Garlic Butter Herb Prime Rib

Garlic butter herb prime rib is melt in your mouth tender, cooked to medium-rare perfection, and marbled with fat. The seared garlic butter herb crust is incredible!

Impress your family with this beautiful cut of meat! When making this prime rib add Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, and Rolls for a complete meal.

Prime rib with beans and potatoes on a plate.

The Best Prime Rib

The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a prime rib roast. Well, I am here to bring you the best prime rib recipe with a few tips and tricks for cooking the perfect tender and juicy meat every single time. You are going to bring your A-game to Christmas dinner with a flavorful and bold beef rib roast that is actually really simple to make! Cook up some grilled asparagus or some Brussel sprouts. They will go so well with this!

With these easy-to-follow steps, you will have a perfect Christmas dinner that will be loved by all. Prime rib is top-of-the-line meat that tastes just as AMAZING as it looks. The marbled cut and beautiful bone structure are just what you need to have this slice of heaven on your plate. Cooking this beef does not have to take long. It is best to have a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside. With this garlic butter herb prime rib recipe you will have the PERFECT decadent dinner this holiday season!

Herb Garlic Butter Prime Rib Ingredients

I always buy my roast with the bone. The butcher at our local grocery store cuts the bone but leaves it partially attached and ties it onto the roast. This makes it easier to carve the meat and the bone creates a rack for the meat to cook on. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Prime rib: I like to get a cut that is bone in and tied.
Butter: Make sure that the butter is softened so that it will blend well with the herbs and seasonings.
Garlic cloves: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves on hand then you can use minced garlic! ½ tsp equals about 1 clove.
Thyme, Oregano and Rosemary: I like to use freshly chopped herbs to make the flavor taste top notch!
Salt and pepper: Use these to taste!

How to Cook Prime Rib

Preparing your meat is a great way to ensure your cooking time is perfected by having an evenly cooked prime rib. Taking out your roast before cooking will help with this process! Enjoy this decadent recipe this holiday season with friends and family!

Prepare your meat: Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Mix together garlic butter herb sauce : In a small bowl mix butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Then, rub all of the butter on the outside of your prime rib and plave in a roasting pan or large skillet with the fat side up.
Cook prime rib: Cook for 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. It is about 15 minutes per pound of meat. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 110 degrees.
Let your meat rest: Remove from oven and let it rest with foil for at least 20 minutes. The temperature will rise to 130 degrees for a medium rare prime rib.

4 pictures showing how to prepare raw meat.

What Cut Of Meat Is Best?

A prime rib roast (or a standing roast) is cut from the back of the upper rib section of the steer. It usually is a total of 7 ribs. To make this slow-roasted prime rib then you will need a 3 bone rib roast. This is cut from either the chuck or the loin end of the rib sections. Here are some tips on how to choose the best meat!

Bone IN: You will want a bone in prime rib. On average a 2 to 6 pound prime rib has 2 to 3 bones.
Tied: When ordering from a butcher, ask to keep the strings on it if possible. This will ensure cooking it evenly and keeps its form while cooking.
Deckle: If possible, ask to have the largest deckle. The deckle is tender and the most flavorful piece of meat.

Cooking Information Per Pound

The bones create a natural roasting rack for the meat. Cook the prime rib at a higher temperature of 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reads 110 degrees. About 15 minutes of cooking time per pound.

Cooking Tips

Melt in your mouth prime rib is just what you need to celebrate the holidays this year! These quick and simple tips will help cook it to perfection!

Use a thermometer: Using a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure a perfect prime rib every time.
Take it out of the fridge: Take your prime rib out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let it rest before cooking. This will ensure an even cook time.
Keep the bone in: You can remove the bones before cooking but it is not necessary. The bone in adds to the flavor and helps keep the prime rib tender and juicy.
Let it rest! Remove your prime rib out of the oven when it is about 5 degrees lower than your temperature you are wanting. Cover your meat and let it rest. It will slowly cook as it is resting.

Prime rib that is in a pan, sliced and ready to serve.

Cooking Temperatures

Prime rib can be a little intimidating to make because you are trying to achieve the perfect medium-rare temperature The closed oven method is where you roast the meat at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound. Then, you leave the oven closed for 2 hours and it slowly cooks. If using this method then I highly recommend putting a thermometer inside of the meat so that you can check on it without opening the oven while it cooks.

Rare: 120 to130 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium Rare: 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium: 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium Well: 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit
Well Done: 155 degrees Fahrenheit

Prime rib sliced with the pink meat showing.

Storing Your Meat

Having leftover meat is just another way to enjoy it a little longer! You still have all the tender, juicy flavors are infused into the prime rib. Enjoy another slice of heaven a second time around with these storing ideas.

How long does it last in the refrigerator? It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
Can you freeze prime rib? Yes! Let it rest until completely cooled. Once it’s cooled then place in an ziplock freezer bag, letting all the air out. Lay flat in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to warm it up to eat it then place in the refrigerator over night until thawed.
How to reheat it: If it’s been frozen, let it thaw completely. Place in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until it has reached the desire internal temperature. Enjoy!

A Reader’s Review

This was absolutely amazing! The flavor was phenomenal. I like my meat well done and it was still super tender.

Patricia