The Perfect Roasted Prime Rib is a classic for several reasons. It's beyond delicious, simple to make, and a true crowd pleaser. While it's a frequent star of a holiday table, prime rib is something we love any time of year. Once you try this recipe, you'll see why.
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Roasted Prime Rib is one of the world's true delights and a absolute favorite for me. If given the choice in a steak situation, I'll go with prime rib every time. It's tender and wonderful, there is usually a sauce (or two!), and that amazing crust. That crust is the stuff of my dreams.
And, don't let a cut like prime rib intimidate you. It's arguably one of the easiest beef recipes out there. All to do is slap on a compound butter, roast is quickly at a high heat, and then drop it down to a low heat for a bit. After it's cooked to your liking, this amazing cut of beef just needs to sit so that the juices reabsorb. Slice and serve and that's it!
A Roasted Prime Rib is a show stopper no matter when or how you serve it. We love it during the holidays, but it's a welcome treat anytime of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I use bone-in or boneless prime rib?
This is totally personal preference. This recipe will work for both! If you buy a bone-in, ask the butcher to cut the bone off and tie it to the roast for you. This will allow you to cook the bones with the meat. The bones make a nice base for the meat to sit on, but then you can easily remove them before carving. If using a boneless prime rib, you will want to set it on a rack inside the roasting pan to cook.
What temperature should I cook my prime rib to?
This is a personal preference situation. In my household, we like rare to barely medium-rare, so I aim for about 125°F final temp. Just remember, pull the rib roast 10-15 degrees before your preferred final temperature.
How many pounds do I need?
The general rule of thumb is 1 pound of prime rib per person. That is a lot of protein, but we are carnivores around here. Just remember you'll also be adding in side dishes.
Here’s a general guideline:
6 people: you'll need a 4 ½ pounds
8 people: you'll need a 6 pounds
12 people: you'll need a 9 pounds
Tips and Tricks
- Let the rib roast sit out at room temperature for at least 1 hour. This will ensure even cooking.
- If you use dried rosemary or dried thyme, cut back on the amount. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs.
- If you are using a bone-in roast, place it in the roasting pan with the bones down. If using a boneless roast, place it on the rack inside the pan.
- Use a good quality meat thermometer. Prime rib is an expensive cut of meat. You want to cook it to a proper temperature and and a good thermometer will take the guess work out of the equation.
- Allow for carry-over cooking. The roast will continue to cook an additional 10-15 degrees more after you remove it from the oven. Determine your desired doneness and pull the roast at least 10 degrees before it hits that mark.
- Arrange the racks in your oven so that the prime rib will sit in the center.
- After pulling the roast from the oven, LET IT REST. At least 30 minutes. This will allow all of the wonderful juices to reabsorb into the meat. You've spent a lot of money and you want the best result you can get. Let the meat rest.
- Cut the meat across the grain to ensure maximum tenderness.
- If you prefer, strain the final au jus with a fine mesh sieve for a more refined look. Keep it warm on the stovetop until you're ready to serve.
Cooking Temperatures
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meat:
- Rare: 120° F
- Medium Rare: 130° F
- Medium: 140° F
- Medium Well:150° F - I don't recommend cooking a prime rib past medium.
- Don't cook a prime rib to well done. Please.
In general, you'll need 10-15 minutes of roasting time (not including the 15 minutes at 500°) per pound. Just keep an eye on your meat thermometer to make this part easy.
Prime Rib Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Horseradish Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2-3 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Prime Rib
- 6 lbs prime rib roast
- 4 tablespoon butter, softened
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1-2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Au Jus
- 3 cups beef broth
- ⅓ cup dry red wine you can add a little more if you like a more pronounced wine flavor
- 2-4 tablespoon pan drippings
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
The Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Mix the sour cream, horseradish, white wine vinegar, heavy cream, and fresh chives together in a bowl. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
The Prime Rib
- Take the beef out of the fridge and let it rest at room temperature on the counter top for at least an hour.
- Mix the softened butter together with the dijon, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
- Spread the butter mixture all over the roast. Top, bottom, sides - all over.
- Roast the prime rib in a preheated 500° oven for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 325°.
- Cook until you reach your desired doneness. There will be between 10-15 degrees of carry-over cooking after the roast comes out of the oven. Pull your rib roast when there is 10-15 degrees more to go and tent it lightly with aluminum foil.
The Au Jus
- After removing the roast to rest, simmer beef broth and dry red wine along with the pan drippings until this mixture has reduced by half. Finish with the Worcestershire sauce. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper if desired.
Finishing and Serving
- After the roast has rested for at least 30 minutes, slice against the grain. Serve with the horseradish sauce and au jus. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
Other Recipes You'll Love
Prime Rib Soup - Should you have any leftover prime rib, you have to make this soup. It's rich and creamy and I make extra prime rib just for this very reason!
French Dip Sliders - If you love a good meaty sandwich with an incredible dipping sauce, this is for you. And, it comes together quickly because it's a super simple Instant Pot recipe!
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu - A fantastic approach to a meaty pasta sauce that just need a little cooked pasta! It's so simple and the entire family will love it!
Joey Lopez says
This was incredible! Will be doing it again for Christmas.
Rufus says
Thank you so very much! I'm so happy you loved it!
Jo Riddel says
Absolute perfection!