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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.
How many does not his feed?
This will feed 4 to 6 people
This Garlic Butter Prime Rib looks amazing, our family is going to try it for Christmas thank you so much for sharing.
Can I use a New York Strip Roast instead of prime rib
Yes, that will be delicious too! Let me know how it turns out! Thanks so much for following along with me! XOXO
I am going to make your prime rib this holiday but have a quick question. I see you foil it after backing but it doesn’t mention if you cover the meat while cooking? Is it just uncovered cooking? Thanks so much!
Covering is not until the end when you take the meat out of the heat! Thanks for asking and following along with me! XOXO
If I don’t have a cover, should I cover with foil or leave it uncovered?
Do you cover with foil while it’s baking or just when resting?
You can cover it while it is baking as well but the covering is at the end when you take it out of the oven to rest. I would recommend leaving it uncovered. XOXO
Do you cook the roast covered or uncovered
You will cook the roast uncovered. Enjoy! XOXO
Hi, I’m thinking about making this on Saturday night, but all I have is dry herbs. What will the measurements be for dry herbs??
You will want to use less dried herbs than fresh. I would recommend starting out but using only 1/2 of the measurements. The fresh herbs are the way to go if possible though. Enjoy! XOXO
The reason your closed oven method failed you is that you leave it for only one hour after you have cooked for 5 min per pound. @ 500 degrees without opening the door at all during the cooking and the 1 hour after. Then it will be perfect med rare (2 hours was too long) I have never had this fail me. The key is DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR AT ALL!
Oh thank you! I’ve been craving prime rib for over a year. This was delicious!
This recipe is with fresh herbs, correct? Also, what does it mean to “plave” in the roasting pan? I’ve never heard this term before. Thanks in advance. I’m REALLY looking forward to making this.
Yes, it is all fresh herbs. Plave is actually place. I have corrected the typo. Thank you for letting me know! XOXO
Never heard the term plave before can you please elaborate as what this means.
I’m pretty sure it was a typo, and should have been “place”
Absolutely the best prime rib I’ve ever made. Very flavorful. Followed the recipe exactly as written. Will definitely share the recipe and make it again.
I saw that you said 2 6lb roasts, did you cook both at the same time? Also about how many people would this fead?
It is between 2 pounds and 6 pounds for your roast. Depending on the size of you roast you will be able to feed 6 to 8 people. Hope that helps! XOXO
This looks and sounds incredible. It Looks delicious taste.
Is there a gravy recipe you would recommend with this?
Here are some sauces or gravy mixes that would go well with this prime rib: https://therecipecritic.com/?s=gravy. Enjoy! XOXO
Hello,
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was the first time I’ve cooked a Prime Rib.
My family was so impressed and so was I. It was like we were eating out at a upscale restaurant
This will be a KEEPER recipe for sure.
Love it absolutely Love it and the directions were on Target.
PERFECT Medium Rare
OMG was totally ORGASMIC
Thank you!~!
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