The Perfect Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

A holiday meal to remember! Your guests will go crazy for this prime rib roast smothered in herbed bacon butter! It’s truly the perfect prime rib recipe!

The Perfect Prime Rib Recipe (1)

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Lets talk traditions…

When it comes to Christmas traditions, one that my family looks forward to is the Christmas Day prime rib roast. I grew up having ham on Christmas, but my husband was never a fan so shortly after we got married we changed our menu to prime rib and have never looked back! 🙂 It’s definitely an expensive treat, but it’s a once a year splurge that makes our holiday complete.

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So today I’m going to share with you just how easy it is to make this delicious holiday meal! It may seem intimidating but it could not be simpler, and I’m going to share with you my tips, tricks and techniques so you can get it just right! Just pretend I’m right there with ya holding your hand.

You’ve got this! 🙂

{Scroll down for the printable recipe}

First thing you want to do is to let your meat come to room temperature before doing anything else!

This is SUPER IMPORTANT!

Depending on the size and environmental temperature outside this can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to a few hours if it’s chilly in your house.

Pre-heat your oven to 450 now.

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Secondly, Notice the string?

Bakers twine is holding the bone rack to my roast. I have the butcher only half way remove it so I still get the delicious moistness and flavor that the bones provide, but it will be easier to cut the roast away from the bones and slice to serve later on.

Similar to when I’m making turkey, the next step is to take a wad of paper towels and the beef dry. On the turkey that ensures a nice crispy skin, but on the beef it’s helping our herbed bacon butter stick and create a delicious crumbly crust for that melt in your mouth beef.

Butter…More Butter…

Thirdly, and possibly the next most important is making our aromatic herbed bacon butter. So get out a small bowl, add everything in it, and give it a good mix together with a fork

Then using your best kitchen tools (clean hands) rub that buttery goodness all over your beef.

Sounds kind of dirty? Well, it is. 🙂

We’re almost at the homestretch!

Still with me?!

Put your prime rib roast into the oven.

450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, then lower the temp to 250 and cook for an additional 1.5-2 hours.

If you don’t have a meat thermometer, now is the time to invest in one. I personally use and love THIS ONE

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(affiliate link).

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120F is rare and 145+F is well done, so you’ll want thereading to be somewhere in that area when inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the roast.

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Remove the roast from the dish and put it on a large cutting board to rest for 20-30 minutes. Tent it with tinfoil to keep it hot.

Make your Au Jus while the meat is resting.

After the meat has rested, cut and remove the string and cut the bones away from the meat. You can now slice the roast easily and effortlessly for your guests.

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Bacon Butter Prime Rib

★★★★★4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Christine
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Description

A holiday meal to remember! Your guests will go crazy for this prime rib roast smothered in herbed bacon butter! It’s truly the perfect prime rib recipe!

Ingredients

Scale

  • PRIME RIB ROAST:
  • 6lb beef rib roast (partially boned and tied by butcher)
  • 6 tablespoons room temp. unsalted butter
  • 23 tablespoons coagulated bacon grease*
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons dried Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
  • * I always make bacon on Christmas morning and save the grease for the rib roast. If you don’t have it on hand then just use another tablespoon of butter in its place.

Au Jus

  • 2 1/2 cups beef broth (low sodium preferably)
  • 23 whole peeled garlic cloves
  • a few sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 teaspoons Worcheshire sauce

Instructions

PRIME RIB:

  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Make herbed bacon butter
  3. Pat beef dry with paper towels and put in roasting pan
  4. Smear butter all over beef
  5. Before placing the beef in the oven add about 1 1/2 cups of broth to the bottom of the baking dish, and add in a few whole garlic cloves and rosemary twigs. This is going to be our base for our Au Jus later on.
  6. Put roast into 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 250 degrees and continue cooking until desired doneness. about 1.5 hours for medium rare.

MAKE YOUR AU JUS WHILE THE MEAT IS RESTING.

