Recipes > Prime Rib Roast
By following 11 easy steps, you can create the most succulent and tender prime rib roast you'll ever serve.
Kimberley Slobodian
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Active Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 7 hrs 30 mins
- Views: 119,681
- Success Rating: 99% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Seasoning the Prime Rib Roast
- 1 first-cut, 3-rib standing roast (approx. 7 lb)
- Maldon or kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- grapeseed oil (for coating)
Method
To prepare the roast, trim off any excess fat, leaving about 1/3" to 1/2" -inch thick of fat to cover the roast.
Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Liberally season the roast with salt and pepper, pressing the seasonings right into the meat.
Lastly, rub the surface of the roast with a light coating of oil.
Step 2: Tempering the Prime Rib Roast
Method
Set a rack over a baking tray and place the roast onto the rack. Let the roast sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour (up to about 4 hours). The closer the roast is brought to room temperature, the less cooking time will be required. This will result in a juicier roast. This is the same thing as tempering steaks prior to cooking them.
Step 3: Preparing to Roast the Prime Rib
- 1 large onion
- 1 or 2 large carrots
- 6 unpeeled garlic cloves
Method
Preheat your oven to 450° F (230° C). For successful roasting, it is important that your oven temperature is accurate, so make sure to test the internal temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer before roasting.
Cut the onion and carrots into large dice. Gather the garlic cloves. Place the vegetables into the bottom of a suitable-sized roasting pan.
You may need to lightly pat the roast dry with paper towels if the salt has extracted any moisture. If using a rack to roast the prime rib, place it on top. Transfer the roast to the roasting pan, fat side up.
Step 4: Searing the Prime Rib
Method
Place the roast into the center of the hot oven and let sear for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a nice, brown crust develops.
Once seared, remove the roast from the oven and keep the oven door open for about 3 to 5 minutes. Let the oven cool down to 250° F (120° C).
While you are waiting for the oven temperature to cool, turn and baste the roast.
Step 5: Roasting the Prime Rib
Method
Once the oven reaches 250° F (120° C), return the roast to the oven. Roast the meat for approximately one hour, turning and basting the roast about every 30 minutes.
Step 6: Testing Prime Rib for Doneness
Method
After the roast has cooked for 1 hour, remove it from the oven. Using a thermometer, test the internal temperature of the roast. Insert the thermometer into the very center of the roast, away from any bones.
The temperature will likely be close to 100° F (38° C). Once the roast reaches this temperature, it will not take much time at all to reach the desired doneness.
Baste and turn the roast and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes or so.
Step 7: Testing Again for Doneness
Method
Test the temperature of the roast again. Continue to roast the meat (remembering to turn and baste about every 30 minutes) until the thermometer registers 130° F (55° C).
Step 8: Resting the Prime Rib Roast
Method
Once the internal temperature of the roast reaches 130° F (55° C), remove the roast from the oven (to achieve medium doneness). It is important to remove the roast from the oven before it reaches the FINAL desired temperature.
Place a rack over a baking tray and transfer the roast onto the rack. Let sit, uncovered for about 5 to 10 minutes before tenting with vented foil.
Let the roast rest for at least 45 minutes. During this time, the temperature will increase about 10 degrees (and reach a medium doneness), due to the carryover cooking. About half way through the resting period, turn the roast to allow the juices and heat to evenly distribute.
As the roast rests, prepare the jus, if desired.
Step 9: Making the Jus
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 cups dark stock
Method
To prepare the jus, strain the contents of the roasting pan. Remove the excess fat and return the juice and mirepoix back to the pan.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and let the juices reduce and the mirepoix caramelize. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any bits. Add the stock and let simmer and reduce by about half to concentrate the flavors. Strain and skim off any fat. Pour the jus into a small pot. Set aside while you carve the roast.
Step 10: Carving the Prime Rib Roast
Method
To carve the roast, cut of the strings, if applicable. Cut off the bones alongside the roast.
Using a sharp knife, gently saw back and forth across the grain to cut into thick, even slices.
Step 11: Serving the Prime Rib Roast
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
As you are carving the roast, bring the jus to a quick simmer so it is nice and hot. Taste the jus and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve the roast immediately with a few tablespoons of jus and some warmed popovers. Enjoy!
