°F then remove from the Traeger.

Remove, Rest, and Slice the Smoked Prime Rib

  • Let the smoked prime rib rest in an aluminum foil pan, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
  • Cut the ties off the prime rib roast and gently remove the slab of bones away from the rest of the roast. Do not discard, these are delicious.
  • Place the main part of the roast on a cutting board and slice in thick slices for each guest.
    Smoked prime rib sliced on a wooden cutting board
  • Serve immediately with horseradish cream sauce on the side.

Notes

Plan 1 pound bone-in raw prime rib per person, which will be about ½ pound of cooked meat per person. For example, an 8 pound raw bone-in prime rib roast will yield about 4 pounds of cooked meat, serving about 8 people.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ozCalories: 1341kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 59gFat: 119gSaturated Fat: 50gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 274mgSodium: 14544mgPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 625IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 7mg
Keyword barbecue, bbq, BBQ Rub, Beef, Christmas, Dry Brine, Easter, Garlic, Grilling, hickory, horseradish, horseradish cream sauce, How to, New Years, pellet grill, pellet smoked, pellet smoker, Prime Rib, prime rib roast, reverse sear, ribeye roast, smoked, smoked prime rib, traeger, traeger prime rib, traeger prime rib roast, Traeger Recipes, traeger smoked prime rib, Wood pellets, wood smoke
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!