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This classic bone-in prime rib recipe shows you exactly how to cook a tender, juicy beef roast to perfection! Finished with a garlicky crust and served with rich au jus, it’s the ultimate centerpiece for special occasions.
Round out your holiday meal with a side of my scalloped potatoes and these cheesy air fryer Brussels sprouts!
This easy Prime Rib Roast (also known as a standing rib roast) is the ultimate Holiday showstopper! It’s flavored with garlic, thyme, and rosemary, then roasted until perfectly tender and juicy. Serve it with a quick homemade au jus for dipping, and you’ve got a prime rib that’s packed with flavor and guaranteed to impress every guest at the Christmas dinner table.
5 Star Review
“Best thing I have made our family for Christmas. My husband said he never had any meat that tasted so good. It came out perfect. Thank you” – Libby Cain
What Is Prime Rib?
Prime rib is a classic roast beef, usually cooked bone-in and served with a simple pan sauce made from its natural juices. It’s known for its beautiful marbling, which gives the meat its signature tenderness, juiciness, and rich flavor when cooked. When sliced into individual steaks before roasting, this same cut is called a ribeye. In the U.S. and Canada, prime rib is a holiday season favorite, especially at Christmas!
Recipe Ingredients
This high-quality cut of meat only needs a simple seasoning of salt and black pepper, plus a handful of garlic and fresh herbs to build that flavorful crust.
- Standing Rib Roast – Choose a smaller roast, like 3 to 4 ribs, if you’re cooking for fewer people, or go big with a full prime rib roast for a crowd. Look for USDA Prime grade if you can, because it has the best fat marbling and flavor.
- Kosher salt & pepper to season the meat.
- Olive oil will help to create a paste with the herbs and garlic for the rub.
- Fresh rosemary leaves to blend with the oil and other seasonings.
- Fresh thyme leaves will add a slightly minty and lemony taste to the herb rub.
- Garlic cloves infuse the meat with a rich, aromatic flavor. Try not to use garlic powder for this.
- Worcestershire sauce adds a tangy depth to the au jus (the savory sauce served with the meat).
- Red wine is what I like to use to deglaze the pan and form the base of the sauce.
- Beef broth for the au jus sauce that you’ll make for this easy prime rib recipe.
What Size Prime Rib Do I Need?
A commonly accepted guideline is to estimate about 2 people for every rib. I personally think that one rib is enough for 3 people, especially when served with side dishes. Below is a more practical suggestion based on serving sizes:
- 3 bone-in rib roast feeds between 6 to 7 people.
- 4 bone-in rib roast feeds between 8 to 10 people.
- 7 bone-in rib roast feeds between 12 to 14 people.
How Long To Cook Prime Rib
For a perfectly cooked prime rib, the rule of thumb is to cook the roast for 15 to 20 minutes per pound; however, cooking time depends on the size of your roast. My recommendation is to remove it from the oven when the internal temperature registers between 115˚F and 120˚F, at most. The roast will continue to cook while it cools.
- For Rare, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 110˚F.
- For Medium-Rare, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 115˚F.
- For Medium, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 120˚F.
- For Medium-Well, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 130˚F.
Anything above these temperatures will result in a chewy, tough, and flavorless prime rib. The longer you cook a steak, the muscle fibers get firm and all the juices evaporate.
Recipe Tips
This is an easy recipe, but please, it’s important to follow these simple tips so that you make the best prime rib roast recipe ever!
- Room temperature meat. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. Cold meat can cook unevenly, leaving you with a roast that’s overdone on the outside and undercooked in the center. Bringing it to room temp helps it cook more evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer. A reliable way to ensure your prime rib is cooked to perfection is to use a good meat thermometer. Opt for a leave-in probe thermometer for continuous monitoring or an instant-read thermometer for periodic checks. Keep in mind that individual cuts and oven temperatures vary, so to prevent mishaps with such a pricey cut of beef, investing in a high-quality tool like a Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer may be worthwhile.
- Avoid overcooking. The prime rib roast temperature will continue to rise an additional 5 to 10 degrees after you take it out of the oven due to residual heat. To prevent overcooking, it’s better to remove it slightly earlier.
- Importance of resting. Allowing the meat to rest after roasting is crucial. This pause gives the juices time to redistribute, keeping your rib roast juicy and tender.
- Slice against the grain: For a tender and juicy bite, also observe the direction of the muscle fibers and slice across them, not parallel. Slicing perpendicular to the grain shortens the muscle fibers, enhancing tenderness, while slicing parallel to the grain can leave you with stringy, chewy bites.
