This Prime Rib Roast is cooked to a perfect medium rare, and smothered in a compound butter spiced with chili powder, cumin, fresh herbs, and garlic. This feast is fit for any holiday or special occasion.
Is there anything more truly beautiful and satisfying than a delicious prime rib? We’re talking a deep brown crust that is perfectly seasoned with a compound butter with lots of herbs and spices. Then as you slice it open, you reveal a juicy pink center and a maelstrom of drippings and fat.
Prime Rib Roast
Prime rib roast is perfect for a holiday dinner or a special occasion. It’s not an economical cut of meat so when you do buy it you want to make it worth your time and money. But when you do make it the right way, get ready for those compliments, because they will be coming.
Choose Well-marbled Meat
The star of a good prime rib roast is obviously the prime rib so make sure you choose the right one. The more marbled your meat, the juicier and more flavored it will be.
If you can afford it, choose a dry-aged cut of beef. Dry-aging is a process where large cuts of meat are held in a temperature and humidity-controlled room for several weeks. The whole idea behind this is that during this time, the meat will become more tender and flavorful.
Buy a bone-in prime rib. The idea behind this is insulation. Meat around the bones will cook slower, therefore the meat around the bones will be extra tender and juicy.
What Ingredients Are Needed for Prime Rib Roast
All you need is the prime rib and seasoning. Seasoning can be as simple as salt and pepper as long as you generously season the meat. However, I wanted to add a bit more flavor into my prime rib by making a compound butter loaded with herbs and spices.
All this compound butter is going to do is just enhance the flavor of the roast. It truly is worth the extra effort.
How to Make Prime Rib Roast
Plan ahead and remove your roast from all its packaging and let it sit out at room temperature for one to two hours. Also make sure your roast is fully thawed, you do not want to cook a roast from frozen. Pat it dry with paper towels.
Preheat your oven to 450 F degrees.
Make the compound butter but mixing the butter together with the herbs and spices using a spatula. This butter will infuse the roast with extra flavor. Totally worth it. Spread this butter all over the roast.
I like to make a gravy from the drippings so I always add some garlic and onion at the bottom of the skillet. Place the roast bone side down over the onions. If you don’t have a skillet large enough to fit the roast, use a roasting pan.
Cook the roast for 15 minutes at 450 F degrees then reduce the temperature to 325 F degrees. Continue to cook the roast until your meat thermometer reads 120 F degrees. Estimate about 15 minutes per pound, however, start reading the temperature after about an hour.
Once the thermometer hits 120 F degrees, remove the roast from the oven. Place it on a cutting board and cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes. The roast will continue cooking, this is called carry-over cooking, raising the internal temperature to 130 degrees for a perfect medium-rare prime rib.
Prime Rib Roast Internal Temperatures
Timing is a pretty loose guide when it comes to cooking prime rib. Ovens are all different. A thermometer is the ONLY way to guarantee a perfectly cooked prime rib just how you like it.
| Rare | 120 F degrees (48.9 degree Celsius) |
| Medium Rare | 130 F degrees (54.45 degrees Celsius) |
| Medium | 140 F degrees (60 degrees Celsius) |
| Medium Well Done | 150 F degrees (65.5 degrees Celsius) |
| Well Done | 160 F degrees (71.1 degrees Celsius) |
How Long to Cook a Prime Rib Per Pound
The general rule of thumb is 15 minutes per pound but this is a very general rule of thumb. As mentioned above the best way to tell when your prime rib is done the way you want it, is to use a meat thermometer.
Also, always try and give yourself a little wiggle room when serving this for your holiday meal.
How To Serve
My favorite way to serve prime rib is with mashed potatoes. There’s nothing more comforting than a slice of this juicy prime rib roast over a cloud of creamy mashed potatoes and smothered in gravy. Here are some other recipes you can serve along with your roast:
- Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
- Old Fashioned Green Beans
- Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots
- Dinner Rolls
Looking for More Beef Recipes? Try These:
- Beef Bourguignon
- The Best Crock Pot Roast
- Beef Brisket Gyros
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- Hungarian Goulash
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Oven Baked Beef Brisket
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Prime Rib Roast
Ingredients
Compound Butter
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted, room temperature (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- 2 tsp chili powder I used a mild chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 tbsp thyme chopped, fresh
- 1 tbsp rosemary chopped, fresh
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
- 5 lb prime rib
Prime Rib Roast
- 2 medium onions quartered
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
Gravy
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup beef broth low sodium
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Remove your roast from all its packaging and let it sit out at room temperature for one to two hours. Also make sure your roast is fully thawed, you do not want to cook a roast from frozen. Using paper towels, pat the roast completely dry.
