Melt-in-Your-Mouth Garlic Herb Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

The Best Prime Rib Recipe online, since 2013, with it's buttery soft interior and garlic-crusted exterior.

This garlic-crusted Prime Rib Recipe was one of the first prime rib roast recipes posted online – I posted it WAY BACK in 2013 and have received countless 5-star reviews. Readers come back year after year to make this Christmas dinner favorite! Make sure to watch our “how to cook prime rib” video in the recipe card.

Actual Reader Comment and 5-Star Rating“I have never made a prime rib roast before this evening! But I had heard good reviews about this recipe from my mom and sister. They were right, it’s a great recipe and an easy recipe to follow and make. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us all! Will definitely use again. This is a keeper.” Hannah, Sept. 2022

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The Best Prime Rib Recipe

This is one of the most popular standing rib roast recipes for good reason- the buttery soft interior melts in your mouth while the garlic-crusted exterior provides a flavorful contrast.

Pair this perfectPrime RibRecipe with homemadeHorseradish Sauce,Prime Rib Au Jus, andPrime Rib Gravy, and you’ve got a knock-out holiday meal.

As mentioned, this has been the best prime rib recipe for 10 years straight and was used as a basis to develop a ton of other recipes you see online. I’ve personally cooked close to 50 prime ribs in this time period to ensure your holiday dinner is a success. In fact, all of the various photos in this post were taken by me over the years during testing.

Tip – when looking online for prime rib recipes, make sure the author has actually cooked it! Any prime rib recipe using AI photos should be avoided.

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Bone-in or Boneless Prime Rib

This prime rib recipe works for both a bone-in prime rib and boneless prime rib. In addition, it works for a whole prime rib or smaller roasts (7 bones vs 4 bones). I’ve done all the testing and calculations for you to create a perfectly cooked prime rib – no matter the size!

Bone-in Prime Rib –I prefer bone-in prime rib as the bones protect the meat when cooking. Also, I like using the leftover bones to make bone broth, which is a huge plus.

Boneless Prime Rib –If using a boneless prime rib, you’ll need to set it on a rack to roast. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you don’t have to run out to buy one. I’ve had success using a wire cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

When shopping forprime rib for sale, keep in mind you want to pick a well-marbled prime rib. Look for a “prime” rated roast vs a “choice” cuts. It’s absolutely worth the money to upgrade. The fat marbling is what gives the steak the “melt in your mouth” buttery texture.

Other melt-in-your-mouth Prime Rib Roast Recipes:Sous Vide Prime RibandSmoked Prime Rib.

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How to Cut and Tie

If you opt for a bone-in prime rib roast, you have two options to prepare the roast before cooking:

Butcher –Ask your butcher to cut and tie it for you. More butches will do this free of charge and it only takes a few minutes. The upside is less work for you! The downside? There is none.

Cut and Tie At Home – To cut, run your knife along the bones (where they connect to the meat) and use kitchen string to tie it back up. Here’s a great video showing detail if you’re new to the practice and would like a visual.

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How Much Prime Rib Per Person

The rule of thumb is to estimate .75 lb. – 1 lb. pound of prime rib per person. I always go with 1 pound per person to ensure everyone grubs down and leaves full. Of course if you’re watching the budget or are serving a ton of side dishes, .75 lb. works just fine.

Ingredients

Only a few ingredients are needed to make this standing rib roast:

  • Prime Rib Roast –Bone in Prime Rib or Boneless Prime Rib
  • Prime Rib RubKosher Salt, Dried or Fresh Herbs (Thyme and Rosemary), Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
  • Garlic –slices of fresh garlic are stuffed in the roast to help infuse the meat with flavor.
  • Olive Oil – creates the delightful crust and helps the seasoning stick to the meat.
  • Optional:Ingredients to make aPrime Rib Sauce, including horseradish.
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How To Cook Prime Rib

Cooking prime rib is easier than it sounds. The perfect prime rib roast combines flavorful prime rib seasonings with the best cooking practices to help you nail your prime rib recipe.

This standing rib roast recipe uses an easy method to “char” and then “cook” the prime rib. The very high heat, in the beginning, starts the cooking process and heats the oven to a high enough temperature to slow cook the roast. All while providing a nice char on the outside of the roast.

