Let me show you how to roast a perfect prime rib, step by step, with proven, fool-proof method using reverse sear technique as seen on Serious Eats.
Table of Contents
- This is the Best Prime Rib recipe!
- Prime Rib Roast Ingredients
- What’s reverse searing method?
- How to cook Prime Rib
- Should you salt prime rib before cooking?
- What is the best temperature to cook a prime rib roast?
- Should prime rib be cooked covered or uncovered?
- How to serve Bone in Prime Rib
- How to store Prime Rib of Beef
- Cooking Prime Rib FAQ
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Prime Rib of Beef Recipe
- If you have have a boneless prime rib, check out this post:
Oh my gosh, do I love me some prime rib!! Thick, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, there is nothing better than perfectly cooked prime rib.
If you’d asked me “How would you like your steak?” like 10 years ago, when I just landed in the U.S., I’d tell you firmly, “Well done.” Cringe, cringe, I know!! Though we eat a lot of beef in Mongolia, steak isn’t common there. And we’re just not accustomed to pink meat. In fact, it took me good 2 years to start ordering medium done steaks. That’s when I met my rancher husband, who wouldn’t let me order well done (aka ruined) steaks.
Fast forward 8 years, I now cook medium and sometimes even medium rare steaks for myself. Oh how things change!
This is the Best Prime Rib recipe!
Every year at Christmas, my family serves a perfectly cooked standing rib roast with a deep brown crust and a bright red center. It’s a thing of beauty, with ooh’s and aah’s all around.
It’s intimidating to cook this expensive cut but fear not! I’m here to share a foolproof method to cook a perfect prime rib roast no matter your level of cooking expertise (or lack thereof). It’s thick, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender!
- Reverse-searing method ensures even cooking
- Customize with your favorite seasoning
- Make it ahead: cook it couple of hours early and then sear it right before serving!
Prime Rib Roast Ingredients
- Prime rib: Prime rib is a cut from the primal rib section of the cow (hence the name). It’s also referred to as a standing rib roast, rolled rib roast, or rib-eye roast. I recommend purchasing bone-in prime rib for the best flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Look for a 4-rib roast that weighs around 5 to 10 pounds. Each rib will feed 2 to 3 people, depending on the number of sides you plan to serve.
- Kosher salt: A tablespoon of salt may seem hefty but trust me on this. Salt equals flavor! And you want plenty of salt on your gorgeously crisp crust. It also ensures the interior will be succulent and not dry or tough.
- Spices: Cumin, black pepper, and garlic powder are a tasty trio, but you can use whatever spices you love! Herbs de Provence, rosemary, thyme, and sage are good options too. Or omit the spices altogether and just go with salt.
What’s reverse searing method?
When you have this beautifully marbled, perfectly frenched prime rib, you don’t want to mess up, especially if you’re making it for a special occasion. But don’t let the fear stop you from serving this masterpiece for a holiday meal. I’m going to show you a fool-proof, proven method to roast a perfect prime rib!
Now, listen read closely…
You’ve probably heard of searing the meat before roasting to lock in the juices, right? And no doubt, there’s place and time for that trusty technique, but when it comes to roasting a prime rib, that’s not really an ideal method. And I’m not just a crazy lady talking crazy things on the internet.
- Deep brown, crispy exterior.
- Minimum overcooked layer between the crust and interior, aka gray zone.
- Maximum juiciness.
He achieved all three criteria by reverse searing method. What is reverse searing, you ask?
Well, that’s when you cook the prime rib at the very low temperature until it reaches 120°F for medium rare, and then you roast it at the very high temperature for a short period of time. But here’s the important part: before searing at high temp, you’ll need to take the roast out of the oven and let it rest while oven is preheating to 500°F. This way, the roast won’t overcook, because as you know, it takes at least 20 minutes to heat an oven to that high temp, plenty of time to ruin a good roast!
How to cook Prime Rib
- The night before:
- Unwrap the prime rib and place it on a tray that will fit in your fridge. Generously salt all over the roast and refrigerate it, uncovered, overnight to air-dry the outside of the prime rib. This is crucial step for 2 reasons: salt will penetrate deep into the roast during this time and the roast will dry out and develop a nice crust.
- Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C).
- Mix the cumin, black pepper and garlic powder and evenly spread all over the meat.
- If roasting garlic, slice the top off, drizzle some olive oil and wrap in foil.
- Roast:
- Place the prime rib on a roasting pan, bone-side down.
- Roast the meat in the oven until the center of the roast reads 120°F (50°C) on a meat thermometer for medium-rare, or 130°F (55°C) for medium doneness, about 3.5-4 hours. It’s crucial to temp your roast! If you simply go by length of time in the oven, you may overcook it.
- Rest:
- Remove the prime rib from the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Sear:
- Increase the oven temperature to 500°F (260°C).
- Uncover the prime rib and put it back into the oven. Cook it until it’s deep brown, and crisp on the outside, about 6-10 minutes. If desired, roast the cherry tomatoes and asparagus together.
Tip
For perfectly crispy crust, make sure to dry out the roast by resting it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
And while at it, go ahead and salt it too, so that it has plenty of time to penetrate the meat all the way inside.
Should you salt prime rib before cooking?
It’s crucial to liberally salt the prime rib before you plan to cook it. It does more than just add flavor. It draws moisture to the surface of the meat which dissolves the salt. Why does this matter? It ensures the center will be juicy and not dry! It acts like a brining liquid without sacrificing the crispy exterior. The moisture reabsorbs into the meat and leaves you with a flavorful, tender roast.
What is the best temperature to cook a prime rib roast?
I highly recommend medium-rare for the best prime rib! It will be tender and juicy at this stage. If it’s overcooked, it will taste dry, tough, and chewy. I wouldn’t recommend cooking it past medium. For a medium-rare roast, cook to an internal temperature of 120 degrees. The roast’s temperature will continue to rise as you pull it out of the oven, and you don’t want it to overcook.
Should prime rib be cooked covered or uncovered?
Prime rib should be cooked uncovered. In this reverse-sear method, the roast is cooked at a low oven temperature, then “seared” at 500 degrees until crisp and deep brown. You don’t want to hinder the hot heat from crisping the crust.
How to serve Bone in Prime Rib
The table is set, the roast is done, and your guests are salivating! Now what? It’s time to cut the roast into slices and serve. You can estimate 2 people per pound for a large portion, or 3 people per pound for a small portion.
I like to err on the side of caution and guestimate 2 people per pound. However, if you have enough sides to feed an army, you may be fine with more.
How to carve the roast
- Find a stable and large cutting board that fits the entire roast. If your cutting board slides around, place a towel underneath it to stabilize it.
- First use a boning knife to remove the bones. Hold the roast by the bones with one hand and carefully slide the boning knife directly behind the bones. Cut all the way done until the bones release from the meat.
- Lay the roast on the cutting board and use a sharp chef’s knife or santoku to slice the roast into ½ inch thick slices.
- Transfer the slices onto a serving platter and enjoy!
How to store Prime Rib of Beef
Wrap leftover prime rib in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If possible, leave the leftover roast unsliced and slice before you plan to serve it.
Reheat the roast in the oven at 250 degrees. Place the roast in a baking dish, add a splash of beef broth, and cover. Cook until the roast or slices are reheated through.
If you don’t mind losing the rosy interior, you can microwave the prime rib until hot.
Cooking Prime Rib FAQ
It depends on the size of your roast and the accuracy of your oven! It’s best to temp the roast so you don’t accidentally overcook it. A 4-rib roast took approximately 3.5 to 4 hours to come to an internal temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-rare). It will take even longer to reach medium.
Prime rib and a rib roast are both cut from the primal rib section, specifically the 6th through 12th ribs. Prime rib has the bones intact and in a rib roast they are removed. The rib roast is often cut into ribeye steaks for grilling.
You can count on one pound of bone-in prime rib roast serving two adults. That’s about one bone per two adults, so a 4-rib prime rib serves about 8 people. If you have plenty of side dishes or light eaters, you can stretch it to 3 people per pound of meat.
