Prime Rib Roast {Standing Rib Roast}

Name: Prime Rib Roast {Standing Rib Roast}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 6 lb Prime Rib Bone-in (roast will average between 5-8 pounds); 1 tbsp coarse sea salt; 1 tbsp cracked black pepper; 4 cloves garlic minced

5 from 80 votes

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Prime Rib Roast also known as a standing rib roast, is a cut of beef most people think is too difficult to cook at home. The truth is cooking Restaurant Quality Prime Rib at home couldn’t be easier with my standing rib roast recipe.

Don’t wait for special occasions to make prime rib; it only takes 5 minutes to prep and 2 hours to cook the Perfect Prime Rib Roast, aka Standing Rib Roast.

cooked standing rib roast next to slice on a white platter

If you have time, let the roast sit in the fridge overnight (or up to 3 days if time permits) to let the seasonings work their magic on the prime rib.

rare prime rib with smashed potatoes, au jus and horseradish sauce on a white plate

A prime rib roast is definitely the King of Beef, and the wow factor that comes with a cut of perfectly cooked prime rib is about as high as it can get.

Following my easy recipe will yield a perfect prime rib that’s rich, juicy, and tender. It’s not only a feast for the belly; it’s a feast for the eyes as well.

Ingredients for Standing Rib Roast

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Prime Rib Roast. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

*A Prime Rib Roast is considered a “Primal Cut of Beef.” A primal cut is a piece of meat initially separated from the carcass of an animal during butchering. Other primal cuts of beef are the loin, chuck, ribs, and round.

How much prime rib do I need?

A bone-in Standing Rib Roast will feed 2 people per bone (about 1 pound per person, counting the weight of the rib bones). Use that guideline to plan how big of a roast you need. Of course, the number of sides and types of side dishes you are serving also comes into play. If you are planning a large meal with lots of accompaniments, you can scale back to ½ – ¾ pound prime rib per person.

If you can’t find a smaller prime rib roast at your local grocery store, a local butcher can probably help you out.

How do I know when the prime rib roast is cooked?

There is no getting around it; you need a meat thermometer to check on the internal temperature of the standing rib roast. You don’t want to keep opening the oven or taking the meat out to check with an instant-read thermometer. Invest in a good thermometer; it’s the best way to check the level of doneness of anything you cook in the oven or on the grill.

Roast your prime rib until the thermometer registers:

115-120˚F for rare
125-130˚F for medium rare
135-140° F for medium
145-150 F° for medium well

Please keep in mind that the meat temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees when it’s resting out of the oven, so don’t overcook the roast!

This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I absolutely love my Meater Plus | Smart Meat Thermometer It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meats in the oven, on the grill, or in a smoker.

How to prepare a prime rib roast

roast rubbed with Dijon mustard and heavily seasoned.

Pat the roast dry using paper towels.
Rub meat with Dijon mustard ( your favorite brown mustard or olive oil).
Season the roast with coarse sea salt, cracked black pepper and minced garlic.
Place roast in the refrigerator uncovered overnight (or up to 48 hours). This allows the surface to dry, which helps the roast brown and maintain juiciness.

How to cook a prime rib roast

The most important thing to remember when roasting a large piece of meat, like a standing rib roast, is to let the beef warm to room temperature before roasting the meat.

roasted prime rib roast on a white platter

Preheat the oven to 475°F
Place the beef on a roasting pan, fatty side up.
Roast the prime rib roast at 475°F for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 275°F
Let the prime rib continue to cook for 15 minutes per pound of roast.
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Prime Rib should not be cooked beyond Medium doneness.
Remove the roast from the oven and tent the entire roast with foil. Let the meat rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before serving (30-40 minutes is preferable). The meat will continue to cook after taking it out of the oven, and the internal temperature of the meat will increase by 5-10 degrees.

