Standing Rib Roast is considered by many to be the best roast beef in the world. Also known as Prime Rib, it’s a beef cut that’s incredibly succulent with superior taste. This recipe uses a safe, simple but highly effective roasting method so the beef is blushing pink all the way through.
Top tip? Pull the beef out before the target internal temperature as the meat continues to cook as it rests, taking medium rare beef to medium. Otherwise, it overcooks while resting!
Standing Rib Roast – don’t make this mistake!
The biggest mistake people make with prime rib is not factoring in that beef continues to cook as it rests. So if you pull it out of the oven at 52°C / 125°F, the target temperature for medium rare, it will rise to 55°C / 130°F or more once rested which is medium. Ie not much blushing pink left!
So you must pull the beef out of the oven before your Target Temperature. Here is a table of the internal temperature of Prime Rib for varying levels of doneness.
Internal temperature of cooked prime rib
The internal temperature of prime rib will rise by around 4°C / 5 – 7°F while resting, so it needs to be pulled out of the oven before reaching the Target Internal Temperature for your desired level of doneness.
Doneness | Pull temperature | Target Temp after rest |
---|---|---|
Rare | 48°C/118°F | 51°C/124°F |
Medium rare (recommended) | 50°C / 122°F | 54°C / 129°F |
Medium | 53°C/127°F | 57°C / 135°F |
Medium well done | 55°C/131°F | 59°C/138°F |
Well done | Never! | n/a |
Target Temperature after resting – this is the internal temperature for each level of doneness, after resting.
Pull Temperature – this is the target internal temperature when you take it out of the oven, and it is lower than the Target Temperature to achieve the level of doneness you desire. The temperature rises when the beef is resting. If you take the beef out of the oven at the Target Temp, then by the time the beef has rested it will be beyond what you wanted.
Prime Rib – simply the best
There’s no question – the Standing Rib Roast is the creme de la creme of roasts. Also known as Prime Rib, this is THE roast beef with superior flavour, texture and juiciness above all other cuts of beef.
It’s certainly not an economical cut. It’s an investment worthy of special occasions when gathering with like minded people who will appreciate that moment when you slice through the deep golden, garlic studded crust, those people in your life who will clap their hands with glee at the sight of the rose pink flesh, knowing that it’s going to taste as incredibly juicy as it looks…..
Prepare yourself for the ultimate roast beef experience – complete with a gorgeous Red Wine Sauce, a side of Parish Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach!!
Safe, highly effective cooking method
A quick blast in a hot oven for 20 minutes, then 1.5 hours at a lower temperature. This yields a roast that’s evenly cooked all throughout to the doneness of your choice (medium rare for me!), with a deep golden crust.
This method is safe and highly effective, with the benefits of a long slow cook but far quicker to make.
Roasting at a lower temperature is better than a Hard & Fast quick roast because it cooks more evenly throughout (no overcooked outer ring!), there’s less risk of overcooking and the fat will melt to make the meat even juicier.
How to choose the best standing rib roast
I know I’m stating the obvious here, but the better the beef, the better the eating experience. 🙂
TIP: If your budget doesn’t stretch to Prime Rib, use my Roast Beef Marinade to make the most of economical roast beef cuts!
America – If you’re in the States, the USDA has made it easy for you by grading prime rib: Prime (the best), followed by Choice then Select. The grading is largely based on the fat marbling and taste.
Here in Australia, we don’t have a consistent grading system. But what I can say for sure is that if you want a good quality standing rib roast, skip the supermarket and head to your local butcher. Grass fed or grain fed comes down to personal choice.
Grain fed typically has better marbling and therefore a richer, fattier flavour. Grass fed is usually less fatty but people (me included!) believe the flavour of the beef to be richer, more full of flavour and the meat to be more tender.
If you want top shelf, opt for dry aged beef. You’ll pay serious dollars for it – but it’s worth it!
The standing rib roast pictured above and below and used in the recipe video has been prepared the standard way we do it here in Australia: the fat cap trimmed and the bones scraped clean for presentation.
The foil: Some butchers will sell the standing rib roast with foil wrapped around the bones. It’s to stop the bones from browning, for presentation purposes only. It looks striking to have a dark brown crust, the pink meat and a white bone. If the beef comes with it, I leave it on. But I don’t do it myself.
How the beef is cut – Bone in / off / tied back on
This recipe will work fine whether bone in or out, or tied back on. But I’m a firm believer that anything cooked with the bone is juicier, so the thought of roasting a prime rib without the bone never crossed my mind.
