Slow roasted prime rib with au jus

How To Make prime rib roast au jus perfect every time! no fail

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Table of Contents Show
Select a prime rib roast well marbleized with white or cream colored fat. (Follow these same directions for ANY size roast.) I choose a roast with at least 4 ribs or more. Also, I ask the butcher to remove the bones, put tie them back to the roast. This will make slicing so very easy!
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Let meat stand at room temperature for at least one hour before cooking (longer is better). I leave it out on the counter for 4 hours. The goal is to get it to room temperature and let it stand at room temp (this aids in the cooking technique).
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Rub meat with salt (if you have Lawry's seasoned salt, use it if not, regular salt also works); sprinkle with pepper.
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Place meat on a rack fat side up in a shallow roasting pan. Make sure the sides of the pan are not too high. Maybe 2-3 inch sides or the meat will not brown properly. Also, make sure the roasting pan is only slightly bigger than the roast itself. This will allow the juices to accumulate and not evaporate! DO NOT COVER; DO NOT ADD WATER.
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Put roast in oven; cook for just one hour at 375. It will crackle and get a beautiful layer or crust to it. After one hour, turn off heat, but DO NOT open oven door at any time until ready to serve. (You can do this step early on and let the oven cool down completely before turning on the oven again.)
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Regardless of the length of time meat has been in the oven 30 - 40 minutes before serving, TURN OVEN ON again. Reset temperature to 375 degrees and set a timer for 30 minutes. Once the oven comes up to temperature (this may take up to 15 minutes), test the temperature of the meat. If not cooked to desire temperature, cook for the remaining 15 minutes or until desired temperature is reached. If your roast is a bit smaller, you can check the temperature around 20-25 minutes. You want around 120 degrees, because it will continue to cook as it rests (130 degrees for medium rare).
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Now open the door; remove roast to serving platter.
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Cover with foil, and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Save the pan drippings for Au Jus. You can also make Yorkshire puddings from the fat you reserve.
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To Make the Au Jus Sauce, while the prime rib is resting, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Place on the stove top over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to form a roux. Pour in the beef broth and whisk into the roux, scraping all the caramelized beef drippings from the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and cook the sauce for 10 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly (this is not a gravy, so don't expect a thick, heavy sauce). Adjust seasoning, strain and serve alongside the prime rib.
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The meat will be very brown and crisp on the outside. Carve into slices. You'll find it beautifully pink all the way through, juicily oozing the succulence which proves that the meat is a medium rare. NOTE: If you do not like medium rare meat, please do not make this roast! Prime rib should never be cooked to medium. It will end up like the bottom of your shoe! Leave the medium and well done meat for other cuts of your choice.
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The link to my method of https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/pudding/yorkshire-pudding-perfect-with-prime-rib.html. To me, Prime rib is not done unless there is Yorkshire Pudding! :)
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

This easy prime rib with au jus recipe and perfect creamy horseradish sauce is perfect for Christmas or the holidays. This recipe is super easy (Really!), and it produces a perfect medium-rare, tender roast that everyone will love.

Why This Recipe Is So Good!

It takes just 5 minutes to prep this show stopping main dish!
The creamy horseradish sauce and rich au jus are the perfect accompaniments.
It’s perfect for serving a crowd and the leftovers are amazing in sandwiches!
It’s just so easy and simple, you don’t need to plan hours ahead of time!

How to Make This Recipe

Make the horseradish sauce first: simply stir together all the ingredients and let the mixture chill at least an hour, preferably longer.
Preheat your oven to 450º and sprinkle all the sides of the pime rib with salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Pat softened butter over the top.
Place the prime rib in a roasting pan and place in the oven. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 325º F. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the roast and roast until the internal temperature is 113-115º F for very medium-rare. Don’t worry – the prime rib will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven.
Baste the prime rib every 30 minutes with the fat that’s dripped into the pan, and when the roast reaches the desired temperature, remove it and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 20 minutes while you make the au jus.
Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Pour in Worcestershire sauce and red wine; reduce slightly, by about a quarter. Add in the beef broth and simmer until slightly reduced to desired consistency. Tilt the roasting pan and carefully skim off excess fat floating on top.
Carve your prime rib and serve with lots of this au jus recipe and creamy horseradish sauce!

How Long do I Cook Prime Rib for Medium-Rare?

This easy prime rib recipe is so tender and perfectly medium-rare, thanks to the use of a meat thermometer. It goes like this: put it in the oven at one temperature, lower the temperature, and when the thermometer beeps, take it out. Simple as it gets, right? I tried a couple of other methods first, before perfecting this easy prime rib recipe, and I can assure you: this is the most tender and all-around best prime rib I’ve had at home. Or maybe… anywhere? Big claim!