Both are delicious! I recommend bone-in prime rib though because it’s harder to overcook. The bones insulate the meat for a juicy and tender finish. The main benefit to a boneless prime rib is it’s easy to carve.
They are both from the primal rib section of the cow, but a prime rib is a large roast made up of 4 to 7 ribs. If you cut the roast into steaks, then you would have ribeye’s! A prime rib is roasted whole in the oven, typically on low heat, then sliced. A ribeye is already cut into an individual steak and is grilled or seared over high heat.
Let me know if you try this method. I know you won’t regret it.
Thank you for reading!
More Recipes You’ll Love
Best Prime Rib of Beef
Ingredients
- 5-10 lbs (or 4-rib) prime rib
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Optional Add-Ins:
- A head of garlic
- Cherry tomatoes
- Asparagus
Instructions
Prep:
- Place an unwrapped prime rib on a tray. Generously salt all over and refrigerate overnight to air-dry the outside of the prime rib.
- Bring the prime rib to room temperature before roasting. It usually takes about 2 hours out on the counter.
- Mix the cumin, black pepper and garlic powder and evenly spread all over the meat.
- If roasting garlic, slice the top off, drizzle some olive oil and wrap in a foil. (Here's my detailed roasted garlic recipe.)
Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C).
- Place the prime rib on a roasting pan bone side down (fat side up). (Since I wrote this post, I bought this roasting pan, and highly recommend it.)
- Roast the meat in the oven until the center of the roast reads 120°F (50°C) on a meat thermometer for medium-rare, or 130°F (55°C) for medium doneness, about 3.5-4 hours. (This Thermapen Mk4 meat thermometer is my favorite! Super quick and reliable! <- affiliate link)
Rest:
- Remove the prime rib from the oven, cover with a foil and rest for about 30 minutes.
Sear:
- Increase the oven temperature to 500°F (260°C).
- 10 minutes before serving, pop the prime rib into the oven, uncovered, and cook it until it’s nice and brown, and crisp on the outside, about 6-10 minutes. If desired, roast the cherry tomatoes and asparagus together. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
If you have have a boneless prime rib, check out this post:
I have to be at my daughters house 7am x-mas morning staying until noon! No time to get this 12lb baby to room temp for a 5pm meal, at my house! can I put the prime rib in a dry cooler for 5 hrs while I’m away? Will that bring up the room temp I need?
Hi, Lisa. If I were you, I’d leave the roast out on the counter while you’re out. Depending the temp in your cooler, I think the roast may still be cold when you come home, and for 12lbs roast it takes about 4.5 hours at 200°F to reach 120-125°F internal temperature. And that’s when roast is at room temp. The cold roast will take even longer. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas!
I made my first prime rib last year using your recipe and it was amazing!! thank you for this wonderful recipe! this year i have a 13 lb bone in prime rib how long do i cook for medium to medium rare? thank you for your help! Merry Christmas!!
Hi, Kathy. So happy you came back this year again! I’d estimate about 4.5 hours at 200°F for 13lbs roast to reach 120-125°F internal temp for medium rare finish.
Merry Christmas!
Help, I bought a 12 pound prime rib about 3 weeks ago when it was on sale and froze it, I took it out of the freezer and put it in the refig on Sunday morning and today it is still very, very hard, I plan on cooking tit tomorrow using your method any ideas on what I should do I thought 3 days would be enough to unfreeze it. thanks
Hi, Kris. I’m sure the roast has thawed a little bit, even though it feels hard. I’d suggest bringing it out on the counter for couple of hours today and then put it back into the fridge, uncovered, to dry the outside. I brought my 8lbs roast on Saturday night and let it thaw on the counter yesterday for couple of hours. It’s now back in fridge dry aging till tomorrow. Hope all turns out great. Let us know. Merry Christmas!!!
Thank you, turned out great, cooked for 4.5 hours than rested for 30 minutes and went back in for 10 at the higher temperature, was slightly rarer than I would have preferred but everyone liked it and the left overs heated out well without getting too done. great recipe will do again
Awesome. Happy to hear everything turned out great! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Kris!