54 Comments
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I have a 3 rib, prime rib roast. Should I use convection to roast it and how much do I reduce the cooking time if I do. -
You can use convection if you like. Indeed it may decrease the total cooking time; however I cannot say by how much, as this depends on too many factors...was the meat tempered first, how do you like your meat cooked, etc etc. I would say watch the cooking school lesson on How to Cook Prime Rib, in particular topic 5 - Checking Roasts for Doneness. Cheers! -
I tempered the meat for 3 hours. I I used the "Easy convection Conversion" setting on my oven (it decreased the roasting temp by 25 degrees) and set a digital thermometer into the meat and watched it as time passed. At 1 hour the temp was 97degrees, at 1.5 hours it was only 109 degrees. Time was of the essence so I took it out at 115 degrees and let it sit for 45 mins. The meat was perfect, though the very centre was on the rare side when we heat it our for hot sandwiches for lunch it will also be perfect. The crust stayed crunchy even after it sat for the 45 mins, but I don't think it shortened the cooking time at all. Also, everytime I cook prime rib there isn't very much drippings to baste with am I doing something wrong?
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When cooking prime rib there is not always a lot of pan juices. For more information on this you might want to check out the lesson on How to Roast Prime Rib The lesson may just provide you with a few tips or tricks that you may or may not be aware of. Sounds like you are doing a pretty good job though, so I wouldn't worry too much. Cheers!
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What is recomended to serve at the side dish to prime rib?
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In the video we show mashed potatoes and buttered peas but really there are many sides that would go with Prime Rib...glazed carrots, roasted potatoes, creamed spinach, green beans. Really it depends on your tastes. For more ideas you could always click on the "sides" or "vegetarian" or even "mains" on the recipe page (to the left of the page). Cheers!
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Along with a Ceaser Salad we like to switch up between, fried mushrooms, asparagus, gratin potatoes, stuffed crab, or a great rissoto depending on the cravings. Enjoy! Try a little honey butter along with the prime rib, it is wonderful.
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I got a beautiful sear on my two-pound roast, and then dropped the oven temp to 250F and cooked for another hour per the instructions. The meat was still completely raw inside at the end of that time. Even if my oven thermometer isn't accurate, it can't be off by that much. I usually cook my roast at 350, which is what I ended up bumping the oven up to for another half hour to get the roast up to medium rare.
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Rouxbe Staff
The doneness and degree of "red" or coagulation, it a matter of taste. For instance, I don't like sous-vide red meat at all, the texture is too soft for me. But the difference between 250F and 350F oven is time. Sounds like for your preference the roast needed more time, and could be your oven is not calibrated, or your roast not tempered. Remember, the cooking time is a guide, not a rule. The advantage of roasting at 250 rather than 350 is that there is a lesser chance of over-cooking your roast. It also makes for more even doneness throughout the roast. But if you like to start with a 350 oven, there is nothing wrong with that at all. A good roast is a good roast. You may also want to check out the lesson on "How to Cook Prime Rib" as the lesson goes into quite a bit more detail about the cooking of a good prime rib. Cheers! -
I'm making a prime rib for Christmas, and my whole family is excited. Do you have a recipe for horseradish sauce to serve on the side?
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Rouxbe Staff
We do not have a recipe for this on the site. I did a quick search and found a few popular links. There is this one: How to Prepare Horseradish, this recipe and this one. Lots out there to choose from. Have a great dinner! -
Thanks! I think I'll keep it simple with that first sauce recipe!
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Hi, Which dark stock to you recommend? Chicken, veal, or beef?
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Rouxbe Staff
All will work and they are all good. It just depends on what you prefer and want to make. We do tend to make a lot more dark chicken stock than veal stock...but that is just our preference. Cheers!
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What about roasting, lets say two 2.5 lbs tenderloins. and since there is very little fat what do I do about the ajus. Thanks Tim -
Rouxbe Staff
Sear the tenderloins in a large skillet you have - you may have to cut the tenderloin to fit the pan. Make sure they are well seasoned. Start with a little oil and brown all sides. Throw in some butter, about 1 tablespoon, and baste the meat. Finish cooking in the oven. Remove the meat from the pan, and on the cooktop, throw in some finely chopped shallots (best) or some onion, brown them, then deglaze the pan with red wine, finally some stock (or more red wine or water if you have no stock). Reduce to a light sauce, or jus, and serve. BTW, the pan sauce is called a "jus". The "AU" in "Au jus" means it is served with sauce.
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I finished the meat at 250 took it out at 132 made pan sause (jus) while it rested fantastic thanks tony Tim
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Hi Rouxbe -- I have a 12lb NY Top Loin from Costco that I am going to serve at a party tomorrow. It's currently vacuumed sealed and wet! I have never cooked a whole NY loin as a roast before (I usually cut it up to steaks). Can I apply the Prime Rib Roast recipe to this cut of meat? Also, since this is a large piece of meat, should I cut it in 1/2 and cook two 6lb roasts vs one 12lb roast? Thank you... -
Rouxbe Staff
First, take it out of the vacuum, pat it dry and refrigerate it on a pan with a rack if you have one, so it dries up a bit. You can either cook it as is or cut it in 1/2; yet, it will not make a big difference in cooking time. Yes, each piece will be shorter, but the bulk of it will still be the same. Yes proceed as per the Prime rib. Hope this helps! -
Forgot about the drying. It's now patted dry, on a rack, covered loosely with a towel and in the fridge. Thank you for your help!
