This perfect Prime Rib Recipe is cooked in the oven with a secret trick that will give you the most tender and juicy meat you’ve ever made!
At most of our big dinners, especially holiday dinners, we usually have a meaty main dish—whether it’s Turkey, Ham, or even Roast Chicken. This Prime Rib Recipe is another option that makes a great entree for “fancy” holiday dinners.
A Great Holiday Entree
This prime rib recipe is delicious, and perfect for a special occasion or holidays like Christmas or Easter!
Serve it up with a side of our famous Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus for a complete meal that tastes delicious.
Purchasing tips. When purchasing a bone-in prime rib roast, plan on one pound per person, or two people per rib bone.
- Look for well-marbled meat as the fat will ensure a juicy flavorful roast.
- Also, consider having the butcher tie the rib bones to create a rack for the meat to stand on when cooking.
You can also buy boneless prime rib roast which is also referred to as an Eye of the Rib Roast (or sometimes Ribeye Roast). Keep in mind this will change the cooking time in most recipes and the lack of bones may affect the overall depth of flavor.
How to Cook Prime Rib
The way this delicious cut of meat is cooked can make or break the dish. Since this cut is usually reserved for special occasions like Easter or Christmas Dinner, you want to make it worth your time and money.
PREP. Place the roast in a large roasting pan with the fatty side up.
- In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast.
- Allow the roast to rest on the counter for 1–2 hours until it comes to room temperature.
- When ready to roast the prime rib, preheat your oven to 450–500°F.
COOK. Cook prime rib for 15–20 minutes to sear, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 5–10 degrees less than your desired internal temperature, depending on the desired doneness (see Recipe Tips).
REST. Loosely tent aluminum foil over the roast and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. The internal temperature will continue to rise while resting, leaving you with a perfectly cooked prime rib roast.
Cooking Prime Rib 3 ways
The easiest and most precise way is to use a meat thermometer, but you can also set a timer and be pretty accurate. Medium rare prime rib is the most popular cook.
Follow this temperature guide:
- Rare: internal temp of 120-125°F or 10-12 mins per pound for rare prime rib. The center is bright red then fades to pink.
- Medium: internal temp of 140-145°F or 13-14 mins per pound for medium cook. The center has a band of pink and fades to brown towards the outer portion. This cook is the perfect choice when serving a crowd as it will please the majority of dinner guests.
- Medium Well: internal temp of 150°F or 14-15 mins per pound. The center may have a light pink band but is primarily brown throughout.
For a quick calculation reference, the following times are for a nice medium cook at 325°F:
- 2 ribs (4 to 5 pounds): 55-70 minutes
- 3 ribs (7 to 8.5 pounds): 1½-1¾ hrs
- 4 ribs (9 to 10.5 pounds): 1¾-2¼ hrs
- 5 ribs (11 to 15 pounds): 2¼-3 hrs
- 6 ribs (15 to 16 pounds): 3-3¼ hrs
- 7 ribs (16 to 18.5 pounds): 3¼-4 hrs
Best Seasonings + Sauces for prime rib
Prime rib is a cut of meat that doesn’t need to be marinated. Adding herb seasoning to the outside is all you really need.
Some common herbs include:
- rosemary
- thyme
- oregano
- lemon zest
- garlic
- light brown sugar
- sweet or smoked paprika
- butter
If you like to add sauces and dips to your prime rib, a very popular choice would be horseradish sauce. You can also make a nice gravy or au jus.
Serving Suggestions
The sides are endless with this piece of meat, but here are some of our favorites things to serve with prime rib:
Honestly, any veggies, salads, and bread are delicious with this and you can’t go wrong pairing it with your favorite side.
Storing and Reheating
Store the roast raw or cooked in the refrigerator to be eaten soon, or in the freezer to be enjoyed later.
- Raw Roast Refrigerated: Keep the roast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days before cooking it. You can even rub the herb mixture on the roast a day or two in advance giving it ample time to infuse the crust with flavor.
- Raw Roast Freezer: Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and again with foil. Label and freeze for about 6 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- Leftovers in the Fridge: Place the leftover prime rib in an airtight container and include any excess drippings to help keep it flavorful and moist. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Leftovers in the Freezer: Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and again with foil. Label and freeze for about 6 months. Thaw in the fridge.
How to Reheat Prime Rib
When reheating prime rib, be sure to include a few tablespoons of drippings. This will help keep the meat juicy and delicious. If you didn’t save dripping/juices, use beef broth.
Steamer: Place the Prime Rib on a piece of foil and fold over the sides to create a pouch. Before closing it completely add a couple of tablespoons of the saved juices, then close the pouch.
