Fool-Proof 500 Rule Prime Rib
Making a tender, juicy prime rib roast in the oven is easy with this No Peek Fool-Proof 500 Rule Prime Rib Recipe. This is the most detailed and tried-and-true recipe you’ll find online to make perfect prime rib every time.
Prime rib is one of our favorite family dinners. If you love it like my family does, try our Air Fryer Prime Rib or this Prime Rib in an Electric Roaster Oven.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Fool-Proof 500 Rule Prime Rib
- ⏲️ Ready In: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- 👨👨👦👦 Serves: 10
- 🍽️ Calories: 1070 calories per serving
- 💪 Protein: 47 grams
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Beef Prime Rib Roast or Standing Rib Roast, Seasoned Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder
- 📋 Dietary Info: Protien-forward, Holiday Cooking
- 💯 Why You’ll Love It: This beef prime rib roast cooked at 500 degrees is pure luxury for any special occasion.
We love making a prime rib roast recipe or roasted beef tenderloin in the oven for Sunday gatherings, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter holiday dinners.
If the words “prime rib at home” put fear in your heart, you’ve come to the right place! Just follow my step-by-step directions below. You do not need to be afraid! You can conquer, and I’m here to show you how.
I have used this very same cooking method for making prime rib for years now. Even if you are darn skeptical (just like I was my first time!), you can trust that this recipe will absolutely perform!
If you are brand new to cooking a prime rib roast, read this entire recipe before purchasing or preparing your prime rib. There are a lot of great tips and tricks.
You may also want to check out my Creamy Horseradish Sauce, my Crock Pot Velveeta Mac and Cheese, or my Scalloped Sweet Potatoes for side dishes. They complement the prime rib so well.
I remember first using the No Peek 500 degree method to cook a prime rib. I was apprehensive about it. (Heck I was downright scared!) A prime rib is an expensive hunk of meat. I was worried I’d ruin it, wasting my hard-earned money AND my precious time.
This recipe makes the perfect prime rib roast every time and creates a holiday tradition that makes special memories for our family and guests.
500 Degree Rule No Peek Prime Rib Ingredients
- 10 Pound, 4-Rib Prime Rib Roast: I always ask the butcher to cut the rack of bones off and tied back on. Make sure to rest the roast well before cooking to remove some of the chill from the meat before you begin the cooking process. If you have a boneless prime rib roast or a smaller prime rib, simply use the recommended recipe calculations (See Step 4 of the recipe card) to adjust the cooking time for less weight.
- Seasoned Salt: I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- Garlic Powder: You can also use granulated garlic
- Onion Powder: You can also use granulated onion
- Ground black pepper
Creamy Horseradish Sauce (optional)
- Sour cream
- Whipping cream (or heavy cream)
- Hot pepper sauce, as desired, such as Tabasco
- Worcestershire sauce
- Prepared horseradish: Be sure to use refrigerated fresh-grated horseradish, not cream-style horseradish found in the condiment section of the grocery store. You’ll usually find prepared horseradish in a glass jar near the meat department.
- Spicy brown mustard: You can substitute Dijon mustard, if preferred
- Red or white wine vinegar
- Garlic cloves: I really prefer the fresh garlic in creamy horseradish sauce, but feel free to substitute garlic powder or granulated garlic if preferred.
Au Jus (Optional)
- Better Than Bouillon Concentrate, Beef Flavor (or use beef bouillon cubes)
- Soy sauce
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to make 500 Rule Prime Rib in the oven
Step 1: 4-5 hours before cooking, remove the prime rib roast from the refrigerator and unwrap it from all packaging.
Whatever you do, please do not skip the step of removing the rib roast from the refrigerator and letting it rest for at least 2 hours before cooking.
Removing some of the chill from the roast and letting it rest is essential for the success of the closed-oven method for cooking prime rib in this recipe.
Note the exact weight of the roast to better calculate the cooking time.
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Step 2: When you are ready to cook the prime rib roast, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and place your oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
Step 3: Place the rersted and unseasoned roast, fat-side-up, onto a heavy-duty sheet pan. Combine the granulated garlic, granulated onion, and black pepper with the seasoned salt in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the spice blend over every area of the roast.