Here are some step by step instructions to help you make this delicious prime rib recipe:

Dry Season– Liberally sprinkle the entire roast with salt, cover loosely with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and let rest on the kitchen counter for 4 hours. Removing it from the refrigerator early is key to an evenly cooked roast.

Pre-heat The Oven– When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 500°F (260°C).

Add The Prime Rib Seasonings –Pat dry the roast. Using a small knife, create small slits all over the top of the roast and insert slices of fresh garlic cloves. Coat with olive oil followed by the prime rib rub. Place in a roasting pan, bones side down (fat side up).

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Roast– Insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the roast and cook according to the Temperature Chart list below. Once the initial cook time is finished, turn off the oven and cook until your desired internal temperature is reached.

Rest –Transfer the cooked prime rib to a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil then rest. Do not skip this important step as all the juice will run out.

Serve –when ready to serve, cut off the butcher’s twine and use a carving knife (this is the one I personally use and recommend) to slice against the grain. Serve immediately for best results.

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Prime Rib Cooking Time

Calculate your initial cook time by allowing 5 minutes per pound of meat. For example, a 9 lb. prime rib roast would cook at 500°F for 45 minutes while a 6 lb. cut of meat would cook for 30 minutes. Keep in mind, the oven is at a super high temperature so you may experience some smoke when you open the door to put the roast in. That’s okay! It will dissipate soon.

After your initial cooking time of prime rib is finished, turn off the oven and let the garlic-crusted prime rib sit for 2 hours. It’s imperative that you DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. This will let the heat escape and your oven will be a lower temperature than needed. After 2 hours, the center of your prime rib roast should be around 135°F, which is medium-rare. If you prefer a higher finished temperature, just keep the oven door closed until your desired “pull/remove from heat” temperature is reached.

HUGE THING TO KEEP IN MIND –New model ovens cool down faster than older models due to the internal fan. If you find your oven is too cool after the 2 hour wait time (and the roast isn’t quite at 135°F), or the temperature on your roast has stalled, turn the oven back on to 500°F. Only keep it on until the oven gets back up to 500°F, then turn it off. Again – keep the OVEN DOOR closed to keep the heat in. As long as you have a digital thermometer you have nothing to fear!

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Prime Rib Roast Temperature

This Prime rib recipe, and all other prime rib roasts, are measured by internal temperature vs. time to reach your desired doneness. Below are the “final doneness temperatures”. Your “pull/remove from the heat” temperature will be below the final temperatures, as the carry over heat when resting will bring it up to your desired final temperature.

My family prefers a perfect medium-rare prime rib, but it’s definitely a personal preference. Most folks we speak to prefer a rare prime rib roast.

  • Rare Prime Rib: 120-129°F
  • Medium Rare Prime Rib: 130-134°F
  • Medium Prime Rib: 135-144°F
  • Medium Well Prime Rib: 145-154°F
  • Well Done Prime Rib: 155-164°F

Tip- Download our freeTemperature Chart For Prime Ribprintable for quick access while cooking.

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How Long To Let Steak Rest

The prime rib will increase in temperature the longer it rests, so you’ll want to adjust your “pull time” accordingly. Here’s a guideline to reference:

  • Resting 10-15 minutes –The pull temp will be 5-7°F below the final temp you’re aiming for.
  • Resting 20-25 minutes –The pull temp will be 20°F below the final temp you’re aiming for.

Make sure to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving. 10 minutes is the absolute minimum – I actually recommend at least 20 minutes, but sometimes the guests can’t wait.

Equipment

You only need a few kitchen supplies, on top of the prime rib ingredients, to successfully make this prime rib recipe:

  • Roasting Pan or Tray –We use alarge roasting pan however, you can use a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet, if needed.
  • Large Cutting Board-Large slabs of meat requirelarge cutting boards. Now is the time to upgrade if you’re using a small one.
  • Meat Thermometer –Using adigital meat thermometeris A MUST to not only see the internal temperature but the oven temperature. Make sure the one you use can withstand 500°F.
  • Optional:If you bone and tie your prime rib, you’ll also needbutchers twine.
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Expert Tips

