Perfect Prime Rib Roast should be served for dinner this holiday season. Want to know how to cook a prime rib roast? This is the best prime rib recipe!
Prime rib roast is made once a year in our house. Why only once a year? Well, because every year we order a quarter cow from a local ranch. Once you buy local grass fed and finished beef, it is really hard to go back go buying any beef at the grocery store. Not only is the taste and quality far superior to most anything you’ll find at the store, but for me, the convenience of having so many cuts of meat at the ready is necessary to keep me creative in the kitchen. This is what I use to make my Roasted Beef Broth along with wonderful soups like Winter Minestrone and French Onion Soup. I also buy my pork from a farm as well and that’s what I use to make my Country Sausage Gravy – YUM!
When you buy a quarter cow, however, you only get one rib roast and that’s only if you specifically request it. Hence, I only make a prime rib roast once a year. It is an expensive cut of meat, so you don’t want to mess it up by not knowing how to cook a prime rib. This prime rib recipe, however, has always been my favorite way to cook a rib roast. It’s actually incredibly simple. This prime rib recipe makes a bold rich red wine sauce but I’m also of the opinion that a good prime rib roast always deserves a little horseradish kick on the side too. Enjoy!
Prime Rib temperature:
- Plan to remove your prime rib roast from the oven when it is at 10 degrees below your desired final temperature.
- The final prime rib temperature for rare meat is 120-125°F, medium rare is 130-135°F, and well done is 140-145°F
- When you cook for a crowd, the best rule of thumb is to remove your prime rib roast from the oven when it hits 120°F and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes while loosely tented with foil. If you target medium rare, you’ll most likely please everyone’s preferences for how they like their prime rib roast cooked.
As with any large cut of meat, your prime rib cooking time must depend on an accurate thermometer. Long ago I stopped following directions that just gave oven temperature and time. When you cook a giant hunk of meat in a roasting pan, you have to get the inside to the exact right temperature and you have to let it properly rest if you want a perfectly cooked, tender, juicy roast. There are so many factors involved including the size of your roast, the prime rib roast’s starting temperature (did you pull it straight from the refrigerator or did you let it rest on the counter for a bit?), the temperature of your oven, and how consistently your oven cooks. I’ve learned all of these things over time through the practice of ruining several large meals. Lessons learned! Now, I won’t cook anything like this without my thermometer. When I make prime rib roast and focus on the prime rib temperature, it turns out perfectly every time.
Watch my Prime Rib recipe video below!
Perfect Prime Rib Roast
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound bone in beef prime rib roast
- 1 750 mL bottle red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
optional:
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1-2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
Instructions
- Allow meat to sit at room temperature for at least an hour prior to cooking.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and ensure top rack is low enough such that the roasting pan will be in the middle of the oven.
- Using a roasting pan with a rack, add 2 cups of wine and the beef broth to the pan. Reserve the remaining wine for later. Set the roast in the rack, rib side down and fat side up. Mix olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in small bowl and spread on top of roast.
- Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of roast avoiding contact with the bones.
- Roast in 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 115 to 120°F for medium rare (125 to 130°F after resting), or 125 to 130°F for medium (135 to 140°F after resting). And remember, a roast will continue to rise by 5 to 10°F as it rests. I removed my roast from the oven when it hit 125°F. Total cooking time will depend on size of roast and initial temperature. Once removed from oven, transfer roast to plate and loosely tent with foil and allow to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.
- While the roast is resting, place the pan on the burner with the rack removed. Add remaining wine and cook on low temperature to burn off some of the alcohol and work in all the flavor from the bottom of the pan. When roast has finished resting, skim off any fat from the wine sauce and serve warm sauce along side the roast.
- If desired, mix sour cream and horse radish to serve along side roast as well. For planning purposes, this roast takes about 15 minutes per pound of cooking time plus resting time, so based on the weight you can work backwards to figure out when to start the cooking process.
Nutrition
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which red wine did you use?
whatever I already have open and am drinking! Usually a pinot noir.
Great advice Making this for Christmas. Thank you
Bordeaux is ideal – second would Cabernet.
Hi! This looks delicious! While I, too, cook by thermometer temperature and not by time, can you give an approximate cooking time for this size prime rib? I would like to make this for Christmas dinner with a ham as well, and would like to figure out how long my oven would be in use for the prime rib, as I will have other items that require the oven. Thank you!