Place the prepared rib roast into the preheated 500 degree F. oven, uncovered, and cook for 6 minutes per pound to achieve medium-rare doneness or 7 minutes per pound for medium doneness.
Please note: Do not use parchment paper under your roast when cooking with this very high heat method. I used it here for photo purposes only.
Step 4: This is what your roast will look like at this point in the cooking process (see above). Yes, it will be quite charred in places, but this is fine.
But again, please don’t open the door to look yourself! Trust the process and keep that oven door shut!
When the timer sounds at the end of the 500 degree F. cooking time, immediately turn the oven temperature down to 170 degrees F.
Set your timer for 2 hours and walk away. Be sure that the oven does not get opened during this 2 hour resting period. This is essential for this no peek method to work!
If you are serving creamy horseradish sauce and au jus, prepare them during this two hour window of resting time.
Step 5: When the timer sounds at the full 2-hour mark, this is what your roast will look like, still nicely charred.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. For medium-rare prime rib, the internal temperature should be 130-135 degrees F.
For medium prime rib, aim for an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F.
If your roast temps a bit cooler than 130-135 degrees F., simply preheat your oven to 375 degrees F., return the roast to the oven until the internal temp reaches 130-135 degrees F.
Check the internal temperature every 10 minutes or so until the prime rib raises a few more degrees internally to the desired temperature.
Step 6: When the roast is fully cooked, use a sharp knife or your favorite kitchen shears to snip the strings that are holding the prime rib roast to the bone rack.
This is what I consider to be go-time! It’s time to prepare to eat!
Make sure the dinner table is set and that your guests are aware that dinner is fast approaching.
You may also want to place your sides into serving dishes.
Step 7: Once the strings are snipped, use two meat forks to lift the prime rib roast from the bone rack on the sheet pan. Place the prime rib onto a large cutting board for slicing.
Step 8: Slice the prime rib into thick slices and place them on dinner plates. Each slice should be about 3/4 inch wide to serve 10 people.
If desired, pour a bit of the warm au jus over the prime rib, then add a dollop of horseradish sauce alongside. Serve at once.
My Recipe Tips
- I like to cook my prime rib roast on a sheet pan instead of a roasting pan because there is more exposure to the heat and the roast browns more evenly. Make sure your sheet pan is heavy duty. A flimsy sheet pan might twist from the oven heat, causing your roast to fall off the pan when you’re removing it from the oven. Instead of a sheet pan, you could always substitute a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- If you have a guest who wants their slice of prime rib a little more done than medium-rare, slide their slice into a skillet of simmering broth or au jus for a few seconds to easily cook their slice just a bit longer.
- If you have purchased a boneless prime rib, this recipe will still work perfectly using the calculations listed.
Common Questions When Making Prime Rib Roast
Here’s the formula for cooking medium-rare prime rib:
Take the weight of your prime rib roast and multiply that x 6 minutes. For example, a 6 pound prime rib roast multiplied x 6 minutes of cooking time = 36 minutes in the oven at 500 degrees F.
Here’s the formula for cooking medium prime rib:
Take the weight of your prime rib roast and multiply that x 7 minutes. For example, a 6 pound prime rib roast multiplied x 7 minutes of cooking time = 42 minutes in the oven at 500 degrees F.
The KEY to making sure this no-peek closed-oven-door method works is to know the weight of your roast, and cooking it according to the formula above.
When you open up that parcel of prime rib, be sure you keep the label that has the weight noted. Stick the label somewhere safe because you will need it when you get ready to calculate the cooking time for prime rib.
Yes! This recipe will still be perfect!
The primary difference in a PRIME prime rib (what you would typically purchase from a good butcher shop) and a CHOICE prime rib (what you’ll often find at your local grocer) is basically this: the amount of marbling within the meat.
Prime rib is a very fatty cut of beef. Many people feel that cooking a CHOICE prime rib from the grocery store is delicious and I would agree.
Yes! I know it may sound weird, but hear me out. Once the bones are cut from the prime rib roast, ask the butcher to tie the rack of bones back onto the roast.
Cooking prime rib with the bones will give it a lot of additional flavor due to the bone marrow.
