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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!

Impress your family with this beautiful cut of meat! When making this prime rib add Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and Rolls for a complete meal.

A slice of prime rib served with sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and broccolini.

The Best Prime Rib

The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a prime rib roast. Well, I am here to bring you the best prime rib recipe with a few tips and tricks for cooking the perfect tender and juicy meat every single time. You are going to bring your A-game to Christmas dinner with a flavorful and bold beef rib roast that is actually really simple to make! Cook up some grilled asparagus or some Brussels sprouts. They will go so well with this!

With these easy-to-follow steps, you will have a perfect Christmas dinner that will be loved by all. Prime rib is top-of-the-line meat that tastes just as AMAZING as it looks. The marbled cut and beautiful bone structure are just what you need to have this slice of heaven on your plate. Cooking this beef does not have to take long. It is best to have a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside. With this garlic butter herb prime rib recipe you will have the PERFECT decadent holiday dinner!

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 cut that is bone-in and tied.
  • Butter: Make sure that the butter is softened so that it will blend well with the herbs and seasonings.
  • Garlic Cloves: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves on hand then you can use minced garlic! 1/2 teaspoon equals about 1 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!

  1. Prepare the Meat: Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. 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 in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
4 pictures showing how to prepare raw meat.

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. To make this slow-roasted prime rib then you will need a 3 bone rib roast. 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 prime rib. On average a 2 to 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 will ensure cooking it 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.
A cooked prime rib garnished with herbs.

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.

Prime rib cut open to reveal a medium rare center.

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 the temperature you want. Cover your meat and let it rest. It will slowly cook as it is resting.
Rib meat cut into slices.

Cooking Temperatures

Prime rib can be a little intimidating to make because you are trying to achieve the perfect medium-rare temperature. The closed oven method is where 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 then I highly recommend putting a thermometer inside of the meat so that 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
Top-down view of sliced prime rib in a skillet.

Storing Prime Rib

Having leftover meat is just another way to enjoy it a little longer! You still have all the tender, juicy flavors infused into the prime rib. 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 then place in an ziplock freezer bag, letting all the air out. Lay flat in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to warm it up to eat it then place in the refrigerator overnight until 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.

Patricia

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Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib Recipe

4.80 from 143 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
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!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients 

  • 2-6 pounds bone prime rib boned and tied
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon thyme finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

  • Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before to bring 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 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.

Video

Notes

Updated on December 9, 2022
Originally Posted on November 17, 2017

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
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About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

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531 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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!

    1. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 5 stars
    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.