Easy Air Fryer Prime Rib

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Enjoy the most tender, flavorful, and juicy boneless prime rib roast you’ve ever had with this easy Air Fryer Prime Rib recipe.

Prime Rib in Air Fryer

I love how impressive and special prime rib feels. It is always worthy of the people you love to cook for, no matter the occasion.

This recipe is perfect for a beginner cook because it is made with a 3 lb boneless prime rib. So no dealing with rib bones and connective tissue.

You can air fry it in just over an hour, and when you slice it into beefy slabs of heaven.

Once you conquer a boneless prime rib, you’ll feel more confident tackling the bone-in version. It’s equally easy to cook, but seeing the bone rack sometimes feels overwhelming.

We like to serve this with our favorite horseradish sauce.

Ingredients

• Boneless beef prime rib roast: I like the size of a 3-pound rib roast and it easily fit into my 6 -quart air fryer. A three pound roast will feed 8 people very generously so it’s a good universal size.
• Oil for brushing the tray and side of the air fryer basket: May use olive oil, canola, vegetable, or avocado oil
• Prepared horseradish: This is freshly-grated horseradish that is packed in liquid, not cream-style horseradish like you might find in the condiment aisle of your grocer. Prepared horseradish is a refrigerated product that you’ll typically find in the meat department.
• Your favorite steak seasoning: I really like McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Garlic cloves: For superior flavor, I prefer crushed or minced garlic cloves, but feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder, if desired.
• Spices: Italian seasoning blend, mustard powder, dried parsley leaves, smoked paprika. I bet you’ll already have all of these in your kitchen cabinet.

Cooking Tips

• If you’d like your prime rib to have an exceedingly thick and crispy crust (exterior), season the roast as directed. Then let it set, uncovered, in refrigeration for 24 hours. The exterior of the roast will dry out, helping the roast to acquire exquisite browning and caramelization as it roasts. Both of which provide much added texture and flavor.
  
• Prime rib cooked just to rare or medium-rare in doneness is always going to produce the most flavorful, juicy beef. Even if you prefer your beef well-done, you can always reheat a few slices at a time in the microwave. There is nothing more disappointing than an overcooked prime rib that now tastes like chuck roast!

How to Cook Prime Rib in Air Fryer

About an hour before you’re ready to cook the prime rib, remove it from refrigeration. Then unwrap it from the packaging. Allow the prime rib to rest, uncovered, on the counter at room temperature for at least one hour. Do not skip this step. It is essential.

Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Using a silicone pastry brush, brush the tray and the sides of the air fryer basket with a oil. This will keep the roast from sticking.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the spice rub. Combine the olive oil with the horseradish, steak seasoning, crushed garlic, Italian seasoning blend, mustard powder, parsley, and smoked paprika.

Place the prime rib into the preheated and greased air fryer basket. Then evenly spread the prepared seasoning blend over the roast. I like to use a skinny silicone spatula for doing this.

Air fry the prime rib roast at 400 degrees F. for 8-12 minutes. This will sear it until nicely golden brown. This step helps seal in the juices and adds flavor from browning the exterior.

Lower the air fryer temperature to 300 degrees F. Continue to air fry the prime rib for 60-70 minutes.

Check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer around the 50 minute mark. This will ensure that you don’t overcook the prime rib.

When the prime rib roast reaches 120-125 degrees F. at the center, remove it from the air fryer to a large cutting board. 

I like to use a cutting board that has a channel around the edge if you possible. This lets the meat juices have a place to go when you slice the roast.

Cover the entire prime rib roast with foil to allow the roast to finish cooking from residual heat. It will continue to raise 5-10 more degrees. This will allow the juices to redistribute themselves throughout the meat as the prime rib rests and relaxes.

After the prime rib has rested for at least 20-30 minutes, remove the foil. Then carve the roast across the grain into slices.

Serve with your favorite creamy horseradish sauce on the side or au jus drizzled over the beef.

