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Garlic butter herb prime rib is melt in your mouth tender, cooked to medium-rare perfection, and marbled with fat. The seared garlic butter herb crust is incredible!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Holiday Feast: The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a prime rib roast. You could pair it with Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and Rolls.
- Easy to Make: Prime rib may seem intimidating, but with my tips and easy-to-follow instructions, you will have the most succulent, tender prime rib of your life!
Herb Garlic Butter Prime Rib Ingredients
I always buy my roast with the bone. The butcher at our local grocery store cuts the bone but leaves it partially attached and ties it onto the roast. This makes it easier to carve the meat, and the bone creates a rack for the meat to cook on. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Prime Rib: I like to get a bone-in cut and tied.
- Butter: Make sure that the butter is softened to blend well with the herbs and seasonings.
- Garlic Cloves: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves on hand, you can use minced garlic! 1/2 teaspoon equals about one clove.
- Thyme, Oregano, and Fresh Rosemary: I like to use freshly chopped herbs to make the flavor taste top-notch!
- Salt and Pepper: Use these to taste!
How to Cook Prime Rib
Preparing steakhouse-worthy prime rib isn’t as tricky as it seems. Enjoy this decadent recipe this holiday season with friends and family!
- Prepare the Meat: Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before bringing it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Mix Together Garlic Butter Herb Sauce: In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Then, rub all of the butter on the outside of your prime rib and place it in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
- Cook Prime Rib: Cook for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees.
- Let the Meat Rest: Remove from oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will rise to 130 degrees for a medium rare prime rib.
What Cut Of Meat Is Best?
A prime rib roast (or a standing roast) is cut from the back of the upper rib section of the steer. It usually is a total of 7 ribs. You will need a 3-bone rib roast to make this slow-roasted prime rib. This is cut from either the chuck or the loin end of the rib sections. Here are some tips on how to choose the best meat!
- Bone IN: You will want a bone in the prime rib. On average, a 2-6 pound prime rib has 2 to 3 bones.
- Tied: When ordering from a butcher, ask to keep the strings on it if possible. This ensures it cooks evenly and keeps its form while cooking.
- Deckle: If possible, ask to have the largest deckle. The deckle is tender and the most flavorful piece of meat.
Cooking Tips
Melt-in-your-mouth garlic herb prime rib is just what you need to celebrate the holidays this year! These quick and simple tips will help cook it to perfection!
- Use a Thermometer: Using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat is the best way to ensure a perfect prime rib every time.
- Take it Out of the Fridge: Take your prime rib out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let it rest before cooking. This will ensure an even cook time.
- Keep the Bone In: You can remove the bones before cooking, but it is unnecessary. The bone in adds to the flavor and helps keep the prime rib tender and juicy.
- Let it Rest! Remove your prime rib from the oven when it is about 5 degrees lower than your desired temperature. Cover your meat and let it rest. It will slowly cook as it is resting.
- Cooking Information Per Pound: The bones create a natural roasting rack for the meat. Cook the prime rib at a higher temperature of 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reads 110 degrees. About 15 minutes of cooking time per pound.
Cooking Temperatures
Prime rib can be a little intimidating to make because you are trying to achieve the perfect medium-rare temperature. In the closed oven method, you roast the meat at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound. Then, you leave the oven closed for 2 hours, and it slowly cooks. If using this method, I highly recommend putting a thermometer inside the meat so you can check on it without opening the oven while it cooks.
- Rare: 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium-Rare: 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium: 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium-Well: 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit
- Well Done: 155 degrees Fahrenheit
Storing Leftover Prime Rib
Having leftover meat is just another way to enjoy it a little longer! You still have all the tender, juicy flavors infused. Enjoy another slice of heaven a second time around with these storing ideas.
- How Long Does Prime Rib Last in the Refrigerator? It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- Can You freeze Prime Rib? Yes! Let it rest until completely cooled. Once it’s cooled, place in a ziplock freezer bag, letting all the air out. Lay flat in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to eat, place it in the refrigerator overnight until it is thawed.
- Reheating: If it’s been frozen, let it thaw completely. Place in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until it has reached the desired internal temperature. Enjoy!
A Reader’s Review
This was absolutely amazing! The flavor was phenomenal. I like my meat well done and it was still super tender.
More Beef Recipes to Enjoy
This prime rib recipe is one of my very favorites! If you loved it as much as I do, then I have a few more that you should try! They are all so different but super delicious! Try one or try them all…. you can’t go wrong with any of them! Your family will thank you later!
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Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before bringing it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- In a small bowl mix butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub all of the butter on the outside of your prime rib and place in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
- Cook for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees.
- Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will be 130 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium rare prime rib.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Has anyone made this using sous vide? I thought about doing it this way for Christmas this year. Just not sure if I should do the compound butter before the sous vide or wait until it’s almost down and then add it and brown in the oven.
Do you have a recipe for a gravy using the fat drippings from the meat?
Thank you for your question. I don’t have a recipe to make a gravy with this prime rib recipe, but you could use my brown gravy recipe. Happy cooking!
Just a question…I am making the prime rib for Christmas this year but my kids won’t touch it lol They want a roast chicken! Can you use the garlic butter rub on a roast chicken or is it mostly for red meat? I’m not foregoing my favorite food just because of my kids lol
Hi Christine! Thank you for your question! You can definitely use that rub on chicken! Let me know how it turns out!
Perfect every time. The downside is that I have to make it for every family event and holiday (even the brunches). 😂
Excellent flavor but definitely takes more time than 15 minutes/lb
Try bumping the temp to 350. The 325 just doesn’t work for any meat at my altitude. It might cook quicker than expected so I recommend using an electronic thermometer probe.
This is my go-to rib roast recipe. I’ve made it so many times and each time seems better than the last. Thanks for making me look like a rock star! No changes, but I play fast and loose with the herbs. It’s a very forgiving recipe.
I saw your video about this recipe. How much parsley did you use?
Hello, I’ve done this receipt theee times in the last three years and for some reason my oven always takes longer. I end up putting it back in three more times at 350 until it reaches medium rare. Any suggestions on this. I have a 11.7 pounder this year.
I always buy boneless PR because I cant eat the bones and I always buy from a restaurant supplier. I usually get it around $6.50 a # but never $8.00 per#. I cut the roast, seal and freeze 1/2 and feed 10-13 people with lots of leftovers. The frozen 1/2 is for next year or the best BBQ steaks I ever ate. Be sure to elevate the roast on a rack or cedar strips. This year is going to be this wonderful recipe. Mt mouth is on the verge of watering just thinking of it!
The absolute best recipe ever!! This makes the price of the meat worth it!
Hi how long would you cook this for more of a medium well temp? Thank you!
Because prime rib is so delicate, I highly recommend putting a thermometer inside of the meat so that you can check on it without opening the oven while it cooks. To achieve medium well, your prime ribs needs to be at 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to watch the thermometer closely so that you don’t overcook it.
LOVE this recipe…having been using it for the last 5 years! One question: I see all of the nutrition information listed “per serving” but can’t find a “serving size”. Can you please share serving size in ounces?
Thanks in advance.
Can you use the drippings to make gravy?
Sure! That would be delicious! Let me know how it turns out. If not, here is a recipe for brown gravy: Brown Gravy
I’ve used this recipe the past two Christmases and my family is begging for it again! This recipe is fantastic and I will be using it for years to come.