Are you ready for the BEST Prime Rib recipe? This is a no-fail, meltingly tender and juicy, garlic-crusted prime rib that will have all your guests swooning. This standing beef rib roast is perfect for Christmas and the holidays, or any special occasion worthy of a little splurge.
Why You’ll Love This PRime Rib Recipe
Prime rib (also known as standing rib roast) is up there next to turkey, honey baked ham, filet mignon and beef tenderloin in terms of intimidating recipes. It’s a big, pricey chunk of meat and often the centerpiece of a Christmas dinner. That means you don’t want to accidentally over cook it or mess it up, especially if you have guests over. But I’ve got some good news for you! I’ve been making this prime rib recipe for years and it delivers perfect results every time. Here’s why I love it, and you will too!
- Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s worth it. Sure, you can save money with more affordable cuts of meat. But if you’ve enjoyed a perfectly roasted prime rib, you also know that it’s worth every penny for that beautiful, tender, show-stopping piece of meat.
- The ingredient list is simple. A cut of meat this good doesn’t need much. Heck, simple salt and pepper works just fine. But today, we’ll make a simple garlic herb butter for the ultimate flavorful crust.
- It’s really easy to cook. While you may find different cooking methods online, like a reverse sear, this easy, no-fail prime rib is the one I come back to year after year. And I promise you’ll get raving accolades all around. Just read all of the positive reviews below!
Prime Rib Ingredients
- Prime Rib: Grab a bone-in prime rib from your butcher. For details on picking the best one, keep reading below.
- Butter: This helps the seasoning stick to the meat and crisps up the outside. You could also use ghee if you’re dairy-sensitive.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary and thyme pair beautifully with the garlic.
- Salt & Pepper: You need a good amount of salt! And make sure to use kosher salt and not table salt. Kosher salt has a coarser grain and helps to add texture to the outside crust. And freshly cracked black pepper finishes it off.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
What Size Prime Rib to Buy?
The general rule of thumb is 1 pound of prime rib per person. But in my experience, that’s a lot of meat! I think ¾ pound per person is a better estimate, or even ½ pound if you’re serving it up with a lot of sides. Here’s a general guideline:
- For 6 people: get a 4 ½ pound prime rib
- For 8 people: get a 6 pound prime rib
- For 12 people: get a 9 pound prime rib
Bone-in Versus Boneless Prime Rib
You have the option of purchasing either a bone-in or boneless prime rib. Both work just fine in this recipe, though I personally prefer bone-in. The bones act as a natural rack, keeping the meat elevated when cooking, and they insulate the meat, keeping it extra juicy. If you do use a boneless version, it will cook a bit faster. So always judge doneness based on internal temperature rather than time.
Pro Tip: Ask your butcher to cut the bones off, but then tie them back on! This gives you all the benefits of the bones with none of the work of having to slice them off. You just have to cut the string and remove the bones before serving. Super easy!
The Cut of Meat: Prime Versus Choice
Don’t confuse the name prime rib with the grade of meat. Prime rib can come in prime or choice cuts. Prime cuts are the most expensive and have beautiful fat marbling (which translates to lots of delicious flavor!). Choice cuts have slightly less marbling, and are slightly cheaper.
Pro Tip: Most grocery stores only carry choice cuts, and often only on the weekends. If you want a prime cut it’s best to plan ahead, as you may have to order it from your butcher.
Equipment You’ll Need
All you need are three basic items for the perfect prime rib – an oven-safe pan or roasting tray, a thermometer, and a sharp knife.
- Pan or Roasting Tray: I prefer a sturdy, oven-safe, cast-iron pan for this recipe (assuming my roast fits in the pan). Because then it’s really easy to make the au jus with the leftover juices in the pan on the stove. If you’re cooking a large roast though, you’ll likely need a larger roasting pan.
- Thermometer: The most important thing to make the BEST prime rib is a thermometer. Nailing the right temperature is key! You can use a probe thermometer (that you’ll leave in the meat), an instant read thermometer, or a basic meat thermometer.
- Knife: A good sharp knife is essential to those beautiful cuts. You could use either a carving knife or chef’s knife.
How to Cook Prime Rib
Remove the prime rib from the fridge. Let it come to room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before cooking.
Room temperature meat is key! To ensure the prime rib is cooked evenly it must be at room temperature before going into the oven. Otherwise, you’ll end up with well-done meat on the ends and raw meat in the middle, which is definitely not ideal. So remember to remove it from the fridge 2 to 3 hours before cooking.
Make the garlic herb butter. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C), then mix together the butter, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Pat and coat. After the prime rib has come to room temperature, pat it down with a few paper towels to remove any moisture. Then slather it all over with the garlic herb butter mix.
