Prime Rib (Bone in)

Overhead view of a roasted prime rib roast sliced in half.

5 from 3

This bone in Prime Rib recipe uses the reverse sear method and a homemade seasoning rub to create the juiciest, most tender roast every time!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5 38

Rest Time1 20

Total Time7 13

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bone in prime rib

Servings: servings [5.10 pounds raw (includes 2 ribs), 5 one-pound servings]

Equipment

Ingredients

1 prime rib roast (5 pound) , ribs removed and reattached by butcher
3 tablespoons salted butter , softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary , removed from stems and minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme , removed from stems and minced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

Pat your roast dry with clean paper towels. Then, smear the softened 3 tablespoons of salted butter all over the roast.
Combine 2 tablespoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika, and 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Using a spoon, sprinkle the seasoning rub, one side at a time, on the meat and rub in with your hands. (I like to evenly pile a little extra on top at the end!)
Let your roast sit with this rub on it for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, in the fridge, uncovered.
Bring your meat back to room temperature before cooking by letting it sit out for 30 minutes (not longer than 1 hour) at room temperature. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature it can be set to. My oven goes to 170F. Transfer your rubbed prime rib to your roasting vessel with a roasting grate on the bottom.
Roast your beef *rib side down* in the oven uncovered for 5 ½ to 6 ½ hours, depending on your preferred level of doneness. (Anything beyond medium when it comes to prime rib is widely considered sacrilegious, but you do you!)
This part is important: Based on your personal preference, remove your roast from the oven when your digital meat thermometer reads the following:
- Rare: 120°F, with a red interior that may fade to pink at the edges (As it rests, it will reach 125°F, a perfect rare steak)
- Medium rare: 130°F, with a pink color and a deeper, nearly red center (As it rests, it will reach 135°F, a perfect medium rare steak)
- Medium: 135°F, with a mauve color, pink center, and a uniformly colored interior (As it rests, it will reach 140°F, a perfect medium steak)
- Well done: 145°F or higher, with a brown color and no pink
Remove roast from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before reverse searing.
To reverse sear the prime rib, add 2 tablespoons of high heat cooking oil to a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Give the oil a swirl, if it swirls around your pan with ease, it’s ready. If it’s slow-moving, it’s not hot enough yet. Add the roast to the skillet and let it sear on each side for 2 minutes to create the textured crust that everyone loves. Do not sear for longer than 8 minutes total on all sides if you want to maintain the level of doneness you have already achieved during the cooking and resting process.
Once you have seared all sides of the meat (no need to attempt to sear the ribs still tied on the bottom), you can carve and serve it immediately.
Alternatively, you can preheat your oven to 500F while you’re waiting for your meat to rest for 20-30 minutes and your guests are enjoying appetizers or cocktails. Just before you’re ready to serve it, pop the roast into the 500F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carve, and serve immediately!

Notes

Double the seasonings. This rub recipe is shelf-stable and can stay in your pantry in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use it. This amount of rub was enough to season and give an up-to-5.10 pound prime rib an excellent crust! If your roast is bigger, I recommend doubling the recipe.

Cover the fat well. I like to pile a little extra rub on top of the roast, covering the fat a little heavier. Once the fat from the roast begins to melt, the additional rub will permeate the rest of the meat, and the brown sugar will help create a beautiful crust on top.

Let it marinate. I recommend using this rub on your roast for at least 1 hour before cooking to let it flavor the meat more thoroughly. You can season your meat up to 24 hours before cooking using my directions above, letting it sit in the fridge uncovered until you’re ready to cook it.

Nutrition