Prime Rib is a holiday favorite with my family, but you don’t have to wait for Christmas to enjoy it! Any day is the perfect day for this fool-proof prime rib recipe!
I worked in a steak house years. I saw great cuts of meat every night, and I loved making steak at home. Still do. But I never tackled a prime rib until now. It seemed like the Mount Everest of roasts to me. It’s the same cut as the ribeye steak we love, but an entire roast of that meat. You can imagine my trepidation that I’d goof while cooking prime rib and make a high dollar mistake. It didn’t happen. I nailed it and you can too!
Please don’t be scared and make this roast. You guys, it’s so much easier than I ever thought it was. I psyched myself about this steak for years. I was so afraid I’d mess it up on my first go-round.
There’s nothing hard about making a prime rib. Just take your time, following my tips, and watch your temp. You’ve got this, and I’m going to hold your hand the whole way through.
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I always thought cooking prime rib at home was for a fancy holiday meal. It’s not a cheap cut of meat by any stretch, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it any time you like. I’ll be honest, I splurged. I got this roast and invited a couple of friends over for dinner and wine…on a Tuesday. That’s right. It wasn’t even the weekend. No fancy dinner party here. Just this prime rib recipe, some roasted potatoes, red wine jus from the pan juices, and horseradish sauce for the prime rib. Perfection.
Even though the roast was pricey and it took hours to cook properly, this meal was SO much cheaper than going out for a steak dinner. We would have easily spent four times as much going out and having this same meal. So really, you’re doing yourself a favor making this prime rib roast. That’s the way I justified the splurge to myself anyway.
Let’s talk about this meat!
What cut of meat is prime rib?
- Prime rib comes from a standing rib roast (also called a prime rib roast). It’s one of the primal cuts of beef and comes from the rib. The “standing” part of this roast’s name stems from this cut being roasted “standing” on the rib bones so the meat doesn’t touch the pan. Just like we’re doing here.
When you head to the store or butcher shop to get your roast, head right to the meat counter. Don’t look through the meat case. Unless it’s December, your roast isn’t going to be there. Talk to your butcher and tell him or her you’re making prime rib and need a standing rib roast. You want prime grade beef.
They’ll ask how big, and you’ll need to tell them how many bones you want.
What size standing rib roast should I get?
- Plan on feeding 2 people per rib. This 4 bone roast will serve about 8 people. For a small meal, a 2 bone roast will serve 4 people.
They’ll most likely ask if you want the bones cut off and tied back on. This is your call. I left the bones on. I’m comfortable butchering the meat after it cooks and I don’t mind the effort. But if you want to keep things easy, tell your butcher to remove the bones and tie them back on. They’ll sit just like they normally do on the roast so you can use them as the cooking rack. But when the roast is done, all you need to do is cut the butcher’s twine and take the roast off the bones. Then you’re ready to start slicing one the prime rib has rested.
If you’re leaving the bones on, be sure to have your butcher remove some of the excess fat above the bones. (See where my finger is pointing in the picture up there?) You don’t want to take it all off, but trimming it down will help your cost since it’s an excess weight on the roast you won’t use for anything.
A great prime rib roast recipe doesn’t need to be fancy. Sure you can add aromatics like garlic and onion to the roasting pan, but they didnt’ do anything for me. It’s all about the meat here friends. I coated the roast in a simple rub. I didn’t want to take away from the meat or create a crazy crust. I’m also not into the wet rubs with horseradish and a ton of herbs. We’re keeping it basic. It’s great. Trust me.
Prime Rib Rub
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
How to Cook Prime Rib
If you want to serve this roast around 5:30 pm, you’ll need to start this process at 11:00 am.
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Remove roast from fridge 1 hour before starting to cook to let it come up to room temperature. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F about 30 minutes into the hour. Once the oven is preheated, leave it at 250F for 30 minutes.
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While the oven stays hot, remove standing rib roast from packing and place on a cutting board or baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over roast and use your hands to spread it all over. (You may not need the entire 2 tablespoons, just enough to make sure all the surfaces have a light coating.)
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In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub all of the seasoning mix over every surface of the roast.