It’s time to roast it. Place the prime bones side down in an oven-safe pan or roasting pan. Place onion slices around the meat if you plan to make the red wine au jus (if not, you can omit them). Then roast the prime rib for 20 minutes at the high temperature, to sear the outside and create a crust. After you’ve seared the outside, reduce the temperature to 325°F (160°C), and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness (see chart below).
Let it rest. Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. You can tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
Slice it up. Remove the strings that are keeping the bones attached or slice the bones off the meat. Then, carve the prime rib into thick ½-inch slices and serve with the red wine au jus.
How Long to Cook Prime Rib
I’m cooking a 6 pound prime rib for this recipe, which will take about an hour and a half. Estimate 13 to 15 minutes per pound for medium-rare. If your prime rib is larger or smaller you’ll need to adjust the cook time. Here are a few estimates, but remember to always go by internal temperature, not time. Especially as all ovens cook slightly differently.
- 2 ribs (4 to 5 pounds) – 60 to 70 minutes
- 3 ribs (7 to 8½ pounds) – 1½ to 1¾ hours
- 4 ribs (9 to 10½ pounds) – 1¾ to 2¼ hours
Standing Rib Roast Internal Temperature
It’s important to remember that there will be residual heat and carryover cooking, once you remove the prime rib from the oven. That means the internal temperature will continue to rise 7 to 10 degrees. So don’t overcook it! And always (always) let it rest, for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Rare – remove at 110°F. Rested temp will be 117 to 120°F. Center is bright red, pinkish toward the outer edges.
- Medium Rare – remove at 120°F. Rested temp will be 127 to 130°F. Center is very pink, slightly brown toward the outer edges.
- Medium – remove at 130°F. Rested temp will be 137 to 140°F. Center is light pink, outer portion is brown.
- Medium well – remove at 140°F. Rested temp will be 147 to 150°F. No pink.
- Well – remove at 150°F. Rested temp will be 157 to 165°F.
Storage Tips
If you have leftovers after your dinner or party, not to worry, you can save them! You definitely don’t want this expensive cut of meat going to waste. You can turn leftovers into prime rib tacos (they’re amazingly good) or enjoy slices reheated with the sides mentioned below. Here’s how to store the meat:
- In the fridge: If you have just a few slices and plan to eat it later that week, you can store leftovers in a sealed storage container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- In the freezer: If you have more leftovers than you can handle, freeze them! Let the meat cool completely. Then slice it up, place it in freezer safe bags, and squeeze all the air out. It’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To reheat: If the meat is frozen, thaw it in the fridge the day before you’d like to eat it. Then, just microwave it for a minute or two, until it’s warmed through.
What to Serve with Prime Rib
I always love a good potato and veggie side dish. Some of my favorite sides to serve with prime rib include:
- Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes – Continue the garlic herb theme with these roasted potatoes (pictured above).
- Green Beans with Shallots – These crisp green beans are light and fresh (pictured above).
- Mashed Potatoes – Who can resist creamy mashed potatoes?
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts – You’ll love the crispy outsides on these sprouts.
- Thanksgiving Peas – While I love to serve these peas with pancetta and pear at Thanksgiving, you can enjoy them for Christmas dinner as well (or any time of year!)
And while I’m serving this prime rib with a red wine au jus, you could also serve it up with a homemade horseradish sauce. Either one is divine!
Your friends and family are going to be head over heels for this prime rib. If you make it this holiday season or serve it up for Christmas dinner, I’d love to hear what you and your loved ones think in a comment below!
Description
Video
Equipment
- 12" Cast Iron Pan I use this pan all the time in the kitchen.
- Instant Read Thermometer A necessary tool when cooking large roasts.
Ingredients
Prime Rib
- 6 pounds prime rib, bone-in (with bones cut off and tied back on)
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered (if making the red wine au jus)
Red Wine Au Jus (Optional)
- ¼ cup drippings from prime rib pan, make sure to separate the fat from the drippings
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder (in a slurry) to thicken
Instructions
Prime Rib
- Bring to room temperature. Remove the prime rib from the fridge 2 to 3 hours before cooking, and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Make the herb butter. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.
- Coat the prime rib. After the prime rib has come to room temperature, pat it down with paper towels to make sure it's dry. Then, rub the entire outside of the prime rib with the herb butter mixture.
- Prep the prime rib. Place the prime rib in an oven-safe pan or roasting tray with the bone-side down, fat-side up. If you're making the red wine au jus, place the onion slices in the pan around the meat. If not, you can omit the onions.
- Cook the prime rib. Cook the prime rib in the center of the oven for 20 minutes at 450°F (230°C). It should get a nice sear on the outside. If it doesn't have much of a crust, cook it a few minutes longer. Then, reduce the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and continue cooking the prime rib until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (50°C). This should take about an hour and a half for medium-rare. Note: go by temperature (listed above), and not time, as it will depend on the size of your prime rib and your oven.
