Easy Prime Rib Roast

This recipe for Prime Rib Roast yields a delicious and tender beef roast that will be the centerpiece of any holiday table.

What is prime rib?

Prime rib roast is a tender, flavorful cut of beef taken from the rib section of the cow.

It's typically roasted slowly and often served rare or medium-rare to highlight its juicy, flavorful, marbled texture.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for roasted prime rib is one of our favorite recipes to make for the holidays.

Simple and minimal prep: other than seasoning the beef with the dry rub and setting it in the oven, there's not much you need to do!

Delicious: roasting the beef slowly over a period of time ensures the meat is tender and juicy.

Short active cooking period: the oven is turned on for less than 30 minutes.

Special equipment you'll need

• roasting pan/tray
• roasting rack

Ingredients you'll need

• 4-4.5 lb or ~2 kg bone-in beef rib roast: if you're making a larger or smaller roast, you'll need to adjust the cooking time
• all-purpose flour: for building a slight crust on the meat and bind the seasoning together
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• fresh rosemary: chopped

How to roast prime rib

Remove prime rib roast from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Set oven rack to the middle and preheat oven to 500F.

Combine all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, onion power, garlic powder an chopped rosemary into a bowl and mix well.

Tip the seasoning over the roast and generously rub into the meat. 

Elevate roast onto a roasting rack and place into oven with the fat side facing up.

Roast at 500F for 25 minutes and then turn the oven off. DO NOT OPEN oven door. Let the meat roast for for 2 hours undisturbed.

Remove roast from oven, check the internal temperature for doneness, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Internal meat temperatures

For medium rare: aim for 125F

For medium: aim for 135F

How to serve

Slice the prime rib just prior to serving.

Serve the Prime Rib Roast with gravy, cranberry sauce and other sides such as creamy mashed potatoes, parker house rolls, sweet potato buns, wild rice, roasted vegetables, or Yorkshire pudding.

For an Asian-themed celebration, pair the rib roast with yu choy, steamed rice, noodles, or cucumber salad.

How to store

Store the cooked prime rib in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can freeze cooked prime rib. Wrap well with aluminum foil and place into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost the frozen prime rib in the fridge the night prior to reheating.

What to do with leftover prime rib?

If you have leftover prime rib, add it to mac and cheese, use it in quesadillas, or add it to a croissant sandwich.

Expert tips

This recipe is written for a conventional oven. Do not use a toaster oven.

The temperature of the meat will continue to rise a little as it rests, so be sure to take it out a bit early so it doesn't overcook.

Letting the meat rest at room temperature from the fridge helps the meat cook more evenly.

With the pan drippings left in the pan, make a delicious simple gravy sauce.

If the prime rib is slightly under your preferred temperature, you can pan-fry the meat. 

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