If you need a more well-done piece, use the ends (first cut), they will be more fully cooked. You can also place the cuts of prime rib in a pan with au jus and gently heat the meat to increase the doneness. My wife loves meat, well, well, well-done meat and using the au jus in a saute pan, I was able to serve her a perfectly cooked well done prime rib.

Enjoying a delicious prime rib dinner in your own home really makes a night extra special. Serve it up with homemade horseradish sauce, au jus (see the recipe notes for instructions), buttery smashed potatoes, and your favorite green vegetable.

And if you do have leftovers they make an amazing prime rib sandwich!

Recipe FAQ’s

What is prime rib roast?

A prime rib roast also referred to as a standing rib roast is the cut of meat that’s taken from the back of the upper ribs of the steer. This section is typically made up of about 7 ribs which is what restaurants use. You can find a smaller 3 or 4-bone roast which is better for home consumption. You really don’t want to cook a prime rib roast smaller than that.

What is the best temperature to cook a prime rib?

It’s always best to start at a high temperature (450 – 475 degrees is the optimal range). After 25 minutes at this temperature, change to a lower temperature (250 -300 degrees) is used to finish cooking the roast.
One cooking method I have never been fond of is Reverse Sear. It starts out at a lower temperature; lets the roast rest briefly then blasts it at 500 degrees to get the outside crisp. I prefer the traditional method of roasting meats.

Is prime rib the same as a ribeye?

Although a ribeye steak and a prime rib are both cut from the same rib section of the beef, they do have some differences.
The ribeye is cut from between the 6th and 12th ribs, which is considered to be the most tender part of the ribs. It’s also more heavily marbled.
The other big difference in taste and tenderness is a cut of prime rib is cut off of a cooked roast, whereas ribeyes are individual cuts seasoned and cooked to order.

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cut of rare prime rib next to roast on white platter

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5 from 80 votes

Prime Rib Roast {Standing Rib Roast}

Prime Rib Roast also known as a standing rib roast is a cut of beef most people think is too difficult to cook at home. The truth is cooking Restaurant Quality Prime Rib at home couldn't be easier.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Refrigerate12 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 5 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 1360kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

6 lb Prime Rib Bone-in roast will average between 5-8 pounds
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic minced

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

The night before you cook your Prime Rib, Pat it dry, rub meat with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Place roast in fridge uncovered. This allows surface to dry, which helps the roast brown and maintains juiciness.
Bring Prime Rib to room temperature before roasting (takes 1-2 hours)
Preheat oven to 475°F
Place the meat on a roasting pan, fatty side up.
Roast the meat at 475°F for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 300°F
Let the prime rib continue to cook for 15 minutes per pound of roast.
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
Prime Rib should not be cooked beyond Medium doneness.
For Rare take the roast out of the oven when the internal temp is 115°F. For Medium Rare, take the roast out of the oven when it reaches 125°F.
If you need a more well-done piece, use the ends, they will be more cooked. Yu can also place the cuts of prime rib in a pan with au jus to make the meat more well done.
Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
The meat will continue to cook after taking it out of the oven and the internal temp will increase about 10 degrees.
Serve with au jus and creamy horseradish sauce

Notes

Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, making sure that the thermometer isn’t touching a bone.

There are so many variables involved that affect cooking time, this is why you should use a meat thermometer. A prime rib roast is too expensive to “wing it”. Err on the rare side, you can always put the roast back in the oven to cook it a bit longer, if it’s too rare for your tastes

Let the roast rest:

Once the roast has reached the temperature you want, remove it from the oven and place it on a carving board. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving. The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise while the roast is resting.

To make au jus:

Drain off as much of the cooking grease as you can from the roasting pan without losing the meat drippings.

Add some water to the pan and place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Scrape the bottom of the pan, to loosen up all the tasty bits from the pan. This will make the au jus.

Let the au just cook for a bit adding a little more water if necessary. Strain the au jus to get rid of the debris and seasonings. As the prime rib rests you’ll have some juices leak out, add them to the au jus. The same will happen when you begin to slice the prime rib. Add them into the au jus.

Nutrition

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