Our Traeger Smoked Prime Rib Roast is a boneless rib roast seasoned with rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic, and then cooked in a pan on the pellet grill or smoker with mirepoix and au jus. You'll never go back to the oven version once you try this easy Traeger recipe.
Smoked Prime Rib Recipe
If you've ever been in the kitchen on a holiday and have lamented about not having double ovens, let me just stop you right there.
Spoiler alert:
You don't need double ovens if you get a Traeger.
Prime rib on the Traeger is one of those dishes that makes backyard cooking feel serious and satisfying. You’ll start with a big rib roast rubbed with simple seasonings, and then let the steady smoke and heat from your Traeger work its magic.
What you get is a perfectly cooked roast with a smoky crust that’s perfect for a special dinner or holiday meal. It’s straightforward if you’ve ever cooked a roast before, and the combo of low and slow followed by higher heat gives you great color without drying out or overcooking the interior.
Seasoning is simple but effective. Salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and rosemary bring out the beef’s natural flavor without overwhelming it.
Taking your roast out of the fridge ahead of time helps it cook more evenly from edge to center.
Why You’ll Love This Dish#
- Smoky Flavor – Deep, savory smoke from the Traeger that pairs great with classic seasonings.
- Simple Seasoning – Easy rub with pantry spices that taste rich and balanced.
- Juicy Interior – Cooked low first to preserve moisture and then finished at higher heat for crust.
- Homemade Au Jus – Pan juices strained into a rich sauce that’s perfect with slices.
More Easy Traeger Recipes here!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless Rib Roast – The star of the dish; choose good quality beef with even marbling.
- OWYD SPG – Our custom OWYD SPG uses smoked salt and pepper that's the perfect grind for this recipe. Pick up a couple of jars, stat. If they won't get here in time for your roast, you can use a combo of salt, pepper, and garlic. I like 2 parts salt and garlic to 1 part pepper, but follow your heart there.
- Onion Powder – Sweet depth that plays well with smoke.
- Rosemary – Earthy herbal note that pairs with beef.
- Chopped Onion – Aromatic base in the roasting pan.
- Chopped Carrots – Sweetness for the pan juices.
- Chopped Celery – Adds savory balance in the pan.
- Beef Broth – Turns roasted veggies and juices into au jus.
Buy your Snake River Farms Wagyu Prime Rib Roast here!
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Prep Roast – Pull roast from fridge an hour before cooking.
- Make Rub – Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, and rosemary; coat roast.
- Set Up Pan – Place onions, carrots, and celery in a high‑sided pan and set roast on top.
- Smoke Low – Cook in your preheated Traeger at 250° for one hour, then add beef broth.
- Finish & Rest – Turn heat higher until internal temp reaches 120°, then rest 20 minutes before slicing; strain pan juices for au jus.
Share your cooks in our Easy Traeger Recipes FB Group!
Recipe FAQ
It depends. Never go by TIME when cooking a big roast. Always always always go by temp. That's the only way to get consistent results.
For a medium-rare roast, pull it when the roast reaches 115-120 degrees. It'll continue cooking for a bit even after you pull it, so for that delicious color don't leave it too long on the grill.
We really love the Traeger Gourmet blend, but I've also used Hickory and Cherry pellets with great success. Use what you have, and it'll be delicious.
We like to smoke ours at 250° for about an hour, and then crank it up to high until it reaches 120° inside using an internal probe. The end pieces will always be more done than the middle pieces, especially if you are cooking a very large roast.
You're going to find a LOT of different opinions on this out there though, and most of them will most likely be some degree of “right” and will result in a delicious smoked prime rib. Do your thing!
As long as you pull the roast when the internal temp reaches 120, you're going to love it.
If you aren't a fan of medium-rare prime rib, I promise I won't give you any crap about it…unless we are in person. Then all bets are off. 😉
But really – you have some options if you like a rib roast that is cooked a little more.
1. Cook it a little longer. Pull the roast at 130 if you want the entire thing to be a little more towards medium & medium-well.
2. Still, pull it at 120°, but give it a 30-second bath in some hot au jus right before servings.
3. Pull at 120°, but sear individual slices of rib roast in a blazing hot cast-iron skillet on the stovetop.
15+ Leftover Prime Rib Ideas here!
Serve This With
Sides are an important part of any prime rib feast! Here are some options from OWYD that are great options.
Salad
Pasta
Rice
Potatoes
More great BEEF recipes here!
Reader Reviews
“I tried this my first time ever doing Prime Rib; it came out fantastic.”
