Are you ready for the BEST Prime Rib recipe? This is a no-fail, meltingly tender and juicy, garlic-crusted prime rib that will have all your guests swooning. This standing beef rib roast is perfect for Christmas and the holidays, or any special occasion worthy of a little splurge.

Prime rib sliced on a cutting board.

Why You’ll Love This PRime Rib Recipe

Prime rib (also known as standing rib roast) is up there next to turkey, honey baked ham, filet mignon and beef tenderloin in terms of intimidating recipes. It’s a big, pricey chunk of meat and often the centerpiece of a Christmas dinner. That means you don’t want to accidentally over cook it or mess it up, especially if you have guests over. But I’ve got some good news for you! I’ve been making this prime rib recipe for years and it delivers perfect results every time. Here’s why I love it, and you will too!

  • Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s worth it. Sure, you can save money with more affordable cuts of meat. But if you’ve enjoyed a perfectly roasted prime rib, you also know that it’s worth every penny for that beautiful, tender, show-stopping piece of meat.
  • The ingredient list is simple. A cut of meat this good doesn’t need much. Heck, simple salt and pepper works just fine. But today, we’ll make a simple garlic herb butter for the ultimate flavorful crust.
  • It’s really easy to cook. While you may find different cooking methods online, like a reverse sear, this easy, no-fail prime rib is the one I come back to year after year. And I promise you’ll get raving accolades all around. Just read all of the positive reviews below!
Ingredients to make prime rib on a counter.

Prime Rib Ingredients

  • Prime Rib: Grab a bone-in prime rib from your butcher. For details on picking the best one, keep reading below.
  • Butter: This helps the seasoning stick to the meat and crisps up the outside. You could also use ghee if you’re dairy-sensitive.
  • Herbs: Fresh rosemary and thyme pair beautifully with the garlic.
  • Salt & Pepper: You need a good amount of salt! And make sure to use kosher salt and not table salt. Kosher salt has a coarser grain and helps to add texture to the outside crust. And freshly cracked black pepper finishes it off.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

What Size Prime Rib to Buy?

The general rule of thumb is 1 pound of prime rib per person. But in my experience, that’s a lot of meat!  I think ¾ pound per person is a better estimate, or even ½ pound if you’re serving it up with a lot of sides. Here’s a general guideline:

  • For 6 people: get a 4 ½ pound prime rib
  • For 8 people: get a 6 pound prime rib
  • For 12 people: get a 9 pound prime rib

Bone-in Versus Boneless Prime Rib

You have the option of purchasing either a bone-in or boneless prime rib. Both work just fine in this recipe, though I personally prefer bone-in. The bones act as a natural rack, keeping the meat elevated when cooking, and they insulate the meat, keeping it extra juicy. If you do use a boneless version, it will cook a bit faster. So always judge doneness based on internal temperature rather than time.

Pro Tip: Ask your butcher to cut the bones off, but then tie them back on! This gives you all the benefits of the bones with none of the work of having to slice them off. You just have to cut the string and remove the bones before serving. Super easy!

Cooked prime rib in a pan.

The Cut of Meat: Prime Versus Choice

Don’t confuse the name prime rib with the grade of meat. Prime rib can come in prime or choice cuts. Prime cuts are the most expensive and have beautiful fat marbling (which translates to lots of delicious flavor!). Choice cuts have slightly less marbling, and are slightly cheaper.

Pro Tip: Most grocery stores only carry choice cuts, and often only on the weekends. If you want a prime cut it’s best to plan ahead, as you may have to order it from your butcher.

Equipment You’ll Need

All you need are three basic items for the perfect prime rib – an oven-safe pan or roasting tray, a thermometer, and a sharp knife.

  • Pan or Roasting Tray: I prefer a sturdy, oven-safe, cast-iron pan for this recipe (assuming my roast fits in the pan). Because then it’s really easy to make the au jus with the leftover juices in the pan on the stove. If you’re cooking a large roast though, you’ll likely need a larger roasting pan.
  • Thermometer: The most important thing to make the BEST prime rib is a thermometer. Nailing the right temperature is key! You can use a probe thermometer (that you’ll leave in the meat), an instant read thermometer, or a basic meat thermometer.
  • Knife: A good sharp knife is essential to those beautiful cuts. You could use either a carving knife or chef’s knife.

How to Cook Prime Rib

Remove the prime rib from the fridge. Let it come to room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before cooking.

