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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.
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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
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 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.
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
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.
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 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is th BEST recipe for a Rib Roast. Made it fir Christmas dinner and my family loved it. First time I have ever made a perfect rib roast! Thanks for the recipe & tips!
What is the recipe for the gravy shown in picture? Or is it just pan drippings?
It is just pan drippings. I am hoping to add more gravy recipes and sauces this year.
Forgot to include with comments.
My daughter and I love to roast prime rib for Christmas. This year I found your recipes for the Garlic Butter Prime Rib, as well as the ones for the green beans and Dad’s mashed potatoes. My search for the best is finished. YOU WIN!!!!!
THANKS!
Thank you so very much for this recipe. I have been using it for several years… my family and I love it. Merry Christmas from the Fosters
Awesome recipe!!! Thank you
Can I make the butter herb mixture the day before and leave it out till the next day?
Yes, you can make it the day before and place it in the refrigerator until about an 1 to 2 hours before using it and leave out to become room temperature.
How many minutes per pound for medium well
We have a 12.48lb prime rib this year. Would I double the time of cooking while at the higher temperature? So 30 min instead of 15 minutes?? TIA!
The Orignal 15 mins at high temp is to create the yummy crust. Then lower the temp and 15 mins per pound.
You should just calculate 15min per lb, so your meat should be about 3hr. Definitely take it out by 2.5hr to check where it’s at on the thermometer. Good luck!
I you ask me, this is the BEST Prime Rib recipe!! This will be my 3rd year cooking it for Christmas Eve. Thank you Alyssa Rivers!!! This Prime Rib has become our families annual Christmas meal tradition. I first made it for Xmas 2017 and the whole family ate so much of it that I had to add an extra ribs worth last year! Lol. The biggest topic of conversation during our last couple thanksgivings has been about the upcoming Xmas eve prime rib! Yes, they actually start to salivate for this prime rib 30 days prior to me making it. Lol. Thanks again!!!
Suas receitas são maravilhosas….Parabéns e um Feliz Natal!!!!
I’ve made this a few times for my family. They all love it and it has now become a family favorite at Christmas.
What if I use a roasting pan with rack instead of cast iron skillet? Seems the drippings in the cast iron might taste burnt? Just asking?
That sounds great and will work well too.
this was such a good recipe. it smelt amazing, looked even better, and tasted great!!!
The best prime rib recipe. This will be the 3rd year I’m using this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Do you use dried spices or fresh
Either will work great! I prefer fresh but dried is more flavorful and sometimes easier if it is already in your pantry.