- Let it rest. Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. You can tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Then, remove the string and bones, and slice it up into thick ½-inch thick slices.
Optional: Red Wine Au Jus
- Simmer. After you've removed the fat from the pan, add up to ¼ cup of drippings back in along with the beef broth and red wine. If you have leftover herbs, you can toss those in as well. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half. It's meant to be a thin sauce, but if you'd like to add a little bit of a thickener, you can do that as well.
- Strain and serve. Strain the au jus to remove the onion and any browned bits, then transfer to a serving bowl and/or drizzle over the prime rib.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you can, get your butcher to cut the bones off the prime rib, and tie them back on for you. It’s much easier to simply snip the string and remove them at the end!
- Keep an eye on the internal temperature even while the prime rib is resting. If you rest it too long, the temperature may increase a bit too much.
- For the red wine au jus, I recommend a fat separator, to ensure your sauce isn’t too greasy.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally posted December 2020, but updated to include new information for your benefit!
Great Rib! Au Jus amazing!!!
Glad you enjoyed this prime rib recipe!
Followed your instructions to the letter. We removed the roast at 120° and it was absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe and so many others.
Happy to hear your prime rib turned out perfectly, Marsha!
I made a 7 bone garlic butter and herb prime rib and the meat was so tender I just couldn’t believe it, it was just perfect, didn’t feel guilty about spending $550 on it
Thrilled to hear your prime rib was a success, Robert!
Recipe came out perfect. I took the beef out of the oven at 116 degrees for med rare. Also added mushrooms to the jus. Making French dip sandwiches today with the leftovers, and freezing the rest.
Happy to hear your prime rib turned out perfectly, Carla!
Made this and it was very easy and absolutely delicious … I didn’t .get to take a photo as everyone was too hungry by time it was done and it was devoured in minutes!! Would definitely make it again!!
Happy to hear your prime rib turned out perfectly, Mary!
I made this for New Years Day and my company LOVED it! It was so easy to make and came out delicious. This is going into my permanent recipe book and will pass it down to my kids.
I’m so glad everyone loved this prime rib recipe, Stephanie!
I’ve never made prime rib before, it’s an expensive piece of meat to mess up. This recipe was easy and the roast turned out beautifully. Took it out of the oven at 119 and came up to 125- perfectly pink. I added a little balsamic glaze to the au jus. Raves from everyone at my new years day dinner. Thanks!!!
Sounds like the perfectly cooked prime rib! Enjoy,Vee!
My husband makes the same Prime Rib every year… I’ve been trying (and loving a bunch of Downshiftology recipes lately so this year, I talked him into trying this. It wasn’t easy… BUT we now have a new holiday prime rib recipe. Delicious and the recipe so straight forward! Even our “minimal meat eaters” came back for more! Thank you, Lisa!
Aw, I’m so glad you decided to go with this recipe for Christmas, Erin!!
This recipe is fool proof!! I have been using it for 4 years now and it works every time. i don’t even need to use a thermometer and it wows all my guests every year. We typically have 25+ people at Christmas dinner so I end up making three roasts and they all come out perfect. Thanks Lisa!!
Thrilled to hear your prime rib turned out beautifully for Christmas dinner, Sara!!
Delish!!! Only addition was garlic cloves stuffed in around bones and strands of rosemary from garden laced in twine
Been baking PR in rock salt base with oil an herbal coating. Always good. Wanting to omit rock salt.
Hi Kathy – Glad your prime rib was a success!
I love your prime rib recipe. 3rd Christmas I have made it. Use the cast iron skillet and a meat thermometer is key to perfection. I love the garlic butter topping!! My whole family loves it. Thank you!!
Glad this prime rib has become a staple, Linda!
“No-Fail” is right!!! Many years ago, I followed a different recipe, and it was an epic FAIL. I was nervous to attempt it again, but your recipe is so easy to follow, and it turned out perfect. It’s now a family favorite at several of our holiday get togethers during the year!!
Hi Pamski – Thrilled to hear your prime rib was a success!
Excellent recipe, easy to follow! So tasty, and the au jus turned out great as well.
I used a 4lb boneless ribeye, it was about medium after cooking for roughly 45 min.
Thank you Lisa! First time I’ve successfully made a ribeye roast on Christmas without overcooking!
And I highly recommend your roasted garlic potatoes as well, delicious!
Thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit for Christmas dinner, Tawny!
I use this recipe every Christmas! Highly recommend. I also double the herb butter sometimes.
I’m so glad this recipe has become a Christmas tradition, Victoria!
This was the perfect prime rib I’ve ever made. I followed this recipe exactly after reading through it a few times. Nothing went wrong and my family loved it. Thank you for these step by step instructions. I’ll always make this just as I did for Christmas !
