Easy Smoked Ribeye Roast on Traeger with Horseradish Sauce
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This slow-smoked ribeye roast on Traeger turns out unbelievably tender, smoky, and full of zesty garlic-herb flavor. It pairs perfectly with a creamy horseradish sauce and makes a show-stopping centerpiece for any holiday or special celebration.
Serve with my Greek yogurt horseradish sauce my holiday coleslaw for a well rounded meal.
Traeger Ribeye Roast at a Glance
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Smoke Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
🕒 Rest Time: 20 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 10-15
👍 Difficulty: Moderate
😋 Recipe Highlights: This recipe uses the reverse sear technique to develop the perfect crust without overcooking the interior. Served with a healthy horseradish sauce, this roast is perfect for any special occasion!
🛒 Featured Ingredients: 4-5 lb boneless prime rib roast (aka: ribeye roast), fresh herbs, garlic, horseradish, yogurt, sour cream
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Nobody appreciates the traditional holiday classics as much as I do. I love a good smoked turkey this time of year, and there’s nothing better than a classic smoked ham.
But sometimes you just want something different during the holidays. Especially if you’re like me and have several different gatherings to attend. There are only so many times you want to throw some turkey or ham on your plate, and you’re guests are thinking the same thing.
Is there anything more exciting than being presented with slices of beautifully tender, smoked ribeye roast made on a wood-fired pellet grill? I think not!
For a cheaper alternative to prime rib that’s just as tender, check out my Traeger Picanha recipe or my Christmas Brisket. For more casual beef dishes, try my Fall Apart Sirloin Tip Roast or my Smoked Burgers.
Jump to:
- Traeger Ribeye Roast at a Glance
- Ribeye Roast vs Prime Rib Roast
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Featured Ingredients for Smoked Prime Rib Roast
- Healthy Horseradish Sauce Key Ingredients
- Ribeye Roast Smoking Instructions
- How to Make Zesty Yogurt Horseradish Sauce
- Expert Smoked Ribeye Roast & Traeger Tips
- Ribeye Roast Internal Finishing Temperatures
- Smoked Ribeye Roast FAQs
- Other Holiday Recipe Favorites
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Ribeye Roast vs Prime Rib Roast
Ribeye roasts are also known as a boneless prime rib roasts. They are one of the finest beef roasts you can buy! Characterized by their generous marbling and large pockets of fat, this meat is certainly rich, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good.
Because it’s so tender, you can easily cook it to medium rare if you like your meat with a good amount of red.
And the best part? Smoking a ribeye roast on the Traeger (or another type of pellet grill) is incredibly easy to do with just a few simple ingredients. With little effort, you’ll have flavorful prime rib to celebrate the holidays along with recipes like my Swedish rye bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This smoked ribeye roast on Traeger comes out incredibly tender, juicy, and full of natural wood-fired flavor without any fuss.
It's mostly hands-off, super reliable, and gives you a gorgeous, steakhouse-style crust every time. Perfect for holidays or any day you want an effortless dinner that still feels special.
Featured Ingredients for Smoked Prime Rib Roast
Here are the key ingredients for a slow-smoked Traeger ribeye roast and healthy horseradish sauce. For a complete list of ingredients, visit the recipe card.
Boneless Ribeye Roast – This cut is naturally tender with plenty of marbling, which melts slowly during the smoke and keeps the roast incredibly juicy. The recipe is written for a 4-5 lb roast, but the technique works for any size-just adjust cook time based on internal temperature (expect about 30 minutes per pound).
Fresh Thyme & Rosemary – These sturdy, woodsy herbs hold up beautifully to long cooks and infuse the meat with an earthy flavor. Dried herbs can be used if needed, but use about one-third the amount since dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor.
Garlic Cloves – Fresh garlic brings vibrant spice and flavor depth that you can’t get with granulated garlic.
Coarse Kosher Salt – Coarse salt dissolves slowly and seasons the roast evenly without oversalting. Finer table salts are more concentrated and can easily make the exterior too salty, so stick with coarse-ground kosher salt.
Healthy Horseradish Sauce Key Ingredients
Visit the recipe card for the complete ingredients list.
