Prime Rib

Prime rib is a holiday favorite! But how to prepare the perfect prime rib roast? At what temperature? For how long? What’s the best way to season your prime rib? Read on.

Prime rib is a Christmas tradition

Every year, for…I don’t know how many years, we’ve had a Christmas prime rib dinner. Prime rib is an expensive cut of meat, but certainly a lot cheaper than going out! It’s also great for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries or dinner parties. 

This classic recipe comes from the Time-Life Series, The Cooking of the British Isles, 1969, and is the best prime rib recipe I’ve tried. (Originally published on December 4th, 2013. Updated November 11th, 2024)

But it wouldn’t be Christmas without the beautiful roast, creamed horseradish, and creamed spinach. A few years back, we also added Rack of Pork and all the Scandinavian accompaniments to the Christmas menu. Yes, it’s a lot of food…and yes, it’s pretty elaborate, but it’s incredibly delicious, too!

We celebrate Christmas in traditional British fashion, full-stop with Crackers, paper crowns, and corny jokes! Although the Yorkshire pudding doesn’t make it to the menu every year, Trifle is always present for dessert.

We also have two kinds of horseradish sauce; creamed horseradish, and the straight stuff, as well as mashed potatoes or Roasted Potatoes.

How much prime rib per person?

 I prefer the presentation of a standing rib roast to a boneless prime rib, and a few people love the bone-in cut. Most full prime rib roasts have 7 ribs, which is enough for about 10 people with leftovers. Depending on how many ribs your roast has, it could weigh anywhere between 6 and 14 pounds. You’ll need to base it on the weight of the roast and how big your guest’s appetites are. A good rule of thumb is to figure for roughly 1 pound per person. The prime rib restaurant I worked at had a few cuts.

The “petite” was just thin slices of beef, around 8 ounces. The next was the standard cut with the bone, which was the most popular. Lastly, there is “the end cut”, which is just that. Since there are only two end cuts per roast, those were usually reserved in advance by those “in the know”.

Ingredients for prime rib

If you have an excellent prime grade cut of beef, you don’t need a prime rib “rub” or to cover it in all sorts of herbs. A simple dry brine of kosher salt and pepper before the roast goes in the oven is all that’s needed. While prime rib is sometimes difficult to find in the grocery store, you can usually special order it through a local butcher shop. I usually find mine at Costco around the holiday season. This cooking method works for choice grade beef as well.

• 8 lb roast or prime rib roast
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper

The best way to cook prime rib

Pull the roast out of the fridge at least one hour ahead of time so the roast can come to room temperature. For perfect results, it starts out at a higher temperature and then is finished at a lower temperature.

• Season the entire roast generously with kosher salt and black pepper. 

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 
• Place roast on a wire rack with the fat side up, in a roasting pan. 

• Roast for 20 minutes at 500 degrees F.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue cooking meat until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers the desired temperature. 
• The roasting time will be based on how much the roast weighs. Calculate about 18 minutes per pound for rare roast beef, but begin checking it a bit sooner.

Be sure you write down the weight and approximate total cooking time, making sure to check after about an hour and a half with a thermometer to begin gauging the time. You’ll need a heavy roasting pan like this one, with a moveable rack.

How do I know when my roast is done?

When cooking prime rib, I prefer to err on the rarer side, as it’s always easier to cook a roast more, but impossible to go back once you’ve over-cooked it!

This is when an instant-read thermometer is imperative. I use a thermometer to check the roast in several different spots to make sure that one side isn’t cooking faster than another. Make sure you check the thickest part of the roast. A good meat thermometer is under $15!

• Rare prime rib, pull the roast out of the oven at 115 degrees F. 
• Medium-rare prime rib: Remove the roast from the oven when it is 120 to 125 degrees F. 
• Medium: remove the prime rib at 125-130 F. for medium. 
• I wouldn’t suggest cooking it more than medium rare.

Keep in mind that the internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise after removing it from the oven.

You should start checking the internal temperature after about 90 minutes.

Insert the thermometer in the center of the roast. The center will be rarest, and the ends will be medium to medium-well ensuring that everyone gets their meat to their liking.

How long should the meat rest?

After the prime rib roast has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the oven and tent it with aluminum foil where it will continue cooking even after being removed from the oven.

Usually, the hardest part of any holiday meal is timing everything so that it arrives on the table hot all at once.

Take the opportunity when the meat is resting to finish heating up the sides for your prime rib dinner. When you’re ready to slice the prime rib, place it on a cutting board with channels to collect the juices. Cut as many slices as you can until you reach a bone. Cut around the bone, then continue cutting slices until the next bone. Store leftover prime rib well wrapped, or in an airtight container the refrigerator for several days. 

Side dishes for prime rib

No idea what to serve with prime rib? Knowing the best side dishes can be difficult! Here are some side dishes for prime rib.

Horseradish is a must. You can either serve straight horseradish sauce or use this recipe for Creamed Horseradish which cuts the heat and is divine with any beef!

The English restaurant also served the meal with Creamed Spinach and Creamed Corn.

Brussels Sprouts

Sauteed Vegetables