If you’re in the mood for a juicy, decadent prime rib roast, you’ll want to bookmark my Hickory Smoked Prime Rib. This recipe requires just three ingredients, keeping the focus where it belongs..on the meat!

Smoking the rib roast on the Outlaw BFO Smoker gave the meat a crisp crust without skimping on moisture. The richness of charcoal mingles with a delicate accent of hickory wood, creating an out-of-this-world experience. Serve this Hickory Smoked Prime Rib at your next holiday meal or just because. You’re in for the time of your life!

Hickory Smoked Prime Rib on the Outlaw BFO Smoker | Heath Riles BBQ

Prime rib can be intimidating. After all, it costs more than your average steak, meaning many of us have one chance to get it right! Follow this simple method, and you’ll get a juicy, rich prime rib every time. You’ll officially be known as your neighborhood’s friendly grill master!

The Ingredients

This show-stopping recipe uses just three ingredients. Sometimes, less is more, especially when cooking an expensive cut of meat. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.

Prime rib roast. I bought my prime rib roast from Costco, but you can find them at any well-stocked grocery store. My roast was about 5 pounds, so keep in mind that your cooking time may vary based on weight.

Bear & Burton’s W Sauce. Worcestershire sauce and beef go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you’re a fan of Worcestershire, you’ve got to try this W sauce. It comes from a good buddy of mine and is an old family recipe. Use it on burgers, meatloaf, chicken, or steak.

Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub. This tasty seasoning blend was created for beef. It’s full of salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, and paprika. You can use it on so much more than beef. It also tastes great on veggies, chicken, seafood, and pork.

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites can be found in the Equipment and Tools section.

Charcoal. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal. I love this brand because it contains no fillers, just pure charcoal. Charcoal infuses beef with a rich, deep flavor, and Royal Oak ensures your meat tastes authentic, not artificial.
Smoker. I cooked my Hickory Smoked Prime Rib on the Outlaw BFO Smoker. This is a great setup that I love bringing to competitions. It was specifically designed to smoke a lot of food at once. It works great for caterers, pitmasters, or food trucks. If you’re looking for a smaller model, try the Outlaw Patio Smoker.

The Process for Making Hickory Smoked Prime Rib

You can find a detailed demonstration of this recipe within the video and recipe card. Here’s a quick rundown of how this marvelous Hickory Smoked Prime Rib came together.

Fire up the Outlaw BFO. I stoked the Outlaw BFO with Royal Oak Charcoal and hickory wood. I fired up the pit to about 275℉.
Prep the prime rib. My prime rib roast was pre-cut, so it didn’t require much trim work. All I did was shave a little of the fat cap. If your fat cap is too hefty, your seasoning can’t permeate the meat, affecting your end result. I also trimmed a little gristle to help with the overall presentation. To finish prepping the Hickory Smoked Prime Rib, I tied the roast.
Add binder and seasoning. Everyone knows Worcestershire and beef are a perfect match! I used Bear & Burton’s W Sauce as a binder, drizzling it evenly over the meat and rubbing it in. Once the binder was applied, I laid down a good layer of Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub.
Cook and spritz. I placed the Hickory Smoked Prime Rib on the Outlaw BFO and set my ChefAlarm for 123℉. I let the meat go for 2 hours, then spritzed it with water. My prime rib roast cooked for 45 more minutes before reaching temp.
Rest and serve. Once the Hickory Smoked Prime Rib was done, I removed it from the pit and set it on a foil-lined sheet pan. I tented it with more aluminum foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. The only thing left was to dig in!

The Results

My Hickory Smoked Prime Rib had a total cook time of about 2 hours and 45 minutes. This gave me the ultimate medium-rare roast. Each bite has infused with herbs and accented with hickory. It doesn’t get much better than this!