Rotisserie Prime Rib

This rotisserie prime rib is rubbed down with a horseradish garlic butter and then perfectly cooked on the grill with a rotisserie attachment. A fantastic prime rib roast to make on any grill or smoker with a rotisserie spit.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Salt Brining Time12

Total Time15 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: rotisserie prime rib, rotisserie prime rib roast

Servings: people

Equipment

grill with rotisserie attachment

Ingredients

6-7 pound bone-in prime rib roast
kosher salt for brining, see notes
3 tablespoons butter softened
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon rosemary finely minced
fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Pat the prime rib roast dry with paper towels. Then place on a wire cooling rack set on top of a sheet tray. Generously season all sides of the roast with kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to salt brine. See notes.
When ready to cook, heat grill or smoker to 180-200°F for smoking with your choice of wood or pellets. *If your grill has a super smoke mode, turn that on.
Make the horseradish garlic butter rub. Combine softened butter, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, mayo, garlic, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Mix together well and set aside.
Place the prime rib roast on the rotisserie rod. Slide the rotisserie rod through the center of the roast and press the forks into the meat (one fork on either end). Tighten the screws of the forks, or prepare the rotisserie according to manufacturer's instructions. Use butcher’s twine to tie the bones up against the rib roast if needed.
Spread on the horseradish rub. Next, slather on the horseradish rub, taking care to evenly cover all sides of the roast. If you're using a bone-in roast, then you can omit the rub on the bone side. Then season with freshly cracked black pepper. *The recipe for the horseradish garlic butter rub is just the right amount for a 6-7 pound, three bone roast. If your roast is larger than that, you may want to double the recipe.
Attach the rotisserie rod to the motor/attachment according to instructions. Start the rotation and close the grill lid. Smoke the rib roast at 180-200°F for the first hour.
After one hour, adjust the grill temperature to 325°F. Continue cooking on the rotisserie until the internal temperature hits about 118-120°F for medium rare, or a few degrees hotter for a higher doneness. *The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise after you take it off the grill due to carryover cooking, so don’t bring the temp up too high on the grill or your finished roast will be overcooked.
Rest and slice to serve. After removing the rotisserie spit from the grill or smoker, let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes. Then use a large knife and cut the roast into individual steaks, about 1/2″ to 1″ thick depending on your preference. Serve with horseradish cream sauce, au jus, or your favorite prime rib accompaniments.

Video

Notes

Optional salt brining - In my experience, salt brining the roast overnight helps to render the outer fat layer for a delicious crispy crust. I use and recommend Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for this. However, if you're short on time you can skip this step. Instead, simply remove the roast from the packaging, pat dry with paper towels, and then apply the horseradish butter rub. Season with salt and pepper before cooking.
Rotisserie set up - I find it easiest to "dry fit" the rotisserie rod on the grill first. Place the empty rod on the grill and figure out where the roast should be positioned. Then tighten the first rotisserie fork into place where it will go, before placing the prime rib roast on the spit.
Carryover cooking - After removing from the grill, the internal temperature of the roast should continue to rise by about 5-10 degrees due to carryover cooking. Rest the roast for a full 20-30 minutes before slicing for best results.
Our favorite horseradish sauce - I HIGHLY recommend serving your prime rib with a homemade creamy horseradish sauce. You can find our recipe here: https://pelletsandpits.com/horseradish-sauce-for-prime-rib/
Leftover prime rib - Leftover prime rib can be tightly plastic wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice thin and serve cold for a fantastic prime rib sandwich, or wrap slices in foil with a small bit of water and bake at 250-300°F to slowly reheat.

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