Room temperature meat is key! To ensure the prime rib is cooked evenly it must be at room temperature before going into the oven. Otherwise, you’ll end up with well-done meat on the ends and raw meat in the middle, which is definitely not ideal. So remember to remove it from the fridge 2 to 3 hours before cooking.

Raw prime rib on a plate.

Make the garlic herb butter. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C), then mix together the butter, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Garlic herb butter mixed in a bowl.

Pat and coat. After the prime rib has come to room temperature, pat it down with a few paper towels to remove any moisture. Then slather it all over with the garlic herb butter mix.

Adding garlic herb butter to prime rib.

It’s time to roast it. Place the prime bones side down in an oven-safe pan or roasting pan. Place onion slices around the meat if you plan to make the red wine au jus (if not, you can omit them). Then roast the prime rib for 20 minutes at the high temperature, to sear the outside and create a crust. After you’ve seared the outside, reduce the temperature to 325°F (160°C), and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness (see chart below).

Prime rib in pan ready to be cooked.

Let it rest. Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. You can tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm.

Cooked prime rib in a pan on a table.

Slice it up. Remove the strings that are keeping the bones attached or slice the bones off the meat. Then, carve the prime rib into thick ½-inch slices and serve with the red wine au jus.

Sliced prime rib on a cutting board.

How Long to Cook Prime Rib

I’m cooking a 6 pound prime rib for this recipe, which will take about an hour and a half. Estimate 13 to 15 minutes per pound for medium-rare. If your prime rib is larger or smaller you’ll need to adjust the cook time. Here are a few estimates, but remember to always go by internal temperature, not time. Especially as all ovens cook slightly differently.

  • 2 ribs (4 to 5 pounds) – 60 to 70 minutes
  • 3 ribs (7 to 8½ pounds) – 1½ to 1¾ hours
  • 4 ribs (9 to 10½ pounds) – 1¾ to 2¼ hours

Standing Rib Roast Internal Temperature

It’s important to remember that there will be residual heat and carryover cooking, once you remove the prime rib from the oven. That means the internal temperature will continue to rise 7 to 10 degrees. So don’t overcook it! And always (always) let it rest, for 20 to 30 minutes.

  • Rare – remove at 110°F. Rested temp will be 117 to 120°F. Center is bright red, pinkish toward the outer edges.
  • Medium Rare – remove at 120°F. Rested temp will be 127 to 130°F. Center is very pink, slightly brown toward the outer edges.
  • Medium – remove at 130°F. Rested temp will be 137 to 140°F. Center is light pink, outer portion is brown.
  • Medium well – remove at 140°F. Rested temp will be 147 to 150°F. No pink.
  • Well – remove at 150°F. Rested temp will be 157 to 165°F.
Drizzling red wine au jus over a slice of prime rib.

Storage Tips

If you have leftovers after your dinner or party, not to worry, you can save them! You definitely don’t want this expensive cut of meat going to waste. You can turn leftovers into prime rib tacos (they’re amazingly good) or enjoy slices reheated with the sides mentioned below. Here’s how to store the meat:

  • In the fridge: If you have just a few slices and plan to eat it later that week, you can store leftovers in a sealed storage container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
  • In the freezer: If you have more leftovers than you can handle, freeze them! Let the meat cool completely. Then slice it up, place it in freezer safe bags, and squeeze all the air out. It’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • To reheat: If the meat is frozen, thaw it in the fridge the day before you’d like to eat it. Then, just microwave it for a minute or two, until it’s warmed through.

What to Serve with Prime Rib

I always love a good potato and veggie side dish. Some of my favorite sides to serve with prime rib include:

And while I’m serving this prime rib with a red wine au jus, you could also serve it up with a homemade horseradish sauce. Either one is divine!

Your friends and family are going to be head over heels for this prime rib. If you make it this holiday season or serve it up for Christmas dinner, I’d love to hear what you and your loved ones think in a comment below!

Prime rib sliced on a cutting board.

Best No-Fail Prime Rib (Garlic Herb Crust)

Author: Lisa Bryan
4.98 from 310 votes
Read 675 Comments
Serves 8 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send it to you + weekly food inspiration!

