If prime rib wasn’t epic enough, we’re going full throttle at Christmas dinner with this hot honey smoked prime rib. This dish is a showstopper prime rib roast in the best way possible. Not only does it look incredible, but the flavors are absolutely insane. I’ve got to give credit to MaxtheMeatGuy for inspiring this recipe! He has such a cool scientific approach to cooking, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
The smoky flavor for this prime rib come courtesy of Cowboy Charcoal, my tried-and-true fuel for all open fire recipes. If you’ve been here a while, you know that Cowboy Charcoal burns the hottest and cleanest of anything I’ve tried. And it’s clean enough for me to use in all my smoked butter and smoked chimichurri recipes!
Post sponsored by Cowboy Charcoal
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Hot Honey Smoked Prime Rib
Prime rib is a premium piece of beef, cut from the rib section of the cow and boasting rich flavor and marbling. But because it’s such an impressive cut, it can be intimidating for even the most seasoned pitmaster. You don’t want to mess up something this special! This hot honey smoked prime rib takes away all that guesswork.
I cured the prime rib roast in a hot honey mixture, and the sweet heat gives it an almost dry-aged flavor. The red chili flakes add some extra kick as well, but those are optional. I also added a quick herb butter at the end; that’s also optional, but feel free to mix one up if you want the extra flavor boost!
Plus, we get some unique smoking flavor thanks to the Cowboy Charcoal. Make sure you leave enough time for the curing process, which takes 24 hours, and then for the 2-3 hours of smoking. But know that you can feel confident you’ll be landing a crowd-pleasing, freakin’ delicious beefy centerpiece on your holiday table.
Looking for more prime rib recipes? Check out Revolver Prime Rib, Stuffed Prime Rib, Shotgun Prime Rib, Hanging Prime Rib and Rotisserie Prime Rib. I’ve also got more ideas for your holiday menu with the Best Holiday Recipes.
Hot Honey Smoked Prime Rib Ingredients
- Beef: We’ll use a 3-4 bone prime rib, seasoned with kosher salt and your favorite steak rub.
- Cure: Just honey and red chili flakes. We’re keeping it simple but bringing HUGE amounts of flavor.
Tips for Buying Prime Rib
Here are a few things I recommend you keep in mind when you’re buying prime rib.
- “Prime” is a grade of beef, but many roasts sold as prime rib are actually “Choice” grade. You can ask your butcher about the grade or pick a roast that has the marbling you want.
- A cow has 13 ribs, and ribs 6-12 are considered the prime rib cut. The small end (ribs 10-12) is more tender, so you can ask your butcher if this end is available when you’re shopping.
- Look for a roast with a good amount of marbling, since the fat throughout gives us the flavor and tenderness we want for the hot honey prime rib.
- The meat should be cherry red and the fat should be creamy white. Don’t buy anything that looks like it has gray or slimy surfaces. If you’ve got vacuum-sealed meat, it may look brown at first. But, it’ll turn red you expose the beef to oxygen.
Add flavor to everything you’re cooking
shop over the fire spice lines
How to Make Hot Honey Smoked Prime Rib
Let’s start with curing the hot honey smoked prime rib. First, generously season your 3-4 bone prime rib with 2 tablespoons kosher salt all over the surface of the meat. Then, gently heat up 2 gallons honey until it’s very viscous. Add your 1/2 cup red chili flakes at this point if you’re using them.
Place your prime rib in a food-safe container, then cover it in the honey. Cover the container and place it in the fridge for 24 hours to cure. If the honey does not cover the prime rib completely, flip the beef every two hours.
Once the prime rib has spent the day curing, remove the beef from the honey and wipe off any excess. Generously season the prime rib with 2 tablespoons of your favorite steak rub and set to the side.
Using Cowboy Charcoal, preheat your smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit for indirect cooking. Once it’s reached temperature, add your prime rib to the smoker to cook for about 2-3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F. Pull off once done to rest for 10 minutes.
While the prime rib is resting, you have the option to mix together an herb butter (like I did here). A stick of butter, some chopped parsley and minced garlic will do the trick!
Slice your hot honey smoked prime rib, serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Hot Honey Smoked Prime Rib
This rib roast would be so freakin’ delicious with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach or a Caesar salad. Basically any of your favorite holiday sides would work well here!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover hot honey smoked prime rib, store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat with a little bit of water on the stovetop, or in a 300-degree oven or smoker for about 15 minutes. You want to use low heat so the tender beef doesn’t dry out.
More Hot Honey
FAQs
You can buy bulk honey for the hot honey smoked prime rib through online retailers or specialty food stores! I’d say that’s your best bet.
I’d go with fat side up! When you position the prime rib roast this way, the fat will baste the meat.
That’s a good call! Taking this step and removing the prime rib roast from the fridge about 1-2 hours before smoking will help it cook more evenly.
Get The Cookbooks!
Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.
Hot Honey Smoked Prime Rib
Ingredients
Beef:
- 3-4 Bone Prime Rib
- 2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tbsp Favorite Steak Rub
Cure:
- 2 Gallons Honey
- ½ cup Red Chili Flakes
Instructions
Cure:
- Season your prime rib generously with kosher salt.
- Gently heat up your honey until it is very viscous. Add your steak to a food safe container. Cover in the honey, cover the container and place in the fridge for 24 hours to cure.
- If the honey does not cover the steak completely, flip the steak every 2 hours.
Steak:
- Pull the steak out and wipe off any excess honey.
- Generously season with your favorite steak rub. Set to the side.
- Preheat your smoker to 275F for indirect cooking.
- Add your steak to cook for about 2-3 hours until 120F internal. Pull off once done to rest for 10 minutes.
- Pull off, slice and serve!
Notes
- “Prime” is a grade of beef, but many roasts sold as prime rib are actually “Choice” grade. You can ask your butcher about the grade or pick a roast that has the marbling you want.
- A cow has 13 ribs, and ribs 6-12 are considered the prime rib cut. The small end (ribs 10-12) is more tender, so you can ask your butcher if this end is available when you’re shopping.
- Look for a roast with a good amount of marbling, since the fat throughout gives us the flavor and tenderness we want for the hot honey prime rib.
- The meat should be cherry red and the fat should be creamy white. Don’t buy anything that looks like it has gray or slimy surfaces. If you’ve got vacuum-sealed meat, it may look brown at first. But, it’ll turn red you expose the beef to oxygen.
