Smoked Prime Rib Recipe In A Masterbuilt Electric Smoker

There are many ways to cook a prime rib cut but not all are easy to do. So this perfect smoked prime rib recipe in a Masterbuilt electric smoker will help you cook one of the best cuts of meat.

You can grill, smoke, or bake a prime rib and once you get the basics, the meat will always come out great. The thing is, you need to perfect it to get the best results.

Prime rib is not the cheapest beef cut so you need to be careful when cooking it.

Thankfully with the help of Masterbuilt electric smoker recipes, you can now cook it the right way to make sure you do not waste it.

This part of the cow sits right between the shoulder and the rump of the animal.

That means that this muscle gets less exercise or movement during the cow’s lifetime compared to other parts.

That is why when you look at a prime rib, there is just enough marbling with fat content but it does not lack the lean muscles that make it taste like you have ordered the best rib-eye steak at a restaurant.

So if you cook it properly, you will not have to deal with tough meat or an overcooked one.

With this recipe and guide, I will teach you how to properly cook this beautiful cut of meat.

Table of Contents

Smoked Prime Rib Recipe

Ingredients

1 bone-in prime rib roast, about 6 pounds
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 and a half tablespoons of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Clean And Defrost

Allow the prime rib to defrost in the refrigerator overnight with plastic wrap so it does not get contaminated.

This will slowly thaw the frozen parts of the prime rib while it stays cold and free from contamination and bacteria outside the fridge until the next day.

About 45 minutes before cooking, take the prime rib out of the refrigerator and then start trimming off the excess fats.

Make sure to leave at least a quarter of an inch thick of fat cap.

Grab a paper towel and a sharp flexible and sharp knife and remove the silver skin on a cutting board.

You need to remove a thick and slippery membrane under the rib to enter the best flavors and the easiest way to do this is by using the towel and knife technique.

Step 2: Prepare The Smoker

Use apple wood chips or cherry for the wood chips that will produce the smoke.

Load up the Masterbuilt electric smoker with a small handful of wood chips of your choice and then pull out the water bowl.

Fill up the water bowl with half part water and half part dry red wine or apple cider vinegar.

Set the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and then close the door of the smoker.

Open the top vent of the smoker to light up the wood chips in the wood tray.

Allow the smoker to preheat for at least 15 minutes to eliminate contaminants and bacteria in the cooking chamber.

Step 3: Season Roast With The Spice Rub

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients such as garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme with the olive oil. You can also use your own dry rub.

Mix it well and then sprinkle salt mixture on the prime rib and make sure that you get it on all sides of the rib.

Put the prime rib on a clean cutting board to let the flavors sink into the meat for a little bit.

Once the smoker is ready, place roasting pan, large water pan, or drip pan under the middle rack to catch the drippings later.

Step 4: Smoke The Prime Rib

Place the prime rib directly on the middle rack and then let it cook.

I usually place the prime rib with the fat side up when using the Masterbuilt electric smoker as the heat is evenly distributed.

The fat melts nicely and drips onto the meat which adds flavor to it and keeps it moist.

Allow the prime rib to smoke for at least 3 and a half hours or up to 4 hours for medium-rare prime rib.

Check the internal temperature of the prime rib by inserting a meat probe or meat thermometer into the thickest part of the prime rib.

The internal temperature of the prime rib should reach 135 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit or around 62 degrees Celsius.

Remember: Check the water bowl and the wood chips every hour and refill with extra wood chips as needed.

This is the only time you should open the smoker’s door to keep the heat even inside.

Step 5: Let It Rest

Once the prime rib has reached the doneness you want, remove it from the smoker and place it on a clean cutting board.

Get an aluminum foil and blanket the smoked meat with it.

There is no need for you to seal the prime rib with aluminum foil.

You just need it to reduce the heat loss while the prime rib is continuing to cook, let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Slice the cooked rib roast and serve while it is still hot along with your favorite BBQ sauce, salad, potatoes, or any side dish you want to eat with the beautiful prime rib you just cooked.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Prime Rib At 225?

The longevity of smoking any cut of meat usually depends on the thickness and weight of the cut.

For our recipe above, it usually takes at least 3 and a half hours.

A prime rib that is weighed at 6 pounds should take around 4 hours to smoke at a temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is a large cut of meat so it does take a long cooking time.

The rule of thumb when cooking at 225 degrees Fahrenheit is to allow the cut of meat to cook for at least 40 minutes per pound.

So adjust according to the weight of your prime rib.

Do You Wrap Prime Rib In Foil When Smoking?

There are certain benefits to when you wrap the entire beef rib roast in foil when smoking but as you can see, we did not have to use that technique in the recipe because of the Masterbuilt smoker.

There is no need for you to cover the prime rib with foil when smoking unless you are using wood chips that emit strong smoke flavors. We have used milder types of wood so it is fine.

The concept is to block some of the smoky flavors from the wood chips and prevent too much charring on the crust.

You do not have to do that with milder types of wood chips.

There is not much that mild wood chips emit so you do not have to cover the prime rib.

You have to cover it when resting after smoking it to insulate it a little and continue cooking.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A 10-Pound Prime Rib At 250 Degrees?

As I have just mentioned above, this cooking process involves two important factors wherein both the weight and the temperature come into play. Lower temperature means longer smoking time.

Since the question involves a higher temperature than what we have mentioned, the cooking time is shorter.

That is why we used this temperature in the recipe above.

The rule of thumb is that you need to smoke the prime rib for 30 minutes per pound of meat at a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit to get the heat into the bones.

That means that a 10-pound cut of the prime rib will take about 5 hours to finish.

It is still a long smoking period but you do not have to wait for another hour or two at a lower temperature. You can then prepare for your prime rib dinner party right away!

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Smoked Prime Rib Recipe In A Masterbuilt Electric Smoker