Description

This is the best prime rib recipe with a garlic herb crust – the perfect holiday standing rib roast. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Prime Rib

  • 6 pounds prime rib, bone-in (with bones cut off and tied back on)
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered (if making the red wine au jus)

Red Wine Au Jus (Optional)

  • ¼ cup drippings from prime rib pan, make sure to separate the fat from the drippings
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 ½ cups red wine
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder (in a slurry) to thicken

Instructions 

Prime Rib

  • Bring to room temperature. Remove the prime rib from the fridge 2 to 3 hours before cooking, and allow it to come to room temperature.
    Raw prime rib on a plate on a table.
  • Make the herb butter. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.
    Mixing garlic herb butter in a glass bowl for prime rib.
  • Coat the prime rib. After the prime rib has come to room temperature, pat it down with paper towels to make sure it's dry. Then, rub the entire outside of the prime rib with the herb butter mixture.
    Coating the prime rib with garlic herb butter.
  • Prep the prime rib. Place the prime rib in an oven-safe pan or roasting tray with the bone-side down, fat-side up. If you're making the red wine au jus, place the onion slices in the pan around the meat. If not, you can omit the onions.
    Prime rib with herb butter in a pan with onions.
  • Cook the prime rib. Cook the prime rib in the center of the oven for 20 minutes at 450°F (230°C). It should get a nice sear on the outside. If it doesn't have much of a crust, cook it a few minutes longer. Then, reduce the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and continue cooking the prime rib until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (50°C). This should take about an hour and a half for medium-rare. Note: go by temperature (listed above), and not time, as it will depend on the size of your prime rib and your oven.
    Cooked prime rib in a pan.
  • Let it rest. Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. You can tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Then, remove the string and bones, and slice it up into thick ½-inch thick slices.
    Sliced prime rib on a cutting board.

Optional: Red Wine Au Jus

  • Simmer. After you've removed the fat from the pan, add up to ¼ cup of drippings back in along with the beef broth and red wine. If you have leftover herbs, you can toss those in as well. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half. It's meant to be a thin sauce, but if you'd like to add a little bit of a thickener, you can do that as well.
    Making red wine au jus in a pan.
  • Strain and serve. Strain the au jus to remove the onion and any browned bits, then transfer to a serving bowl and/or drizzle over the prime rib.
    Straining the red wine au jus.

Lisa’s Tips

  • If you can, get your butcher to cut the bones off the prime rib, and tie them back on for you. It’s much easier to simply snip the string and remove them at the end!
  • Keep an eye on the internal temperature even while the prime rib is resting. If you rest it too long, the temperature may increase a bit too much.
  • For the red wine au jus, I recommend a fat separator, to ensure your sauce isn’t too greasy.

Nutrition

Calories: 1129kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 100g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 1193mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted December 2020, but updated to include new information for your benefit!

You May Also Like

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.98 from 310 votes (45 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Thank you for taking the time to write a review—I always love reading your comments.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this? Rate the recipe!




All comments are moderated before appearing on the site, as per the community guidelines. Thank you for your patience! Please note that anonymous star reviews without comments are not allowed on Downshiftology, to ensure the integrity of recipe reviews.

675 Comments

  1. This recipe is so easy, so perfect. Follow the tips and recommendations for size and internal temperature, and you can’t go wrong! I’ve done this with roasts varying from 3lb to 9lb and they all work out to perfection. My personal tip: make lots of gravy with the drippings and drown some Yorkshire Puddings for a true feast!5 stars

  2. Perfect Holiday Dinner. Prime Rib roast, green beans w/shallots and honey carrots. I made mashed potatoes w/ cream cheese and thickened up the au jus. Perfect. Every recipe I have mad from your website has been perfect. Thank you!!5 stars

  3. I have struggled to make the perfect prime rib for Christmas but not this year. I followed this recipe exactly after reading through it a few times first. I served this perfect prime rib with au jus and horseradish, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole ( my husbands favorite) and I made a loaf of homemade bread. My husbands favorite raved this was the best prime rib ever and the best Chrismas dinner! Thank you for this!5 stars

  4. Even my son in law the chef was impressed with the flavor and crust. Great garlic flavor but not overwhelming. The meat was still the star!5 stars

  5. This prime rib recipe is so easy to follow and comes out delicious! Highly recommend to make the au jus with it to give the meat a flavor boost. Will be making this again next year.5 stars

  6. Made this for Christmas dinner and it was so delicious and perfectly cooked, following your guidance. Thank you for sharing this recipe; it will now be my go-to method for prime rib. Happy Holidays!5 stars

  7. Great recipe. Easy to follow. I made it for Christmas dinner for 6 adults with a 8-pound bone-in prime rib. Everyone loved it. Only had a little bit left. This is my first time making prime rib. Thank you!5 stars