AU JUS:

  1. Put your baking dish over your stovetop burners and set them to medium low.
  2. Carefully remove the rosemary and garlic cloves
  3. Wisk in the Worcestershire and wine, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add in the remaining 1 cup of broth, reduce your heat slightly to a simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

{OPTIONAL} HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE TO SERVE ON SIDE:

  • 16 oz. sour cream
  • 3-4 tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1/4 prepared horseradish
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl, and mix well. Taste and adjust if needed.
  2. Keep chilled until ready to serve with prime rib.

Notes

*Rare: 120-125°F

Red interior which may fade to pink at the outermost edges

Medium Rare: 130-135°F

Pink with a deeper, nearly red center

Medium: 135-140°F

Mauve, uniformly colored interior

Well-done: 145°F+

Brown, no pink

**120F is rare and 145+F is well done, so you’ll want the reading to be somewhere in that area when inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. I personally remove the roast from the oven right around 130F since it will continue to cook while resting, this way I’m right on the money at 135-140 each time.

Keywords: prime rib cook time, prime rib, prime rib roast, standing rib roast, rib roast, cooking prime rib, prime rib rub, how to cook prime rib, rib of beef, prime rib steak, beef rib roast, Christmas roast, prime rib cooking time

I encourage you to try this recipe any time of year! New Years, Valentines Day, a birthday, Easter….Prime rib is the perfect meal for any special occasion and now that you know how to prepare it easily, it can be the next shining star on your holiday table. Just don’t forget to PIN IT! So you can come back to it later!

Need a side dish to pair this with? Here’s some of my favorites…

  • Bacon Mushroom Green Beans
  • Garlic Chive Smashed Potatoes
  • White Cheddar Cranberry Macaroni and Cheese
  • Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
  • Heavenly Holiday Hash Browns

Yum!

I hope you loved this super special, yet still easy, and crazy delicious recipe!

Talk to you soon friends, take care!

XO

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

If you don't let the roast come to room temperature, your roast won't cook evenly, and you'll end up with well-done slices on the end and raw meat in the center. Tying Prime Rib: It is important to tie the prime rib before roasting.

What is the best temperature to cook prime rib? ›

In a 325 degree F oven:
  • Medium-rare: 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
  • Medium: 25 to 30 minutes per pound.
  • Medium-well: 30 to 35 minutes per pound.
Dec 20, 2023

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

Place the roast fat side up, bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. This allows the heat to sear the roast, trapping the juicy flavors inside while the rest of the meat cooks.

Is prime rib better cooked slow or fast? ›

A low and slow start delivers perfectly evenly cooked medium-rare doneness all the way from edge to center. Blasting the prime rib with heat just before serving gives you a crackling-crisp, browned crust.

How does Ruth Chris cook their prime rib? ›

Our perfected broiling method and seasoning techniques ensure each cut of USDA Prime beef we serve arrives cooked to perfection and sizzling on a 500° plate.

Why do you salt prime rib before cooking? ›

The salt helps trap the heat to better cook the prime rib. “It conducts the heat and seals it,” says Betz.

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 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.

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.

Should I season prime rib night before? ›

Step 1: Season Overnight

You want to use a significant sprinkling of kosher salt because the salt both tenderizes the muscle and flavors the meat all the way to the bone. Once you've seasoned it, wrap the roast in plastic wrap and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours (up to 48 if desired).

How do you season prime rib before cooking? ›

How to Season Prime Rib
  1. Soften the butter on the counter or by setting it under a hot glass, and chop the herbs. When softened, combine butter, garlic powder, herbs, and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.
  2. Spread the butter rub over the meat, making sure to cover all sides of the roast.
  3. Prepare the roast, and serve!
Feb 2, 2024

Should you pre season a prime rib? ›

Yes, it's important to season your prime rib, but worrying about whether to season it the night before or three hours before—or even right before it goes in the oven—is not a good use of your cooking bandwidth.

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.

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

Place the seasoned rib roast on a greased roasting rack in a roasting tray. 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? ›

Carefully slice the meat off the bones and rub kosher salt all over the prime rib. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours. Let the prime rib come to room temperature before searing it in an oiled skillet.

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