Grill an incredibly juicy, smoky prime rib roast with a gorgeous crust over charcoal with this easy recipe. It's the ultimate wood-fired prime rib cooked to perfection.
Remove the prime rib from the package and pat dry with paper towels.
Season it liberally on all sides with salt.
Set the prime rib on a baking sheet and allow it to dry brine in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.
Prep the Grill
When ready to grill the prime rib, build a 2-zone fire in your charcoal grill by lighting coals in a charcoal chimney.
When the coals are about 70-75% asked over, carefully dump the coals into one side of the grill, creating a cool and hot side.
If adding smoking wood, add it now so that the smoke has a chance to burn clean before adding the meat.
Place the grill grate over the coals and clean it.
Adjust the air vents and close the lid to allow the grill to preheat to an even controlled temperature of around 325 - 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, prep the prime rib by removing it from the fridge and rubbing the whole surface with mustard to act as a binder.
Then liberally coat the rib roast with the steak seasoning.
Grill the Prime Rib
When the grill has preheated, place the rib roast, bone side down, on the cooler side of the grill.
Cover the grill and allow it to cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until the roast is about 10 degrees below your desired internal temp at its thickest area with your meat thermometer.
Using long grilling tongs, transfer the grilled prime rib to a baking sheet.
Leave the grill uncovered to allow the coals to get hot for about 5 minutes.
When the coals are glowing and you can only hold your hand over the heat for a few seconds, place the rib roast over the coals, the direct heat, and sear on all sides.
Use caution as this fatty cut can cause flare-ups while searing.
Alternatively, you can use a cast iron skillet with melted butter preheated over the hot side of the grill for this reverse sear.
After the prime rib has been char-kissed on all sides, return it to the baking sheet and top it with 3 knobs of butter and tent it with foil.
Rest and Serve
Let the roast rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving to serve.
To serve, you can slice the rib roast between the bones for large portions OR use a sharp knife to remove the bones from the roast and slice it into thinner 1/2” thick slices.
Drizzle the melted compound butter back over the meat before serving with a sprinkle of fresh kosher salt and black pepper as well as a side of smoked horseradish cream sauce.
Notes
For the best results, use an internal probe thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the standing rib roast as well as the ambient temperate of the grill.We recommend not going over a 5-pound bone-in rib roast when grilling over a classic charcoal grill, like a kettle. If using an offset smoker, gravity-fed Masterbuilt, or other charcoal grill where the indirect heat can be controlled away from the grill grates, you can go bigger. If you have a pellet grill, see our recipe for a Traeger prime rib roast.This is the ultimate example of cooking to temperature, not time. If you do not monitor the internal temperature of the beef as you're grilling it, you will not get your desired results. The times shown in this recipe card are only a guideline. Remember, altitude, weather, outside temp, quality of the grill, and many other factors will influence your cooking time. Estimate 1 rib per person or a half pound each when buying.