  8. This was a delicious recipe! It was easy to follow and simple. I mde it dor Christmas dinner and my family loved it.
    I did have to give the roast about 10 extra minutes on the high heat to get that sear bit everything else was perfect. Will definitely make again!5 stars

  9. I loved this recipe. My picky eaters loved this recipe. So flavorful so moist. First time making prime rib and pleasantly surprised.5 stars

  10. I like to make prime rib every year for New Year’s Eve. Because we will be traveling this year, I decided to make it for Christmas dinner. We had a 4 1/2 pound rib roast from the cow we had butchered from a family rancher. Instead of doing our usual recipe, I decided to give this one a try and I was so glad I did! I love all of Lisa’s recipes so I was confident we would love this one as well. I had my parents over and they were very impressed. I served it with Lisa‘s air fryer green beans. Dinner was a hit!5 stars

  11. Quite possibly the best prime rib ever. No fuss….beautiful….au jus is a must. My chef husband was VERY impressed.5 stars

  12. Wonderful.
    Have done 3 times and 3 times awesome.
    Have recommended it, with great success, to others including a professional chef.
    Thanks!!5 stars

  13. Made this prime rib recipe for christmas day dinner. It was amazing!! It is my son’s favorite! Thank you so much!5 stars

  14. First time making prime rib!. Great tip to have butcher cut off and re-tie bones on. Herb butter crust was such a treat with the tender meat. Cooked perfectly medium rare after taking it out at 120 degrees and tenting for 30 min. This made our Christmas Eve dinner special and memorable.5 stars

  15. Merry Christmas downshifters!
    I made Lisa’s Prime Rib for Christmas dinner and it turned out perfectly. This was my first time ever making prime rib, it turned out so tender and delicious. The recipe steps were so easy to follow. I’m sure this will become a family tradition for years to come. :)5 stars

  16. I’ve made this the last 3 or 4 years for Christmas dinner and it hasn’t failed me yet. This year I even made it with a boneless strip roast instead of a bone-in prime rib and still came out just right! Cooking by temp rather than time is key!5 stars

  17. Everything worked but the Rosemary and Thyme. Made this a couple o’days ago and the instructions and method were bang on. Didn’t really like the two herbs in the butter though… it tastes okay but not great. Next time I’m gonna add a bit more garlic and leave it at that. Thanks for the basics. J.

  18. This Prime Rib roast was easy to prepare with an outcome that was amazing. Within 25 minutes in the oven, my husband came downstairs taking deep breaths of the aroma that was filling our home. The roast came out with a fantastic crust, medium rare and delicious. It made for a great Christmas Eve dinner.5 stars

  19. What can I say? I’ve never tried to make a rib roast before. I’ve been intimidated. What if it doesn’t turn out? What if I over cook it? It’s expensive! Lisa made the instructions/preparations so easy to follow. The photos definitely added to the ease of making this. I did a couple of tweaks. The night before cooking, I did a dry rub of kosher salt and pepper on all sides. I had rested the roast on a cooling rack that was nestled in on a cookie sheet. I left it uncovered all night in the fridge. The other tweak was that BEFORE shmearing the butter mixture all over, I massaged the roast with dijon mustard. The meat was fantastic and beyond! TYTYTY for providing a home run main dish for supper.5 stars

  20. Wow, 10/10! This recipe was so easy to follow and came out perfectly delicious — meltingly tender, juicy, and that garlic herb crust added incredible flavor. I made a 4-pound roast instead of 6 pounds and tweaked the timing slightly, but it still turned out spot on for medium-rare. I paired it with the Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans with Shallots and Lemon from this same site, and together they made an absolutely amazing holiday meal. Everything was straightforward and restaurant-quality at home. Definitely plan on making this again very soon!5 stars

    1. Hi Karen – What an amazing dinner you whipped up for the holidays! I’m so glad this prime rib was a part of it and turned out perfectly.

