Smoked Ribeye Steaks on the Pellet Grill

Want to smoke juicy steaks on the Traeger? Try my super-simple smoked ribeye steaks recipe uses just 3 ingredients. It’s an easy and delicious smoker recipe for dinner that’s barely any work. I’ll teach you how to throw ribeye on the pellet grill and get them right the very first time you try ’em…

HEY THERE — Are you on instagram? I post quick, easy smoker recipes there @sipbitego.

How long does it take to smoke ribeye

Plan for about 2 hours of smoke time for ribeye steaks (like the ones in the Sip Bite Go demonstration that are 2-3 inches thick) to reach the initial temperature goal. 

See how to griddle ribeye on the Traeger Flatrock Grill…

Then you’ll raise the temperature to high heat to finish smoking them for about 30-60 minutes more. 

So plan for about 3 hours total.

You’ll also love this recipe for smoked steak kabobs on the Traeger.

Is a ribeye roast the same as a ribeye steak?

Wondering about smoked ribeye roast vs steaks? The deal is, both ribeye cuts are from the same area. But a ribeye steak is cut BEFORE cooking. A ribeye roast is larger.

What wood pellets do you use for smoking ribeye?

We used Traeger Hickory Pellets in the Sip Bite Go demo. I like wood chip flavors, or pellets, that are stronger in taste for beef cuts like this steak, smoked brisket, and smoked burgers.

What’s the difference between smoking boneless ribeye steaks vs. bone-in?

You can basically cook them both according to this recipe. Boneless is usually a little more expensive. We used boneless grass fed ribeye.

What is a cowboy ribeye?

It’s a huge piece of steak! You can smoke a cowboy ribeye with this recipe, but since it’s around 3 inches thick (about twice as large as ribeye steaks), it will take a little longer on the smoker.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make ribeye steaks on the smoker.

• Ribeye steaks (1 LB each, about 1.5 inches – 2 inches – 3 inches thick)
• Olive oil
• BBQ rub (or steak seasoning with fine sea or kosher salt and pepper in it)

See how to make smoked Oreos wrapped in bacon…

How to smoke ribeyes on Traeger Grills

Now I’ll walk you through it…

Detailed recipe steps

1. Let steaks rest for 15 minutes on the counter to come up to room temperature. (optional)
2. Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss, Masterbuilt, or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 200 degrees F. We prepped the pellet with Hickory wood chip flavored pellets.
3. Prep ribeye steaks for smoking. Drizzle all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with BBQ rub, all over, then massage it into the steaks. Let steaks rest about 15 minutes with seasonings to absorb flavor while the smoker preheats.
4. Smoke ribeyes for about 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of 120 degrees F. (This is a very rare smoked ribeye temp, so FYI, you’ll continue smoking them to your desired temperature in the next step.) Remove steaks momentarily and cover with foil if desired. 
5. Raise the smoker temperature for ribeye to 500 degrees F. Now we’re going to blast them with heat to get a delicious, flavorful crust. (Otherwise, you’d just have a gray outside and that’s not the most tasty way to serve them.) 
6. Continue smoking ribeye steaks, basically sear them on the smoker, directly on the grill grates, at the higher temperature of 500 degrees F until done, flipping halfway through if desired. This step will be quick. (For my recipe demo in the Sip Bite Go video, I put the steaks back in and the internal temperature was 119 – they came down in temp by 1 degree F while waiting for the Traeger to preheat – then I flipped them at 125 degrees F, and took them off the grill around medium-rare temperature – about 130-135 degrees F). 
7. Remove smoked steaks when they reach your desired temp, as measured with an internal read thermometer.
8. Finish ribeye steaks by letting them rest about 10 minutes before serving. 

See this recipe for smoked baked potatoes…

Smoked ribeye temperature chart

• Rare smoked ribeye (125-130°F) is still red inside.
• Medium rare smoked ribeye steaks (130-140°F) is red to pink inside.
• Medium ribeyes (140-150°F) is mostly pink.
• Medium well (150-160°F) has just a slight bit of pink inside.
• Well cooked (160°F) has no red or pink inside.

Toppings for smoked ribeye

• Have herbs in the fridge? Make my easy compound butter for steak.
• Make a bourbon butter.
• Creamy peppercorn sauce.
• Give this compound smoked steak butter a try.

More ways to smoke ribeye on the Traeger

• Reverse sear ribeyes on a gas grill by smoking them first, taking it off the grill when it hits around 180-200 degrees F internally. Then instead of raising the temperature of the pellet grill, you’ll use a gas stove or charcoal grill to finish cooking the steak at a high temperature around 500 degrees F in just a couple minutes. 
• Smoke high and hot, quickly at 450-500 degrees F. This method doesn’t pick up as much of a smoky flavor though, due to the short cook time.

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Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.

Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.

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I’m here to help you put together delicious meals, right at home. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments. 

Chat soon!

– Jenna

Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…