Hi Shinee,
If I missed the answer to this question, my apologies.
Just wondering if I can dear it at a high temp first? Thoughts?
Thank you!
Hi, Nina. No, I highly recommend searing at the end. This recipe is all about reverse-searing method for cooking a perfect prime rib, which is exact opposite of traditional sear first and cook low and slow for the rest of the time method.
The benefit of this method is that you’ll get evenly cooked meat from crust to crust. With searing first method, the roast tends to cook more around the edges, which is not very desirable. Hope this helps.
And please let me know if you try this method. Merry Christmas!!
Thanks, Shinee. Although I can’t follow exact recipes, I’ll try this method of low and then high temp. I already salted, peppered and mashed some garlic on the roast. It’s just a little over 4 lbs (3.5. – 4 hrs) I think based on your recommendations.
If you have any other tips, lmk. 🙂
Thank you and happy holidays!
Yep, sounds like you’ve got everything under control, Nina. Definitely use a meat thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temp of your roast. And please let us know how it turned out after the holidays. Merry Christmas!!
How long to cook a 12lb prime rib roast at 150-200 degrees,
medium rare?
Hi, CP. I’d estimate 4-4.5 hours at 200°F for 12lbs prime rib to reach 120°F internal temperature for perfectly medium rare finish. Hope this helps. Please let us know how it turns out. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!
Shinee,
I am getting a 5.5 lb with the bone in. Would you change anything in your method for this? Also, I am using a stand-alone roaster instead of my big oven, but I think that will be fine. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thank You,
Lee
Hi, Lee. Nope, no need change anything. 5.5lbs roast will take about 3.5 hours at 200°F to reach 120-125°F internal temperature. And please let us know how it turns out. Merry Christmas!!!
How did you alter the recipe when you used you toaster oven?
Hi, Carrie. I’m not sure if you meant to leave a comment in response to someone else’s comment? Unfortunately, I have no experience with toaster oven, but I don’t think you need to alter anything as long as the temp is the same.
This method looks awesome! And that the roast will be hot! when serving is a huge plus.
My questions: Is the cook time roughly 20-25 minutes per pound @200* F including bone?
I purchased a preseasoned roast, so I will have to skip the salting; will this method still work? Thank you so much for this recipe!! Merry Christmas!
One more question: does the roast go directly on the roasting pan or on the rack?
Hi, Kari. It’s really hard to estimate the cook time per lb. Here’s the thing, the bigger the roast, less time it takes to cook per lb. But to give you a general idea: it takes about 3.5 hours for 5lbs roast to reach 120-125°F internal temp at 200°F. 10lbs roast – 4 hours, 15lbs roast – 4.5-5 hours, etc…
Pre-seasoned roast will work fine. Place it on a rack.
Thank you for all your expert knowledge and advise! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Merry Christmas!!
How long will it take to roast a 13.78 rib roast? This recipe looks outstanding. The family will want it more towards medium rare. Thanks!
Hi, Tammy. I’d estimate about 4.5 hours at 200°F. Take the roast out when the internal temp reaches 120°F for medium rare, as it’ll continue cooking while it rests and during final high heat blast for a perfect medium rare roast.
Thank you so much for the quick response. If we cook to an internal temp of 130 and remove will that be more medium? One other question, I was reading on a blog not to cook in the v rack in my roaster because it cooks unevenly and the bottom will be undercooked. I’ve never heard this. Did you cook yours in a roaster with a v rack?? Thanks again and happy holidays. 😁
Yes, if you cook till 130°F, then internal temp will continue to climb. And as for rack, I’ve done both ways and haven’t noticed any difference. I now cook in a roasting pan with v rack, like this boneless prime rib. Hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out.
Is this recipe and time based on roasting in a convection oven?!?!
What is the estimated cooking time for a 12 lbs bone-in prime rib in a convection oven at 200F?
Hi, Lisa. This recipe instructions are for regular no-fan oven. I’d guess about 4 hours at 200°F for 12lbs prime rib in convection oven. Hope this helps, Lisa. Let me know how it turns out. Merry Christmas!