Our Prime Rib on the Grill (Grilled Prime Rib) recipe is perfect for adding to your holiday menu or another special occasion! We have been enjoying a juicy prime rib at our Christmas dinner for years and it is the best tradition!
The Best Grilled Prime Rib Recipe
For years, we have been cooking the perfect prime rib to enjoy with family and friends during the holiday season. We have roasted prime rib in the oven and made smoked prime rib, but the flavor of this grilled prime rib might just be our new favorite cooking method. It has super tender meat on the inside and crisp edges – delicious! This cut of beef is fairly expensive to purchase, so we highly recommend monitoring the internal temperature with a meat thermometer so you know exactly when it is done cooking. Trust us, the whole family would love to enjoy this rib roast recipe for dinner!
Ribeye Roast vs. Prime Rib
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Ribeye Roast and Prime Rib? If you have, we have a whole post written about it! Check it out!
What You Will Need
- kosher salt & black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when cooking any cut of meat.
- chili powder – the perfect flavor addition to this delicious recipe.
- prime rib roast – option to use a boneless rib roast or a bone-in prime rib roast, just adjust cooking times accordingly.
How To Make A Prime Rib On The Grill
The first steps to making this prime rib roast recipe are to let it sit out at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Now place it in an aluminum foil roasting pan, pat dry with a paper towel, and cover the outside in the salt, pepper, and chili powder seasoning mixture.
Place the entire roast on the hot grill grates in the middle of your grill, after preheating the oven to 550 degrees F. Quickly close the lid and let it cook at a high heat (500 degrees F.) for the first 20 minutes. Then drop the grill temperature to 325 degrees F and let it finish cooking.
How Long Does It Take To Grill Prime Rib
A medium-rare prime rib should cook for a TOTAL of 15 minutes per pound (or until it reaches approx. 115 degrees F. in the very center – if your prime rib is particularly robust or is a bone-in rib roast you may want to increase to 16 or 17 minutes per pound). The first 20 minutes should be cooked at 500 degrees F. Then drop to a lower temperature of 325 degrees F. for the rest of your cooking time (see Notes for timing example).
On a 3-burner grill we turn off the middle burner and turn the outside two burners almost all the way down. This is called indirect cooking. Try not to open the grill at any time (you will let out a lot of heat). Use an internal meat thermometer so you can track the temp – grills vary, and so do other variables (wind, air temp, humidity, etc). Smaller roasts will have a lower total cook time than a larger roast, so you really want to monitor that internal temp.
Once the internal temp has reached 115 degrees F. in the very center, pull it off the grill and set on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let the roast rest for about 20-30 minutes (don’t skip this step!).
Use a very sharp knife to slice it up and serve!
Best Ways To Serve Grilled Prime Rib
There are definitely a few ways to serve prime rib slices that will take it to the next level! A few of our favorites are with a large dollop of easy herbed butter, homemade prime rib au jus for dipping, or a drizzle of horseradish sauce.
All of those options make for a mouth-watering main course. And if you are looking for some side dishes, we highly recommend a stovetop rice pilaf and homemade house salad with the best Italian salad dressing! Plus, we have a whole list of 15+ side dishes that would be great with prime rib so be sure to check those out too.
Recipe FAQ
In this recipe card we kept it simple with salt, pepper, and chili powder, but there are so many options! We also have a prime rib seasoning that is easy to make and has so much great flavor!
It is best to keep that fat cap on the top when cooking prime rib. As it begins to liquify, those juices will run down the roast keeping it nice and moist!
Just place your leftover pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. We highly recommend making a Leftover Prime Rib Sandwich the next day!!
Other Grilled Recipes You Might Like
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We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Prime Rib on the Grill (Grilled Prime Rib) + Horseradish Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Resting Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make the BEST prime rib on the grill with this easy to follow method! Perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Grilled Prime Rib
- 1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 tablespoon chili powder
- 6 pound boneless prime rib*
Horseradish Sauce
- 2–3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pe
Instructions
- Room Temp: Let prime rib sit out and come to room temperature, approx. 2-3 hours.
- Prep Grill: Preheat grill to 550 degrees F.
- Dry Rub: Combine kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl. Place prime rib in a roasting pan (no need to use a roasting rack). Pat prime rib dry with clean paper towels. Rub salt mixture all over the prime rib, discard any that isn’t used.
- Initial Temp: Open the grill quickly and place the prime rib (still inside the roasting pan) on the grill – do not cover with aluminum foil. Quickly shut the grill. Watch the grill temp – it will naturally fall around 50 degrees, but it could be more or less so adjust the gas, as needed, so it remains at 500 degrees F.
- Grill Time: You will want to cook your prime rib for a TOTAL of 15 minutes per pound (this will result in a medium-rare center) or until your prime reaches approx. 115 degrees F. in the very center – if your prime rib is particularly robust or is a bone-in rib roast you may want to increase to 16 or 17 minutes per pound). The first 20 minutes should be cooked at 500 degrees F. Then drop the temp to 325 degrees F. for the rest of your cooking time (see Notes for timing example) – on a 3-burner grill I turn off the middle burner turn the outside two burners almost all the way down. Try not to open the grill at any time (see Notes) and use an internal meat thermometer so you can track your temp – grills vary, as do other variables (this wireless one works great and then you don’t have to open the grill).
- Rest: Remove from the grill and immediately cover with foil or a roaster pan cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes (do not skip this step as the internal temp will continue to increase as it rests).
- Sauce: while the meat rests, combine the Horseradish Sauce ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice + Serve: Cut into the steak – the medium-rare sections will be in the middle while the ends will be more cooked – and serve immediately. We love serving with our Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib or Homemade Au Jus.
Notes
- Internal Meat Thermometer: for this recipe I strongly recommend you use an internal meat thermometer (preferably a wireless one so you do not have to open the grill which will impact cook time). This recipe relies on keeping the grill a specific temp which can be a challenge in certain weather and every grill is different. Using an internal meat thermometer is the only way to truly track when your prime rib will be done.
- *Prime Rib: also known as Standing Rib Roast – feel free to use a bigger or smaller rib roast, just adjust the cook time per our instructions. We tested this with a boneless prime rib, but you can definitely use bone-in if you prefer – if you are using the bone-in method the cook time will take a little longer so just be aware and keep an eye on that internal temp using an internal meat thermometer.
- Grill: this was tested on a 3-burner Weber gas grill.
- Timing Example: For a 6 pound prime rib your total cook time would equal approx. 90 minutes. The first 20 minutes of that total cook time is at 500 degrees F. Then you would drop the temp to 325 for the remaining 70 minutes or until it reaches 115 degrees in the very center. I have you pulling the prime rib when the very center hits 115 degrees F. The internal temp will continue to rise as it rests for 20-30 minutes and remember that while the center will be rare/medium-rare & the outer edges will be more cooked.
- Leftovers: if you have leftovers this Leftover Prime Rib Sandwich is the perfect answer!!
- I did not add the time it takes for the prime rib to come up to room temp in the total cook time.
Kevin says
I made this last Easter, and just finished it again for tomorrow’s Easter celebration! Just wonderful! I must admit, I was skeptical of the chili powder but decided to trust, and it came out absolutely mouthwatering! Melt in your mouth goodness, and I’ll always use this cooking method! I do brown all four sides before finishing, and it comes out nice and even! Thanks @Wooden Skillet!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed this one Kevin! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review – I really appreciate it!