Grated Horseradish – Look for freshly grated horseradish in the refrigerated deli section. This gives you clean spice and flavor. Do not use the jarred "horseradish sauce" for this recipe as that’s a premade sauce, and we are making our own with fresh, natural ingredients.
Sour Cream – Regular or light sour cream gives the sauce its classic creamy tang and helps balance the heat from the horseradish.
Plain Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt adds protein and a bright, fresh tang without making the sauce heavy. Any fat level works-higher fat will give a richer, silkier texture.
Ribeye Roast Smoking Instructions
To make your smoked boneless prime rib roast and zesty horseradish sauce, follow the instructions below.
1. Rest Roast at Room Temperature.
Remove the roast from the refrigerator and bring it room temperature. This takes 1-2 hours for a 4 lb roast.
This step isn’t essential, but it helps the roast cook more evenly, which is really important if you’re aiming for medium-rare.
2. Prep.
If your roast has a large fat cap on top of the roast, trim excess fat down to about 1/4 inch thick with a sharp knife.
Strip the leaves of thyme and rosemary from their stems and chop. Mince your garlic. You can also do this in a blender cup.
Add your chopped herbs and garlic to a small bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Rub the herby-garlic mixture all over the entire roast.
3. Warm Up Smoker.
Turn the Traeger temperature (or other pellet smoker) to 250°F. While the smoker is heating up, place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast through the top making sure to hit the center of the roast.
4. Smoke the Ribeye Roast on Traeger.
Place your ribeye roast fat cap up, directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and let it smoke at this lower temperature until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 120°F.
For a 4-lb roast, this takes 2 hours. Add an additional 30 minutes per pound for larger roasts.
5. Rest Roast.
When the roast reaches 120°F internally, remove it from your Traeger grill and cover it with aluminum foil. Increase the grill to the high temperature setting (about 450°F) to prepare for the reverse sear. Let the roast rest for 20 minutes.
The temperature of the roast will continue to rise while it rests, even as much as 10 degrees. While it rests, you can prepare your horseradish sauce (instructions in the next section).
6. Reverse Sear.
After the rest, place the roast back on your hot Traeger. Close the lid and sear to crisp up the crust on the outside of the roast. Flip your roast every 5-10 minutes to sear a new side, keeping an eye on the temperature. For medium-rare doneness, aim for 135°F. It will take about 15-20 minutes, but be prepared to pull the roast off sooner if the temperature is climbing.
Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the roast against the grain. Place slices on a serving platter with the horseradish sauce.
How to Make Zesty Yogurt Horseradish Sauce
7. Chop Grated Horseradish.
Chop your grated horseradish into smaller pieces.
8. Combine Ingredients.
Add your chopped horseradish, sour cream, and Greek yogurt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Grate or press one clove of garlic into the bowl (you can use 1 tsp jarred minced garlic if needed). Add 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.
9. Add a Splash of Lemon Juice.
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice into the mixing bowl and stir everything to combine. Do not squeeze the whole lemon–you only need a splash. If using jarred lemon juice, start with 2 tsp and whisk/taste.
10. Top with Green Onion.
Garnish with slices of green onion greens. You can also use chives.
Serve this delicious meal with my orangey roasted Brussels sprouts or my air fried seasoned butternut squash.
Expert Smoked Ribeye Roast & Traeger Tips
•For the initial smoke at 250°F, it takes about 30 minutes per lb to reach 120°F.
•Because the ribeye roast rests while you heat the grill to high for the reverse sear, you do not need to rest it again once it’s done.
•The temperature will rise as the roast rests. Because of that, you don’t want to cook it far past 120°F internal temperature before pulling it off to rest (unless you prefer your meat more well done).
•Always slice against the grain for the most tender meat.
•If you want a perfect medium-rare, you may wish to end the reverse sear at a degree or two before 135°, it may rise another degree or so off the grill, so watch the thermometer. Slice the roast when it hits 135°.