So focus less on the time it takes to cook this prime rib and more on the thermometer! You’ll cook the prime rib for 15 minutes at 450º, then reduce heat to 325º F. You’ll cook it until internal temperature is 113-115º F for very medium-rare. The roast will continue cooking after removing from oven when you let it rest 20 minutes while you make the au jus.

The au jus to go with this easy prime rib recipe is equally easy: stir in a few things, let it simmer a bit, and voilà: rich and flavorful au jus to serve alongside your roast. I will literally drink a good au jus, and this au jus recipe is super easy, quick, and oh so savory.

You might be used to au jus from the little bottle at the store but it’s so, so much better made at home.

How Do You Make Au Jus at Home?

This au jus recipe is way easier than even making a little packet! To the pan, after you’ve removed the prime rib, add Worcestershire sauce and red wine and reduce slightly, by about 1/4. Add beef broth and continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency. Carefully tilt the roasting pan and, using a spoon, discard excess fat floating on top. Carve roast and serve with the au jus recipe!

Horseradish Sauce

This homemade horseradish sauce is so much better than store bought ad comes together so quickly.

I let the sauce chill a couple of hours, and it was great, but 24 hours later? It was next level. I highly recommend letting the sauce chill for 24 hours before serving, but if you can’t swing that, give it at least 1 hour in the fridge. You’ll get it when you taste the stuff!

What Do You Serve With Prime Rib?

Other than the au jus and horseradish, which are a must, you can serve this rib up with a host of potato and vegetable sides. Try it with:

Creamed Onions
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Baked Potatoes on the Grill
Roasted Radishes with Garlic Browned Butter

Chef’s Tips

If you can, make the horseradish the night before for maximum flavor.
For the best results, use a meat thermometer.
Baste the prime rib every 30 minutes during cooking for a really tasty roast.
Let the prime rib roast for 20 minutes before serving.

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Easy Prime Rib

▢ 1 prime standing rib roast
▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
▢ sea salt
▢ freshly cracked black pepper
▢ 2-3 cloves garlic minced, optional
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced, optional

Au Jus

▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
▢ ½ cup red wine
▢ 1 ½ cups beef broth

Perfect Creamy Horseradish Sauce

▢ 1 8-ounce container sour cream
▢ ½ cup mayonnaise
▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
▢ 3 teaspoon prepared horseradish
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
▢ 2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
▢ 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Make the horseradish sauce ahead: stir together all ingredients and chill at least one hour, preferably overnight.
Roast does not need to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450º F. Sprinkle all sides liberally with salt, then generously crack fresh black pepper over. If making the garlic-rosemary crust, in a small bowl, stir together softened butter or ghee, minced garlic, and rosemary, then pat evenly over roast. If not using a crust, simply pat softened butter over roast.
Place in a roasting pan and put it in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325º F. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the roast and cook until internal temperature is 113-115º F for very medium-rare. The roast will continue cooking after removing from oven. Baste roast every 30 minutes using a culinary brush with the fat that's dripped into the pan. When the roast reaches the desired temperature, remove roast from the oven, transfer the roast carefully to a cutting board, and let rest 20 minutes while you make the au jus.
Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add Worcestershire sauce and red wine and reduce slightly, by about 1/4. Add beef broth and continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency. Carefully tilt the roasting pan and, using a spoon, discard excess fat floating on top. Carve roast and serve with au jus and horseradish sauce.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 906kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 83g, Saturated Fat: 34g, Cholesterol: 174mg, Sodium: 534mg, Potassium: 621mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 440IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 3.7mg, Net Carbs: 2g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Reader Interactions

How long does it take to cook prime rib at 250 degrees?

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Roast for about 25 minutes per pound of meat. Check the temperature 30 minutes early. You want 130° for medium-rare.

How long does it take to cook a prime rib at 225 degrees?

Plan 35 minutes per pound at 225 degrees F for smoking a rare roast. 40 minutes per pound at 225 degrees F for smoking a medium roast. Don't forget to allow at least 30 minutes of rest time and another 15 minutes or so for the high heat sear before serving.

How long does a prime rib take to cook at 200?

Take the roast out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking, and preheat the oven to 200°F. Season the meat. Cook the prime rib roast at 200°F for about 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark, check the internal temperature until it reads 115°F.

Can you cook prime rib at 250 degrees?

Prime rib is one of the most delicious cuts of meat and cooking it doesn't require any special skills. Cook the prime rib low and slow at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F (at least 3 hours).