Insanely Delicious Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

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Garlic butter herb prime rib is melt in your mouth tender, cooked to medium-rare perfection, and marbled with fat. The seared garlic butter herb crust is incredible!

Impress your family with this beautiful cut of meat! When making this prime rib add Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes,and Rolls for a complete meal.

Insanely Delicious Prime Rib Recipe (1)

The Best Prime Rib

The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a prime rib roast.Well, I am here to bring you the best prime rib recipe with a few tips and tricks for cooking the perfect tender and juicy meat every single time.You are going to bring your A-game to Christmas dinner with a flavorful and bold beef rib roast that is actually really simple to make! Cook up some grilled asparagus or some Brussels sprouts. They will go so well with this!

With these easy-to-follow steps, you will have a perfect Christmas dinner that will be loved by all.Prime rib is top-of-the-line meat that tastes just as AMAZING as it looks.The marbled cut and beautiful bone structure are just what you need to have this slice of heaven on your plate.Cooking this beef does not have to take long.It is best to have a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside.With this garlic butter herb prime rib recipe you will have the PERFECT decadent holiday dinner!

Herb Garlic Butter Prime Rib Ingredients

I always buy my roast with the bone.The butcher at our local grocery store cuts the bone but leaves it partially attached and ties it onto the roast.This makes it easier to carve the meat and the bone creates a rack for the meat to cook on.See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Prime Rib: I like to get a cut that is bone-in and tied.
  • Butter: Make sure that the butter is softened so that it will blend well with the herbs and seasonings.
  • Garlic Cloves: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves on hand then you can use minced garlic! 1/2 teaspoon equals about 1 clove.
  • Thyme, Oregano and Fresh Rosemary: I like to use freshly chopped herbs to make the flavor taste top notch!
  • Salt and Pepper: Use these to taste!

How to Cook Prime Rib

Preparing steakhouse-worthy prime rib isn’t as tricky as it seems. Enjoy this decadent recipe this holiday season with friends and family!

  1. Prepare the Meat:Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. MixTogether Garlic Butter Herb Sauce :In a small bowl mix butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Then, rub all of the butter on the outside of your prime rib and place in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
  3. Cook Prime Rib:Cook for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees.
  4. Let the Meat Rest:Remove from oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will rise to 130 degrees for a medium rare prime rib.
Insanely Delicious Prime Rib Recipe (2)

What Cut Of Meat Is Best?

A prime rib roast (or a standing roast) is cut from the back of the upper rib section of the steer. It usually is a total of 7 ribs. To make this slow-roasted prime rib then you will need a 3 bone rib roast. This is cut from either the chuck or the loin end of the rib sections. Here are some tips on how to choose the best meat!

  • Bone IN: You will want a bone in prime rib.On average a 2 to 6 pound prime rib has 2 to 3 bones.
  • Tied: When ordering from a butcher, ask to keep the strings on it if possible. This will ensure cooking it evenly and keeps its form while cooking.
  • Deckle: If possible, ask to have the largest deckle. The deckle is tender and the most flavorful piece of meat.
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Cooking Information Per Pound

The bones create a natural roasting rack for the meat.Cook the prime rib at a higher temperature of 450 degrees for 15 minutes.Then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reads 110 degrees.About 15 minutes of cooking time per pound.

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Cooking Tips

Melt-in-your-mouth garlic herb prime rib is just what you need to celebrate the holidays this year!These quick and simple tips will help cook it to perfection!

  • Use a Thermometer: Using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat is the best way to ensure a perfect prime rib every time.
  • Take it Out of the Fridge: Take your prime rib out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let it rest before cooking. This will ensure an even cook time.
  • Keep the Bone In: You can remove the bones before cooking, but it is unnecessary. The bone in adds to the flavor and helps keep the prime rib tender and juicy.
  • Let it Rest! Remove your prime rib from the oven when it is about 5 degrees lower than the temperature you want. Cover your meat and let it rest. It will slowly cook as it is resting.
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Cooking Temperatures

Prime rib can be a little intimidating to make because you are trying to achieve the perfect medium-rare temperature. The closed oven method is where you roast the meat at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound.Then, you leave the oven closed for 2 hours and it slowly cooks.If using this method then I highly recommend putting a thermometer inside of the meat so that you can check on it without opening the oven while it cooks.

  • Rare: 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Medium-Rare: 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Medium: 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Medium-Well: 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Well-Done: 155 degrees Fahrenheit
Insanely Delicious Prime Rib Recipe (6)

Storing Prime Rib

Having leftover meat is just another way to enjoy it a little longer!You still have all the tender, juicy flavors infused into the prime rib.Enjoy another slice of heaven a second time around with these storing ideas.

