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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.
I plan to use this recipe for a steak christmas eve. It’s quite thick so cooking it in the oven will work well. Do I want to spread the mixture on one side or both? Would I flip it or cook only on one side.? Thank you for your advice.
You don’t need to flip it. It will be sitting on top of the bone. Basting the whole rib is best though. Hope that helps! Enjoy! XOXO
After 10 minutes (or less), my 3 lb piece fell over (probably since it only has one bone). I have to cook it on its side. Hopefully it still turns out … ??
I have a 16 lb roast. Would like my meat well done . please Help! Never cooked Prime Rib before
Do you have to brown the meat it all before you put in the oven?
No, not at all. You can just start baking it!
I would love to make this, but I have concerns about the butter smoking in the hot oven, especially during the initial searing. Would it make sense to use clarified butter in this recipe?
Sure, if you would like to! That sounds great!
You said you have a few cooking times on the page but I only found one. We really don’t like our meet any way except medium to medium well. They do this for us in restaurants, reluctantly. Can you help? I would rate the recipe higher but it can’t be cooked the way I like it in this recipe.
You are welcome to cook it longer to get a medium to medium well. You will just want to check the temperature so you do not over cook it.
Trying the Prime Rib recipe…what if you don’t have a meat thermometer for the oven?
That is a must if you can, at all possible! Usually local grocery stores have them around $10 and above. I hope you are able to find one. I would hate for your roast to be over cooked!
Alyssa, Is there anyway i can adapt this to a beef tenderloin? Or do you have a recipe that sounds just as good? Thanks!
Just curious. I have a 12 pound prime rib. Should I have it or just follow cooking instructions. I plan to double the butter and seasonings
Yes, I would double it! MMM! Sounds good:)!!
How many adults will a 6 pound roast feed?
This looks delicious. Has anyone else actually made this who can give feedback on their results? I’d love to know if you have a recipe for the dark gravy you served on the side.
I made this last night, it was delicious – I cooked it a little too long, left it in for 15 mins a lb and it was a 6 lb roast next time i will just go for 1 hour. I don’t like to open my oven during cooking cuz it lets out so much heat. To make the AuJus, I poured off most of the fat, and put 1 1/2 c beef broth into the roasting pan and scraped off the drippings from the bottom. then put it all into a saucepan and brought it to a boil. I then served it with the roast.If you want a thickened gravy mix 2 tablespoons corn starch with 1/2 c water until smooth. Bring the liquid to a boil, remove from heat, gradually add cornstarch mixture to pot, while stirring, return to heat and bring to a boil for 1 min stirring till thick .
Go to your butcher tell them you want a bone-in prime rib roast and tell them to cut the bone and they will tie the bone back up to the roast and when you cook the roast make sure you have bone side down in the bottom of the pan fat side up thank you chef Goodman
Oven temp should be 210. Internal temp is 120 for rare and 125 for med rare. It should be out for over an hour before cooking, and marinated in oil and seasoning for 3 days. Never put herbs as they burn….put it in the aujus. Resting period is 50 Min. If you take it out at 110, it will be blood rare and never reach the 130 youre talking about.
What if you must have well done meat?
You are welcome to cook it a little longer.
Then don’t buy a prime rib. It will be ruined if you cook it past medium. Here’s a restaurant “secret”, when someone orders prime rib medium well, you simply place the sliced beef into the warm au jus for a few minutes, and voila, medium well looking beef!
I bought a prime rib but there is no bone…how long to cook without the bone in?
I also want to know the answer to this, if I use a roasting pan do I still cook the same amount of time?
Bought without bone before I read you recipe. How do I cook it? Pound and half. Do I cover it
Are we cooking this prime rib in the skillet on the stove
This rib roast must go in an oven.
Not meant to go on a stovetop.
I’m a neophyte cooker so I was wondering if this is enough to serve 5 people because I’m planning to make this for my family during the holidays but it needs to be enough for 5
Yes, you will have enough for 5 people with this recipe!