Plus – I just think it looks grand with the bone in! And isn’t chewing the meat off the bone the best bit?? 😉
In the States, you’ll find some butchers remove the bone then tie it back on. Here in Australia, you’d have to ask for a special order to have the bone cut out.
The meat itself is so incredibly juicy (with the added bonus of the garlic herb butter!), I really doubt you’d notice a difference. So use what you can get, or whatever your personal preference is!
Ingredients you need
When you invest in a good piece of beef, you don’t need to do much to it.
But then again, a good slathering of Herb and Garlic Butter certainly doesn’t do any harm! 😂
Using softened rather than melted butter works much better because the garlic and herb bits stick to the skin, creating a terrific golden herb and garlic crust!
Feel free to switch the herbs to what you have / prefer. Also, dried herbs work too!
How to make standing rib roast
After slathering the beef with butter, blast it for 20 minutes in a hot oven to get the crust going, then roast in a relatively low oven of 120°C/250°F for a further 1.5 hours before resting for 20 to 30 minutes.
With this method, the high temperature creates a crust quickly, sealing the juices in. Then we turn the temperature down to roast it slowly and evenly so it’s blushing pink all the way through, rather than ending up with a thick overcooked band around the outside of the beef.
Target an internal temperature of 51°C / 123.8°F when taking it out of the oven (medium rare, recommended) which will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136.4°F after resting for perfect medium rare. See chart below for other doneness.
There are recipes “out there” that opt to use an even lower temperature and roast for up to 10 hours. This method cooks the prime rib so slowly that it’s evenly pink from edge to edge, then seared at the end to form a thin dark crust.
We actually prefer to have the textural contrast of a thin layer of cooked beef on the outer edge of the beef. It’s still 90% pink and cooked to medium rare throughout!
Never skip the 20 minute rest, essential to let the meat juices redistribute. If you don’t rest, the meat juice will run everywhere when you slice it = not as juicy.
Target internal temperature
Remember, as I explained at the very top, pull the beef out of the oven before your final Target Temperature as the internal temperature will continue to rise at it rests for 20 minutes. If you pull the beef out of the oven when it is already medium rare (56°C / 133°F), it will be medium after it rests – barely any blushing pink left!
Doneness | Pull Temp out of oven | Target Temp after rest |
---|---|---|
Rare | 49°C/120.2°F | 53°C/127.4°F |
Medium rare (recommended) | 51°C / 123.8°F | 56°C / 133°F |
Medium | 55°C/131°F | 60°C / 140°F |
Medium well done | 59°C / 138.2°F | 65°C / 149°F |
Well done | Never! | n/a |
Why I roast on a bed of onion, garlic & herbs
I like to roast my standing rib on a bed of onion, garlic and herbs which serves three purposes:
Elevates the beef off the base to encourage more even cooking;
Stops the drippings from burning (smokes out oven + can’t make a sauce from drippings); and
Adds more flavour to the drippings that is then used to make a sauce for the prime rib.
Key tip: take out of fridge 2 hours prior
A standing rib roast is a formidable hunk of meat so to encourage even cooking, I like to take it out of the fridge 2 or even 3 hours prior to cooking.
By reducing the chill in the beef, this prevents the beef from cooking such that you end up with a very thick layer of overcooked beef on the outside and a small circle of pink perfect cooked beef in the middle.
Sauce for Prime Rib – Red Wine Sauce
The drippings from the beef left in the pan are loaded with flavour and begging to be used for a sauce!
Red wine and beef is a classic flavour combination so that’s what I’ve gone with here. Essentially, we’re making a red wine jus by rapidly simmering beef broth and red wine in the same skillet the beef was roasted in until it reduces down into an intense flavoured, highly savoury sauce.
I like my sauces to have a syrupy consistency so I add a bit of cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken it. But this is optional – most red wine jus are not thickened, they are quite runny sauces.
What to serve with Prime Rib
For a high-end restaurant experience, you can’t go past Paris Mash(pictured below) – ultra rich and creamy mashed potato! Potatoes au gratin is an elegant French potato side option that’s ideal for making ahead. Otherwise, rich and creamy Cauliflower Cheese is a British roast dinner classic! For greens, Garlic Sautéed Spinach pairs exceptionally well with Prime Rib and is a Classic Steakhouse side!
Here are a few more options:
Classic Side Dishes for Standing Rib Roast
Just imagine that moment, when you carve up thick slices of this Standing Rib Roast that’s almost impossibly juicy, blushing pink on the inside with that salty, buttery, herb and garlic crust….
It’s so unbelievably tender, and it’s so perfect you know you could eat the whole thing plain…. But THEN, you add a drizzle of that incredible Red Wine Sauce…..
