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I have the perfect fool proof prime rib recipe for you. I have done all of the testing for you 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.
An absolutely wonderful recipe! The technique and directions were easy and adaptable to my penchant for tons of garlic 🙂 Will definitely give you a shout out when I post the pics.
Amazing. Simply amazing. I really wanted to make a good Christmas meal – my vision was to cook the perfect prime-rib and that’s exactly what happened – I read and reread your recipe as well as every other that caught my eye. I decided on following your recipe – the best thing I did was to buy a meat thermometer! I was worried at the start – the temp rose so slowly – and then BAM! Resting the meat was key. The meat was perfect ?? – thank you so much!
I just made this tonight for Christmas Eve dinner and it was amazing!!! My boyfriend said that it was better than a restaurant! It was so delicious, and thank you for this amazing recipe. It will be the only prime rib recipe I make from now on!
This was absolutely amazing! The flavor was phenomenal. I like my meat well done and it was still super tender.
We love love love this recipe!! We’ve made it 4 times now. We buy our prime rib roasts when they’re on sale and freeze them. We like to use 3 lb roasts for the 2 of us and get 2 dinners from each roast. One of us likes it super rare, the other medium. We remove from the oven at very rare..After a couple minutes we slice off a beautiful end piece— microwave for a couple minutes and We both have our perfect doneness— AMAZING!
This is th best recipe for a Rib Roast. Thanks for the recipe & tips.
For the person wanting to cook a prime rib to well done really should just buy ground beef. It will be dried out and tough. Sorry but a beautiful piece of meat like prime rib should never be cooked past medium. Medium rare is preferred.
Sorry to be blunt but why spend the money on a premium piece of meat to cook it to death.
Merry Christmas.
Dee, No need to voice an individual taste choice, not everyone likes the same cooking time and it is wonderful in each persons tastebuds as to how they like their meats cooked. Merry Christmas.
I made my first prime rib last year for Christmas using your recipe. It was the best we have ever tasted! Took it out at 110 degrees and it was perfect. Will be using this recipe again this year and cannot wait. Thank you for this fabulous post!
In one place it says to remove 5 degrees before final temperature to let it rest and in two other place it says to remove it ‘essentially’ 20 degrees and let it rest/continue to cook to reach final temperature – remove at 110 and rest for 20 mins while it reaches 130 degrees.
Which is it if you know?
Thank you.
It depends on how much you would like it cooked and at what temperature. It is best to use a meat thermometer to get the right cook time you are wanting.
Loved this recipe. Easy and delicious.
I did not have fresh spices so I used the McCormick’s to blend in with garlic and butter.
Best rib roast recipe I have tried. Hubby loved it too.
Wow! I was nervous to make this because the meat cut is expensive. I paid about $54 for 3.99 lbs but it was worth every penny! I literally just got done making this and the directions could not have been more perfect!!! Everyone loved it. Thank you again for making this post, it made me look like I knew was I was doing in the kitchen tonight, ha!
For those of you who haven’t tried Sous Vide cooking you should for roasts like this especially! I had never cooked a prime rib and when I did using this method it came out perfect. Basically you get an immersion cooker (Joule or Anova) which is a cylinder that fits heats water and keeps it at whatever temperature you set. You place the meat in a food saver or sous vide bag before placing (or Plaving lol) it in the water. This allows the meat to cook evenly throughout. So for instance I cook a 6lb roast for 6 hours at 131 degrees and the best part is it can go for another 6 hours if I wanted and would be the same! No more worrying if things are delayed. Then once your ready you take the roast out of the bag and sear in the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Just before this you put the rub or whatever you want to use for the crust on and the sear makes it great. I am excited to try this rub in this recipe for this today on a roast I have. Then when you pull it from the oven you let it sit 10 minutes and it’s perfect. Sous vide is good for other things as well but large roasts it works so well to make the roast perfect throughout with no well done ends and rare middle (unless that’s what your shooting for). Can’t wait to try this run listed in her recipe.
Just fyi, I heavily covered my ribs in coarse salt, then placed on a small rack over a pan and stashed, uncovered, in our garage fridge for 3 days. The dry brining (as I call it), dehydrated the meat over those 3 days, thereby intensifying the flavors. In addition to the coarse salt already on the exterior of the ribs, I did also add coarse ground pepper before roasting.Then I cooked as you instructed, to a perfect medium rare (only had 3-4 ribs total for 3 people). It was absolutely to-die-for. I can’t even describe how delicious it came out.
Just thought you might like to try next time.
This is the best of all the prime rib recipes I have tried! thank you.
Sounds delicious, today is Easter Sunday and I’m going to cook them s for the first time ever. I pray I get it right. Or my family gets hamburgers. Wish me luck, and keep your fingers crossed.
Ruby Butler
Bakersfield CA
My family loves this recipe! Definitely use a meat thermometer, everyone’s over runs a little different. Amazing!