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In the text it says to get a medium doneness take meat out once it reaches 130 (which from the lesson) would mean after ersting it would be about 140, I think? However, all other websites seem to say that 140 is medium rare and that 160 is medium. Can you confirm which temp is correct as I would prefer to get medium. Also, if 160 is the right end temp after resting, should I take it out once it reaches about 145-150 (if cooking at 120C)?
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I'm sure one of the staff will be along to clear this up but from my experience I usually take the roast out at about 132 then rest for 45 minutes to a hour. I like mine medium/rare just cheating on the rare side. This temp and resting combination has always given me the results I am looking for. A bone in roast I take out a 130 because I beleive the bones have a tendency to retain more heat and cook the roast a bit more during resting. This is just a theory of mine. I would say if you want medium I would take it to 135 at least. Also once the roast is resting I no longer bother with monitoring internal temp it's all about time at that point. -
Many sites quote government standards, e.g., the USDA, which recommends higher internal temperatures for food safety reasons; however, most cooks and diners find that the meat will be far too overcooked at those higher temperatures, which are anywhere between 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit. Each cook needs to determine for themselves the appropriate doneness and whether or not to follow the recommended guidelines. Our charts are based on what many cooks prefer. As the drilldown indicates, if you want your roast to be medium (140° F), the roast will need to be removed from the oven when the internal temperature reaches approximately 130° F. This is assuming that the roast was finished roasting at 250° F; however, if finished at 350° F, it will need to be removed before it reaches 130° F...but again, this is up to you. Hope this helps! Cheers!
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Thanks Dawn and Keith. I'm looking forward to trying it. Will prob go with the slightly higher temp for the first try!
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I have a big event tomorrow, Saturday and I have gotten (3) 9 lb Rump Roasts. I am cooking them like your Prime Rib instructions. My question is, if I have all three in the oven at once, should I have them in 3 separate pans? And how much more time will this add to the cooking time? Thank you and I LOVE Rouxbe Cooking School! Ramona -
Rouxbe Staff
All of the roasts can be placed in the same pan; however, make sure there is good space in between them so the air can properly circulate. In terms of cooking time, you will just have to keep testing. The time will depend on your oven and how large each roast is. Have fun! Cheers!
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Shopping at costco always look at the meat, there is one section where they sell all the prime cuts. Always pick a 6lbs boneless rib look at the price and put it down, The meat looks beautiful, My wifes b-day this week so I bought one. I don't think there"s any diff, in cooking it but just wanted to make sure.
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Rouxbe Staff
Costco often sells some really good prime cuts of meat. If the label was prime rib and it is a well-marbled roast, you're good to go! Have a great dinner!
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I am having 12-15 people over the 17th for corn beef and cabbage. Could you please tell me how many lbs. to buy and the best way to cook it. thanks, kathryn
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There are many recipes for cooking corned beef and cabbage. In fact, if you search Rouxbe you will find one that is cooked in Guinness. Most recipes call for "boiling" the beef (braising); however, it can also be baked. Here is another recipe for one that is baked. And just for the heck of it, here's yet another recipe for you. As for how much to cook per person, it does depend on what else you are serving and how much people eat. Figure about 1/2 lb per person of raw meat. I would say about 8 to 10 lbs. Of course, I err on the side of too much, rather than too little as leftover corned beef is awesome! You may also want to brine the meat prior to cooking it. Also, depending on how you are going to serve it, you may also want to cook it ahead and then refrigerate it overnight. This will make it easier to slice, portion and serve the next day (as per the lesson in Pot Roasting). Good luck and enjoy!