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Transfer the roast to a roasting pan (without a rack). Place roast bone side down; the bones will act as the rack.
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Insert the probe for your meat thermometer into the top center of the roast. Push the probe into the meat until it’s about halfway in. You don’t want it touching the bones.
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Turn oven down to 200 degrees F. Place roast on middle oven rack, close oven, and connect probe to meat thermometer. Set thermometer alarm for 118 degrees F. Cook the roast until the alarm goes off, about 3.5 to 4 hours for this size standing rib roast.
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Remove roast from oven. Cover with foil. DO NOT remove probe. Make a tear in the foil to allow it to go around the probe. Rest the roast while you heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Your roast may go up in temperature while it’s resting. That’s okay. You want it to finish around 125F to 130F for medium-rare. -
Once oven is at 500F, remove foil (save foil) and place roast back in the oven. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a nice crispy crust forms and the fat cap breaks.
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Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Recover with the same foil (leave probe in) and let rest for at least 20 minutes. Don’t skip this resting period! It’s important to let the meat rest.
If your roast finished sooner than expected, you can leave it resting like this until you’re ready to serve. -
Once rested, remove foil and probe. Flip the roast over and use a chef’s knife to cut the bones from the meat. Try to stay as close to the bone as you can, and take them off as one rack. (Don’t cut in between in bones.) OR if your butcher tied the bones on for you, remove the ties and bones.
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Flip the roast back over. Cut off the end piece (this will be almost well done). Cut the prime rib into 8 slices. Serve immediately with jus and horseradish sauce, if desired.
I keep mentioning that the probe should stay in the roast. If you take it out before the roast is rested, juices from the meat will sputter out and you’ll lose that moisture. The roast will continue to hemorrhage juices and no one wants that.
At a steak house, you’ll order prime rib by weight. At home, it’s easier to base steak servings off their thickness. Cutting a 3/4-inch to 1-inch steak is a good size to go with. You can slice the roast thinner or thicker depending on how hungry your dinner guests are.
Prime Rib Temperatures
One of the big things about roasting or grilling meats is carryover cooking. Once the meat is removed from the oven it will continue to cook some. That being the case, you want to stop low-heat roasting about 10 degrees before your desired doneness level. I wanted my finished roast to be medium-rare, so I stopped the low-heat roasting at 115 degrees F. While the meat rested it went up to 118F. Then after the high-heat cook to form the crust, it finished at 128 degrees F. Perfection!
Internal temperature vs doneness
- Rare 120F to 125F
- Medium-Rare 125F to 130F
- Medium 135F to 140F
- Medium-Well 145F to 150F
- Well 155F to 165F
You really want to cook your roast to medium-rare. It’s not the same as a regular ribeye steak cooked medium-rare. So don’t get freaked out by the idea of it being bloody. If you want to push the temp to medium, that’s fine, but don’t go over medium.
If you have dinner guests who like their meat more done, you’ll be covered. The ends of the roast, called “end pieces” at the restaurant, will cook to a medium-well or well done because there’s more surface area exposed on the ends. The roast will naturally make those really done cuts, so don’t overcook the whole roast trying to make that happen. Please!! Love your steak people!
When it comes to prime rib cooking time you’ll notice this recipe has vague guidelines. That’s because we’re cooking by temperature and not by weight. Standard cooking times don’t factor in the shape of what you’re cooking or the variance between ovens and their temperatures. Using a probe meat thermometer is really the best way to get your roast done right.
How long does it take to cook prime rib?
- This depends on the size of your roast. This 4 bone standing rib roast took about 4 hours of actual cooking time.
- Then there’s resting time, letting the oven come up to heat, yadda yadda yadda… I’d say you’re looking at about 6 hours from the moment you start to the time everyone sits down at the table.
What is the perfect temperature to cook prime rib?
- Medium-rare is 100% the way to go, and for that you want an internal temperature of 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F.
How long does it take to cook a prime rib at 250 degrees?
- This higher temperature will speed along the cooking a bit. I’d say you’re looking closer to 3 hours for a 4 bone roast.
How long does it take to cook a 10 pound prime rib?