Great suggestion. I’ll add it to the recipe, but you’ll need to plan about 15min per pound of roast, plus resting time. Thanks! Krissy
Thank you for the guide/starting spot! I’m excited to eat this tonight!
HI Krissy,
Oh wow. This looks delicious. I would definitely try it! Would a pinot noir work as wine? Cheers
Pinot Noir always works! 😉 Krissy
A Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon would be a better wine choice for Prime Rib
I have a 10lb angus rib roast (bone in). How do I increase the ingredients? Should I just double what you have listed?
I used the dry herbs and garlic mixed with the olive oil to spread on top. It was still great!
We have a 10 pound boneless prime rib. Do we double the amount of wine for the bottom of the pan?
Thank you,
Kristy
I don’t think the amount of liquid needs to be adjusted.
Hi,
My roast will be between 10-12 lbs. I’m really nervous about cooking time. I want it to be medium after resting. Will it take longer than 15mins per pound? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
This recipe is true to a regular oven. I have a convection oven. I was following instructions and my 6 lb roast was at 145 within an hour and 10 minutes with a digital thermometer after the first 20 at 450. So adjust accordingly. I did an hour 15 and came out with a beautiful med rare to rare then rested for 30 while I completed the rest of the sides.
do u cover this
nope
Hi Krissy, the rub looks truly awesome! I’ve been making prime rib for many years and love it! You might want to try skipping the liquid as it steams the meat and you really want to dry roast this cut of meat. I make my aus jus on the stove top. I also prefer the low and slow method starting the oven at 200 and then raising it to 500 the last 10 minutes to create a flavorful bark. When done using the same temp guide you get perfectly pink edge to edge versus only pink in the middle. This method only gets an addditional 5 degrees after it comes out of the oven. A 4 lb bone in roast will take 3 1/2 to 4 hours, but worth it. Thanks for sharing!
All great tips. Thanks!
Is there a substitute for the red wine? I don’t cook with or drink alcohol, would purple grape juice work or something else? Thanks!
You can just do beef broth or nothing at all.
Seems to me that the recipe has been adjusted since I used it last year. For some reason I recall butter with the herbs. Also the steps with the herbs have been removed. Can you please send me the complete recipe. Making this every year! Thanks!
Hi Kristen, I’m wondering if you’re thinking of that video that went viral? I didn’t have butter in my recipe, but I’m all for it!
Do i put lid on roasting pan or use foil to cover meat while cooking?
No! You want the outside exposed to air. Only cover when it’s resting.
Have a 16lb rib roast. Really concerned w/having t thorouicooked w/o burning. Can I cook it in a baking nag
Hi Wanda, I have no idea what a baking nag is. I recommend increasing your cooking temp at the high temp to at least 40min, but watch it and make sure it gets to the color you want before you reduce the temperature. Also, you’ll have to let your roast sit out at room temperature for a long time (at least 4-5 hours) before cooking to allow it to get to room temp. You don’t want to put a cold roast that big in the oven, or the inside will never cook. Make sure you use a thermometer!
Good Morning Krissy,
What sides would you suggest serving with this awesome roast? I am doing Fresh garlic spinach but i know not all like spinach. Any other suggestions?
Hi Terry, I just made a prime rib roast at my dad’s house last weekend. With it we served roasted garlic mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots, orange maple thyme roasted carrots, a pear gorgonzola pomegranate green salad with a light vinaigrette, and rolls. All of those sides were slightly different than any recipes I have on my site so if you want to know how I made any of those, let me know and I’ll go into detail! My grandma said it was the best meal of her life, and she’s 95!
Please go into detail on all!! Sounds like perfect sides!!! Thank you!!
I have 3 different sized rib roasts that I am cooking, just because I had bought at different sale times. How would I cook all 3 in the same oven?
Sorry for the late reply – I took the holidays off. I would just recommend you would probably have to increase both your roasting and your lower temperature cooking time. Did it all turn out?
Krissy,
You are awesome and thank you very much. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful and blessed New Year!
I made this for a bunch of finicky Italian eaters this Christmas Eve , easy easy easy and delicious! No leftovers, now we are forced to cook again on Christmas Day ,
I had the bone removed and then tied back by the butcher. Now am I considering recipe as with bone in or bone out?