  21. This is great recipe ! Thank you for the great guidelines, so helpful – prime rib was on sale so I bought extra for leftovers, we all can’t wait to dig in on this treat for Christmas!!5 stars

  22. Best Prime Rib recipe ever. It is so informative and easy to follow. I’ve used this recipe several times and it’s a hit with my large family5 stars

      1. I made prime rib using your recipe. It was perfect! My husband does not drink alcohol, so for the Au Jus, I substituted 2T’s of red currant jam for the wine. I also made a creamy horseradish sauce. It was delicious. Thank you for all your recipes! I’m so happy that I found Downshiftology! Having Celiac does not mean I have to skimp on flavor! You’re an inspiration!5 stars

  23. This is the third time I have made this prime rib and it is fantastic! Everyone rave about it and there were hardly any leftovers. My wife was still talking about this morning. This is better than a restaurant. Thanks Lisa!5 stars

  24. Would it be a good idea to cook this on Convection Roast? If so, should I lower the sear temperature and by how much?

    1. Hi Peggy – I’d keep the sear temperature the same, but cooking on convection roast will cook the prime rib a bit faster. Always go by the internal temperature of the meat to determine doneness. Enjoy!

  25. I am so excited to try this recipe for Christmas this year! I went ahead and ordered a 4 pound prime rib since it’s really just my husband and I and 6 pounds seemed like too much for us. I noticed the time changes you noted in the recipe notes (thank you for that). Is there anything else that needs to be adjusted since i’m making it smaller since it’s just for us 2? Thank you!

  26. I’m making this recipe for Christmas and have 8 guests. What is the right size roast I should order? If I want a boneless roast, what do I ask the butcher to prepare it?

  27. This is excellent!! I stumbled across this recipe and have made it three times. Each time it comes out perfectly…moist, tender and very flavorful. It is a keeper especially for special dinners like Christmas or anniversaries. I think I’ll be checking out more recipes. 😁5 stars

    1. Hi Sharon – So happy to hear you’ve made this prime rib several times. I hope you enjoy many of my other recipes as well!

  28. I hate to ask this but my husband is more than dairy sensitive, he is allergic to dairy. Would it be a complete waste to make this with a plant based butter alternative?

    1. Hi Kim – no, I don’t think it would be a waste at all. You could easily swap in a butter alternative, and then he can enjoy all this beautifully juicy prime rib meat. I hope you both enjoy!

  29. Hi do you add water or broth in the bottom of the pan? My rib roast never have any juice on the bottom of pan to make au jus.

    1. Hi Amy – a 9 bone roast is no different, just bigger! Always make sure to cook based on internal temperature. That way you can guarantee a perfect prime rib every time. I’m sure you’ll do great!

    2. I have a huge rib roast this year and cut it into two
      Making one rare and the other one will be a little more done for my hubby and others that prefer it that way5 stars

      1. I cannot wait to make this !! Mouth is watering already! Thank you in advance for the recipe & tips..5 stars

  30. I haven’t made this yet, but I wrote down every word to keep to make this perfect for Christmas! Its my first time ever making, let alone trying a prime rib & have always dreamed of it, so thank you so much for this amazing easy recipe because I am one of those that less is more to make a flavor!! I will be substituting the “gravy” as my own homemade but the rest of this for reference is brilliant 👏 thank you!5 stars

    1. Hi Ron – a boneless prime rib will cook a bit faster, so just make sure to keep an eye on the internal temperature. Enjoy!

    1. Hi Kim – yes, you’ll likely need to add more time. Though always go by internal temperature to make sure the prime rib roasts are cooked to your liking. Enjoy!

  31. This is an excellent presentation of prime rib preparation. All addendums are meticulously supplied leaving no possible questions for the novice. It was perfect and sent me to the store for that which i didn’t have. Thank you for sharing.5 stars

  32. Is it recommended to season the day before and leave in fridge (and/ or just season with the salt and then omit salt when doing the rub the day of?)?

    1. Hi Amy – I don’t feel you need to season in advance. I think you’ll still find my version plenty flavorful! ;)

    2. We usually make beef Wellington for Christmas but I’m going to make this instead! Question – for the gravy, what can I substitute for the red wine- more broth?5 stars

  33. I have been making prime rib for Christmas dinner for 40 years. and this is by far the best recipe I have ever tried. I love all of your recipes, Lisa5 stars

  34. I recently used your recipe for a roasted chicken, it was so moist & delicious, a 5 star!
    I’ve been doing roast beef dinners for years successfully but lately been disappointed with quality of prime rib. Along with the roast I make Yorkshire puddings. I have a frozen prime rib waiting to be cooked & can’t wait to try your recipe. Will there be drippings for making gravy for the Yorkshires.
    I’m very impressed with the simplicity of your recipes & look forward to trying many more.
    Thank You 😊

    1. Hi Sherry – Glad the roast chicken was successful! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the prime rib. Enjoy!!