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Holiday Prime Rib on the Traeger

November 11, 2022

If you’re looking for a festive meal with flair, I’ve got you covered. My Holiday Prime Rib menu features all the best elements of a holiday meal. We’re serving Holiday Prime Rib, Horseradish Sauce, and Blue Cheese Rosemary Mashed Potatoes.

The best part? It’s all cooked on the Traeger! This holiday menu will impress the harshest critic and please all pallets. The flavor profile is full of fresh herbs and my decadent rubs. Putting together a holiday menu can be stressful; let me take one thing off your list this year. Holiday Prime Rib could be a new family favorite.

Festive dining has never tasted better. There’s something special about a holiday meal done BBQ-style. Every bite is flavorful and seasoned to perfection. Say goodbye to bland meals and hello to eating like a pit boss.

As always, I added my twist to these classic holiday favorites. You won’t believe the difference between this menu and similar line-ups. The secret ingredient? My signature rubs. Once you try it, you’ll never be without it.

The Ingredients

This fancy holiday menu includes three dishes, each with its own unique set of ingredients. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.

Prime rib. I used an 8-pound prime rib from The Butcher Shoppe. I added a beautiful pan of roasting veggies to the Traeger that included garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery. Fresh thyme, rosemary, beef stock, Beef Injection, Beef Rub, and Garlic Butter Rub gave the entire main dish a burst of flavor.
Creamy Horseradish Sauce. Horseradish sauce is a wonderful addition to prime rib. It elevates the meat and tenderizes it. My favorite sauce consists of prepared horseradish, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, smooth mustard, Garlic Jalapeño Rub, salt, pepper, and champagne vinegar. This easy DIY tastes so much better than any store-bought sauce.
Blue Cheese Rosemary Mashed Potatoes. These creamy mashed potatoes are buttery with just the right amount of tang on the back end. I’m obsessed with homemade mashed potatoes, and I know you will be too. I used whole russet potatoes, sour cream, blue cheese, fresh rosemary, Everyday Rub, and butter.

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this holiday dinner. You can find more of my favorite grilling must-haves in the equipment and tools section.

Pellet grill/smoker. I used the Traeger Ironwood 885 for this cook. This is a great setup for the tech whiz who loves bells and whistles. It has a pellet sensor, WiFIRE technology, an included meat probe, and super smoke mode for the ultimate burst of BBQ magic.
Pellets. I stoked the Traeger with Pecan Pellets. This wood is a mild option that’s universally friendly. It infused the meat, potatoes, and veggies with a delightful nutty note.

The Process for Making Holiday Prime Rib on the Traeger

You can find a detailed demonstration of these recipes in the recipe card and video at the bottom of this post. Enjoy this brief overview of how I pulled this feast together.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Mix and chill. I made my horseradish sauce ahead of time to let the flavors merry. I recommend making it at least 24 hours in advance. To make this sauce, I mixed the prepared horseradish, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Garlic Jalapeño Rub, champagne vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Easy as pie!

Holiday Prime Rib and Roasted Veggies

Fire up the Traeger. I stoked my Traeger with pecan pellets and fired it up to 375℉.
Prep the veggies. I put my mushroom caps, whole garlic cloves, a bundle of thyme, half the rosemary, and the mirepoix blend in a large aluminum roasting pan. I set two sticks of Irish butter in the pan and poured 48 ounces of beef stock over the top. These ingredients make a delicious au jus sauce that is a prime rib must-have.
Season and roast. To finish the vegetables, I seasoned them with a dash of Beef Rub and Garlic Butter Rub. I put the veggies and my whole potatoes (for mashed potatoes) on the Traeger while I prepped my Holiday Prime Rib.
Prep the meat. I purchased an 8-pound prime rib from Kevin at The Butcher Shoppe. My cut of meat came trimmed and tied. If your prime rib doesn’t come this way, you’ll want to trim off any excess fat and tie it, so it cooks evenly. Inject and season. I mixed 16 ounces of beef stock with ¼ cup of my Beef Injection until smooth. Then, I injected the meat on both sides with
this delicious flavor. I seasoned the injected prime rib with a layer of Garlic Butter Rub, followed by a coating of my Beef Rub. I laid a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary on top of my meat for a gourmet touch.
Cook until tender. I put my prime rib on the Traeger and cooked until it reached an internal temperature of 124℉-125℉. My total cook time was 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Strain and serve. I strained the veggies out of the pan and reserved the au jus sauce for serving with the prime rib.

Blue Cheese Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Cut and butter. The potatoes have cooked for about 2 hours. Once my potatoes were fork tender, I took them off the grill and cut them out of their skins.
Mash and season. I placed the potatoes in a large bowl with a stick of butter. I mashed the butter and potatoes until they were homogenous. Then, I added my sour cream, blue cheese, rosemary, and a dash of my Everyday Rub. I stirred until the potatoes were fully blended with the other ingredients.
Pour and grill. I poured my mashed potatoes into a well-oiled skillet and topped them with more blue cheese crumbles and another sprinkle of rub. Then, I put the pan back on the grill until the potatoes were golden brown and bubbly.

The Results

This Christmas buffet was ready in about 3 ½ hours. The prime rib was perfectly juicy and had a gorgeous crust. The au jus sauce made it even better! I topped the prime rib with a dollop of horseradish sauce, which gave this meal style. The potatoes had just the right texture, and the blue cheese paired well with our prime rib.

This is a meal to remember; that’s better than any catering company.

Storing Holiday Prime Rib on the Traeger Leftovers

You can save any leftovers for another fantastic dinner. Leftover prime rib can be kept in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 6 months. The au jus sauce will last 3-4 days or indefinitely in the freezer. The veggies will last about a week in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing the leftover veggies, as the texture will be off once they thaw.

You can store leftover mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you plan on reheating them, I recommend putting a few slivers of butter over the top and covering the pan with foil until they’re warmed. This prevents them from drying out.

Equipment and Tools

Traeger Ironwood 885, Traeger Pecan Pellets, roasting pan, Stone + Wood Cutting Boards, Lodge 8-inch cast iron skillet, heavy-duty aluminum foil, 1 or 2 half-size deep aluminum pans, instant-read meat thermometer.