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
Is it juicy Dozer??? Is it???
The very best I have ever made!!!! Incredible flavor ,perfectly cooked! This is awesome. Thanks for recipe
Hi Nagi! I just wanted to thank you for an amazing Christmas dinner! As a recommendation from a friend at work, most recipes came from your site! From the prime rib (slam dunk) to the green bean casserole (mushroom cream sauce amazing), glazed carrots (made ahead and came out awesome) and the delish glazed ham (wow)!!! I received soooo many compliments! I haven’t hosted in a few years and consider myself a novice cook but your recipes helped me more than you can imagine! We truly had a joyous family dinner and I will keep coming back for more recipes! Thank you for sharing your passion for food and helping others (me) who are not so confident in the kitchen. Happy holidays and a blessed new year!
My prime rib recipe from you was really good. Just as promised it was med. rare all the way through. However, I did not care for the aujus at all. It as so greasy even with the cornstarch.
We made this for Christmas dinner last night, along with a modified version of your potatoes au gratin. (We subbed cauliflower for the potatoes.) It was incredibly delicious, and the meat was an absolutely perfect medium rare. My husband and I want to tell you how much we love your recipes. Everything we have tried has been so good!
Made this recipe for Christmas dinner and it came out simply amazing! It was a slightly bigger roast….my guys love Prime Rib….. so I added 10 minutes at high temp and then checked internal temp awhen basting every 30 min…. took out at 48c let rest for 20 minutes while I made the gravy. Perfection! Doubled the gravy as they love their gravy. The jus/gravy thus makes is insanely good. Also I made the potato gratin individuals in the muffin tins to go with it….these are sooooo good. Would have made the duck fat potatoes but time/oven space didn’t allow. I did make the potatoes the day before and reheated….unreal. So freaking good! Oh, I rubbed the muffin tins with duck fat prior to baking…..what a Christmas dinner. Also made the unbelievable squash/Brussel sprouts which are the best vegetable side ever. What a very merry Christmas dinner thanks to you Nagi and your website! 👍🙌❤️😋
What adjustments should I make I have 2 pieces of prime rib that are each 2.5 lbs. thank you! Can’t wait to try this!
I’m making this tonight but my son is allergic to dairy. Should I sub olive oil for the butter on the roast or should I use his butter substitute?
He might be able to tolerate ghee (clarified butter). That is what I use when I cook for my (extremely) dairy intolerant mother and she doesn’t have a problem with it.
Just an idea 🙂
I have an 8 lb bone in prime rib roast to make for Christmas. Would I increase the cooking time since this recipe states it is for a 5 lb roast?
Hello! I’d like to make your prime rib roast and potatoes au gratin at the same time (same meal). I only have 1 oven, though. Will the potatoes turn out ok if I bake them for longer at the lower rib roast temp (in order to make them at the same time)? If so, how long would I need to bake them for? Thank you!
Hey! Love your recipes and site. Do you know if this recipe will be just as tender as if its slowly roasted (lower temp/10 hour)? Would the texture be the same or different?
Hi how do you serve prime rib? Is it one slice per bone. Im having 16 people not sure how many pounds i should but for my party
Hi Trisha, no it’s not always one bone per slice, otherwise they’d be huge slices! You can adjust the servings by using the scaler on my recipe and it will adjust all the ingredients for you 🙂
You never, ever disappoint, Nagi! I thoroughly enjoy all things Recipe Tin Eats down to my soul. From the recipes, photography, Dozer updates to your wonderful writing.
I always make a great cut & tied Ribeye Roast for the holidays. However, yours sounds like my new method! Your Red Wine Sauce is definitely my new “kicker”! It looks like I just went from great to fabulous!!!
This was the bomb. OMG, it was perfect. Thank you.
I’m a Prime Rib firsttimer and I’m as nervous as I am excited! Do you have a general idea of how long should I plan for a 7lb prime rib to cook to medium rare/medium? Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Wahoo!
We are so anxious to try your recipe for Prime Rib. Will let you know how it turned out here in Tennessee. Our two sons and their wives, and our five grandchildren, ages 23 down to 13, plus a grandaughter in law and two grand fiance’s will be in attendance. Wow! Let the feast begin!
I hope you nail it Rhonda! Keep me updated – N x
I will be serving prime rib. Your red wine sauce looks like an awesome accompaniment. I will add crack garlic bread. Yum!
I will be serving prime rib, with your crack garlic bread, homemade biscuit, mashed potatoes, and I was thinking of cheesy broccoli, and now your garlic spinach.
YESSSS!!! Fantastic Robert – what time shall I pop in?? 😂
Appetizers start around 2pm. Still working on those. I’ll set another place.
You’re Christmas recipes look just wonderful!
This Christmas, my husband and I will eat our special Christmas dinner alone. We will open a really good bottle of red wine, put the fireplace on ( we are in Canada), light the candles, and enjoy Prime Rib roast. This time, I plan on trying your method for roasting the Prime Rib. Mine is usually very good, but I’ve never had it that evenly pink throughout.
The menu is simple, as there will just be the two of us:
Prime Rib roast; au jus gravy; traditional Yorkshire puddings; broccoli with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts; mashed potatoes. Dessert is a carrot cake with whipped cream ( Fraunces Tavern carrot cake ; a 200 year old recipe; it’s not overly sweet and has no icing , and so delicious with whipped cream). Dessert with coffee, then a White Russian cocktail sitting by the fire with our cat ( who we love as much as you love your sweet Dozer). 🙂 Merry Christmas Nagi, to you and your loved ones.
We definitely are a Prime Rib Christmas Eve dinner family. Thanks for the roasting time tips on what temp to take out for desired end-state doneness. Its nice to have the supporting words of wisdom of what temp to put out roast!
I hope you nail it Karen, enjoy!
That picture is craze inducing! My daughter is the host this year and I am forwarding this spectacular recipe as she told me she’s serving prime rib. I may have to have a shot at this for next year, that wine sauce is over the top!
Making this!
Love to know what you think once you try it Koren!