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Prime Rib 500 Rule perfectly cooked on a cutting board.

Fool-Proof 500 Rule Prime Rib

Making a tender, juicy prime rib roast in the oven is easy with this No Peek 500 Rule Prime Rib recipe. This is the most detailed and tried-and-true recipe you'll find online.
Servings: 10 servings
Chef Alli
4.70 from 43 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. If you have purchased a boneless prime rib, this recipe will still work perfectly using the calculations listed.

Nutrition

Calories: 1070kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 47gFat: 95gSaturated Fat: 41gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 221mgSodium: 1057mgPotassium: 809mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 203IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 5mg
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