  • Using adigital meat thermometeris A MUST when making any prime rib recipe! Part of cooking a prime rib includes leaving the oven door shut for hours. Unless you’re able to position your manual thermometer so it’s still in view through a closed oven door, spend an extra few bucks and go digital. You won’t regret it.
  • Take the meat out of the refrigerator at least 4 hours before cooking, so it comes to room temperature (or close to it). This allows the meat to evenly cook inside and out.
  • Plan out your cooking schedule so you leave ample time to cook your prime rib roast to your preferred doneness. Also, the side dishes we cook usually take 30 minutes. While our meat is resting we have the side dishes prepped and ready to pop in the oven the minute the meat is removed.
  • Beef Drippings – prime rib doesn’t put out a ton of pan drippings or excess fat, so if you’re making homemade beef gravy or au jus, you’ll need to supplement with beef broth or stock. The picture above represents what I get after cooking. If you like, start with a few cups of beef broth or stock in the pan to collect the little it does put off.
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Side Dish Ideas

WonderingWhat to serve with prime rib? You can’t go wrong with any of these prime rib side dish ideas:

  • Potatoes – Potatoes pair perfectly with this prime rib recipe. Garlic mashed potatoes or horseradish mashed potatoes would be amazing.
  • Mushrooms – Roast Beef and mushrooms are a match made in heaven: Creamy mushroom sauce, sautéed mushrooms in red wine sauce androasted mushroomsin garlic butter sauce.
  • Vegetables brussels sprouts, stuffed artichokes or smoked asparagus.
  • Bread – Yorkshire Pudding or garlic bread.
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Leftover Prime Rib

How to Store

Leftover prime rib is easy to store and grub down on at a later date. Transfer the roast to a Ziploc bag, or other air-tight container, after it’s cooled. Place in the refrigerator and store for up to 5 days. Ideally, you only want to slice off the beef you’ll be enjoying immediately and leave the rest as one whole roast vs. individual slices. It’s easier to re-heat and keep the desired texture when stored as a whole.

How To Re-heat

There’s a science to re-heating prime rib and I’ve done all the testing. Check out our ‘How To Reheat Prime Rib‘ post for 7 different options and tips!

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Leftover Recipes

Use the leftovers to make a killerPrime Rib Sandwich! This is our favorite way to use up leftover standing rib roast, however there’s a whole slew of ideas to consider in our ‘Recipes With Leftover Prime Rib” article.

Drink Pairings

Wondering what the best wine with prime rib is? There are a ton of options:

Wine-Bordeaux, Riojo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec
Beer-Brown Ale, Porter, Stout, Amber Ale

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5-Star Reader Reviews

Here are some actual reader comments and reviews on this exact prime rib recipe (you can read all of them first hand in the comments below):

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Additional Resources

  • Learn the difference betweenprime rib v rib eye
  • Temperature Chart For Steak
  • Horseradish for Beef Tenderloin
  • Horseradish Aioli

Still, have questions? We want to make your holiday season or special occasions meal as stress-free and successful as possible! After all, prime rib isn’t a cheap cut. Feel free to leave a comment or question below as we’re happy to answer them.

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Check out this HORRID original photo. Thank you to those who saw it and cooked it anyway.

This prime rib recipe was originally posted in December 2013, but has been updated with new photos and additional text.

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Melt In Your Mouth Prime Rib Roast

Melt-in-your-mouth Prime Rib Recipe with 1,000 5-star reviews. You'll be a convert after using our recipe and cooking method. This is one of the most popular Prime Rib recipes online. Find out how to buy Prime Rib For Sale.

4.45 from 1118 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 4 hours hours

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 7 hours hours

Servings: 10 People

Calories: 1129kcal

Author: Darcey Olson

Cost: $125

Equipment

Thermapen® Mk4

Ingredients

Prime Rib

  • 1 2-6 Bone Prime Rib Roast ((Boned and Tied))
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3-4 clove garlic ((Sliced or Minced))

Prime Rib Rub

  • 1 tbsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Dried Rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tbsp Kosher Salt

Optional Serving Sides

  • Horseradish Sauce For Prime Rib
  • Prime Rib Au Jus
  • Prime Rib Gravy

Instructions

  • Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator 4 hours before cooking.

  • OPTIONAL: Minutes before cooking, bone and tie the roast.

  • Cut 1/2" slits on the top of the roast and insert minced or sliced garlic.

  • Rub the outside of the roast with high quality olive oil.

