Prime rib is the ultimate holiday meal. You need to know how to cook it correctly because it is perhaps the most expensive cut you can buy! Read on to see my tips.

Sliced medium-rare prime rib roast. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

A Beef Prime Rib Roast, also known as a Standing Rib Roast, is easy to cook and requires very little prep. The key is not to overcook it.

The roast comes from the upper ribs, behind the shoulder, and before the loin. This muscle doesn’t work very hard, so it is tender and rich. The meat is well-marbled and beloved for its buttery beef flavor.

The roast is sold boneless and bone-in. Opt for the bone-in roast. The bone always adds a lot of flavor to meat, no matter the cut. Ask the butcher to cut it from the short or chuck end.

What You Need

We like to keep it simple and stick to the basics so the meat’s flavor shines. You can add spices to the rub with herbs like thyme and sage, if you like.

Standing Rib Roast: Plan on 1 pound per person for a bone-in rib roast.
Salt: Use a good quality, coarse kosher salt, sea salt, or pink Himalayan salt.
Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is the best choice.

For the Jus

Oil: Olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
Onion: You don’t need to dice the onion. Just quarter it.
Carrot: Cut the carrot into chunks
Celery: Two stalks of celery.
Bay Leaf: Adds an herbal note.
Water: Forms the base of the sauce.
Beef base or bouillon:

How to Make it

Rib roast seasoned and tied with butcher's twine — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Tie the roast to the bone, as the bone tends to separate from the meat when cooking. Place the roast in a roasting pan, ribs down and fat cap up. The ribs provide a beautiful roasting rack. Season the roast well on all sides with salt and pepper.

Loosely cover the meat with plastic wrap or leave it uncovered. Refrigerate the meat at least overnight or up to 4 days. This process, called dry aging, further tenderizes the meat. It can also be dry-aged, uncovered, using a refrigerator fan for the same amount of time.

Remove the roast from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before roasting to bring it closer to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Slow-roasting the meat produces a more uniform cook. The outer layer doesn’t become overdone. Place the roast in the hot oven. Slow-roast the prime rib for about 20 minutes per pound.

You want to shoot for medium-rare doneness; the internal temperature should be about 125°F. The roast will carry-over cook and reach 130-135°F. The outer edges will be slightly more done than the inner ribs.

Beef cooking chart infographic. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Once the meat comes to temp, remove it from the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest on a rimmed cutting board to collect the juices for at least half an hour.

Just before serving, increase the oven temp to 500°F. Once the oven is hot, put the roast back in and reverse-sear it for 5-8 minutes to form a beautiful brown crust. The inside of the meat should not get go beyond the medium-rare doneness, since you are browning for such a short time.

For the Jus

Use the same pan you roasted the beef in. Add the oil, onions, and vegetables to the pan over medium-high heat, and sauté until the edges are caramelized. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine. Let the wine almost totally evaporate. Add the water, beef base and bay leaf, along with any juices from the beef. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve. Serve with the beef.

Whole standing rib roast on a wooden board. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

How to Store Leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Use the leftover beef for salads or sandwiches with leftover jus.

What to Serve with This Perfect Prime Rib?

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Sliced prime rib roast on a wooden cutting board with herbs. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Since prime rib is so expensive, you have to know how to cook it properly to achieve the perfectly tender result you want. Follow these tips and the roast will come up perfectly every time.

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

Originally published February 6, 2026.

Recipe Name: Prime Rib Roast
Type: Main Dish
Main Ingredients: Standing rib roast, salt, black pepper, onion, carrot, celery
Prep Time: 15 minutes plus resting time
Cook Time: About 3 to 4 hours
Total Time: About 4 hours plus resting time
Yield: Serves 6 to 10
Special Equipment: Roasting pan, butcher’s twine, meat thermometer
Great For: Christmas dinner, holiday meals, special occasions