Name: BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup +1/4 cup softened butter; 2-3 cloves minced garlic; 2 tsp chili paste (or 1-2 small red Thai Chiles, finely minced); 1 tsp chopped chives, or other fresh herb like thyme or rosemary; 3 lbs Prime rib roast; Smokin' Summer Spice Dry Rub; salt and pepper to season

Jump to recipe if you like, but be sure to read the whole post for instructional photos & other tips.

BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter. A dry spice rubbed prime rib roast gets seared, then slow cooked to succulent perfection. Served with an indulgent, flavour infused butter.

BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter.

This BBQ prime rib roast idea was inspired by my my Smoked Paprika Balsamic Steak recipe. That delicious recipe gets topped with an herb and garlic infused butter.

Let’s face it, prime rib steak or roast is a real treat these days. That’s not only because of everyone cutting back on red meat, but because of the rising cost of beef as well.

Breaking down a prime rib roast for braised beef ribs

I like to break down a large prime rib into roasts, steaks and ribs to be more economical.

That’s why, especially during the summer months, when I see prime rib roast on sale, I take full advantage. BBQ prime rib is an occasional or celebration meal, why not take the indulgence factor up?

Just add a small pat of flavour infused butter when serving. So delicious.

BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter.

Plenty of good steak houses serve their most indulgent cuts of steak with herb and/or garlic butter on top. The melting butter melds with the natural juices as you cut into the steak. It deliciously compliments the flavour of the beef.

butter photographed on a wooden cutting board.

Use only real dairy butter. This recipe is so worth it.

My idea here was to extend this serving option to a rib eye roast or standing rib roast, which could be cooked on the back yard grill. Since this roast was dry rubbed with our famous Smokin’ Summer Spice Dry Rub, I fancied a spiced butter to go with it.

If you don’t want the additional spice in the butter, try the garlic and herb version found here instead.

Sedimentary spices in our Smokin’ Summer Spice Dry Rub.

Want to slow smoke this prime rib roast?

This recipe can also be a slow smoked prime rib if you have a smoker. Just slow smoke it at 250-275 degrees F for the time need to get the internal temperature on a meat thermometer for your preferred doneness.

Remember to always let your roast stand under a loose tent of aluminum foil for up to 20 minutes before carving. This resting period ensures the juiciest, most tender roast possible.

If you don’t have a smoker but would like to add smoked flavour on the gas grill, follow the suggestions in the NOTES section of this recipe.

We have some great side dish inspiration too, including everything from baked beans & corn bread to deliciously different potato and pasta salads. Be sure to check them all out in our collection of 35 Best BBQ Side Dishes too.

Originally published Sept 2016. Updated June 2020.

Like this BBQ prime rib recipe?

Find plenty of other great ideas for the backyard grill and smoker check out the dozens of great recipes in our BBQ & Grilling Category.

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BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter

Yield: 8 or more

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

BBQ Prime Rib with Garlic Chili Butter. A dry spice rubbed prime rib roast gets seared, then slow cooked to perfection and served with an indulgent flavour infused butter.

Ingredients

3 lbs Prime rib roast
Smokin' Summer Spice Dry Rub
salt and pepper to season

For the Garlic Chili Butter

1 cup +1/4 cup softened butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chili paste (or 1-2 small red Thai Chiles, finely minced)
1 tsp chopped chives, or other fresh herb like thyme or rosemary

Instructions

Lightly season the roast with salt and pepper then liberally rub on the Summer Spice Dry Rub.
Let the roast sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes depending on the size.
Sear the roast on all sides on a preheated hoy gas grill.
Leave only one of the burners on the right side of the grill on but place the roast on the left side of the grill.
Regulate the flame on the right side so that the temperature inside the BBQ, with the cover closed is about 250-275 degrees F.
Cook the roast for about 30 minutes per pound or until the roast reaches your desired internal temperature on a meat thermometer. 125 F for rare, 135 F for medium rare, 145 F for Medium, 155 F for Medium Well and 160 F for well done.
Remember to loosely tent your roast with aluminum foil and let it stand at room temperature for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the roast, before carving and serving.

To prepare the Garlic Chili Butter

Begin by lightly sautéing the garlic and 1/4 cup butter together over medium low heat. You only want to soften the garlic here and not brown it so it will only take a minute or two. Don't have your pan too hot.
Cool the garlic butter then mix it together with the 1 cup butter, chili paste and the fresh herbs.
Place the prepared butter onto some plastic wrap and form into a log.
Refrigerate until the shape of the log stays intact but take the butter out of the fridge to warm up to room temperature before serving in slices over the hot prime rib roast.

Notes

Cook time is approximate based upon a small roast cooked to medium rare. Use a meat thermometer tonsure the roast is cooked to the level that you like. This will vary greatly by the size of the roast.

You can add smoke flavor by soaking hardwood chips like mesquite, apple, cherry or hickory in warm water for about a half hour. A couple of handfuls will do. Wrap the soaked wood chips in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and poke only two holes in the foil, one at either end to allow the smoke to escape. I place the foil packets in a vegetable grill pan so that the packet is not sitting directly on the gas burner. You can add more soaked wood chip packets as they burn out, it all depends on how much smoke favor you wish to add. 3 or 4 of these packets should be enough for a prime rib roast.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

serving
Amount Per Serving Calories 712Saturated Fat 33gCholesterol 164mgSodium 278mgCarbohydrates 1gSugar 1gProtein 23g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.