Hi Lisa, You know what? I made a boneless prime rib for Christmas this past year and it turned out excellent. As long as there’s a nice fat cap on top, you give it a hot roast for some color, and cook to the perfect internal temperature – it will be fabulous! With or without bone.
No liquidi cooked one once where you start at*500 degrees for a certain amount of time and then shut off oven and don’t open for 15 mins per I’ll I believe.. I can’t find that recipe anywhere on the internet.. do you know this one??? It was perfectly done at med rate… HELP
I’ve seen a similar method. Maybe on allrecipes?
Krissy, I am writing this on day before Easter and bought the rib roast. Hope you can answer before in oven tomorrow. New to your site and signed up for newsletter. Two questions: 1. I had butcher take bone out and he tied it afterward. Does cooking time of 15 minutes/lb change if boneless? 2. My family never wants to see pink but I don’t want to have it be dry, is that 15min/lb enough? Also, (ok 3rd question)–if boneless do I still do the 450 degrees for 20 min, and then reduce heat or should I just cook at 350 entire time.
Thanks so much. I sense that you are a very, very good cook. Can usually tell with reading the recipes and tips. Glad that I searched for prime rib recipe or never would have found you. Many thanks, Kate
Agh! I’m so sorry I didn’t reply in time! I have family in town and haven’t been on the computer. I know it’s now past Easter, but I’ll still answer… 1) The cooking time will be less without the bone, however I find it depends even more on the initial temperature of the meat. 2) I’m a firm believer that pink with no blood is the best. Especially with prime rib, you never want it to be over cooked. 3) Yes – I follow the same method bone in or boneless and depend 100% on my thermometer.
Hope that helped and thank you so much for the kind words. Please let me know if it turned out!
I was very nervous cooking Prime Rib Roast for the first time! It’s so expensive,and I didn’t want to be disappointed by over cooking it. Found your recipe and it took all of the guesswork out! The roast came out perfect! Thank you!
My first time here. Enjoyed all the information I got about Rib Roast. Would like other ideas about how to cook other meats.
With that much liquid in the pan aren’t you concerned that the roast will steam more than roast?
Hi Alan, I’ve made it both ways – with and without the liquid and I didn’t find that the roast was steamed with this version. Perhaps because the oven is so hot when it starts out that it seals the outside?
I made this for a belated Eater dinner and it was absolutely delicious. It was so good that my husband who only eats over done meat devoured it despite the fact that it was medium. He said it smelled so good he couldnt wait for me to put his piece back in yhe kven.
I made this for my family last weekend (it is still winter here in Australia) and it was perfect.
Delicious, juicy and perfectly cooked. (I used my meat thermometer to get it to 115ºF (as we love rare meat)
My family all loved the herbs on the top.
Definitely a keeper 😀
This Prime Rib looks absolutely amazing!
That prime rib does look like perfection! Serious comfort food!
Wow! What a delicious recipe!! Yummmmm!!
xo Michael
WOW!! This looks perfect!!
I love prime rib for the holidays! Such an elegant dinner to serve to your guest!
That sure does look like the perfect prime rib! Just what I need for a holiday dinner!
Can I use a Cabernet Sauvignon red wine instead of the Pinot noir ?
Absolutely! Just not something sweet like a port. Cab, pinot, merlot, red blend – they all work great!
What a beautiful hunk of meat! It’s just my husband and myself these days, so I’d only prepare something like this with family visiting. Although one is a pescatarian. When we stayed at a condo for Christmas one year, I made a prime rib. I love the simplicity of it. Basically put it in the oven and that’s it! So easy you can cook it at a hotel! But I love your rosemary rub.
Hi Krissy. I was wondering about sour cream and horseradish sauce. Is this 1/4 cup sour cream and 1-2 teaspoons creamed horseradish per serving and if yes, do you serve in small containers? Or do you make more and serve in bowl for people to spoon on plates. First time making this recipe. Sounds great!
Hi Mary! You can totally increase the amount if people really like that horseradish sour cream mixture. I find that not everyone uses it, so it’s sort of like an optional thing I set on the table. Having a couple different little bowls with it around the table is a fabulous idea!
