Reverse Sear Prime Rib - A best way of cooking a perfectly tender prime is to cook it low and slow first, and then blast it with heat to sear the outside. It may seem counter intuitive but I promise you, you’ll never cook prime rib any other way again!
When YOU make this Reverse Sear Prime Rib Recipe, tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
The reverse sear method for cooking a prime rib roast is one our friend introduced us to not long ago. After having dinner at his place, we couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was so good!
So, naturally, I had to come up with my own version and it is honestly the best prime rib we’ve ever had.
In a traditional prime rib recipe, the meat gets seared first and then finished in the oven or in a skillet over low heat. However, what reverse searing means is you cook the prime rib low and slow in the oven, allowing it to cook through nice and evenly. Because it’s not high heat, it won’t overcook or dry out, leaving it nice and juicy.
Then, we finish it with a blast of high heat to give the surface a chance to caramelize and form an incredibly flavorful, crispy crust.
So, it’s done in the reverse order resulting in even more tender juicy meat and a beautiful sear.
When served with a side of Instant Pot mashed potatoes or cheesy mashed potatoes with caramelized onion and a slice of homemade pumpkin pie for dessert, your family and guests will be in for a spectacular feast!
Ingredients for Reverse Sear Prime Rib
- 4.5 lb prime rib bone-in: You can use bone-in or boneless prime rib, but we love bone-in prime rib. Look for plenty of marbling. This is what makes a tender melt-in-your-mouth bite.
- Sea salt & Montreal Steak Spice: I always have a homemade blend of Montreal Steak Seasoning as I find it not only makes the best prime rib rub, but I honestly use it on everything!
How Much Prime Rib Should I Cook per Person?
The general rule of thumb is to be prepared for about 1 lb per person. The 4.5 lbs of prime rib we cook is plenty for the 4 of us, and most often we’ll have some leftovers because the kids don’t eat the same size portions.
If you’re serving a larger holiday crowd, say for Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas dinner, or any special occasion, you’re going to want to aim for at least 1 lb of meat per serving.
Recipe Tips
- You can ask your butcher to tie your prime rib with twine if you’d prefer them to do it. If you’re in a rush, call ahead and have it ready for when you pick it up.
- Season your meat early. I say overnight, but if you’re planning in advance you can even leave it in there for a few days ahead of time.
- Prime rib is a flavorful, pricey cut of meat, so it doesn’t need too much seasoning. If you are going to be switching up the seasoning, remember to keep it minimal. You’re not paying all that money to taste salt!
- If using boneless prime rib, you’ll want to lessen the cooking time slightly.
- Use a meat thermometer for accurate temperature readings. It’s a costly cut of meat, so you want to be sure to cook it right!
How to Cook Prime Rib Using a Reverse Sear Method
Step 1: Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season with the dry rub. Make sure it’s generously and evenly coated. Tie twine between the bones and place it in the fridge on a wire rack overnight. No need to cover it.
Step 2: Bring the prime rib out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. If it’s a 10 lb rib you’re going to need 2 hours.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 250F. Place the prime rib on the bones (otherwise known as a standing rib roast) in a skillet and place it in the oven to cook for about 2 hours and 30-45 minutes for medium doneness.
Step 4: Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes uncovered.
Step 5: While the meat rests, preheat the oven to 500F. Use the roast setting, rather than bake. This ensures the convection heat circulates all around the meat.
Step 6: Transfer the prime rib roast back into the oven and allow it to sear for 5 minutes until the outside forms a beautiful crust.
Step 7: Remove the prime rib from the oven, remove the bones, and use a sharp knife to cut into tender slices. Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
How Long to Reverse Sear Prime Rib
Prime rib does well when cooked low and slow, so it’s important to keep your oven temperature around 250F. Everyone’s ovens are different, and the amount of time will always depend on the size of your roast.
Generally, for a 4.5 lb bone-in roast, I cook it for anywhere between 2.5 hours to almost 3 hours.
If you have a larger roast, here are some guidelines to look at:
- 3.5 hours for 6-7 lbs
- 4 hours for 8-9 lbs
- 4.5 hours for 10-11 lbs.
You really don’t want to cook it any lower than medium rare. It’s not lean meat, so it needs a higher heat to really start to render the fat until it’s soft and buttery. The internal temperature should be a minimum of 125F for medium-rare, when served.
For medium, take it out when it’s between 123-125F, let it rest and get to 130-135F.
Remember to take it out of the oven once it reaches 118. The internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
Perfect Sides for Prime Rib
When your roast is in the oven, think about whipping up some side dishes or accompaniments to round out your meal.
If you’re serving a crowd for the holidays, you may want to have something classic like baked potato rounds, cheesy scalloped potatoes, or even crispy homemade french fries!
Bacon wrapped asparagus and green beans with bacon and shallots are always a popular veggie side for all kinds of roasts.
For a special dinner for two, you could always go above and beyond and pair the reverse sear prime rib with a lobster tail with garlic butter. You can never go wrong with surf and turf!
FAQs
No! The beauty of this recipe is it’s already done resting before you even sear it. Once it’s been blasted with the high oven temperature, and the crust is formed, you can take it out and slice it right away.
This is a personal preference. If you’re not interested in rendering the fat, then you don’t need to trim it. It helps to keep it moist and some people just enjoy eating the fat as is.
If you want to melt down the fat into a tender, buttery texture, then I suggest trimming the excess off.
I’d say no more than an hour. You want to let it rest, but you don’t want it to get too cold.
More Beef Recipes
- Filet Mignon Cast Iron
- Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon in Air Fryer
- How to Grill Ribeye Steak with Garlic Butter
- Oven Baked Meatballs
- Grilled Ribeye Steak
- Easy Ground Beef Casserole
- Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Beef
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📖 Recipe
Reverse Sear Prime Rib
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb prime rib bone in
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Spice
Instructions
- Season prime rib with salt and spice. Tie a twine between bones. Place it in a fridge overnight uncovered, on a wired
- After let sit in a room temperature for 1 hour for 4 lb or 2 hours for 10lb. Preheat the oven to 250F, place prime rib on the bones in a skillet, bake until the center of the meat is 125F, about 2 hours 30 minutes - 2 hours 45 min for medium doneness. Let rest for 20-30 minutes, uncovered.
- While its resting, preheat the oven to 500F (convection roast setting, so the hot air goes around the meat). Bake/sear for 5 minutes or until desired color.
- Remove, no need to rest, remove the bones, then slice into slices. Serve right of way with mashed potatoes and a salad.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do YOU like this Reverse Sear Prime Rib Recipe?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!
Cori
I cooked the 6# roast at 250 for 2.5 hours then turned it up to 300 for the last 30 min…let it rest for 30 min then 450* for 5-8 minutes
WAS PERFECT
Munchkin Time
That sounds absolutely delicious, Cori! Cooking it at 250 then bumping it up to 300 is such a great method. The resting time makes such a difference, and finishing it off at 450 must have given it that perfect crust. I'm so glad it turned out great for you! Thanks for sharing your cooking experience!