– Willie
Traeger Prime Rib Roast
Prime Rib on the Traeger is another must try. Like most things cooked on the T, it takes it to the next level. If you've cooked a prime rib roast before, then this will be a breeze.
Ingredients
- 5 pound boneless rib roast
- 4 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Take the roast out of your fridge at least an hour before cooking. Preheat your Traeger to 250°.
- Mix the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl and mix it all together with a spoon to create your rub. Coat your entire rib roast with the rub. Make sure to use it all. After the rib roast is coated, set it aside.
- Next, combine the onions, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a 9" X 13" high sided cake pan. Place the rib roast on top of the vegetables in the cake pan.
- Put the pan with the roast in it onto the center of your pre-heated Traeger. Cook at 250° for one hour.
- After one hour, pour the two cups of beef broth into the bottom of the cake pan.
- Turn your Traeger up high and let it cook until the internal temperature reaches 120°.
- Pull the roast off of the grill when it hits 120° and let it rest for twenty minutes before slicing.
- Pour the juices from the bottom of the pan through a strainer, skim the fat off of the top, and use the remaining juice for your au jus.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 721Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 2450mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 43g
Carolyn
Saturday 23rd of August 2025
Hi Just need to check if the temperature is F or Celsius please.
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 23rd of August 2025
It is always F here. Thanks for checking!
Cindy
Tuesday 19th of December 2023
I have a bone-in 5-6lb prime rib. I like mine almost mooing (very rare), so I guess pulling off meat around 110 degrees would more to my liking?
Michael
Thursday 21st of December 2023
@Cindy, Love mine mooing too! 110 is where I pull mine, wrap it in butcher paper, and put it in my cooler until we are ready to eat, usually 30 minutes.
Nicole Johnson
Tuesday 19th of December 2023
Yup! In the very center you could pull it at 110-115. The ends will be a little more done, but that center piece will basically be blue.
Brandon
Saturday 24th of December 2022
Attempting today. Bones up or bones down? Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 24th of December 2022
We always do bones down. It creates its own "oven rack" of sorts to keep the meat off the bottom of the pan and from braising in the pan juices. Let me know how it goes!
Linda Guzman
Friday 23rd of December 2022
Thank you for the quick reply Nicole!! Got my meat today, 15lbs for a 6 rib prime rib roast! Would you recommend tripling the seasoning measurements? Should I marinate it overnight?
Linda Guzman
Wednesday 4th of January 2023
@Nicole Johnson, your traeger prime rib recipe was a massive hit for Christmas Eve Dinner!!! I sent you some pics on your FB page… we should’ve pulled it a little sooner but the traeger thermometer misled us. Luckily we poked it in a few other places with another meat thermometer and it was definitely done… none the less the seasoning was spot on, I doubled the seasoning since I had 15lb 6 rib roast. ? thank you so much for all your guidance!!! I’ll definitely be back for more recipes!!!!
Nicole Johnson
Friday 23rd of December 2022
Very nice! I would double or triple the seasonings, but the onions/celery/carrots and beef broth amounts are probably fine. You might want to keep some more beef broth on hand to add to the pan in case some evaporates, but a roast that size will also put out its own drippings too, that add to the whole mix. If you have some red wine you can toss a little of that in the pan with the beef broth too! ;) I mean, you could triple everything and it would be amazing, so if you want lots of au jus, don't let me get in your way, but it probably isn't entirely necessary.
Let me know how it goes! I'd love to see pics! (They are hard to share here, but I'm on Facebook! We have an Easy Traeger Recipes Facebook group, or my regular old Facebook page!
Colleen Espersen
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
Hi! I'm going to try this for Thanksgiving. Here's my delimma, I'm feeding 5 adults and 6 kids. Can I do a larger one, or maybe 2 separate ones???
Linda
Thursday 22nd of December 2022
@Nicole Johnson,
What is mirepoix? I am making this for Christmas dinner and I'm super excited because it sounds delicious. Can you confirm if the seasoning measurements needs to be adjusted if I'm making a 6 rib prime rib roast? I've never made a prime rib roast before and I've never used our Traeger for something like this so I'm a total novice. Can you also link the recipe for the au jus? Sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to blow it at Christmas LOL!
Nicole Johnson
Thursday 10th of November 2022
A larger one would be perfect. I figure on about a pound per person for adults if it is boneless prime rib, and 1 1/2 pounds per person if it is a bone-in cut. Depending on the ages of the kids, I adjust from there. If it were me, I'd be looking for an 8-10 pound prime rib, or two that equal about that amount.