Reheating Prime Rib in Air Fryer

Use a low setting, 250-300 degrees F. and wrap the prime rib slices in foil to keep them moist.

It’s best to bring the refrigerated prime rib closer to room temperature before reheating in the air fryer. Then you don’t have to cook the beef as long and potentially over cook it.

I love my air fryer for reheating may different foods, and prime rib is no exception.

I also like to reheat prime rib in the microwave for a few seconds, just until hot throughout.

Cover the plate with a magnetic microwave splatter cover to keep the juices from splattering while the prime rib reheats.

How Long to Cook Prime Rib by the Pound

A well-rested prime rib will take approximately 15-20 minutes per pound to cook, whether in the air fryer, oven, or on the grill.

Cooking time per pound cam vary slightly depending on the internal temperature of the prime rib roast and on the cooking method. There are always variables when cooking!

What is Prime Rib

Prime rib is also very often called standing rib roast. It is a magnificent cut of specialty beef that comes from the primal rib section of a cow. Because this area of the cow doesn’t do much work, the beef is exceedingly tender.

Prime rib is sold both as a bone-in roast and also as a boneless roast. A boneless roast is easier to manage since there are no bones to maneuver when slicing.

Prime rib has superior marbling, giving it a very tender texture and rich flavor. Many people associate prime rib with special holiday meals like Christmas or Thanksgiving. It can actually be served any time you need to easily feed a group of people.

Prime Rib vs. Prime Rib Steak

Some refer to prime rib steak as a slice of medium rare prime rib roast. Others are actually referring to ribeye steaks since they also come from the very same area of the cow.

Either way, they a both heavenly in flavor, texture, and richness due to the fat marbling.

The Trick to Perfect Air Fryer Prime Rib

There are a couple of important tricks when cooking superb prime rib. These trick are the same no matter which cooking method you use, air frying included.

First, always allow the prime rib rest at room temperature for at least an hour before cooking it. If it’s larger than 3 pounds, consider letting it rest for up to two hours.

This initial resting period allows the meat fibers to relax so they can actually welcome and receive the heat that makes the prime rib cook.

It’s also important to cook prime rib to rare or medium-rare in doneness only. Prime rib that is cooked to well done tastes much more like roast beef, not a nice beef steak.

Resting is also essential after the prime rib has cooked to rare or medium-rare. This time allows the meat fibers to relax and also allows for the meat juices to redistribute themselves throughout.

The Best Seasoning

Some cooks say salt and pepper are the only seasonings you need for a good-quality prime rib. I love experimenting with new seasoning blends on meat, both pork and beef. There’s really no wrong or right way of seasoning – it’s totally up to your preferences and taste buds.

Should I Pan Sear?

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can sear the prime rib roast right in the air fryer. Once the prime rib is nicely seared and has a deep golden brown exterior and crust, you will turn the air fryer temperature down to 325 degrees F. to allow the interior of the beef to continue to cook.

The very same technique can also be done in the oven and on the grill.

How to Store Prime Rib

Prime rib will keep in refrigeration for up to 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months if wrapped tightly in foil and placed into a freezer bag.

What to serve with Air Fryer Prime Rib

Butternut Squash Orzo  is a decadent side dish, chock full of savory flavors from roasted butternut squash, coconut milk, and Parmesan cheese. This dish is easy and comes out perfect every time.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Supreme with French Fried Onions and Bacon is divine intervention in a 9 x 13 pan that’s a crowd-pleaser, especially when served with beef.

Scalloped sweet potatoes are an easy side dish that take only 5 minutes to assemble, cooking low and slow until the layers of sweet potatoes are incredibly tender, smothered in a thick, sweet, cream sauce.

Other Prime Rib Recipes

Making tender and juicy perfect prime rib roast in the oven is easy using the 500 rule and this Perfect 500 Rule Prime Rib is the best, most detailed recipe you’ll find on the web.

This Prime Rib in a Roaster Oven recipe provides an easy how-to for making prime rib roast in an electric roaster that goes down in history as the best-ever holiday meal.