Smoked Ribeye Roast (Cap-Off)

Skip the oven and cook your next ribeye roast on the smoker! Melt-in-your-mouth tender, beefy, and oh-so-good, this Smoked Ribeye Roast is so good, that you’ll never want it any other way!

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If you can eat it, then chances are I’ve smoked it. But if you were to ask me to pick one meat, just one cut of meat to smoke, I’d choose a ribeye. I LOVE this roast. It’s beefy, meaty, tender, and has plenty of fat on it to melt into the meat, and when smoked, it’s freaking delicious.

I cry every time I see an overcooked rib roast pulled from the oven. Gray, flavorless, and dried out, that’s no way to treat an expensive cut of meat! Instead, fire up your smoker and treat this rib roast to a low and slow cook and plenty of smoke. You’ll never want it any other way!

What Is A Ribeye Roast

How To Buy A Ribeye Roast

Rib roasts are available in most grocery stores, but quality counts! If you’re going to shell out big bucks for this king of all roasts, make sure you’re getting a good-quality one. Buy choice or prime, and if you’re in Canada, look for AA or AAA grade beef. Check the roast for marbling – fat is key! There should be plenty of visible lines of fat running through the meat.

And here’s a cheffy tip: Go for roasts with smaller bones. Depending on how far down the ribcage the roast was cut, the bones could be smaller or longer. And, when you’re paying for bone weight, too, smaller bones mean more meat and less bone. I also personally find that the roasts with smaller bones are more tender. If you order one from a butcher, you can ask for exactly what you want. If you’re getting one in the grocery store, paw around the packages to look for shorter bones.

Ribeye Roast Cap On vs. Cap Off

So what’s the deal with the cap? The cap is the flap of meat that’s located at the top of the roast. It is fatty and tender, and chefs know that this is one of the best parts of the roast. Sometimes, standing rib roasts (ribeyes) are sold “cap off” which means the cap has been cut away, leaving just the bones and the main part of the roast.

Tip: If you are shopping for roasts and the roasts are packaged BONE SIDE UP, chances are the cap has been removed, and they are being sneaky and not disclosing this. The caps are cut off and sold as ribeye cap steaks.

There’s nothing wrong with a cap-off ribeye roast – and in fact, they’re often cheaper. The meat will still be fabulous and delicious, and with this Smoked Ribeye Roast roast recipe, I show you just how to make an amazing cap-off ribeye roast.

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Ingredients

• Ribeye roast – Cap on or cap off. Count on about 8 ounces pre-cooked weight per person. That’s a lot, but it includes the bones.
• Olive oil
• Montreal Steak Seasoning – I love using this blend. It’s got coarse salt, coarse pepper, and garlic – all the things a good rib roast needs.

You’ll Also Need

• Traeger pellet grill/smoker – Or another smoker that can hold a consistent temperature.
• Pellets – Hardwood (like mesquite or hickory) is great with beef.
• Digital meat thermometer – The key to an amazing roast is nailing the internal temperature. A good meat thermometer is essential!

How To Smoke A Cap Off Ribeye Roast

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.

1. Remove the roast from the fridge about an hour before putting it on the smoker. This will allow the roast to warm up a bit, reducing the time it needs on the smoker.
2. Rinse the roast under running water to remove any bone chips, then pat it dry with paper towels.
3. Rub the roast all over with olive oil. With the cap removed, the roast needs a bit more fat and the olive oil will also help the rub stick to the meat.
4. Sprinkle the roast liberally with the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
5. Preheat your Traeger smoker as per the manufacturer’s instructions (or whatever smoker you’ll be using).
6. Place the well-seasoned roast onto the smoker at 180-F (or supersmoke) for about 30 minutes, then turn the heat to 225F and continue cooking until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 125-F for medium-rare.
7. Remove the roast when the internal temp reaches 125-F and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

How to Carve A Ribeye Roast

Those pesky – but delicious – bones will make carving your roast a bit trickier.

1. With a long, sharp slicing knife, cut the bones away from the meat. Cut as close to the bones as possible.
2. Slice the remaining roast into thin slices, being sure to cut AGAINST the grain.
3. Cut between the bones and offer them to your guests, too. The meat is delish!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Actual cooking time will vary based on the size of your roast, but on a Traeger smoker, a 3-bone roast will take about 2.5-3 hours at 225F.
• Season your roast REALLY well! Some of it will fall off during the smoking process, and smoked roast beef loves to be well-seasoned.
• Resting is SO important. Your meat will stay hot – let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving so all the juice doesn’t come out.
• Save the bones to make soup and turn the leftover roast into stew.

Make It A Meal

Wondering what to serve with your Smoked Ribeye Roast (cap off)? Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

• Smoked Mashed Potatoes
• Griddled Asparagus
• Smoked Biscuits
• Smoked Cauliflower
• Blackstone Fried Potatoes
• Potatoes with Sour Cream and Bacon

Frequently Asked Questions

Step By Step Process

Want More Delicious and Easy Recipes?

• Steaks on the Blackstone
• Smoked Lamb Chops
• Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff
• Smoked Asparagus
• Smoked Shotgun Shells