Are you ready to have some beautifully smoked ribeyes? The pellet smoker makes this so easy, and I share my tried and true BBQ spice rub.
Why this recipe works
Simplicity: The pellet smoker is a one-spot wonder. I love that!
BBQ spice rub: Ribeye steaks combined so well with all our rubs. In this recipe, you will see how the BBQ spice rub can be used as a dry brine or added on just before smoking.
Perfect doneness for each steak: The beauty of smoked ribeyes is that the internal temperature gradually rises during the low and slow cook. So if you want rare to well-done, wait until the steaks are just under your preferred doneness temperature before pulling.
Rest, sear, and enjoy: The rest lets everything settle after pulling the steaks. It also gives you time to get the flame broiler, cast iron skillet, or the flat top griddle ready to sear. After searing, you can enjoy the smoked ribeyes immediately.
Jump to:
BBQ spice rub
What is so great about our BBQ rubs is that I use everyday spices. The BBQ spice rub has chili powder as the secret ingredient. It is always a hit when my family and friends want a kick of spice for steak night.
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Chili powder
Keep reading down for specific amounts for each spice.
Dry brine or not to dry brine
We all have been there, especially me, forgetting to dry brine the steaks. Or maybe you saw some great cuts at the grocery store and want a steak night. So I had to test this out. One of the ribeyes had the BBQ spice rub added just before it went into the smoker. The other two were dry brined overnight in the fridge. The result definitely surprised me.
- Dry brined: The BBQ spice rub has the key to dry brining, salt. The second is time in the refrigerator, which allows the salt to tenderize and the spices to add flavor. Then you get the perfect addition of smoke from the low and slow. All of this leads to a very tender bite of steak.
- No dry brine: This is what surprised me. The rub still brings a wonderful addition to the ribeye steak. There is just a more subtle taste from it than the dry brined ones. Which leads to a more pronounced flavor from the beef and smoking wood pellet.
- Takeaway: The dry brined ribeyes are like one of those flavor-filled milkshakes with different sweet treats and whipped cream on top. It will take some planning to make one, but the result is delicious.
The ribeye steak without the dry brine is your favorite ice cream scoops in a waffle cone. You can pick it up easily at the grocery store and enjoy it as soon as you’re home. So either way, you will have smoked ribeyes that are an incredible meal.
Steak side dishes
You have some time on your hands while the ribeyes smoke, so why not make a tasty side dish or dishes?
More smoked steak options
What we have found out over the years is that smoking low and slow allows you to cook various thick steaks to perfection. Here is a list of different steaks, with unique BBQ rubs, that can be smoked like these ribeyes:
- Bone-in ribeye, particularly one that is butchered as a cowboy cut steak. It is big enough to feed two with an amazing rib to enjoy.
- How about some sirloin or T-bone steaks? These two cuts of steak go to a whole other level with your favorite smoking wood or wood pellets.
- Here is an economical option: top round steak. I “did a thing” for this recipe that gives it an unforgettable flavor.
- Have you always wanted to try a Tomahawk steak, but thought it was just too much? Smoking makes it easy to do, and the steak will be cooked to perfection. I really enjoy it with a sweet smoking wood like maple.
Instructions
The convenience of the pellet smoker makes smoking ribeyes a breeze, especially with a flame broiler to sear the steaks.
✨ Season ✨ Smoke✨ Rest ✨ Sear ✨ Enjoy ✨
Season the ribeyes.
Smoke.
Rest & Sear.
Enjoy!
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact quantities and instructions.
Tips for searing the smoked ribeyes
- Pellet smoker with flame broiler: Pay close attention to the steaks as they sear with the flame broiler. It starts out like cooking right over the campfire. However, the auger continues to feed more pellets like tossing more logs on the fire. So the fire gets more intense as you sear.
- Flat top griddle: The griddle is ideal if you have a bunch of smoked ribeye steaks to do or if you want some great side dishes too. It gives you plenty of space. Another advantage of the space is having a spot on the griddle that is still at 400°F for the second side to sear on.
