Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast – Juicy, Tender Perfection

Medium-rare Smoked Prime Rib Steak served on a plate with Au Jus, creamy Horseradish, Mashed potatoes and gravy.
3/4″ cut of Prime Rib Steak with Au Jus, Mashed Potatoes and Creamy Horseradish on a red plate.

The Best Prime Rib Roast

I love Prime Rib Steak and this Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast delivers perfection. Sure the Tomahawk Steak and Tri Tip are solid competitors. But nothing beats how tender and juicy a prime rib roast gets from hours of slow and low cooking. Those enzymes break down and make every bite a party. Adding smoke to the crust makes it even better, giving it a genuine barbecue flavor and texture for each steak.

I smoked this Prime Rib Roast on a gas grill, believe it or not. I say that proudly because the results are incredible. So amazing in fact because this is the first time I even tried cooking it this way. I can honestly say that I’ve never had better. I’ve dialed in a fool proof method of smoking on a gas grill. This will please any true fan of barbecue, once they’ve tried the finished product.

Wrapped and packaged Boneless Ribeye Roast from Costco.
USDA Choice grade Beef Boneless Ribeye Roast wrapped in it’s packaging from Kirkland and Costco.
Purchased a Boneless Ribeye Roast from Costco to smoke on my gas grill.
Bought this 5.35 lbs Beef Ribeye Roast, Boneless USDA CHOICE from Costco wholesale corp., for 12.99 lbs.
Raw unseasoned Boneless Prime Ribeye Roast removed from the package.
Choice Beef Ribeye Roast, removed from it’s packaging and ready for seasoning.

Boneless Beef

As you know, this cut can be purchased with or without the rib bones intact. I prefer it without because the meat cooks more evenly, all around the roast. This leaves each cut steak portion perfectly cooked. It also gets an even layer of seasoning all around each steak. And, if you cut 1″ inch steaks, you can season and sear each one, too.

Perfectly seasoned prime rib roast on a sheet-pan before smoking.
Boneless Ribeye Roast Seasoned with dried Rosemary and Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.

Seasoning the Roast

There are many different ways to dry rub a Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast. I prefer the simplest method; Kosher Salt and Pepper. I mix these two ingredients, 50/50 and I add a third ingredient, dried Rosemary. This gives the steak an aromatic smell and flavor, perfect for the holidays.

Prime rib smoking in a gas barbecue grill with a smoke tube.
Smoked Prime Rib Roast on a wire rack and cake pan inside a gas grill.

Smoking on a Gas Grill

There are 2 basic principles for smoking meat; “Slow and low”, constant indirect heat and smoke. That’s why smoking on a gas grill is possible. Most grills today provide at least 3 controls for heat. This means there are 3 burners in the grill. All I do is turn off the 2 closest to each other then regulate the internal temperature of the grill with the one that’s left.

Most grills also have a thermometer on the lid to make this possible. First, I barely crack the propane open. Second, once the grill is lit, I turn the dial down to it’s lowest setting, with the lid down and weight until the temperature rises. I roast and smoke a Prime rib, like this one, at 225° F. Then I just turn the burner dial up until I maintain that steady temperature. In many ways, it’s even easier than trying to control a constant temp in an actual smoker. But, a Gas grill doesn’t have any smoke. I add it in with pellets stuffed into a cheap smoke tube I bought from amazon.

Prime rib roast with a crispy seared crust with the end heel steak sliced off to show results.
Fully smoked Boneless Beef Prime Rib Roast with the Heel sliced into a 3/4″ inch steak, on a cutting board.

Smoking Results

As you can see in the photo above, the results I got from smoking on my gas grill, are tremendous. It only took 4 hours to smoke and fully cook. The only thing I did that I haven’t yet mentioned is that I added a reverse sear and, I show you how to do that in the video tutorial.

How to smoke a Boneless Beef Rib Roast on a Gas Grill video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Smoked Boneless Prime Rib Roast Ingredients:

1 Boneless Ribeye Roast
Kosher Salt and Pepper, plus Rosemary, in equal amounts.

Just follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to smoke a Boneless Prime Rib Roast.

Recommendations

Gas Barbecue Grills, Smoke Tube, Smoker Pellets, Mixing Bowls, Cutting Boards, Knives, Skillets.