There. Are. No. Words. It’s almost as perfect as a meal gets. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Beef Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg / 5 lb standing rib roast / prime rib , bone in (Note 1)
- 1 onion , unpeeled, quartered (brown, yellow, white)
- 1 head of garlic , unpeeled, halved horizontally
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
Garlic Herb Butter:
- 150g/ 10 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 5 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Red Wine Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth/stock , low salt
- 2 1/2 cups dry red wine (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch (optional, Note 3)
Instructions
Prepare Beef
- Bring Beef to room temp: Take beef out of the fridge 2 – 3 hours before cooking to bring to room temp (key tip for even cooking). Pat dry with paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 240°C/460°F (220°C fan). Adjust shelf so beef will be sitting in the middle of the oven.
- Garlic Herb Butter: Mix together.
- Roasting bed: Place onion, garlic and herbs in a heavy based oven proof skillet (or use a roasting pan).
- Slather 1: Spread a thin layer of butter on the underside of the beef (ie the bone side). Place beef on onion etc, butter side down. Spread about 2/3 of the butter on the top and sides (reserve some for Slather 2).
- Hot oven: Roast 20 minutes.
- Slather 2: Remove, spread over remaining butter. Turn oven down to 120°C/250°F (100°C fan).
- Slow roast: Roast for a further 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the juices in the pan, until the internal temperature is 51°C / 123.8°F in the centre (for medium rare, Note 4). Start checking the internal temp early.
- Rest: Transfer beef to plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 20 – 30 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136.4°F (which is medium rare).
- Slice beef and serve with Sauce! For a classic high-end Steakhouse experience, serve with Paris Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach.
Red Wine Sauce:
- Place skillet with onion and garlic left in it on the stove over high heat. Add wine and beef stock, rapidly simmer for 10 minutes until it reduces by 2/3 or so, down to 1 1/2 cups or liquid.
- Lower heat to medium. Mix cornflour with 2 tbsp water. Drizzle in half and stir. Sauce will thicken in 1 minute or so. Add more cornflour water mixture if you want it thicker.
- Strain into bowl, pour into sauce jug.
Recipe Notes:
Doneness | Pull Temp out of oven |
Target Temp after rest |
---|---|---|
Rare | 49°C/120.2°F | 53°C/127.4°F |
Medium rare (recommended) | 51°C / 123.8°F | 56°C / 133°F |
Medium | 55°C/131°F | 60°C / 140°F |
Medium well done | 59°C / 138.2°F | 65°C / 149°F |
Well done | Never! | n/a |
- Pull temp is the temperature at which it should be removed from the oven;
- Target temp is the final temperature of the beef for each level of doneness, to which the beef will rise after resting for 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 30 November 2018. Post reviewed regularly and updated if necessary. Last updated December 2021. No change to recipe – this is a master recipe loved by many so I wouldn’t dare!
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
For fellow roast lovers….
Life of Dozer
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Liz R says
I had to find a recipe in a pinch last night (12/28) and this was the first one I clicked on. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I went with your recipe first. My prime rib, which was about a pound larger than what was called for came out perfectly. It was juicy, extremely tender, and incredibly flavourful. Thank you for such and awesome recipe. It is going to be my recipe to use for prime rib from now on.
Darcie says
Excellent recipe and instructions! Our Christmas dinner prime rib came out so good! Perfectly medium rare and wonderful flavor! (Though I didn’t have thyme, still great)
Jessica says
Absolutely delicious! This was my first time attempting a prime rib roast and I was a bit nervous about messing it up. It turned out amazingly juicy and flavorful. The directions were very easy to follow.
Matthew Blume says
I prepared this exactly as instructed for Christmas for my in-laws. I had a bit of trepidation with such a pricey cut of meat. We had a 7.5 lb cut so I adjusted accordingly. Without a doubt, the best preparation instructions. I even used 2 buck chuck for the reduction sauce and it did not matter. Thanks for explaining the veg under the meat to line the pan. Elevating the meat was the key.
Vicky mccuaig says
Sadly im 66 and this was my first standing rib roast 🤣 I love to cook and try everything else but this is what I fear the most. A roast. A standing rib roast. Went in the yard, picked every herb I had. Plus Salt, pepper, olive oil and a zillion cloves of minced garlic. Hey I’m Greek! Anyway I saw your recipe the next day, Nagi. You totally put me at ease! I slathered it in butter and cooked it exactly the way you said. It was PERFECT!!!! I’ve been following you and Dozer (❤️❤️❤️❤️) for a while and you have never let me down. I’m from Maui, so mahalo from the bottom of my heart! Kiss Dozer on the tip of his nose for me and thanks for putting the fear out of cooking prime rib’🥰
Barbara Hill says
Great Christmas dinner, thank you mine turned out great! What kind of thermometer do you use?
