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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.

A slice of prime rib served with sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and broccolini.

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!

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
4 pictures showing how to prepare raw meat.

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.
A cooked prime rib garnished with herbs.

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.

Prime rib cut open to reveal a medium rare center.

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.
Rib meat cut into slices.

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
Top-down view of sliced prime rib in a skillet.

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.

Patricia

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Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib Recipe

4.80 from 143 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
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!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients 

  • 2-6 pounds bone 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 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

Updated on December 9, 2022
Originally Posted on November 17, 2017

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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531 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We are prime rib lovers also. Our recipe is similar to yours, however, we begin by cooking the roast on 500 for 5 minutes per pound. Then turn the oven off, and Do Not Open The Door! Let roast remain in oven for an additional 2 hours, then remove. Enjoy!

  2. We love prime rib roast. I haven’t made it in so long. I will do this for Father’s Day!!! Thanks.

  3. The recipe says to bone and tie the prime rib, yet the text says to leave the bone partially on. I’ve never been able to cook a successful prime rib so I need to know if I should leave the bone on. I can’t wait to try this recipe.

    FYI, the recipe has a spelling mistake. It says plave in a roasting pan.

    1. It’s called “cradling”. You can ask the butcher to do it for you when you buy the roast, if it hasn’t already been done. The bones are cut from the roast and then tied back onto the roast. The bones make a natural rack. When roast is ready to carve you just need to cut the strings and remove the bones, makes it much easier to carve the roast.

  4. 5 stars
    Garlic butter herb prime rib! My best friend, and then girlfriend, made this for me for my 50th birthday. I have never eaten a better piece of beef. Not at Bern’s in Tampa , not at Brennan’s in New Orleans. And I have dreamt about meals at those places. No more! If I am.lucky enough to have another birthday meal prepared by her, my request will be this recipe. Cook this!!! You will not regret it.

    1. That is one awesome friend! Happy birthday! Thank you so much for sharing! Hope you had a great day celebrating you! XOXO

  5. 5 stars
    This recipe is incredible! I am not a fan of oregano so I did not use it, had fresh rosemary and some dried parsley so that’s what I used! I was thrilled to find out that I could use my cast iron for this, it was absolutely perfect especially to make gravy afterwards with the drippings! I just transferred my rib roast to a baking sheet and covered with foil, and made my gravy with the drippings. It was SO GOOD!!!

  6. What internal temperature would you remove the prime rib from the oven for rare, not medium rare?

    1. I have learned that you will want to have the temperature at 130 to 135* for rare. That it is the lowest temperature that is still healthy. Hope that helps and you enjoy your prime rib! XOXO

  7. The Closed Door Method confuses me. Cooking at 500F for 2 hours will overcook the meat. Do you mean cook at 500F for 15 minutes per pound then turn off the oven and let it slowly cook for 2 hours?

    1. You will preheat the oven to 450* and cook the prime rib for 15 minutes at that temperature. After 15 minutes you will lower the temperature to 325* for 15 minutes per pound. Let me know if you have any more questions concerning this recipe. I would hate for you to not be able to try this. XOXO

  8. This recipe for prime rib is awesome however, for people like me who is doing this the first time, I am left wondering if I cover it with foil from start or not. Foil is mentioned at the end so do we cook without foil and just cover with foil after we take it out of the oven and sitting there to cool down?

  9. I saw your video of this prime rib receipe but I lost it. Can you tell me where I can find it again?

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe sounds so fantastic it’s making me drool. Can’t wait to purchase and make this. I can already smell it. Thank you for a wonderful treat.

  11. 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

  12. Ask the butcher to cut off the ribs from the meat, and then to tie the ribs and the meat back together for roasting.