Once the prime rib has cooked with the bones, you can easily snip the strings so the prime rib can be lifted right off the rack of bones, making it much easier to slice and serve since the bones will not be in your way.
It can be very confusing when purchasing a prime rib roast for the first time. There are many different names for the same cut of beef, including: rib roast, rib eye roast, standing rib roast, eye of rib roast, or prime rib roast. Your butcher can help you understand the names, but just know they are all the same roast.
Most butchers recommend purchasing one pound of bone-in rib eye roast for each person at the meal.
Prime rib roasts are sold two ways: bone-in or boneless. Boneless rib eye roasts are typically cheaper and they are easier to manage when cooking one for the first time. I recommend a bone-in rib eye roast because I believe it provides more flavor and a richer eating experience.
I totally do not recommend it! Cooking any beef without letting it rest at room temperature first is a bad idea.
To be successful with the 500 rule cooking method in this recipe, the prime rib must be rested and not ice-cold from refrigeration.
When a hunk of meat has been in refrigeration, all the juices and fats are coagulated at the very center. Resting at room temperature allows these juices and fats to move from the center of the prime rib to the outer areas.
During this period of resting time, the protein fibers in the prime rib can relax in preparation for the cooking process.
Adequate rest ensures your prime rib roast cooks much more evenly and consistently. This is essential for a juicy and tender eating experience. Just what we long for!!
Insert the instant-read thermometer probe directly into the center of the roast. Go straight in from the side where the meat is the thickest and you have easy access.
Coming in from the side helps ensure you don’t touch any bones or the bottom of the roasting pan. Either of these can give a false temperature reading.
Watch the dial once you insert the instant-read meat thermometer probe into the prime rib.
Once the temperature stops rising, that is the final internal temperature of the roast. This process will take about 30-60 seconds when using an instant-read meat thermometer.
Everybody has a favorite side dish for prime rib roast in the oven. Here are a few of my family’s favorite side dishes: Milion Dollar Mashed Potaotes, Cheesy Pull-Apart Pesto Bread , or Delta Cornbread Salad
If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others. And if you take any pictures, please share them on Instagram so we can repost them on our Stories!
Fool-Proof 500 Rule Prime Rib
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Ingredients
For the Prime Rib
- 10 Pound, 4-rib prime rib roast bones cut off and tied back on by the butcher, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder or granulated onion
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon seasoned salt such as Lawry's Seasoned Salt
For the Creamy Horseradish Sauce (Optional)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
- 1-2 dashes hot pepper sauce or more, if desired
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish **Note: this is the refrigerated fresh-grated horseradish, not the cream-style horseradish found in the condiment section of the grocer
- 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed may substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Au Jus (Optional)
- 3 cups water
- 5 Teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Concentrate, Beef Flavor (or use beef bouillon cubes)
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Prime Rib
- 4-5 hours prior to cooking the prime rib roast, remove it from refrigeration; unwrap the roast from all packaging, keeping the label so you know exactly how much the prime rib weighs for making the cooking calculations in this recipe.10 Pound, 4-rib prime rib roast
- When you are ready to cook the prime rib roast, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F., placing your oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Place the unseasoned roast, fat side up, on a heavy-duty sheet pan with 1-inch sides. Combine the granulated garlic, granulated onion, and black pepper with the seasoned salt in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the prepared spice blend over every area of the exterior of the roast.1 Tablespoon garlic powder or granulated garlic, 1 Tablespoon onion powder or granulated onion, 1 Tablespoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon seasoned salt
- Place the prepared rib roast into the preheated 500 degree F. oven, uncovered, and cook for 6 minutes per pound for medium rare doneness or 7 minutes per pound for medium doneness.
- When the timer sounds, immediately turn your oven temperature down to 170 degrees F.Set your timer for 2 hours, leaving the roast in the oven to rest and finish cooking from residual heat. NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR AT THIS POINT OF THE COOKING PROCESS!
- When the timer sounds at the full 2 hour mark, open the oven door,. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. For medium rare prime rib, you'll want the internal temperature to be right at 130-135°F. For medium prime rib, you'll want the internal temperature to be between 135-140°F.
