Easy Boneless Prime Rib Roast Recipe with Garlic Herb Butter

This Boneless Prime Rib Roast Recipe with Garlic Herb Butter is the perfect meal for the holiday season that will “wow” friends and guests. As cattle farmers, we love showing home cooks that prime rib is easier to make than you’d think. This is an easy, straightforward recipe that comes out perfectly every time.

For a special occasion like Christmas Dinner, it’s fun to serve the best. That’s when we cook this Boneless Prime Rib Roast Recipe with Garlic Herb Butter. It is the perfect centerpiece for holiday meals.  It’s rich, tender and full of flavor – plus, it’s simple enough for anyone to make, even if it’s your first time tackling prime rib.  

As cattle farmers, we get excited when home cooks feel confident cooking beef. We know this cut can be intimidating – it’s expensive and you only get one chance to get it right. However, after years of cooking beef on our farm, we’ve tested and perfected this recipe for foolproof results every single time.   In this post, we’ll show you how to cook boneless prime rib step by step with pantry ingredients so that your roast turns out perfectly pink inside with a golden flavorful crust outside.

Why This Boneless Prime Rib Roast Works

This recipe started years ago when we tried a short Tasty video (below) showing the “don’t open the oven door” prime rib. It was fun to watch, and we’ve made it this way with great success. But not everyone’s oven maintains heat the same way, so we’ve adapted it by adding exact internal temperatures and tips. The result is a prime rib recipe for oven roasting that gives you consistent results with simple pantry ingredients and a good meat thermometer.

What is a Boneless Prime Rib Roast?

Prime Rib Roast is a cut of meat also known as the Prime Rib, Ribeye Roast, Holiday Roast, Rib Roast, or Standing Rib Roast. It’s the “king of roasts” due to its size and marbling.   It comes from the rib primal between the 6^th and 12^th rib of the animal, which is the same section that gives ribeye steaks. This section of beef is well-marbled throughout the meat, which is why it’s so rich, juice and tender.

The Prime Rib Roast can be found with both boneless and bone-in options. We prefer a boneless rib roast because it makes carving easier.

Farm Tip: Don’t let the name “Prime Rib” confuse you. “Prime” refers to the cut, not the USDA meat grade.  You can purchase a Choice-graded, Prime Rib Roast, which will have slightly less marbling and be slightly cheaper. Most grocery stores only carry Choice cuts, so if you want Prime, you’ll have to order ahead or talk to a local butcher.

What Section of Beef Does the Rib Come From?

Prime Rib comes from the primal rib section of beef. The prime rib comes from the best part of the animal’s rib, between rib bones seven and 11.  This area has a very thick cap of marble. This section of beef is known for its beefy flavor that everyone loves. It’s well-marbled throughout the meat, which is why it’s so rich, juice and tender.

The rib primal contains several other popular cuts of beef too — rib steak, ribeye steaks, and prime rib roast (also known as standing rib roast or rib roast). This rib primal is the smallest primal section and it is most often cut into steaks.

How Much Prime Rib Roast to Buy?

• The general rule of thumb is 1 pound of prime rib per person. However, that is a lot of meat! Since you’re likely serving sides (hello, mashed potatoes and rolls!), ½-3/4 pound per person is usually enough. Here’s what we do at our house:
  • Serving 6 people: cook a 4-4 1/2 pound prime rib
  • Serving 8 people: cook a 6 pound prime rib
  • Serving 12 people: cook a 9 pound prime rib
• A bone-in roast usually serves about 2 people per bone. If you choose to get a bone-in roast, the butcher can cut the bone off and tie it to the roast for you. This way, you can cook the bones with the meat, but you can easily remove them before carving the roast. 

How to Cook Boneless Prime Rib (step by step)

• Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove your roast from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking and give it time to come to room temperature. Sprinkle with salt and let it rest, loosely covered. This helps it cook evenly.