Side Dish Suggestions
- Buttery, golden, and baked to perfection, crusty bread or my skillet cornbread is the ideal side.
- Easy and so delicious, these oven roasted vegetables are a great side dish to serve with a standing rib roast.
- Crispy, salty, and smoky roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon turn even the pickiest eaters into fans.
- These fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes or my crispy smashed potatoes are always a family favorite. But honestly, these cheesy, golden, and flavorful Parmesan-crusted potatoes might just steal the show from the prime rib!
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Prime Rib Recipe
Ingredients
For the Prime Rib
- one standing rib roast with 3 to 4 ribs, If hosting a large dinner party, you can also get a standing rib roast with 7 ribs – estimate about 2 to 3 people per rib
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- fresh rosemary leaves from 2 sprigs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic
For the Au Jus
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth
Instructions
- Prep. Take the rib roast from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
- Prep the rib roast. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and generously season it with salt and pepper. Place the roast in a roasting pan and set aside.
- Make the garlicky rub. Add the olive oil, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, and garlic cloves to a food processor or blender; process until chopped up and well combined. Rub the prepared garlic mixture all around the roast.
- Roast. Position the beef roast in the roasting pan, bone-side down. Transfer it to the oven and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the heat. Turn the oven's heat down to 350˚F and continue to cook until cooked to the desired doneness. I suggest taking the roast out of the oven when its internal temperature reaches 115°F to 120°F — it’ll keep cooking as it rests.
- Rest the meat. Remove the roast from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting.
In the meantime, prepare the Au Jus.
- Strain the juices. Take the pan juices and strain them through a mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Discard the bits in the mesh sieve, and pour the strained liquid back into the roasting pan.
- Cook down the sauce. Place the roasting pan over the stovetop burners and cook over medium heat. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and wine; scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
- Finish the au jus sauce. Stir in the beef broth and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and heated through.
- Serve. Slice the prime rib and serve it with the prepared au jus sauce.
Notes
- Cooking Time: Estimate 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time per pound.
- Please use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check for doneness. Whatever you do, avoid overcooking this pricey cut of meat. When the internal temperature registers at 115˚F to 120˚F, pull it out and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 20 minutes.
- Cut against the grain: For a tender and juicy bite, observe the direction of the muscle fibers and slice across them, not parallel.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How To Cook A Prime Rib Roast
Let’s talk about how to cook the best prime rib roast! It’s all about a good cut of meat, simple seasoning, and the right roasting time. You’ll end up with a perfectly tender, juicy roast every single time.
- Room temperature meat: First, you should let the beef sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before roasting.
- Season the beef roast: To make the rub, add olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic to a blender and process until well combined. Then, pat dry the roast with paper towels, season it with salt and pepper, and then rub in the prepared garlic mixture.
- Roast: Pop it in a 450˚F oven, uncovered, and cook for 30 minutes; then, lower the temperature to 350˚F and continue to cook until done. When done, transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. prime rib roast temperature medium
- Meanwhile, make the Au Jus: Strain the juices from the roasting pan through a mesh sieve into a measuring cup, discarding the solids. Return the strained juices to the roasting pan and place it over medium heat on the stovetop. Whisk in Worcestershire sauce and red wine, scraping up the browned bits for extra flavor, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Mix in the beef broth and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced and heated through.
- Serve: Using a sharp knife, slice the roast between the rib bones and serve with au jus on the side for drizzling or dipping.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator or Freezer. Leftover prime rib should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. I advise cutting it into steaks beforehand so it’s easier to handle and reheat.
- Reheat. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the roast in a pan with about a cup of beef broth, and cook for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Best thing I have made our family for Christmas. My husband said he never had any meat that tasted so good. It came out perfect. Thank you
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
You must use a digital thermometer to get a perfect temperature. I did want the center of my roast to be on the rare side so the ends could be more medium-rare. I put the thermometer in and followed directions until 115. Then took the roast out. The roast rested and the temperature actually rose to 125 degrees. Iโm glad I didnโt wait until 120 the roast was cooked beautifully medium rare end cuts and fairly rare center. Delicious
Have you made this with sou vide? If you have, how long did you put it in for?
Hi!
I haven’t made this with sous vide, but reading through a few recipes on the net, I see that you should cook it at 132ยฐF for six hours. Beef should be placed in a large ziploc bag. Hope that helps.