- Preheat your oven to 450 F degrees for at least 30 minutes, while the prime rib comes to room temperature.
- In a bowl mix the butter with the chili powder, cumin, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- With either a spatula or your hands, spread the compound butter mixture over the entire roast.
- Place the onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary in a large skillet that will fit your roast. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, use a roasting pan.
- Place the roast over the onions in the skillet.
- Cook the roast for 15 minutes at 450 F degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Continue to cook the roast until your meat thermometer reads 120 degrees. Estimate about 15 minutes of cooking time per pound of prime rib.
- Once the thermometer hits 120 F degrees, remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. The roast will continue to cook as the juices inside settle, raising the internal temperature to 130 degrees for a perfect medium-rare prime rib.
- Slice and serve with gravy over mashed potatoes.
Gravy
- While to roast is resting, place the skillet with the onions, garlic and herbs over medium high heat.
- Add the red wine and beef broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce should reduce a bit.
- Mix the 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and to the skillet. Whisk it and continue to cook for a few more minutes. The sauce should thicken. Use more cornstarch if wanting a thicker gravy.
- Strain into a bowl, then pour it into a gravy boat.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Nutritional information assumes 2 servings per pound.
I made this tonight as an early father’s day meal for my family. Everyone at the table loved it–raved about it. The meat looked picture perfect coming out of the oven and the perfect pink inside. Also, big thumbs up on the gravy! This is a keeper.
That sounds like the best night! SO glad you all enjoyed it!
What level does the oven rack need to be on?
Middle rack is fine.
utterly fantastic. My family (mostly adult) said honestly they have never had such a delicious roast! This happened 2 out of 2 times. Once I added 4 tablespoons of maple syrup to the butter spread mixture. Was a subtle hint of maple without detracting from the flavour.
Thank you this turned out so well. The butter mixture and red wine gravy took it to another level-it was so flavourful and reminds me of an upscale restaurant. It is rich and perfect for the holidays. Just wondering what differences I should I expect if I use a dry rub? Do I need a lot of oil?Thanks!
No you won’t need a ton of oil! It usually is just a difference of preference! Both are delicious 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it
Do I cover the roast with lid while cooking ?
No you don’t.
We have always gone out for a fancy dinner on Christmas Eve (usually Wellingtons) but this year since we can’t I splurged and bought the prime rib roast. I really was worried I would screw up and ruin this expensive piece of meat but I followed your recipe and we were all so happy with our restaurant quality dinner! Thank you for sharing. Not the first of your recipes I have tried and it certainly won’t be the last!
I’m making this for Christmas. Do I make the gravy with the garlic, herbs, and onions in it? Like, together in the gravy?
Yes, that’s right, then you strain it.
Lol. You have it written in the recipe. I’m not sure how I missed that. My brain is mush lately. Thank you!
This worked absolutely perfectly. I took it out at the suggested temperature and by the time we carved the roast it was just right. I didn’t strain the au jus and the onions were marvelous
So I wouldn’t have to season the roast itself with salt first?
Not necessary, since you’re spreading that compound butter all over it.
Why can I not see all the comments?
Only the first few show first, then you have to click on the “older comments” link to see the rest.
It was perfect!! Used a boneless prime rib and it was sooooo yummy!! Made my hubby very happy!!! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes. I have made so many and they are all great!! I look at a lot of websites for ideas but love yours the best. You not only give us the recipe but options for ingredients, storing and so much other information that other websites don’t. Much aloha all the way from Hawaii!!
Hello Hawaii! How I wish I was there now. 🙂 So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, and thank you so much for letting me know.
Hi Jo. Thanks for the recipe. However, after I took the 9 lb roast out at 120, the temp rose all the way to 144! I ended up with an overdone roast. I didn’t think it was possible for the temp to rise that far on it’s own, particularly since it was roasting at 325. Have you ever seen this before? Should larger roasts be taken out at 110? Should I not have covered it with foil?
Hi Bob! Not really, though I’ve never made a 9 lb roast before, but I don’t get why it would rise all the way to 144. Hope you still enjoyed it.
question on the oven temp for the Prime Rib, when you turn the oven temp down from 450 to 325, should you leave the oven door open until the temp drops to that 325? because my oven will hold that 400 deg. heat for a long time.
Bob
No, that’s fine, close the oven door.
What if you don’t have a meatThermometer
It’s mentioned in the recipe, about 15 min per pound of prime rib.