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Cook up an unforgettable holiday dinner with our easy Boneless Prime Rib Recipe! Only 5 minutes of prep and 3 simple ingredients: beef, salt, and pepper. This is the best boneless rib roast that's so simple to make and packed with flavor!
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When we say this is one of the easiest prime rib recipes you will ever make, we mean it!
This boneless rib roast recipe is as delicious as it gets. Using just salt, pepper, and a beautifully marbled cut of beef, we are going to show you how to make the juiciest, most tender rib roast. It's perfect for serving over any holiday meal.
What tools do I need to roast prime rib?
- Paper towels to pat the roast dry
- Baking sheet with a roasting rack
- Your oven
- Aluminum foil to tent the roast once it's done cooking
- Cutting board and knife
Boneless Prime Rib Roast Ingredients
- Boneless rib roast
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
The key to cooking a beautiful prime rib roast is picking a cut of beef with perfect marbling.
Marbling refers to the white lines of fat running through the beef. The better the marbling, the more flavor your roast will have! Look for fine, web-like marbling.
TIP—Remove your roast from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking it and allow it to come to room temperature. This way, it will cook evenly!
How to Season Prime Rib
A rib roast is so flavorful that we like to keep our prime rib seasoning simple: just salt and pepper. We recommend using sea salt. The taste and texture of sea salt is so perfect for seasoning a prime rib roast and gives it the perfect crust.
If you like, you can also add herbs. Rosemary is a perfect choice for pairing with prime rib. Chop up rosemary and pair it with the salt and pepper to season your roast for an extra tasty prime rib recipe.
How to Cook a Boneless Prime Rib
Follow these prime rib cooking instructions for the perfect roast:
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and pat your boneless rib roast dry with paper towels.
Generously season your roast with sea salt and black pepper. Give it a good coating. - Place the roast fat-side up on a pan with a roasting rack. Add it to the oven and cook for 15 minutes at 450°F.
- Reduce the temperature to 325°F and cook for an additional 1 hour and 40 minutes (4 lb. roast).
- Once time is up, move the beef to a cutting board and tent it with foil loosely. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes under the foil. After resting, carve the beef against the grain for best results. Serve, and enjoy!
How long to cook prime rib in the oven?
Your boneless prime rib cooking time will depend on the size of roast you're making:
- 4 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 40 minutes cook time
- 5 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 45 minutes cook time
- 6 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 50 minutes cook time
⏲ Prime Rib Temperature Chart
- Rare: 120-125°F. Inside is bright red.
- Medium Rare: 130-135°F. Pink on the outside with a deep red middle.
- Medium: 135-140°F. Light pink on the inside.
- Well-done: 145°F+. Brown with no pink.
For best results, always use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temp for prime rib.
Our recipe will give you a medium-rare, perfect prime rib roast. Add 10-15 minutes to the roasting time if cooking the roast to medium.
Recipes Tips
- Use a meat thermometer! This is a must for roast beef recipes, and especially for prime rib recipes, to achieve your perfect desired degree of doneness every time.
- Allow your roast to come to room temperature before placing it in the oven. This way, it will cook evenly throughout.
- Use a roasting pan with a rack so air can circulate around the whole roast.
- Let your roast rest! Once it's done roasting, tent your beef with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving.
- Slice against the grain. This is vital! The grain refers to the lines running through the beef. Slice against the grain for the most tender sliced prime rib.
How to Make Au Jus
You can easily make au jus with drippings to use for this boneless prime rib recipe. Follow these instructions to make your own au jus:
- After cooking your roast, remove it from the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over low heat on the stove or add the drippings from the roast pan to a saucepan.
- Whisk in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce plus 1 cup red wine. Cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add 1 cup beef broth and bring to a simmer. Serve hot with sliced prime rib, and enjoy!
How Long Will Prime Rib Last in the Fridge
Leftover prime rib will last 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. For best results, store with au jus or beef gravy drizzled over the top. This will help keep it moist.
Best Way to Reheat
- Preheat your oven to 250°F.
- Add leftover prime rib to a roasting pan with leftover au jus, beef gravy, or beef stock, and cover with foil.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
How Long to Thaw a Frozen Prime Rib
Place your rib roast in a pan in the refrigerator for at least two days before you plan to cook it so it thaws completely. For larger roasts, allow an additional day. Bring it to come to room temperature, then follow the roasting instructions!
Our Favorite Roast Beef Recipes
- Best Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe
- Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Butter
- Reverse Sear Instant Pot Prime Rib Roast
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📋 Recipe
Boneless Prime Rib Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 4-6 lb. boneless prime rib roast
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and pat your boneless rib roast dry with paper towels. Generously season your roast with sea salt and black pepper. Give it a good coating.
- Place the roast fat-side up on a pan with a roasting rack. Add it to the oven and cook for 15 minutes at 450°F. Once 15 minutes is up, reduce the temperature to 325°F and cook for an additional 1 hour and 40 minutes (4 lb. roast).
- Once time is up, move the beef to a cutting board and tent it with foil loosely. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes under the foil. After resting, carve the beef against the grain for best results. Serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Boneless prime rib cooking time:
- 4 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 40 minutes cook time
- 5 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 45 minutes cook time
- 6 lb. roast: 15 minute sear + 1 hour 50 minutes cook time
Tips for cooking a perfect prime rib roast:
- Use a meat thermometer! This is a must for roast beef recipes, and especially for prime rib recipes, to achieve your perfect desired degree of doneness every time.
- Allow your roast to come to room temperature before placing it in the oven. This way, it will cook evenly throughout.
- Use a roasting pan with a rack so air can circulate around the whole roast.
- Let your roast rest! Once it’s done roasting, tent your beef with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving.
- Slice against the grain. This is vital! The grain refers to the lines running through the beef. Slice against the grain for the most tender sliced prime rib.
TROY OUNGST says
I made it. I was concerned and cooked it a bit longer. I wish I had not. It came out as Medium and not Medium Rare. But! it was awesome. I did make a few changes: I rubbed some Butter on it it and added some garlic. The crust was perfect and tasty. Oh, I did shake some Rosemary too.
Em Beitel says
Troy, we're so glad you enjoyed it! Adding garlic butter and rosemary sounds delicious. Thank you for your comment!
Patti says
I followed this recipe making a 10lb boneless prime rib and the results were amazing. Meat was so tender and juicy. Made for a stunning presentation at the dinner table. Thanks for a great recipe !
Em Beitel says
That's awesome, Patti! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and we're so glad you enjoyed it!
Rosemary says
Made this recipe last weekend, did not use salt and pepper,resorted to my Moms old secret for cooking beef. Smear all exposed meat surfaces with Guldens Spicy mustard,then roast,seals in all the juices. Cooking times were very accurate,result fabulous Prime Rib Roast!!!
Em Beitel says
Wow, Rosemary, that's awesome! Thank you for sharing! Spicy mustard sounds like it makes a delicious rub for this prime rib recipe. We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Kristen says
The best and easiest! I looked for easy. These directions were perfect! And the meat turned out perfectly.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Kristen! We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Patricia Comer says
I've been making Prime Rib for 30 years and your recipe is exactly the way I do it, so I know the one I make today will be tender, delicious, and full of flavor, especially with some homemade horseradish! I hope everyone follows your perfect recipe.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Patricia! That's wonderfully kind of you. Homemade horseradish is an excellent addition - we'll have to try that!