This Rib Roast recipe with Horseradish Sauce will make your friends and family drool. The steps are very simple, but this will be one fancy dinner!

We partnered with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., on behalf of the Beef Checkoff to show you how to prepare a roast and design your menu.

Rib Roast in a serving tray with sauce

Prime Rib can be the highlight of your upcoming Christmas or New Year’s Eve party. It is so easy to prepare and tastes absolutely delicious. Paired with a creamy horseradish sauce, it boasts flavors that are out of this world.

Need some extra help in the kitchen? Use “Chuck Knows Beef”, the new, all-knowing beef resource, on Amazon Echo, Google Home or ChuckKnowsBeef.com. This AI-personality is full of the best tips and tricks when it comes to preparing beef. That’s right, bring those beef questions to the future!

Serving tray with sliced prime rib and vegetables

Menu to go with a Prime Rib Roast

Your beautifully cooked Prime Rib Roast will surely shine as the star of your dinner. And, what about the sides? Here are a couple of my favorites for a holiday Prime Rib dinner.

  • Mashed Potatoes – Made with heavy whipping cream and butter, these classic mashed potatoes are your next guilty pleasure!
  • Garden Salad – Savory beef is perfectly contrasted with a fresh and crunchy side salad.
  • Marinated Mushrooms – One of beef’s best friends is the mushroom. These vinegary shrooms are the perfect appetizer!
  • Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad – Beets and goat cheese are perfectly balanced by pepper-y arugula.

Rib Roast Video

Tips for Making Rib Roast

Buying Prime Rib

Prime Rib can go by a couple of different names in the grocery store. They include: Holiday Roast, Ribeye Roast or Standing Rib Roast. The Ribeye Roast is our favorite, it comes from the rib primal which gives it sought-after beefy flavor. The epic marbling can be found boneless or bone-in. For more tips on buying a Rib Roast, check out this blog post from Natasha’s Kitchen.

Rib Rast

Preheat Oven and Prep the Roast

Set the oven to 350 °F and season your roast while it heats up. Make sure you rub the seasoning all over the roast generously.

Cooking Your Beef Prime Rib

The best way to roast Prime Rib is fat side up in the oven to medium-rare or medium doneness. Then, allow the beef to rest tented by aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it. Allowing your meat to rest locks in its juices! Remember that not all roasts are identical. Their sizes vary and cooking times change depending on if they are boneless or not. See cooking times chart below.

Note: During the resting process, beef will cook an additional 10-15 degrees. Take this into account when determining your desired doneness. For example, if you want to cook your roast to medium-rare (145 °F) remove it from the oven at 135 °F to let it finish cooking on the counter.

Invest in an Oven-Proof Meat Thermometer

Purchase an oven-proof electric meat thermometer to take the guesswork out of gauging doneness. Instead of opening the oven unnecessarily and losing juices when you keep poking the meat for doneness, the readout for the thermometer remains on the outside of the oven.

How to Carve Prime Rib

If your roast is bone-in, first turn it on its side and remove the ribs. Hold the roast steady by grasping a piece of rib bone that is sticking out. Using a sharp knife, follow the curvature of the rib bones as closely as you can. Now that your cut is boneless, start carving the meat from one of the ends, slicing across the grain for maximum tenderness. Slice pieces about ½-inch thick.

Do You Cover Roast Beef in The Oven

The only time you should lightly cover your roast is when you are allowing it to rest and come to doneness on the counter. Do not cover it in the oven. You want the outer edges to crisp up nicely. Covering the roast would prevent the direct heat from forming a crust.

Note: If the outside of your roast is getting too dark, it’s OK to cover with foil and continue cooking at the same temperature.

Rib roast in a pan

How Much Prime Rib Roast do I Need Per Person?

You may be wondering how much Prime Rib you should buy at this point. A general rule of thumb is to plan on one rib per two people. While most won’t eat a half a pound, this rule helps you prevent from underbuying (the worst!). As my grandma said, “It’s better to have leftovers than to not have enough food!”

Serving plate with prime rib, mashed potatoes and veggies

How Long Does it Take to Cook Prime Rib Roast?

Bone-in Prime Rib Cooking Times

  • 4-6 Pounds (2 ribs) – Roast at 350 °F for 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours for Medium (145 °F).
  • 6-8 Pounds (2-4 ribs) – Roast at 350 °F for 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 2-1/2 to 3 hours for Medium (145 °F).
  • 8-10 Pounds (4-5 ribs) – Roast at 350 °F for 2-1/2 to 3 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 3 to 3-1/2 hours for Medium (145 °F).

Boneless Prime Rib Cooking Times

  • 3-4 Pounds: Roast at 350 °F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 2 to 2-1/4 hours for Medium (145 °F).
  • 4-6 Pounds: Roast at 350 °F for 2 to 2-1/4 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours for Medium (145 °F).
  • 6-8 Pounds: Roast at 350 °F for 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours for Medium Rare (135 °F) or 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 hours for Medium (145 °F).

Setting Your Table

Now that you have all the tips you need to prepare a delicious roast, it’s time to set your table. My blogger friend Courtney has all the tips you need on entertaining with a beef Rib Roast. Head over to Pizzazzerie for all the details!

About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.