- This roast was 11 pounds, so around 3.5 to 4 hours for medium-rare or medium doneness.
My family’s favorite holiday meals!
- How to Cook Thanksgiving Turkey
- Brown Sugar Bourbon Ham
- Spinach Dip Stuffed Pork Loin
- Pineapple Glazed Ham
- More holiday recipes…
What goes good with prime rib?
- Red Wine Jus & Creamy Horseradish Sauce (recipes below)
- Milk & Honey Dinner Rolls
- Roasted Red Potatoes
- Creamed Spinach with Bacon
- Southern Fried Corn
- Chopped Wedge Salad
- More side dish recipes…
How to Cook Prime Rib
Equipment
Ingredients
Prime Rib
- 11 pound standing rib roast (4 bone roast, from the loin end)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
Red Wine Jus
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup red wine (something you'd drink)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Instructions
Prime Rib
- *If you want to serve this roast around 5:30pm, you'll need to start this process at 11am.Remove roast from fridge 1 hour before starting to cook to let it come up to room temperature. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F about 30 minutes into the hour. Once the oven is preheated, leave it at 250F for 30 minutes.
- While the oven stays hot, remove standing rib roast from packing and place on a cutting board or baking sheet. Drizzle oil over roast and use your hands to spread it all over. (You may not need the entire 2 tablespoons, just enough to make sure all the surfaces have a light coating.)
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub all of the seasoning mix over every surface of the roast.
- Transfer the roast to a roasting pan (without a rack). Place roast bone side down; the bones will act as the rack.
- Insert the probe for your meat thermometer into the top center of the roast. Push the probe into the meat until it's about halfway in. You don't want it touching the bones.
- Turn oven down to 200 degrees F. Place roast on middle oven rack, close oven, and connect probe to meat thermometer. Set thermometer alarm for 118 degrees F. Cook the roast until the alarm goes off, about 3.5 to 4 hours for this size standing rib roast.
- Remove roast from oven. Cover with foil. DO NOT remove probe. Make a tear in the foil to allow it to go around the probe. Rest the roast while you heat the oven to 500 degrees F.*Your roast may go up in temperature while it's resting. That's okay. You want it to finish around 125F to 130F for medium-rare.
- Once oven is at 500F, remove foil (save foil) and place roast back in the oven. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a nice crispy crust forms and the fat cap breaks.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Recover with the same foil (leave probe in) and let rest for at least 20 minutes. Don't skip this resting period! It's important to let the meat rest. *If your roast finished sooner than expected, you can leave it resting like this until you're ready to serve.
- Once rested, remove foil and probe. Flip the roast over and use a chef's knife to cut the bones from the meat. Try to stay as close to the bone as you can, and take them off as one rack. (Don't cut in between in bones.) OR if your butcher tied the bones on for you, remove the ties and bones.
- Flip the roast back over. Cut off the end piece (this will be almost well done). Cut the prime rib into 8 slices (about 1-inch thick). You can cut slices thicker or thinner per your diner's request. Serve immediately with jus and horseradish sauce, if desired.
Red Wine Jus
- Pour off the fat from the roasting pan, but save all those brown bit in the pan. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat.
- Pour in beef broth to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spatula (or spoon) to scrape the brown bits off the pan. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer.
- Once the jus has reduced by half, remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Strain through a sieve and pour into small bowls for serving.
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Stir together horseradish, sour cream, and mayo in a bowl until combined. Serve immediately.*You can easily double or triple the sauce ingredients if you're serving a large group.
Notes
- If you're not comfortable cutting the bones from your roast, have your butcher remove the bones and then tie them back on for you.
Otherwise, you can leave the bones attached and remove after roasting - just be sure to have your butcher remove some of the excess fat along the bone line. - The size of your roast will vary. I asked for a 4 bone roast and it came out to around 11 pounds. We're basing our cooking time on temp, not weight so get whatever size roast works for you.
- Plan on feeding 2 people per rib. This 4 bone roast will serve about 8 people.
- Nutrition is for the roast only. The jus and hoseradish sauce are not included.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Ready to get your roast on? These recipes are family tested and approved!
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