  • How Long Does Prime Rib Last in theRefrigerator? It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
  • Can You freeze Prime Rib?Yes! Let it rest until completely cooled. Once it’s cooled then place in an ziplock freezer bag, letting all the air out. Lay flat in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to warm it up to eat it then place in the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
  • Reheating: If it’s been frozen, let it thaw completely. Place in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until it has reached the desired internal temperature. Enjoy!

A Reader’s Review

This was absolutely amazing! The flavor was phenomenal. I like my meat well done and it was still super tender.

Patricia

More Beef Recipes to Enjoy

This prime rib recipe is one of my very favorites! If you loved it as much as I do, then I have a few more that you should try! They are all so different but super delicious! Try one or try them all…. you can’t go wrong with any of them! Your family will thank you later!

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Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib Recipe

4.80 from 143 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Garlic butter herb prime rib is melt in your mouth tender, cooked to medium-rare perfection, and marbled with fat. The seared garlic butter herb crust is incredible!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 2-6 pounds bone prime rib boned and tied
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon thyme finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

  • In a small bowl mix butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub all of the butter on the outside of your prime rib and place in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.

  • Cook for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees.

  • Remove from oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will rise to 130 degrees for a medium rare prime rib.

Video

Notes

Updated on December 9, 2022

Originally Posted on November 17, 2017

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Insanely Delicious Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.

What makes prime rib so delicious? ›

Prime rib has a large “eye” of meat in the center, which is juicy, tender, and marbled with fat. This eye has a fat-marbled muscle around it, and the whole thing is surrounded by a thick cap of fat. This means that prime rib is tender, juicy, and extremely flavorful because the muscles aren't heavily used.

What should I put on my prime rib before cooking? ›

Mix garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme together in a small bowl. Place roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. Spread mixture over the top of roast; let roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

What gives prime rib its flavor? ›

Marbling is the streaks of intramuscular fat that run through the meat. The more marbled your meat, the juicier, more flavorful, and tender it'll be. Buying "Prime" graded beef is a good guarantee of this fat content, though it's possible to find ungraded beef with plenty of marbling as well.

Should you rub a prime rib the night before? ›

Prepare the Rub

You can season the roast a day in advance, but no later than 2 hours before cooking time. The seasoning needs time to flavor the meat while it's raw.

Is prime rib better cooked slow or fast? ›

Cooked low and slow in the oven and finished with a blast of heat for the juiciest, most flavorful, evenly cooked prime rib roast. Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site.

Why is my prime rib always tough? ›

Overcooking the Prime Rib

That's why prime rib is so expensive: it's a huge piece of extremely good beef. Therefore, it's important not to cook it beyond medium-rare. Going past that temperature means the roast will no longer be tender.

How to cook prime rib Bobby Flay? ›

Make small slits all over the prime rib and fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Season liberally with the salt and coarse pepper, place on a rack set inside a roasting pan and roast for about 2 hours until medium-rare, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 135 degrees F.

Do you cook prime rib fat side up or down? ›

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, making sure it doesn't touch a bone. (Some meat thermometers require that you poke a hole first with a skewer, and then insert the thermometer.) Place the roast, fat side up, rib side down in a roasting pan in the oven.

Do you sear prime rib before baking? ›

Searing is an important part of roasting a prime rib. Searing the roast first will kill the surface bacteria, which is a nice touch, especially when you are roasting at lower temperatures.

What is the secret to a good prime rib? ›

Start by cooking your prime rib at 500°F for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 325° F and cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well. A meat thermometer is essential to ensure you cook it perfectly!

How do you get a perfect prime rib cooked? ›

Instructions
  1. Remove the roast from the fridge 2 hours before cooking and season with salt. ...
  2. Make the horseradish sauce (optional). ...
  3. Heat the oven to 500°F. ...
  4. Oven-sear the roast for 15 minutes. ...
  5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and cook for 13 minutes per pound. ...
  6. Rest the roast before carving. ...
  7. Carve the roast.

How to infuse flavor into prime rib? ›

In a blender, add your rosemary, thyme, tarragon, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and oil. Blend until you have a nice paste. Slather the outside of your prime rib with the paste then set in the fridge uncovered for at least 1 hour.

How many hours does it take to cook a prime rib? ›

Heat the oven to 250°F with the rack in the lower middle position. Cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast is 125-130°F for medium-rare prime rib, or 135-140°F for medium. Take out the roast and tent it with foil.

Should you salt prime rib the night before? ›

Salt the Prime Rib Overnight

Rub a good quality kosher salt all over the meat the day before you want to cook it.

Is it better to cook prime rib slow or fast? ›

Cooked low and slow in the oven and finished with a blast of heat for the juiciest, most flavorful, evenly cooked prime rib roast. Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site.

What is the rule for prime rib? ›

The rule of thumb for buying prime rib is to buy one pound per person. A bone-in standing rib roast will feed about 2 people per bone. Also, be sure to consider how many side dishes you plan to serve. If you are preparing a large holiday meal with plenty of other food you could plan on ½ – ¾ pound prime rib per person.

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