Marianne says
I want to thank you for teaching me how to cook the standing rib roast the right way. In the past I’ve always let it get too done. However, I couldn’t bring myself to slather the roast with the butter – it felt beyond sinful and I just couldn’t go there; but I did use all the rest of the garlic / herb butter ingredients and made a rub out of it by adding about a tbsp olive oil blending it all in a little food processor and rubbing that all over the roast. Of course, on completion of roasting my onions and garlic didnt look as flavorful and yours did in the video , but I made the gravy anyway (it was butterless) and I was skeptical as it was cooking (I didnt even have beef broth – used water and beef base instead) but OMG that sauce turned out incredibly good, I mean seriously yummy. This was my COVID-Christmas dinner and the family loved it.
Christine says
I made this recipe and the flavour was on point. We were aiming for medium using the temperature readings listed and our rib roast turned out more medium rare to rare. I also noticed that my meat thermometer had different temperature indications for levels of doneness as the ones you had listed.
GC says
Made this for Xmas dinner and it turned out fantastic. The cook time listed was just about right for 2 ribs, but always better to rely on thermometer. (I appreciated having the pull temps in addition to the final temps—it would be great to see this in more recipes.)
A recipe worthy of an expensive cut of meat!
Teresa says
Cooked a 3.5kg roast for Christmas, watched the video and carefully followed the instructions. The roast was perfect and the guidance provided in the recipes excellent. Thank you Nagi, you have so many wonderful recipes but what I do love about your website is the tips you provide. You are educating cooks all over the globe. I am sure it is a lot of work, a sincere thank you from me. It is disappointing that some cooks haven’t achieved the result they were after, there are detailed instructions and videos maybe it pays to watch them and not skim over the recipe.
Joy Folsom says
I made this recipe last night for Christmas dinner. It turned out beautifully, so thank you thank you thank you for making it so easy to follow. It was the first time I’ve tried cooking Prime Rib and the family was impressed!
Scott says
Thanks so much for this recipe Nagi! Cooked many prime rib but this one was the best. Nice crust on the outside and your temps for doneness were perfect. Happy Holidays from the New Jersey Brown family to yours!
Kelly says
Merry Christmas! This looks amazing & I will be making today, however I do not have unsalted butter, will this make a huge difference if I cut out the salt?
Shoena says
Fantastic recipe. My first time doing a rib eye, WITH two chickens in the oven at the same time. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best and it worked! So juicy, tender and perfectly cooked, AND the chickens cooked so moist in this same way! Will never cook another way again!
Barbi says
Just wondering how this will work with a couple of 3’’ cowboy ribeyes
Karen McGhee says
Hopefully good, as my roast is 3.25# and I just put it in.
Mark says
Can this be cooked in a Dutch oven?
Jackie says
Just a quick question – I have a 3.8 kg bone-in roast. Do I roast for 20 mins in a hot oven, then lengthen the cook time in the slower oven, or do I lengthen the cook time in both the hot and slow oven? Thanks so much for your recipe, am trying it for our Christmas Eve dinner! 💗
Amanda J Langley says
You keep the same 20 minute hot time, just extend the low heat cooking time.
Jackie says
Thank you so much – it turned out perfectly and dinner was divine! Will use this recipe for every rib roast I do in the future! Cheers!
Chris says
Excellent! Don’t usually follow recipes but first time making rib roast and didn’t want to mess up. Clear and simple instructions that make sense. Came out just the way I imagine it should.
Yesenia says
Hi Nagi! I have a 6.4 lb roast
Is it the cook time the same or a little longer? Should I use a thermometer?
Nagi says
Hi Yesenia, I talk about larger sizes and additional cook time in the notes. Just make sure you have a thermometer on hand to be accurate 🙂 N x
April Barrow says
HI Nagi – I also wanted to find out what is the temp used for “HOT Oven”. Then I scrolled down and see you have a DOZER too!. Ours is a German Shorthaired Pointer mix – Black w/white spots.
This looks delish and making it Christmas Day.
Nagi says
Hi April, 240C/460F (standard) or 220C/430F as per step two in the instructions 🙂 N x
Michele Zierdt says
I am wondering what temperature to start with. What is considered a Hot Oven? Also I chose two 5 pound roasts. That won’t change the cooking time, will it?
Michele Zierdt says
I found the starting temperature once I read thru the directions again. Thai you for the recipe.
Nagi says
Hi Michele, 240C/460F (standard) or 220C/430F as states in the instructions 🙂 N x