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My Secret to the Best Oven Roasted Prime Rib Recipe

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When I say this is the absolute best prime rib recipe, I mean it! This prime rib roast turns out melt-in-your-mouth tender every single time, with that perfect crust on the outside and juicy, flavorful center.

a whole roasted prime rib with a garlic butter crust on the outside

Whether you’re cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, a special celebration, or just because you’re craving something incredible, this foolproof method will walk you through every step with confidence with lots of tips, tricks, things to avoid and the secret for making it the most flavorful!

Cade and I have tested this recipe for years to make sure it’s as easy and reliable as it is impressive—and trust me, once you try it, you’ll never make prime rib any other way.

Why This Prime Rib is the Best

I don’t know what it is about prime rib, but you throw that out there and people seriously come running.

Foolproof: If you follow the instructions step by step, you’ll get a perfect prime rib every time!

Texture: It is tender, melt-in-your-mouth, juicy with a delicious crust on the outside.

Flavor: The ingredients are so simple but the flavor is next level. Just salt, pepper, butter and garlic is all you need to compliment the deep beefy flavor of the prime rib.

Showstopper: You’ve invested some money into this cut of meat, let’s make it the showstopper of your holiday feast!

What is Prime Rib?

Standing Rib Roast and Prime Rib Roast are the same exact same thing. It’s just that different people call them different things. A prime rib is a cut of beef from the primal rib, one of the nine cuts of beef. While the entire rib section comprises ribs six through twelve, a standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven ribs, just depending on what you buy as there are options!

Close-up of juicy prime rib slices showing tender marbling and crispy outer crust.

Ingredients You’ll Need

People love the tender, mouthwatering beef but for me that’s not even the best part. I’m all about the outside. It’s all caramelized and packed full of flavor. I’m telling you, it’s like the burnt ends on a brisket. It’s so, so good!!!! Here is everything you’ll need to deliver that flavor:

Standing Rib Roast, Prime Rib: The star cut—rich, juicy, and tender.
Kosher Salt: Draws out moisture and seasons deeply.
Black Pepper: Enhances flavor and adds warmth.
Butter: Build an aromatic crust.
Garlic: Helps crisp the exterior while keeping it juicy.

Seems too simple, right?! Now let’s see how it’s done…

How to Cook Prime Rib (Step-by-Step)

I’ve shared very detailed instructions on the best way to cook prime rib in the recipe card below. But the basic steps to making the best prime rib EVER are as follows:

Carefully slice the meat off the bones and rub kosher salt all over the outside of the roast. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours. This is the step that will change everything!
Let the prime rib come to room temperature before searing it in an oiled skillet.
Once cool enough to handle, tie the meat back onto the bones.
Transfer roast to a wire rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Season with pepper, then rub with garlic butter.
Roast at 200ºF until the meat registers your desired internal temperature (see our notes below for doneness info).
Remove roast from oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 30 minutes before returning to oven to broil the very top.
Cut twine from meat, slice, and serve!

Is this the best prime rib roast recipe ever?? I think it might just be! Do you feel like you can do it? I hope so!

a whole roasted prime rib with a garlicky, buttery, parsley crust on the outside

Prime Rib FAQs

What’s the Difference Between Prime Rib vs Ribeye?

The “Prime Rib” is basically just a marketing term. It refers to a standing rib roast from that section or cut. The Ribeye Roast is a rib roast that has been carved off of the bone. It is the same piece of meat as a standing rib roast.

How to Buy Prime Rib

Most stores don’t sell very high quality Prime Rib cuts. The first thing you should do is head to a butcher that you trust. Look for a prime rib roast with an untrimmed fat cap (ideally ½ inch thick). We prefer the flavor and texture of prime-grade beef, but choice grade will work as well, just ask the butcher which he has.
If possible, buy a prime rib roast that has the bones attached. This isn’t always the case and you’ll be fine if they aren’t, but tying the ribs to the meat will give you a more even, juicy roast versus boneless.

Why is Prime Rib so Expensive?

Oh, I’m so with you, why is prime rib roast so expensive?! The more marbling, the more flavorful it will be. A full prime rib is cut from the 6th through 12th ribs of the cow, so seven ribs in total, meaning you are getting quite a lot of meat and bones. It’s one of those cuts that ends up being extra work for a butcher and extra juicy for you, also making it more expensive.

How Much Prime Rib Per Person?

It’s so hard to know how much meat people are going to eat. I like to use the rule for prime rib of about 1 pound per adult.
– How much prime rib for 8 adults? A 4-bone prime rib will feed 8 to 10 people.
– How much prime rib for 20 adults? An 8 to 10 bone prime rib is better for 20 people.

How Long to Cook Prime Rib

Depending on how done you want it to be, your roast will be in the oven for anywhere from 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. If you need prime rib done faster, try our Instant Pot Prime Rib! It’s delicious!

How to Remove the Bones from a Prime Rib Roast

To remove the bones from the roast, use a very sharp knife, we prefer to only use Wusthof, and run it down the length of the bones, following the contours of the roast as closely as possible until the meat is separated from the bones.

Prime Rib Temperature Guide

Generally speaking, prime rib is served rare to medium rare, but I’ll be honest, I like mine more like medium. It’s entirely up to you and I’ll put all of the different prime rib temperatures and times below.

Medium Rare Prime Rib — Medium rare means the meat is mostly pink with a deeper, nearly red center. The temperature should be 130 to 134ºF.
Medium to Medium Well Prime Rib — The temperature should be 135 to 140°F.
Well Done Prime Rib — The temperature should be 140 to 145°F.