Ribeye Roast Internal Finishing Temperatures
The chart below shows the internal temperatures you want to aim for for your desired level of doneness for your ribeye roast:
| Internal Temperature | Doneness Level |
|---|---|
| 125°-130°F | Rare |
| 130°-135°F | Medium Rare |
| 135°-140°F | Medium |
| 140°-145°F | Medium Well |
| 145°-150°F | Well Done |
Smoked Ribeye Roast FAQs
Ribeye roast and prime rib come from the same cut of meat. Typically, the difference is that a ribeye roast would be boneless, and a prime rib roast would be bone-in.
You can smoke a ribeye roast at 250 degrees F for 30 minutes per lb.
The internal temperature of a ribeye roast should be 135 degrees for medium-rare. For medium, aim for 140 degrees F.
Other Holiday Recipe Favorites
Try these other favorite recipes for the holiday season! You just might find your new family tradition.
If you make this pellet grill smoked ribeye roast recipe, please leave a comment and review! I would love to hear how it goes, and every comment I receive means the world!
📖 Recipe
Ribeye Roast on Traeger with Zesty Horseradish Sauce
Equipment
- Traeger Grill or other smoker
Ingredients
For the Ribeye Roast
- 4-5 pound Ribeye Roast boneless prime rib
- 3 sprigs Thyme or more to taste
- 3 sprigs Rosemary or more to taste
- 4-5 cloves Garlic
- 1-2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
For the Zesty Horseradish Sauce
- 2-3 tablespoon Grated Horseradish *see notes
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Sliced Green Onion Tops
Instructions
- Remove your ribeye roast from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you plan to smoke it. Let it rest at room temperature.4-5 pound Ribeye Roast
- Heat your smoker to 250 degrees F.
- Strip the leaves from the thyme and rosemary stems. Peel your garlic cloves. Mince the herbs & garlic with a knife, or use a blender to chop them small in a blender cup.3 sprigs Thyme, 3 sprigs Rosemary, 4-5 cloves Garlic
- Add the olive oil, salt, & pepper to the herby garlic mixture. Stir.1-2 tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Spread your rub all over the outside of the ribeye roast coating every inch of it.
- Bring your ribeye roast out to your smoker and place the roast directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and let the roast smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 120. This will take about 2 hours for a 4 lb roast. Add 30 minutes for each additional pound.
- When the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F, remove the ribeye roast from the smoker and cover in tin foil. Let the roast rest for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, set your Traeger to "High" or about 450 degrees.
- While the roast is resting, prepare your zesty horseradish sauce. Chop your grated horseradish into small pieces and add to a mixing bowl.2-3 tablespoon Grated Horseradish
- Add the greek yogurt, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Grate a garlic clove into the sauce, and squeeze about 2 tsp lemon juice into the sauce. Whisk together and top with sliced green onion tops.1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup Sour Cream, 1/4 teaspoon Salt, 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 clove Garlic, 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoon Sliced Green Onion Tops
- After your roast has rested 15-20 minutes, place it back on your Traeger to do the reverse sear at high heat. Watch the temperature closely to pull the roast off the grill at your desired doneness. Aim for 135 for medium rare.
- Turn your ribeye roast onto a new side every 5-10 minutes until the roast reaches your desired temperature. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the roast from the grill when your desired temperature is reached. Slice the roast against the grain and serve immediately with the horseradish sauce.
Video
Notes
- If your roast is bigger or smaller than 4-5 pounds, adjust your timing as necessary for 30 min/lb.
- The temperature will rise as the roast rests. Because of that, you don’t want to cook it far past 120°F internal temperature before pulling it off to rest (unless you prefer your meat more well done).
- Always slice against the grain for the most tender meat.
- If you want a perfect medium-rare, you may wish to end the reverse sear at a degree or two before 135°, it may rise another degree or so off the grill, so watch the thermometer. Slice the roast when it hits 135°.
- Make sure you find regular grated horseradish, not a pre-prepared horseradish sauce. You can usually find this in the deli section of most large grocery stores.
| Internal Temperature | Doneness Level |
|---|---|
| 125°-130°F | Rare |
| 130°-135°F | Medium Rare |
| 135°-140°F | Medium |
| 140°-145°F | Medium Well |
| 145°-150°F | Well Done |
Nutrition
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This is delicious! Definitely one of my favorites 😀 I’ll take me a smoked ribeye anytime