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???
I’ve made this recipe 5 times now without changing a thing And it comes out perfect every time. I follow the take out temperature and it is the perfect color all the way to the edges.
I don’t even look for other recipes anymore.
Making this now. My kitchen smells sooooo good! I’ve never been a turkey (gag!) person and neither has my mother, bit for my father, it was for him. Now that he’s gone and its just she and I… I can’t wait to dig into this!
Just delicious. Thanks so much
WOW… once again you have provided an awesome recipe! It turned out perfect and was so tender. Med Rare is the way to go! Thank you again for another great recipe 🙂
Have never cooked prime rib before, turned out wonderful.
Chose your recipe because of the detailed instructions that answered all my questions. VERY helpful and took the scare factor away of not ever doing such a fancy piece of meat before
I followed recipe to the letter and it was extremely rare Had to put back in over at 350 for another 20-25 minutes. I would suggest roasting at 325-350 instead of 250
Hi Nagi, in the UK we have rib of beef as a prime cut. Do you think it’s the same? Thank you!
P.S. I have used a lot of your recipes and they’re all lovely! Thank you!!
Made this yesterday and instructions were perfect. The roast was 2.7kg so left it in a tiny bit longer but had the meat thermometer going so pulled it out exactly as needed. Inside was perfectly red as you want for medium rare and the roast was melt in your mouth texture.
I was nervous about this in case I wrecked a good cut of steak, but I couldn’t go wrong following your recipe Nagi!
Hi Nagi, firstly I would like to say how much I enjoy your posts. Your food is beautifully cooked and the instructions are fabulous. I have made many of your dishes. This beef instruction is the best I have seen. I have always found cooking times and temperatures confusing with beef – especially with the different weights of meat/adjustments in cooking time. Thank you so much for clarifying this for me. One question, if I put two lots of beef in the oven at the same time, would that change timing? xx
We got a 4.01 kg roast
On counter 3 hours before cooking
30 min at 455 F
2 hours at 260 F
Let rest 30 minutes
But rare inside😞
I did not calculate correctly.
Thats okay…its almost double Nagi’s. Back in oven another 45 minutes or so after separating bones from meat.
Red wine sauce incredible😋
Thanks again Nagi and Dozer 🐾
You should always use a meat thermometer/temp probe.Not a good idea to solely rely on a time per lb
Tonight was the very first time I cooked a standing rib roast. I was petrified! I was terrified I’d ruin this cut of meat that cost an arm and leg. Your recipe was the first one I decided to try and not only was it easy to follow- it was quite tasty! I did have to increase the oven to 300 for the last 15 mins, but it came out a perfect medium (which is what I prefer). And that red wine sauce- holy moly. That is sensational. *chef’s kiss*
Made tonight and the roast was perfect – great flavor. I used a meat temperature probe and cooked to an internal temp of 125, wrapped in foil, and let rest for 30′ before eating. A keeper recipe!
Just wanted to let you know that there is a typo in step 7 of your instructions. It should be 350F instead of 250F. My roast is going to be an hour late for dinner
No Anthony that’s not a typo – 250F is correct. I explain in the post that this beef is a variation on recipes that do a high sear followed by a slow cook in a lower oven (some recipes do up to 10 hours at a really low temp and still end up pink!!) As long as your roast was started at room temp and was the correct size (as specified in the recipe) and you did the high sear first, then 250 should have been high enough to cook it properly, although the timing is not 100% exact due to variables such as beef age and oven variations. I hope it was tasty!! N x
I made this today for Greek Easter lunch as I find lamb is a bit too fatty for me. It was amazing, I used rib scotch fillet roast, only complaint was that I followed the 20 mins resting time and when served it was hardly warm.
OMG!! This is the BEST recipe for a standing rib roast! I have had mixed results with other recipes but this one is amazing and a keeper for sure! Followed recipe exactly and so appreciate the video and all the pictures — Thank You!
Woo hoo!!! That is fantastic Grace!! N x
There is so much conflicting info online about how to cook a prime rib roast. This is my first time cooking one and I was nervous because it is an expensive cut of meat. I figured I would trust your method as you have never steered me wrong (Hello Char Sui pork recipe!) and I made the right choice! It was delicious! I had a small two rib roast ~3lbs, it was perfect! Thank you!
That is so good to hear Jenn! I am happy I could help! N x
We were only three people so I made a baby roast – it was so good – did exactly as is – and they wish I had made the larger roast! My oven in the US runs a little cooler – I had to go up a degree or two to reach the right temp but you just have to have a good meat thermometer and know your oven. This was restaurant quality!
I used this recipe and the rib roast was only 85 degrees after the instructions were followed. It’s a new stove so I’m going to buy an oven thermometer to check it’s temperature. Something didn’t work out. I was able to salvage the situation by adding time but the delay resulted in a less than stellar experience. Flavor was excellent!
I made this for Easter lunch. It was extremely tasty and tender. I will make it again.
Woo hoo Tammy!! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!! N x
Never mind my question Nagi, I see the answer in ‘Note #1’
Nagi, our rib roasts tend to have tough and/or thick fat caps.
Do you leave it on or trim it down as I don’t see much fat, if any, on the roasts illustrated in the recipe.
Thanks much, Sonny
What do you call hot oven. What temperature is a hot oven. Making a 6-1/2 roast
Click the “Recipe” button at the top Mary Lee and it will jump you straight down to the detailed recipe with exact temperatures! N x