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Hi, I would like to have the prime rib roast as a special on my restaurant on a given day of the week. Can you give me advice on how to keep it on best conditions to serve it through the day? Thanks! -
The correct equipment is a must; I suggest an Alto-Shaam hold and serve oven. This equipment has never failed me. Roast (whole) a 112 prime rib (lip on) roast, this is the most common cut served as Prime Rib in restaurants due to less trimming/ more fat; therefor it will hold longer and will be more cost effective/ less waste.. Season, but take it easy on the salt. For the best results and even cooking and the least amount of shrinkage, cook to 110-115 degrees and hold rare and reheat to order covered with lettuce; this will hold the color/appearance. Forget the all day service at first and set a 3-5 hour window for which you will serve. Once you have a base line for service you can increase the window and stagger your roasting times. I hope this helps; I'm much better explaining while speaking then writing, I'm most positive the Rouxbe staff can better explain. Good luck. -
Hi Ruben, I agree with Myles on two accounts. One, I would shoot to serve the Prime Rib for dinner only. If there are left-overs, serve a hot beef sandwich for a special the next day (e.g. beef dip). Secondly, you really need to make sure you have the proper holding equipment (or oven where you can control the holding temperature). When I worked in the industry, we used an Alto Sham oven as well for cooking and holding. It is an amazing piece of equipment. In fact, we used to cook the prime rib the day before to about 110 (about 1 and 3/4 hours) and then we'd hold it in the oven set at 140 degrees over night. The prime rib was perfect the next day. I would plan to cook and serve this until it runs out. So rather than re-heating it, just hold in a warm oven (above 140% for food safety reasons). I would cook to about 125 degrees a couple of hours prior to dinner service. Then take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes (out of oven - to slow down the cooking process) and then place back into the 140 to 160 degree holding. Then just let it rest for a couple of hours (don't cut until your first order). The carry-over cooking will cook this another 10 degrees or so (so you likely will have to serve medium-rare to medium for all). Hope this helps. Joe -
Although I use a different technique for reheating w/ consideration to individual customer preference?...(why anything but med-rare I can't explain) I knew the Rouxbe staff ( Joe ) could explain better then I. Great job!
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Do i need to rinse the meat before roasting? -
Rouxbe Staff
In general, there should be no reason to rinse the meat. If it is wet cured or "enhanced" (i.e. it comes in a vacuum sealed bag with some solution), then it's wise to quickly rinse. You will want to make sure the surface is thoroughly dried (paper towels work well) before seasoning and roasting. Enjoy! -
How long for rare? Is there a per difference if you are making two rather than one? If so why? -
The time it takes to cook prime rib (or any other meat) will depend on several things — what temperature it was cooked at, was it brought to room temperature before it was cooked etc. Here is a chart that will provide you with some estimated cooking times for roasting meats. You may also want to check out the lesson called "How to Cook Prime Rib" (in particular topic 4) as we do go into quite a bit of information on this. As for cooking 2 prime ribs instead of one, it shouldn't really make that much of a difference. Again, refer to the lesson for info on. Cheers!
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For a 6 lbs prime rib is 3 hours too long to temper the prime rib?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Caroline- Three hours for tempering the prime rib sounds perfectly fine for a roast of that size...as long as the ambient temperature of your kitchen is in the regular home temperature zone not "restaurant" kitchen temperature! If you have any worries, just temper a bit less. Enjoy!
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Made the Prime Rib for Xmas and it was my first. It came out Fabulously delicious. Got a little scared when the video said I would require making it a few times before it would be perfect. This was not true. It was perfect.
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Rouxbe Staff
Great to hear Laura! Keep up the good work..and keep that healthy sense of confidence! Enjoy.
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I am considering trying to cook a prime roast. I'm really not a fan of rare / red meat. Any tips on cooking it medium to med-well? -
To cook a prime rib to medium, medium-well, you will just need to cook it a bit longer. I encourage you to watch the lesson on "How to Cook Prime Rib" for many information on this. In particular, check out the topic called "Checking Roasts for Doneness". Also, be sure to read the attached Drill-down called "Estimated Roasting Times for Meats". Hope that helps. Good luck. Cheers!
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I'd like to follow this recipe for a boneless roast, but are there any special considerations, such as lowering the sear or roasting temperature at any point? I'm worried about drying the meat out, but I hope that as long as I am checking the temperature, I can't go too far wrong... -
There are not really any other special considerations that you need to consider when cooking a boneless rib roast. Whether bone-in or boneless, it is best to start checking the internal temperature sooner than later. If you are cooking a boneless roast, err on the lower end of the scale when it comes to the internal temperature. Also, be sure to review the lesson on "Cooking Prime Rib". You may even find it helpful to read through the associated discussion tab. Cheers!
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I normally cook beef at the higher of the 2 temp suggested. Will be cooking some beef this week and was going to try the lower 250f but worried it may not cook in time for my guests! Is there any issues if i use an in between temp of say 300?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Darren- If time is an issue, simply start a bit earlier... or have some starters on hand to tide the crowd until the main course is finished. It's up to you... but the results of the low temperature process are worth considering. If you'd like to, try a higher temperature - as I'm unsure what other timing constraints you may have.
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Would I be able to use the same recipe for a 3.5 lb sirloin tip roast? -
Here is a really good (and even cute) answer from chef Christophe. Hope that helps. Cheers!
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can you use a boneless rib roast with the recipe?
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Hi Jennifer and thanks for your question! Absolutely you can use a boneless rib roast with this recipe...thanks so much for cooking with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk -
It was perfect! The texture and flavor of the outside was amazing, even with just salt and pepper. -
Also, timing info was right on target.
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