- Pan sear: Use a cast iron because it holds its heat better. This will be helpful to keep the searing more equal on each side. A bonus with pan searing is that you can add some more flavor by basting with herb butter.
Equipment
- Pellet smoker (BBQ with an indirect cooking system)
- Remote thermometer with sensors
- BBQ tongs
- BBQ spatula
Storage / Reheat / Leftovers
- Storage: The smoked ribeyes can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.
- Reheat: The air fryer is a good option at a low temperature, 250°F, for about 5 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of the leftovers.
- Leftovers: You can have some tasty options here. When Sean doesn’t eat the whole bone-in ribeye, he leaves enough meat on the bone for a great lunch. If you have a big enough piece, slice it up to make quesadillas on the griddle. Another favorite here is to make steak tacos with taco shells from the griddle, yum.
Here’s some more smoked recipes
FAQ
Yes. The big thing you need is an indirect cooking system and your favorite smoking wood. Check out our bone-in cowboy cut post for details.
Absolutely, you will need to have a pan, I prefer a cast iron one, to sear the ribeyes. This is an important final step in finishing the smoked ribeyes. The steaks need the high heat sear to crisp up the fat and give a lovely crust.
Yes, it is perfect for this, especially if you did a bunch. Even better, you can do some smashed potatoes ahead of time as a side. Once the steaks are resting, get the griddle to 400°F. The searing will be quick, 1 – 2 minutes each side.
They were thick, 2¼ inches. Yes, you can go with a smaller steak. What you need to consider is the thickness and weight of the steak. Once you consider that, does this let the steak be smoked for about 45 minutes? This is just enough time to pick up the smoky flavor.
Let us know what you think about the smoked ribeyes. Leave a comment and a star rating. Are you on Instagram or Facebook? Tag us @thekitchenbucketlist on your pictures, we can’t wait to see what you smoked.
Smoked ribeyes with BBQ spiced rub
Equipment
- Pellet smoker (BBQ with indirect cooking system)
- Remote thermometer with sensors
- BBQ tongs
- BBQ spatula
Ingredients
- 3 ribeye steaks
BBQ spice rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
Make the BBQ spice rub
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the BBQ spice rub and mix until combined.
- Decision time: dry brine or not. We dry brined a boneless and bone-in ribeye overnight with the BBQ spice rub in the refrigerator. The other boneless ribeye was seasoned just before we put all the steaks in the pellet smoker. I cover the differences in the post.
- If you dry brine or add the BBQ spice rub just before smoking, each requires you to coat and rub the BBQ spice rub onto each steak.
Smoke the ribeyes
- Follow your smoker's preheat startup and let it get stable. Then increase the smoke chamber's temperature to 250℉.
- If you did not dry brine the ribeyes, season them just before placing the sensors for the remote thermometer.
- Once at 250℉, get the dry brined ribeyes out of the refrigerator and insert the sensors for the remote thermometer.
- Bring the ribeyes out and put them in the smoker. It took 1½ hours to reach our level of preferred doneness. This will be less if you like your steak rarer or more for medium well.
- Once you get to within 5℉ under your preferred doneness, pull the smoked ribeyes.
Rest, Sear, & Enjoy
- Time to rest the steaks for 10 minutes. I know it's tough, but so worth the end result. I just bring them back inside.
- Our smoker has a flame broiler, so I increased the temperature setting to high and opened up the cover for the flame broiler to get the grill grates nice on hot.
- After the 10-minute rest, I brought the three smoked ribeyes out to the smoker and placed two away from the flame broiler. The first seared quickly, just under two minutes on each side. I then placed it away from the broiler and brought the last two over to sear.
- A key thing to watch with the pellet smoker flame broiler is that the heat continues to build as the pellets are added. So, watch the second batch carefully while searing. I flipped them right after a minute on each side.
- Bring the steaks in to enjoy.
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