  • Combine the rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and spread evenly over the roast.

  • Let rest while the oven pre-heats to 500 degree F (260 degree C).

  • Transfer the roast to a roasting pan, bone side down.

  • Insert the thermometer into the center of the roast and place in the oven (2nd rack from the bottom).

  • Calculate your initial cooking time by allowing 5 minutes per pound of meat (a 9 lb roast would cook for 45 minutes while a 6 lb roast would cook for 30).

  • This will provide a nice crunch on the exterior. The seasoning rub will get charred but that’s what creates the deeply savory crust.

  • After your calculated cooking time is up, turn the oven off but DON’T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR.

  • After 2 hours the center of your roast will be 135 degrees F, which is medium-rare.

  • If you prefer medium just keep it in the oven until it reaches 150 degrees F.

  • Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Video

Notes

Resting – your roast will increase in temperature the longer it rests. If you plan on resting your rib for 20-25 minutes, to cook other items, only cook your roast to 115 degrees. Your roast will rise in temperature to approx. 135 degrees after a 20 minute rest period.

Nutrition

Calories: 1129kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 101g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 45g | Cholesterol: 219mg | Sodium: 1559mg | Potassium: 835mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 6mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @foodieandwine or tag #foodieandwine!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Garlic Herb 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.

How do you get the best flavor on prime rib? ›

Rub a good quality kosher salt all over the meat the day before you want to cook it. Now, place it in the refrigerator overnight, UNCOVERED in order to enhance the beefy flavor while dissolving some of the proteins, which yields a buttery-tender, juicy roast.

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.

What is the most important thing to do before roasting a prime rib roast? ›

Remove the beef roast from the refrigerator 3 hours before you start to cook it. Sprinkle it with salt all over and let it sit, loosely wrapped in butcher paper. Roasts should be brought close to room temperature before they go into the oven to ensure more even cooking.

What is the best temperature to cook a prime rib roast? ›

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.

Is prime rib better cooked slow or fast? ›

This is one of the most expensive cuts of beef, especially if you seek out a higher USDA grade cut of meat. Make sure you're getting the tender and evenly cooked results you want by using a slow and low roasting method that requires only your home oven and a few pieces of kitchen equipment.

Do you flip prime rib when cooking? ›

Cook the prime rib for about 10-15 minutes bone side down first, then flip it over and roast for 10-15 minutes fat side down. Brown the sides for 10 minutes per side.

Do I cover prime rib when cooking? ›

Do you cover prime rib roast when cooking? You can cover rib roast when cooking after searing it to help it retain some of its moisture, but it's not necessary. For the best results, leave the roast uncovered until you remove it from the oven or grill and place it at room temperature for resting.

Should I put water in the bottom of my prime rib roast? ›

Put the roast on a rack (or on top of some carrots, celery and sliced onion, which will flavor the drippings nicely) in the roasting pan, and add just a little water to the bottom of the pan — it shouldn't touch the meat.

Why is my prime rib tasteless? ›

The difficulty with prime rib comes down to surface area. The crust to meat ratio is extremely low, especially when compared to a normal steak. Only a small amount of crust is enjoyed in each bite, and the center can be lacking in flavor.

When should you season your prime rib? ›

How to Season Prime Rib. A roast is a large cut of meat: it needs more seasoning than you might expect. Season it generously with kosher salt the day before roasting it and let it sit in the fridge uncovered overnight. When you take it out of the fridge before roasting, add pepper and any additional herbs.

Is it better to use olive oil or butter on prime rib? ›

If you are searing a roast with butter before or after cooking it, it is more likely to burn due to its low smoke point. Instead, David Rose recommends home cooks use olive oil or grapeseed oil to lessen any chance of the roast charring.

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.

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.

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 salt prime rib the night before? ›

Leave the roast uncovered in your fridge for at least 1 day and up to 4 days. The pre-salting and air-drying will ensure a delicious roast with a browned, beefy crust. Take your meat out of the fridge and keep at room temp for about 3 hours before you plan to cook the prime rib.

What is the rule for prime rib? ›

For a bone-in prime rib, figure two servings per rib, while a boneless roast will yield two servings per pound. When trying to figure out how much time you need to roast your prime rib, use this simple calculation: weight of the prime rib (in pounds) x 5 = total roasting time in minutes.

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