Prime Rib Roast Recipe

Prime Rib Roast Recipe – learn how to make a  juicy and flavorful, perfectly cooked bone-in prime rib. Perfect for Christmas and the holiday season. Different cooking options and instructional video included.

This is seriously the best, foolproof Prime Rib Roast Recipe. Remember that perfectly cooked slice of prime rib, you had at a restaurant? Now you can make it at home and enjoy it with your family and friends.

Bone-n Black Angus Standing Rib Roast, covered in herb butter, roasted at low temperature until rare to medium-rare (120-130F) and then roasted at 500 F for around 10 minutes, until it gets a nice crust.

There are so many things I’d like to share with you about making this Prime Rib Roast Recipe at home. But if I miss something, make sure you leave a message with your question.

What is Prime Rib?

The most important question, if you are not sure what exactly to buy. Standing rib roast, Beef Bone-In Rib Roast, aka “Prime Rib” is. A beef roast or steak cut from the seven ribs immediately before the loin.

In addition to full prime rib, you can get a loin-end rib roast, which is also known as “first cut.” It’s a smaller cut with less fat.

You can find both boneless and bone-in prime rib roast. While they both taste amazing, today we are about bone-in prime rib roast and how to cook it.

Is prime rib and ribeye the same thing?

Is Prime Rib the Same as Ribeye? Both prime rib and rib eye are cut from the rib of a cow. However, prime rib is generally a large cut of beef that contains a large bone, while a rib eye is a smaller steak that is either boneless or only has a small piece of bone.

What ingredients do you need to make this Prime Rib Roast Recipe?

This flavorful piece of meat does not need a lot of seasoning. Just salt and coarse black pepper is fine.

But you know me, I like to add some herbs and spices to my roasts. I made a herb (compound ) butter with garlic, thyme, oregano and  rosemary and rubber it on the fat side and around the sides of the meat. This ensured that the tip is flavorful, juicy and crispy.

• prime rib roast (with the bones)
• salt
• pepper
• butter
• garlic
• thyme
• oregano
• rosemary

How to season prime rib?

Prime rib meat does not need a lot of seasoning. It is already a flavorful cut of meat. Just salt and black pepper will be enough.

I used a combination of butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano and rosemary.

You can also add cumin or paprika.

Any store bought or homemade steak seasoning works on prime rib.

How to choose prime rib roast for the holidays?

Choosing the perfect prime rib roast can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for.

Make sure you know what size roast you are looking for.

Look at the meat – the more marbling it has the more juicy and delicious the final product will be.

I’ve heard people recommend that you choose or ask for a piece of meat form the small end (the loin end) not the large end that is closer to the chuck.

Meat from the small end is generally more tender.

How to prepare prime rib for cooking?

If you are cooking the prime rib in the morning, I recommend that you sprinkle it generously with salt (Kosher salt preferably) and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. This makes the outside of the prime rib dry out and locks in the moisture on the inside.

Before baking (roasting), take it out of the fridge for at least 1.5-2 hours (ideally) to get to room temperature. I’ve had situations where I don’t have any time to wait and have to pop the roast in the oven right away. Don’t worry, it will still cook, but leaving it to get to room temperature ensures that the roast cooks properly and evenly.

Prepare your herb butter and spread it on top (fatty side) and the sides of the meat.

How to tie and bone the roast?

Why do you tie roasts? You certainly don’t have to do it, but tying helps keep the roast’s shape and makes it look pretty.

To tie your prime rib – using a simple knot, tie pieces of string around the roast so that the string runs between the spaces of each of the rib bones. Or ask the butcher to do it for you.

How to make the perfect Prime Rib Roast ?

1. Choose and purchase the beef roast.
2. Tie and bone (optional, ask the butcher to do it for you). I did not tie my roast and the fat separated a bit from the meat during baking.
3. Sprinkle with salt and let it stand uncovered in the fridge overnight.
4. Take out of the fridge. Do not rinse the salt.
5. Preheat oven to 230F.
6. Prepare the herb butter. Spread the butter over the top (fat side) and the sides of the roast.
7. Place on a baking sheet and boast fat side up for 3-4 hours, until the inside reaches a temperature of 120 F.
8. Remove from the oven and cover with foil.
9. Preheat oven to 500 F. Brown the meat (uncovered) for 10 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

At what temperature and how long to cook prime rib roast in the oven for?

Please look at the different methods I’ve mentioned below.

For this particular recipe, I used the reverse sear method.

I cooked the meat at 230 F for 3.5 hours, or until it reached 120 F internal temperature. Then I browned the meat for 10 minutes at 500 F to make the outside crispy.

What are the different methods for cooking Prime Rib Roast

• roasting
• grilling
• smoking
• slow cooker
• sous vide

When it comes to roasting, there are three different methods I’ve tried so far.

Here is the time to mention that while I eat meat that is cooked rare, I prefer my prime rib more on the medium-rare to medium side of doneness.

Different ways to roast prime rib

1. The first method is the most popular one, where you roast the prime rib in the oven at 500 F to brown it. Calculate the time to brown the roast allowing 5 minutes for each pound of meat. For example a 6 pound roast, will require 30 minutes browning time. Turn the oven off and don’t open the door. After 2 hours, the center of the roast will be 135, which is medium-rare. If you’d like to cook it more, leave it in the oven longer. Rest for 15 minutes, before cutting.
2. The second method is cooking (browning) the prime rib roast in the oven for 15 minutes until browned and then reducing the temperature to 325-350 and roasting to finish, it takes approximately 11 minutes per pound for rare and 14 minutes for medium-rare. Take out of the oven and rest for 15 minutes, before cutting.
3. The third method for making the best prime rib is the one I used to make the prime rib roast on the photos. It is called the reverse sear technique. Why do I like it? It does not result in a overly dry outside part of the meat. The transition from medium to rare throughout the meat is perfect. For someone like me, who doesn’t like extremely red rare prime rib inside this technique allows you to cook the inside to medium-rare, without drying out the outside. It is basically roasting the meat at 130 F for 2.5-4.5 hours, depending on the size, until it reaches 120 F. Then take it out and cover with foil. Preheat oven to 500 F. Roast for 10 minutes, to achieve a brown exterior. The prime rib on the pictures was cooked to 125 F and then browned for 12 minutes, because we generally prefer medium prime rib. If you aim for more rare inside, cook to 120 F and brown for 6-8 minutes.

Roasting time varies depending on the shape and weight of the roast, roasting pan and oven. It is best if you have an oven safe thermometer to insert in the roast while cooking. This will prevent overcooking it.

How to reheat prime rib?

Cooked, leftover prime rib roast is best reheated in the oven at low temperature (around 300 F), in a pan, with some beef broth or au jus for 20-25 minutes.

Grilled Prime Rib

Looking for a different cooking method for Prime Rib?

This Rotisserie Prime Rib from Heartbeet Kitchen is made on the grill for a tender, flavorful and smoky result.

What to serve this juicy home baked prime rib with?

• Feta mashed potatoes
• Balsamic Grilled Vegetables
• Baked Brussel Sprouts With Bacon
• 15 Salads You Need To Try