• Make the Garlic Herb Butter rub. Mix softened butter with minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, and rosemary. Pat the roast dry with paper towels, then rub the butter mixture all over, pressing it gently into the meat.

• Prepare the pan. Place the roast fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan. The pan will help air circulate for even cooking.  Insert an oven-safe thermometer, if you have one.
  
  Farm Tip: If cooking a bone-in prime rib roast, place it in a roasting pan with the bones down.

• Cook at high heat, then reduce heat. Roast at 500°F for 15 minutes to create a flavorful crust. Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 325°F and continue roasting until it reaches your desired internal temperature (see chart).
  
  Farm Tip: All ovens are different, but typically, this means you will cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare prime rib, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare prime rib, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well prime rib.

• Rest before slicing. Once removed from the oven, tent the roast loosely with foil and let it rest 20-30 minutes. This is a great time to make the gravy, if desired (see below). During this time, it will continue to cook for the extra 5-10 degrees. Resting meat is essential for all cuts of beef because it lets the juices redistribute – never skip this step! If you cut the meat too soon, it will be chewy and the juices will run out. While it’s resting, you can make the gravy (see below).

Boneless Prime Rib Roast Cooking Time Chart

Use this boneless rib roast cooking time chart to find the right internal temperature and minutes per pound for your perfect doneness level. This chart is adapted from BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Always remember that temps will rise 5-7°F while meat is resting due to carryover cooking. Don’t overcook it!

Bonless Prime Rib Roast Cooking Time Chart – minutes per pound and temperature guide for perfect doneness.

Farm Tip: Every roast cooks a little differently. For the perfect results, be sure to rely on internal temperature, not the time or how it looks. Use an instant-read meat thermometer for the most accurate results.

Troubleshooting and Adjusting Cooking Time for Boneless Prime Rib Roast

We’ve cooked a lot of roasts on our farm, and we know that even when you follow the recipe, every roast and every oven has a mind of its own. Here’s what you need to know to adjust. Boneless prime rib cooks a little faster than bone-in since the heat circulates evenly around the meat. If the roast’s edges are browning too quickly, you can tent it loosely with foil to slow the crust while the center catches up. We rarely have to use this trick, but it’s a good one to have in your back pocket, if needed.

Gravy for Prime Rib Roast

Once you’ve removed your roast from the oven and it’s resting, it’s time to make the gravy. You’ve already got a start at the bottom of the roasting pan.

• Collect the drippings. Remove roast from the pan, and pour the drippings into a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add flour and beef stock. Mix flour and beef stock in a separate bowl or large measuring cup until smooth and no lumps remain. Gradually whisk flour and broth mixture into the saucepan with simmering drippings. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
• Strain and serve. Remove from heat and strain the sauce into a gravy dish for serving.

Carving and Serving

Once the roast has rested, slice the roast against the grain into thick, even slices — ½ to ¾ inch thick.  Cutting across the grain shortens the muscle fibers, and keeps every bite tender. Serve immediately.

FAQ

Our Kitchen Tools

Here’s what we use in our kitchen when making this roast.

• Roasting pan with rack — Keeps roast elevated so that heat is even around roast.
• Instant Read Meat Thermometer – Provides instant temperature
• Oven Safe Meat Thermometer — Tracks the meat’s temperature without opening the oven door.

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Here are a few other links you may like:

• Beef Rib vs. Ribeye Steak vs. Prime Rib: What’s the Difference?
• Prime vs. Choice Beef: What’s the Difference Between USDA Meat Grades?
• Is It Done Yet? How to Use a Meat Thermometer
• Easy Oven Beef Brisket Recipe
• Garlic Roast Beef
• 10 Best Beef Rubs
• How to choose the best cut of steak (Top 4 cuts)
• What everybody ought to know about beef cuts
• Buying a Cow. How Much Beef Is It?

(Originally Published January 2017, Updated November 2025)

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