Sliced prime rib roast with a perfectly browned crust and juicy pink center on a serving plate.

What to Serve with Holiday Prime Rib

When it comes to a holiday dinner spread with prime rib as the star, I love to accompany it with all our favorite side dishes. Here are some suggestions:

Potatoes: baked potatoes, roasted herb potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes
Salad: 7 layer pea salad, spinach salad with poppyseed dressing or broccoli salad
Bread: potato rolls, buttermilk biscuits or herbed focaccia bread
Vegetables: roasted acorn squash, garlic butter roasted carrots or oven roasted vegetables

And it would be a holiday dinner without some decadent desserts! A few of our favorites are

Tips for Perfect Prime Rib Every Time

I’ve messed up enough Prime Rib recipes to know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do. Here are my top 3 tips:

#1 Overnight Salting!

Others may try to fool you into thinking the most important thing is the resting stage, which is up there for sure, but it’s not number 1.

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

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.

#2 Keep the Oven Door Shut!

I was super worried about undercooking the roast the first time I made it so I checked it too often. This was lengthening the cooking process and ended up cooking it over medium temperature. Monitoring the roast with a meat-probe thermometer is best.

If you use an instant-read meat thermometer like this Thermopro Instant Read, open the oven door as little as possible. Also, remove the roast from the oven while taking its temperature, so you aren’t letting out extra heat.

If your roast has not reached the temperature you wanted in the time range specified, heat the oven to 200 degrees, wait for 5 minutes, then shut it off, and continue to cook the roast until it reaches the desired temperature.

#3 Let the Prime Rib Roast Rest!

Once the roast has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven and let it rest before slicing and serving it to your guests.

Heat drives juices toward the center of the meat. Think of when you cut into a steak that hasn’t rested and the juices all run out and it’s chewy versus at a restaurant where you notice that the juices are perfectly distributed. A rest gives juices the chance to redistribute themselves.

You’ll want to loosely tent the meat with foil and let it rest for 20- 30 minutes before carving.

Storing, Freezing and Reheating

Prime rib leftovers store for 5 to 7 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer in an airtight container.

To reheat it, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F, place the sliced prime rib in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of beef broth, cover tightly with foil, and let it heat for about 10 minutes.

Recipe Tip

If this timing doesn’t work with your schedule, we also have posts for smoked prime rib and slow cooker prime rib. Check those out and see if one of those cooking methods works better for your schedule.

When you slice into that perfectly cooked prime rib and see the rosy, tender center, you’ll know all that love and patience were worth it. This recipe truly delivers every time — tender, juicy, flavorful, and worthy of any special occasion (or just a cozy Sunday dinner).

Pair it with your favorite sides, gather your people, and enjoy restaurant-worthy prime rib roast right in the comfort of your own kitchen. Once you try it, I promise — you’ll never make prime rib any other way.

More Decadent MAIN DISHES You Must Try:

Watch How to Make Prime Rib…

▢ 7 Pound Standing Rib Roast, Prime Rib
▢ 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt, heaping
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
▢ 4 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted
▢ 4-6 Cloves Garlic, minced

Using a very sharp knife, cut slits in the outer surface layer of fat, spaced 1 inch apart, in cross pattern, much like crossing on a baked ham. Do not cut into the meat.
7 Pound Standing Rib Roast
Gently slice down through the meat, following the bones to remove them from the meat. Do not discard.
Rub 2 heaping tablespoons of Kosher salt over entire roast and especially rub it into the slits.
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Place the meat back on bones and onto a plate.
Refrigerate the meat, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 96 hours.
Place the meat on the counter to rest for 2-3 hours so it takes the chill off.
Adjust the oven rack to a middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet or dutch oven over high heat until smoking.
Sear sides and top and avoid the bottom of the roast where you removed the bones (reserving bone on the plate). Place meat back on the rib bones, so bones fit where they were cut, and let cool for 10 minutes so you can touch it; tie meat to bones with 2 pieces of twine between the ribs.
Transfer the roast, fat side up, to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and season with pepper.
1 ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
Mix the butter and garlic in a bowl, and rub it all over the meat.
4-6 Cloves Garlic, 4 Tablespoons Butter
Roast until meat registers 120 degrees F, 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours.
Turn off the oven; leave the roast in oven, opening door as little as possible, until meat registers about 120℉ for rare or about 125℉ for medium-rare, 135-140°F for medium, and 140-145°F for well done, 30 to 75 minutes longer.
Remove roast from oven (leave roast on baking sheet), tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 75 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack about 8 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Remove foil from the roast. Broil until top of roast is well browned and crisp, 2 to 8 minutes.
Transfer roast to carving board; cut twine and remove roast from ribs.
Slice meat into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Season with coarse salt to taste along with any drippings turned to gravy, and serve.

To reheat, place in a baking pan, pour a little au jus or beef broth over it, and cover with foil. Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, depending on size.

Serving: 1g, Calories: 990kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 89g, Saturated Fat: 38g, Cholesterol: 204mg, Sodium: 1577mg, Potassium: 710mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 140IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 5mg

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

About The Author

Carrian Cheney

Carrian Cheney is the creative force behind ‘Oh, Sweet Basil,’ a food blog she co-authors with her husband, Cade. She creates fresh, family-friendly recipes that encourage togetherness in the kitchen.