- If the internal temperatute of your prime rib roast temps a bit cooler than 130-135 degrees F., simply preheat your oven to 375 degrees F., returning the roast to the oven until the internal temp reaches 130-135 degrees F., checking the internal temperature every 10 minutes or so until the prime rib raises a few more degrees internally to the desired temperature.
- Using a sharp knife or your favorite kitchen shears, snip the strings that are holding the rib roasat to the bone rack.
- Using two meat forks, lift the prime rib roast from the rack of bones and the roasting pan, placing it onto a large cutting board.
- Slice the prime rib into 3/4 inch thick slices, placing them onto dinner plates. If desired, pour a bit of the warm au jus over the prime rib, then add a dollop of horseradish sauce alongside. Serve at once.
Prepare the Creamy Horseradish Sauce (Optional)
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth; store in the fridge until ready to serve.1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream, 1-2 dashes hot pepper sauce, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1-2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard, 1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Prepare the Au Jus (Optional)
- Place the water into a large, deep skillet and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low, then add the bouillon concentrate, and soy sauce, whisking until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper; keep warm.3 cups water, 5 Teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Concentrate, Beef Flavor (or use beef bouillon cubes), 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Notes
- I like to cook my prime rib roast on a sheet pan instead of a roasting pan because there is more exposure to the heat and the roast browns more evenly. Make sure your sheet pan is heavy duty. A flimsy sheet pan might twist from the oven heat, causing your roast to fall off the pan when you’re removing it from the oven. Instead of a sheet pan, you could always substitute a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- If you have a guest who wants their slice of prime rib a little more done than medium-rare, slide their slice into a skillet of simmering broth or au jus for a few seconds to easily cook their slice just a bit longer.
- If you have purchased a boneless prime rib, this recipe will still work perfectly using the calculations listed.
although I used choice store bought prime rib from Aldi I nailed it. perfect color and doneness without using a thermometer it came out as wanted.Only problem I had was there wasn’t any measures for the Au jus .
Hi Mark –
So glad this recipe performed well for you! I did receive your previous comment about the au jus and mailed this instructions directly to you right then. I will get this added to my recipe card right away – thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Let’s Keep Cookin’,
Chef Alli
Hi Chef Ali. I’m 77 years old and I’ve never made Prime Rib roast dinner before. Followed your instructions with a 8# prime rib roast and it came out perfect. Will be making this again! Thank You!
Hi Marilyn –
I’m thrilled to learn that your prime rib was a success using this recipe – that makes my heart so happy. That’s a big hunk of beef and it can feel a little intimidating the first time – so glad you conquered! Thank you for taking time to let me know – I very much appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
A question, will this recipe work in an electric roasting pan?
Hi Carol – Forgive me in being so slow to reply to your question – I sincerely apologize. I’ve not tried this method in an electric roasting pan so I cannot say FOR SURE. However, I do feel like it would work and I’m going to test it as soon as I can. If you try it in the meantime, I would sure appreciate the feedback!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
I follow the recipe exactly and it was perfection
Hi Diana –
I’m thrilled to learn you were successful with my prime rib recipe! Thank yiu for taking time to let me know. I so appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
This is the best, and easiest method to cook a prime rib. I had 5 rib (16 pounds) I did 5 minutes a pound at 500 degrees and lowered oven to 170 for 2 hours. I had a meat thermometer in the roast the entire time which made it so easy to monitor the internal temperature! Thank you!
Hi Tracey –
I’m so glad your prime rib turned out well – this makes me so happy. I want everyone to be successful when cooking meat, so success stories thrill me to death. I think a meat thermometer that stays in the roast throughout the cooking time is a wise investment. That way there’s no question at any point on the exact internal temperature.
Let’s Keep Cookin’,
Chef Alli
Cooked according to directions and my prime rib ended up medium well. So disappointed.
Hi Davielle –
I am so sorry that you didn’t have a good experience with this recipe. I’ve had that happen a time or two in my life and it’s no fun, for sure. I wish I knew exactly what went wrong so I could help you more for next time. Thank you for letting me know your experience.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
My Rib Roast looked exactly like your
Photographs. It was mouth watering
Perfect. I tried to follow the instructions
Exactly but I didn’t do the math correctly.