Happy to hear you’ve found the perfect prime rib recipe, Beth!!
So good! I make it yearly and it is fantastic!
Glad this prime rib is a hit every year, Stephanie!
This prime rib is without fail the BEST prime recipe you’ll find! Quick tip. This year my mom whipped the butter mixture and that made it even easier to slather all over the meat.
Glad you found the perfect prime rib recipe, Eleni!
Very easy to prepare and delicious! Adding to my recipes for favorites!
Happy to hear your prime rib turned out great, Maureen!
I have always enjoyed preparing and eating great beef entries like steaks, briskets and roasts.
Although I enjoy eating Prime Rib, usually in restaurants that have good reputations for their prime ribs yet, I have never attempted preparing one for my family or friends. I happened upon Lisa’s recipe for Garlic Crusted Prime Rib while searching for an alternative for the main meat entre for our family Christmas dinner. After reading through her recipe, I thought “What the heck, I’ll give it a try!” The Prime Rib was a great success with all my family with statements such as so moist, tender, wonderfully prepared. But the best compliment came from my 6 year old grandson, whose go to entre is NaNa’s Mac & Cheese, asked for second helpings of the prime rib while leaving the Mac & Cheese untouched. Thanks Lisa for this wonderful recipe. I believe this dish will become a new family meal tradition.
I’m so glad you decided to make my recipe for Christmas dinner, and that it turned out perfectly! Enjoy, Don :)
So easy to make and made me feel confident about going ahead with this expensive cut of meat. I have a thermometer probe that is in the oven that allows setting to tge perfect temperature. When I took it out to rest it allowed perfect timing to get my Yorkshire pudding done. Will definitely do this one again as it made the work and then outcome so amazing. Thanks Lisa!!
Thrilled to hear you loved this prime rib recipe, Derek!
We boosted the garlic by a few more cloves and my gosh, the au jus was incredible for dipping your bites of perfect prime rib!!
Love how simple and straight forward the recipe is.
Glad you loved this recipe, along with the au jus sauce, Kate!
This is the 5th year that I have followed this recipe and one again, it was a hit. In the past I’ve used approximately 7 lb prime ribs but Costco had such a great deal on a 12 lb prime rib that I couldn’t resist. Plenty for Christmas dinner with enough left over for guests to take home. I will continue to serve this for years to come! This is probably my favorite Downshiftology recipe.
Wow, that’s a huge prime rib! Glad it was a hit again this year, Michael.
I have made prime rib for the last 4 to 5 years on Christmas Day. There is always just a little something off. This year, I made this recipe and it turned out perfect. Easy to follow directions and love the added coaching. It will be my go to prime rib recipe in the future.
Glad this prime rib recipe was a success, Tim!
This recipe for Prime Rib was outstanding! Given the high quality and cost of this cut of beef, I tended to shy away from preparing this dish. After reviewing Lisa’s recipe, I decided I would give it a try as the main dish for our family Christmas dinner. Following this recipe and Lisa tips delivered as promised. The prime rib was delicious and my family loved it. I think this dish will become a new Christmas tradition.
Hi Don – Amazing! Happy to hear your prime rib was a success for Christmas dinner.
Delicious!!!!! Now I can make the best prime rib 🥰
Woohoo! Glad your prime rib was a success, Lorena.
Turned out very tender inside and had the crispy outside crust. The seasoning was so flavorful, and the meat was juicy! Will definitely use this recipe again!
Happy to hear your prime rib turned out perfectly, Gigi!
Made this recipe for Christmas dinner. It was fantastic and as noted no fail ! All our guests raved how good the prime rib was. I was a bit nervous as I never made prime rib before yet it was very easy !
Thank you for making our Christmas even more special.
Thrilled to hear your prime rib turned out perfectly, Rose!
What a great recipe! Straightforward and easy with a delicious result! This juicy and flavorful roast was the highlight for sure!
I’m happy to hear it was the highlight of your dinner! Merry Christmas, Adrienne!
Hands down the best prime rib I’ve ever cooked! It’s such an expensive piece of meat that you hate to mess it up! This was a fool proof recipe that my family and I LOVED!
Yay, so happy you loved this prime rib, Julie. Merry Christmas!
For 3 years now, I’ve used this recipe for our family’s Christmas dinner.
It is juicy, it is perfectly seasoned & the best part, it’s super easy! I highly recommend this to any cook, you will not go wrong with this recipe & a good meat thermometer.
Thank you Lisa!
You’re so very welcome, Becky! Thanks for coming back to this recipe year after year.
Fantastic recipe, everyone raved about how flavorful the prime rib turned out.
Wonderful! So happy to hear that. Thanks, Michelle!