Hi Krissy,, I have one bone-in prime rib and one boneless. I have some family that won’t eat ”even pink” meat” which roast will be done first.?? They are both in the same roasting pan..
Hi Barb, do you have two thermometers? If yes, I would use both and take each roast out separately depending on the temperature. The good thing about prime rib is that the ends are always well done when the center is rare to medium rare (if you have a LARGE roast). If you have a small roast, you can plan on it being more evenly cooked. As far as which would cook faster – typically its the boneless. A bone-in prime rib is a little different than another roast with a bone in because the bones are basically underneath, not really part of the roast if that makes sense, so it doesn’t effect the cooking time all that much.
I love prime rib! It’s a bit spendy to buy. So I appreciate how thorough your guide is! I always worry about messing it up.
Hi Krissy! Should the roast sit in the liquid as it’s cooking? I don’t have a roasting rack so I’m planning to set up a make-shift one with either foil or a cooling rack but wasn’t sure if it’d be okay for there to be a few inches of space between the roast and the liquid/bottom of the pan. Thanks for the delicious looking recipe! 🙂
Hi Win, I always cook my roast on a rack above the liquid, not in it. You can always cook on the oven rack and set the roasting pan on the rack below. Hope it worked for you!
This looks so delicious! Anyone making this is invited to my house for the holidays!
I don’t have a rack. Will it still work
Hi Donnie, So sorry for the late reply – I took a few days off for the holiday. I’ve only ever cooked prime rib on a rack. How did you end up cooking yours? You can always set your roast directly on the oven rack and put a large roasting pan underneath on the rack below.
Oh wow! This looks perfect! Such an amazing addition to our holiday menu!
Tried this recipe tonight, it was amazing. Took roast out at 118, It was perfect for us MR fans 125 after 20 min rest. The Rosemary and Tyme +wine smelled so good cooking. I liberally rubbed black pepper on all sides of the roast before I started with your recipe. Go easy on the salt before cooking, sprinkle some salt on the roast when you set it down to rest. I had bought a 5 lb roast at Costco (52$) on the 11th, had to freeze it for Thanksgiving. Put it in the refrigerator on Saturday, it was ready on Thursday. Happy with what you shared.
This prime rib roast will be the star of the holiday table! Looks so delicious!
I’ve made this prime rib recipe twice now and I can honestly say it’s my favourite. Followed the recipe to the letter. Pulled the roast out at 125 degrees. Mouthwatering and perfect. Thanks soooo much Krissy!
We do a rib roast every year, Im thinking about cooking it with convection this year. Is that a good idea or not ?
Hi Erwin, I have a convection oven too, but have never cooked a roast using it. I wish I were more helpful, but I have no idea! Sorry!!! Krissy
This looks AMAZING! I think there’s a mistake in the ingredients list thought. I think you meant 2 bottles of wine, not 1. You know, 1 for the roast, and 1 for the cook. LOL Seriously though, this looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it! I always thought something like this would be difficult, but this looks easy. My favorite kind of recipes are easy, but impress my guests and leave them thinking I’m a culinary genius. This is definitely one of those recipes! Thanks so much for sharing! Love the video too.
Yes!
I am cooking two 4-5 pound prime ribs at the same time in the same oven. What should my cooking temp be and cooking time. Please help! Doing this today.
Hi Linda, Sorry – just now getting to comments. I would keep cooking temps and times relatively the same, but be sure to check temp of both roasts. Did they turn out?
Hi Krissy, I made this recipe last year in my convection oven with a 12lb chunk of meat but it didn’t cook through as we wanted a medium well roast and it was still rare inside at dinner time. I was wondering if I could make it in an instant pot this year to save time and make sure it’s cooked to everyone’s liking. Do you have any suggestions on how I should go about it or if it’s a bad idea to use the instant pot? Hope to hear from you before Thursday. Thanks.