When I checked the temperature it registered at 144 degrees which was higher than I actually wanted it. However, I don’t believe it was overcooked at all.
Next time I’ll triple check my roasting time
To reach that 135 degrees. Thanks
Hi there-
Sometimes with cooking, the math just can’t be exact…there are so many variables and often they are out of our hands, try as we might! I’m so glad you caught it and checked the internal temperature before it got too done for your liking. Your guardian angel was looking out for you! Thanks so much for your comment here and the 5 star rating – they are both so appreciated. Please tell you sis hello for me!
Sincerely,
Alli
THIS is my PERFECT prime rib recipe. I have been using it for years. It’s 2023 and I always come back to refresh myself. Complements every time I make it. I do add my own seasonings but nothing else changes.
I see my other review lol. I just want to always leave one whenever I use this recipe because it is so perfect. It’s only a few times a year I make prime rib so hope it’s OK.
Hi Holly – This makes my heart so happy to hear this! Isn’t it great to have a prime rib recipe that we can absolutely COUNT ON?? It brings such relief since meat is such a serious investment!
Thank you for letting me know you value this recipe.
Let’s Keep Cookin’,
Chef Alli
I followed these instructions to the letter today and ruined a very expensive piece of meat. I’m very unhappy. 6 lb roast, 36 min at 500°, turned the oven to the lowest 170°for 2 hours. Meat was 154 when I took it out. RUINED. Don’t recommend these instructions AT ALL.
Hi Jane –
I appreciate you letting me know the experience you had with this recipe and I am sad to learn that it was not a success for you. I know it’s no consolation since the meat is ruined. I wish I could understand what happened since I’ve had so many others who’ve had great success with this method over the years. I suspect that you may have a very very good oven that holds heat better than most and that is why it overcooked, though there’s no way for me to know that for certain. Again, I’m very sorry.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Hi Chef Alli, I am curious if you have had anyone report back about cooking 2 roasts at the same time in the same oven. Like Side by side in the same pan. I am wondering if this method is still possible with a huge mass of meat in one oven. I have used this method a couple of time with one roast and it is perfect! Thank you!
Hi Tina –
I have to say that’s I’ve never cooked two prime rib roasts side-by-side in the same oven. I know it could be done, as long as the size of the oven is proportional to the size of both roasts and the space they take up. I would love to know if you were successful in doing this and what adjustments you had to make?
Hope to hear from you,
Chef Alli
If cutting in half ( a 13.5 lb) roast you still cook together in the same oven? Just for half the time?
Hi Paul – Yes! Same process, just adjust the cooking time and you’re golden! Let me know what you think of this recipe.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Hi Paul, I am curious how your rib roast turned out. I am purchasing a 7 bone and will have cut in half. I was planning on cooking the 2 roast in the same pan at the same time. Then using the cooking at 500 at the weight of just one of the roasts. Is that what you did? I have used this recipe before with one roast that was about 7.5lbs and it turned out beautiful. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks!
Hi Chef Alli, yes I made it. I used the course grind onion powder and it worked just fine. Love your Prime Rib method!!
Thank you.
Wonderful – I felt certain it would be great. Really thrilled you like this method for cooking prime rib – it’s the bees knees.
Let’s Keep Cookin’,
Chef Alli
Hi Chef Ali. I’ve made this Prime Rib before and it’s fabulous!! I’m making it again tomorrow or Sunday. So now I’ve forgotten something. In the rub ingredients, it calls for granulated onion. Can I use California style course grind onion powder with onion and parsley? Thanks.
Hi Pattie –
I’m so sorry that I’m JUST seeing your comment and question on this recipe – forgive me, please. I’m sure it’s too late now, but YES you can totally use the course grind onion powder with parsley – I bet you already did and it was FANTASTIC!
Let me know,
Chef Alli
I was intimidated about this type of roast but OMGosh best recipe ever!
Hi Leslie –
I’m so glad you are pleased with this recipe. Any big hunk of meat can seem intimidating, let along a prime rib roast that’s SUPER expensive…eeek! I’ve found this to be the best method and have never deviated from this recipe since it works so well. Why mess with success?? Thank you for your comment and the 5 star rating – I really appreciate it.
Let’s Keep Cookin’,
Chef Alli