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I have the perfect fool proof prime rib recipe for you. I have done all of the testing so that you can achieve the perfect prime rib every single time. Melt in your mouth, cooked perfectly to medium rare with a perfect garlic butter crust, this recipe is incredible. I will help you feel confident every step of the way!
A Reader’s Review
This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a recipe. . . I’ve tried many rubs and techniques over the last 20 some years and this is hands down the best! My whole family agrees that this is the recipe we’ll use from now on. Thank you, thank you for this great recipe!
Meet the Prime Rib of Your Dreams
- Perfect Every Time: Even first-timers can nail this! Follow my easy steps for the most incredible prime rib you’ve ever made.
- Herb Infused Butter Magic: The buttery garlic herb crust might just be the best part. This locks in moisture and creates the most amazing flavor.
- Foolproof Results: The high-heat sear followed by the low-roasting thermometer method ensures perfectly tender results every time.
- Tried and True: This recipe has been made and loved by millions of people just like you!
Herb Garlic Butter Prime Rib Ingredients
- Prime Rib: I like to get a three-rack, bone-in prime rib roast, about 8 lbs, cut and tied. Ask the butcher to cut and tie the bones for easy carving. Add my Prime Rib Rub before roasting for the best flavor.
- Butter: Make sure that the butter is softened to blend well with the herbs and seasonings.
- Garlic Cloves: If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, you can use 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic!
- Thyme, Oregano, and Fresh Rosemary: I like to use freshly chopped herbs to make the flavor top-notch!
Best Prime Rib Recipe
Preparing steakhouse-worthy prime rib isn’t as tricky as it seems. Enjoy this decadent recipe this holiday season with friends and family! For a similar roast recipe, make my succulent Ribeye Roast next.
- Prep and Cut the Bone: Remove the prime rib roast from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and let it rest at room temperature. Place the bone side down on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice along the curve of the bones to separate from the meat, stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom, still leaving the bones connected. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Tie: Using butcher’s twine, tie the roast every 2 inches around, securing the bones against the roast.
- Make Herb Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, mix the butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Bake and Rest: Rub the butter mixture on the outside of the roast, then place it in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325°F. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees. Remove the cooked prime rib from the oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will be 130°F for a medium-rare prime rib.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Do you trust your thermometer? I tested four thermometers on two roasts. The high-end Typhur was off by 17°F, while the ThermPro gave the most accurate readings. I also recommend that when it reaches about 110°F, you probe it with an instant-read thermometer if you have trust issues.
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Perfect Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 2-6 pounds bone in 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 2-6 pounds bone in prime rib from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and let it rest at room temperature. Place the bone side down on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice along the curve of the bones to separate from the meat, stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom, still leaving the bones connected. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Using butcher’s twine, tie the roast every 2 inches around, securing the bones against the roast.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1 cup butter, 5 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon thyme, 1 Tablespoon oregano, 1 Tablespoon rosemary, 1 Tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Rub the butter mixture on the outside of your prime rib. Place it in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
- Bake the roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325°F. 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°F for a medium-rare prime rib.
Video
Notes
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store cooled prime rib in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days.
- Freeze: Once completely cooled, place slices in a ziplock freezer bag, press out the air, and lay flat in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: After thawing, warm in the oven at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, or until it reaches your desired internal temperature. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Simply wonderful prime rib!
Has anyone used the juices for gravy? I made this and we loved it but I was curious if anyone made a gravy instead of an aju to go with their roast.
Always A Family Favorite!
Terri Reagan again forgot to rate in previous comment! FIVE STAR RECIPE FOR SURE!!
I used this recipe to cook a 3.5 Lb. Rib Eye Roast. I have to say that the meat was very tender and the flavor was Outrageously delicious! I have eaten at some really great
Steakhouses and i do not think i have EVER had anything that tasted this wonderful! Both my husband and i were in heaven while dining on this Savory roast.
The flavor from the fresh herbs and garlic and butter was perfection!
The crust was perfect! I seared in very hot 500 degree oven for 15 minutes and then finished at 350 until meat was at 127 degrees internally. A little rare but better this way so i can re-heat and not dry out.
Looking forward to leftovers tonight!!
This was the best prime rib recipe ever. I cooked it for my family Xmas dinner that w do in January and they couldn’t get enough of it I made a 20 pound roast and it was perfect so once again thank you…..
Alyssa, I can’t praise you enough for your recipes and video tutorials! I’ve never roasted a whole chicken or made a Thanksgiving turkey (always a guest, never the chef) yet inspired by your post, decided to make my first prime rib! While the prime rib was in the oven, so easy to make the Garlic Parm Green Beans w/ Bacon and your Dad’s Famous Mash Potatoes! My guests were floored! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Can this be made in an InstantPot?
I meant will it work with a boneless prime time.
We tried your recipes tonight and it was the best ever!Thank u so much it was amazing! Definitely a keeper!
Good recipe. The only issue we had was that it wouldn’t raise to 130 degrees after taking it out–it got up to 125. We took the foil off and put it back in the oven at 325 and it got there a little while after that. I think next time I may wait until it’s at 115 degrees until I take it out of the oven instead of 110.
sounds like an oven issue
I’ve been making delicious prime rib roasts for decades and have stuck with one method pretty much the entire time. Stumbled across your recipe a couple of days ago and decided to pull out a roast from the freezer and give this a go for our NYE dinner and NYD leftovers (it’s just me and my husband).
After following your recipe, we checked on it and the middle was still pretty rare but the ends were perfection! End pieces are always done a little too much for my liking but these were perfect. The fact that the meat in the middle was pretty rare means I won’t over cook it when reheating, a huge plus.
I usually dip my prime rib in a horseradish sauce and had some on my plate, but honestly, this was so delicious it didn’t need a thing. The crust was amazing. Really looking forward to our leftovers this evening with the leftover au jus we have.
This will be my go recipe for prime rib from now on.
I made this for Christmas dinner this year, using boneless prime rib, and followed the recipe to a “t”. It was perfect – the best prime rib I have ever made. I won’t use any other recipe. The leftovers are amazing as well. Thank you so much for this recipe!
This is a solid recipe for Prime Rib. The herbed crust this makes is heavenly. My family absolutely loved it.
I used your garlic herb butter recipe and it was wonderful! We like our meat done just a little more than suggested…more to a medium to just slightly more. So after cooking at the high temp and reducing heat I used an internal thermometer and set it for 147. It took about 4 hrs for a 10# roast at 325°F. But it was perfect. Juicy and melt in your mouth good. I used the pan drippings strained and mixed with a little cornstarch and water to make gravy to serve with it. Wonderful meal! One question. How do you convert your fresh herb amounts to dried herb amounts? I couldn’t find fresh.
A correction needs trim be made in the directions. It took four college graduates to figure out “plave” is not a cooking term but a typo!