Hi Anna, I’m a BIG fan of the Instant Pot, but I truly believe a prime rib roast should be roasted in the oven. Do you remember if you let the roast sit out at room temp for awhile before cooking? If it’s cold, the center won’t cook and the outside will be over cooked. Also, do you have a good thermometer? Every time I trust the thermometer, it comes out perfectly. I would reserve using the Instant Pot for tougher cuts of meat that need to braise. Hope that helps! Krissy
Thank you for your reply, Krissy. I’m making it tomorrow. Will follow your suggestion and let you know how it turned out. 🙂
Hello Krissy
Love to cook and eat! This is my fist time to invite my in- laws for Christmas Eve. Been married for awhile. I am making a prime roast So nervous because I’ve never done it. I have 10 lbs of meat. What type of wine should I use. We have kids coming as well and I’m concerned also how long should I cook it? Is it necessary to use fresh ingredients? Or dried will works same .Please I desperately need your help. Thank you so much. More power to your kindness to share your knowledge❤️
Love it.
Hi PJ, I prefer just a red blend or something like a Pinot Noir or Cabernet. Nothing sweet. I think fresh herbs are way better with this recipe than dry, but dry will work too if you can’t use fresh. Cooking time will depend on the size of the roast and desired internal temp – just be sure to let it sit out at room temp for awhile before cooking. Enjoy!
I made this today. It was incredible. The best rib roast I have ever had. Thank You. I will be trying more of your recipes.
So glad you enjoyed! Happy holidays!
Made this last night. Turned out awesome. Incredible flavor, perfect level of doneness, juicy and tender, and took maybe a total of 3 hours for a 5 lb roast, including prep and cleanup.
Hello,
I’m hoping you get this in time. I”m making this tomorrow but my roast is NOT tied up. I bought some cooking twine. Should I tie it up myself?
Hi Sara, You only need the twine if your rib rack is separate from the roast and you want to hold it all together while cooking. If your roast is one big solid hunk, no need for the twine. Hope that helps!
My family and I made this tonight. I think we left it in a little too long, through no fault of the recipe, but it still tasted fantastic. Thank you!
Great recpie; we’re cooking it for Christmas dinner as I type. Can you please verify the nutrition numbers. Thank You. r/ Chris
All good info. I’d recommend a few slight modifications if you want to go all-out:
1: trim the roast and salt it 12-24 hours prior to cooking. You’ll want about 1% of its weight in salt, and refrigerate uncovered after salting. Dab off any surface moisture and apply whatever oils and herbs you like during the pre-cook rest.
2. Try an even lower reduced temp. 225-250 is where I go. I’ll usually remove at 130-135 internal temp by insta-read or 140 by a leave-in thermometer. Takes about a half hour per bone after the temperature drop.
3. Upon removal from the oven, wrap tightly in heavy foil, wrap the foil in towels, and drop the whole thing into a clean (sanitized) empty cooler chest for at least an hour. It’ll stay at service temperature for 3-4 hours when well-insulated, continuing to tenderize the meat even though it is no longer cooking.
Excellent seasoning, it was amazing! Skipped the red wine and used more beef broth in the roaster. The au jus was perfect. Served with horseradish cream sauce on the side.
Hi Krissy,
First time attempt!! I bought a roasting rack but it is straight across, not concave into the pan like the one in the first picture. Is the meat supposed to be touching the wine and broth mix?
Hi Loni! I’m so sorry I didn’t reply right away. I took a couple weeks off for the holidays. The rack just keeps the roast elevated above the pan. No need for it to be concave as long as it’s not rolling around. Hope it worked!
My very first prime rib and followed your directions to the letter but had to substitute the fresh thyme and rosemary for dried seasoning. The roast was about 7-1/2 pounds and I multiplied the ingredients by 1-1/2 to get the right amount. A thermometer was crucial as the center of the roast literally melted in your mouth while eating and ends/fat were just a bit more well done and crispy. Excellent recipe I’ll be using again.
Just made this for Christmas dinner last night and it did not disappoint!!! Had to use dry herbs but it was DELICIOUS!!!
I loved the sauce, soooooo good!!
So I decided to make a rib roast this Christmas. It was nerve wracking since it was an expensive choice, but Google didn’t fail me. I picked the first 5 star recipe, and it was yours! Amazingly delicious and beautiful presentation. Next time I’ll let it rest longer, but we were starving and the turkey was done. Served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, lemon-Garlic green beans, grandmas candied yams, sausage cornbread stuffing and horseradish cream. Thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
So glad you found it! Hopefully you’ll give some of my other recipes a try. Happy holidays!
Made this for dinner and it was a big hit. I followed the recipe exactly. The meat was so tender and juicy. Will definitely make it again.