Place the pouch in the steamer, cover it with a lid, and heat for only about 3-6 minutes depending on the size.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Place the meat in a small pan along with a few tablespoons of juices, and cover the pan with foil.
- Heat for about 8-10 minutes or until hot.
- Add a little butter to a skillet and brown the outside of the roast on the stovetop.
Microwave: If you are in a pinch use the microwave. Place the meat and a few tablespoons of juice in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and heat for only 1-2 minutes.
Cold: Skip the reheating altogether. Just thinly slice the roast and prepare a delicious beef sandwich.
Recipe FAQ
Prime rib is a cut of beef also known as standing rib roast, which is cut from the primal rib section of the animal. A prime rib roast consists of anywhere between 2 and 7 ribs.
When the meat from this section is cut into smaller single servings, it is considered to be a ribeye steak.
We like to put it in the oven at a high temperature (450-500°F), then turn down the heat to 325°F to finish cooking. This gives the outside a nice searing, but keeps the inside juicy. Refer to the section titled “How to Make Prime Rib” for more details.
It depends on how big your prime rib roast is, and how well you want it done. A rare cook takes about 10-12 minutes per pound, a medium cook takes 13-14 minutes per pound, and a medium-well cook takes 14-15 minutes per pound.
For More Meaty Main Dishes, try:
Prime Rib Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (10-pound) prime rib roast
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Instructions
- Place the roast in a large roasting pan with the fatty side up.
- In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast.
- Allow the roast to rest on the counter for 1–2 hours until it comes to room temperature.
- When ready to roast the prime rib, preheat your oven to 450–500°F.
- Cook prime rib for 15–20 minutes to sear, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 5–10 degrees less than your desired internal temperature, depending on the desired doneness (see Recipe Tips).
- Loosely tent aluminum foil over the roast and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. The internal temperature will continue to rise while resting, leaving you with a perfectly cooked prime rib roast.
Video
Notes
- Rare: internal temp of 120-125°F or 10-12 mins per pound for rare prime rib. The center is bright red then fades to pink.
- Medium: internal temp of 140-145°F or 13-14 mins per pound for medium cook. The center has a band of pink and fades to brown towards the outer portion. This cook is the perfect choice when serving a crowd as it will please the majority of dinner guests.
- Medium Well: internal temp of 150°F or 14-15 mins per pound. The center may have a light pink band but is primarily brown throughout.
Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib is melt in my mouth tender and juicy prime rib that is cooked to medium rare perfection and marbled with fat.
Thank you for sharing that 🙂
This recipe sounds super easy and delicious. Can’t wait to try it for Christmas. I love all your recipes. I haven’t had a failure yet .
Thank You for sharing !
mmmm…this looks incredibly delicious!!
My hubby couldn’t get enough of this prime rib!! He loved the sauce over it! It came out tender & juicy!
Need to try your recipe! Looks super easy to follow and absolutely delicious!
prime rib is my favorite cut of beef but this seasoning on this one was really something special! Excellent recipe!
Such a savory and robust recipe! This will be perfect for our Christmas dinner this year!
Prime rib is A special cut of meat in our home. This is a great recipe to try. Tender and very flaVorful.
My husband prefers prime rib over turkey Or ham so its a special holiday treat at our house. This recipe was definitly a hit. Thanks for posting.
I really like to cook on the grill. This is my hobby. Therefore, I want to make your recipe in the oven as a barbecue. And the smell will be thought. Super
I like grilling too! I hope you try this & like it!
Wow, I have never made prime rib because I thought it would be really difficult. You made this look really easy and now I’m going to make this!! Thank you.
Delicious! Tender and flavorful!
I tried this in the smoker it was delicious
I can’t wait to try this!
So wonderful! What a great lookin’ meal!
Impressive dish accomplished with strait-forward instructions. I like that there were a lot of options rir making the seasoning to my family’s taste and even suggestions for sides. A winner!
Wow! The prime rib recipe sounds so good. It’s my favorite by far. I will certainly try it sometime soon. Thank you, Chere!!
Amazing! I made this for Christmas dinner and the whole family loved it! Thank you for all the instructions from prepping to cooking. I followed the instructions step by step. I was not sure what this step exactly meant “remove the roast 5-10° under the desired cook temperature….” . I lowered the heat and cooked an additional 10 mins. and it came out perfect but curious if that was the right thing to do there?. We served it with a horseradish sauce. Thanks again!
Yay! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed the prime rib!! It just means to pull the meat out when the internal temperature is 5-10 less than what you are wanting. For example, if you wanted the prime rib to be cooked “medium” (that’s about 130 degrees), then you’d pull it out when the meat thermometer reads 125 and let it rest. But I’m so glad that yours turned out just right!! The horseradish sauce addition sounds amazing. 🙂