When the holidays roll around, everyone wants that show-stopping moment, right? Forget the stress; we’re going straight for the ultimate centerpiece that always earns applause: my incredibly flavorful and surprisingly simple Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite). I remember the first year I hosted Christmas dinner; I was so nervous making something this grand! I carefully chose the freshest rosemary and thyme, rubbing that vibrant garlic butter all over. As that aroma filled the house, I knew we were creating magic. It truly became our tradition, proving that cooking something magnificent is really just about connection and love. This recipe is my go-to for wowing guests without sweating through the entire party. Trust me, this roast is foolproof! If you’re looking for more inspiration on crafting the perfect holiday meal, make sure you check out my guide on ultimate dinner ideas, ingredients, temps, and tips.
Why This Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite) is a Must-Make
I know prime rib sounds complicated, but honestly, this recipe strips away all the fuss! It’s designed to make you look like a culinary genius with minimal stress. Here’s what makes this roast the absolute star of your holiday table. If you want to know what truly makes a perfect dinner idea, it starts right here:
- Incredible Flavor: That punch of fresh garlic and aromatic herbs sinks deep into the meat. It’s unforgettable!
- Foolproof Temperature Control: We use a simple two-step roasting method that guarantees edge-to-edge perfection.
- Stunning Centerpiece: Nothing screams ‘celebration’ quite like a perfectly carved roast beef.
- Rich Pan Juices: The included au jus recipe uses the drippings straight from the pan for maximum impact without extra effort.
Essential Equipment for Your Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)
You don’t need fancy gadgets, but having the right tools makes cooking this **Best Prime Rib Roast** so much easier! Grab your oven-safe **Prime Rib Pan**—this is key for catching all those flavorful drippings we’ll use later. You’ll also need a small bowl for mixing the herb butter, some paper towels for drying the roast, aluminum foil for resting, a fat separator, and a saucepan for finishing the au jus.
Expert Tip for Roasting Success
Listen, if you invest in one thing, make it a reliable instant-read meat thermometer. There is zero guesswork when you’re cooking a large cut like this. Forget timing charts for a minute; stick that thermometer right into the thickest part of the meat (avoiding the bone!) to nail that perfect medium-rare every single time. It’s the secret weapon against dry roast beef!
Gathering Ingredients for the Best Prime Rib Roast
When you’re aiming for the *best* roast, the ingredients have to shine! This **Lb Prime Rib Roast Recipe** is really about making high-quality meat sing with simple, powerful aromatics. Don’t skimp here; the quality of your prime rib and the freshness of the herbs make all the difference for this holiday showstopper. We are keeping things straightforward, but feel free to explore more of my favorite scratch cooking ideas over at my recipes page when you have a moment!
For the Garlic-Herb Rub
This mixture is what gives our **Garlic Prime Rib** that incredible depth of flavor. Make sure your butter is perfectly softened—not melted, just squishy! You’ll need about six pounds of bone-in prime rib, which a good butcher should have trimmed, but remember to ask them to tie the bones back on for you! Mix together:
- ½ cup softened butter
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Optional Red Wine Au Jus
If you want that luscious sauce, you’ll need ingredients ready to go once the roast comes out. We use the rich drippings from the pan, so keep an eye on those! A quick note: when you measure the drippings, you absolutely must use a fat separator. We only want the flavorful liquid, not the thick layer of rendered fat!
- ¼ cup drippings from the prime rib pan (fat separated)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder (mixed with equal parts cold water for a slurry, if needed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered (this goes into the pan for flavor during roasting)
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)
Okay, deep breaths! This is the moment where the magic happens, and I promise, following these steps will turn you into a holiday hero. We’re going to move quickly between tempering the meat, searing it hard, and then letting the oven do the gentle work. Need a refresher on how to tackle big cuts? I’ve got a great guide on foolproof dinner ideas that really applies here too.
Preparation and Herb Butter Application
First things first: take that beautiful prime rib out of the fridge a full two to three hours before you plan to cook it! You need it to come up to room temperature—this is crucial for even cooking. While it warms up, preheat your oven to a blasting 450°F (230°C). While that heats, mix up your softened butter, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic until it’s a glorious paste. Now, grab some paper towels and pat that roast completely dry—a dry surface means a crunchy crust! Rub that herb butter vigorously all over it. Don’t miss any spots!
Searing and Roasting the Garlic Prime Rib
Pop the roast, bone-side down and fat-side up, into your oven-safe pan—if you’re making the au jus, make sure those onion quarters are tucked right in there. Sear it hard for 20 minutes at 450°F to get that amazing crust going. Then, drop the heat down to 325°F (160°C). Now, lean on your thermometer! You are roasting until the internal temp hits 120°F (50°C) for that perfect medium-rare. Keep tracking that temperature carefully, especially with larger roasts; you can eyeball the time, but the temp never lies!
Resting and Slicing the Roast
This step is non-negotiable, maybe even more important than the roasting itself! Pull that gorgeous roast out and tent it loosely with foil—don’t wrap it tight, or you’ll steam that beautiful crust we worked so hard for. Let it rest for a solid 20 to 30 minutes. Seriously, walk away! This resting time lets the juices redistribute, ensuring every single slice is tender. After it rests, pull off those strings and those bones, and slice it up about half an inch thick.
Making the Red Wine Au Jus
While the meat is resting, we make the sauce right in that amazing **Prime Rib Pan**! Carefully pour off the excess fat and discard it, but keep those delicious browned bits—those are flavor gold. Add the beef broth and red wine to the pan drippings and bring it all to a simmer. Let that liquid reduce until it has shrunk by about half. If you like it a little thicker, stir in your cornstarch slurry right at the end. Finally, strain the whole thing through a fine-mesh sieve to get a beautifully clear au jus. You can find more great recipe inspiration over at Downshiftology’s prime rib guide if you want to compare notes on roasting techniques!
Tips for Achieving the Best Prime Rib Roast
Even though this recipe is straightforward, those little extras are what separate a good roast from the *best* roast! Remember that tip about using the bones? Making sure your butcher ties them back on is huge. When you rest the meat, those bones act as natural insulators, keeping the center perfectly warm while the outside cools just enough. It’s old-school knowledge that always pays off!
For that absolutely gorgeous, deeply burnished crust, make sure you are truly patting the exterior bone-dry before applying the butter rub. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness! Also, don’t cheat the resting period. That 30 minutes is crucial for keeping every slice incredibly juicy. If you’re eyeing up more ways to make your holiday meals absolutely spectacular, peep my guide on the best dinner ideas for 2025 for further inspiration!
Serving Suggestions for Your Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)
When you’ve got a centerpiece this magnificent, you need sides that complement the rich flavor without competing with it, you know? Our **Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)** deserves the best partners on the plate. When I serve this, I keep it classic so everyone can focus on that incredible roast!
You absolutely need something creamy to soak up all that precious au jus. I always whip up a giant bowl of creamy mashed potatoes—it’s non-negotiable! Then, I balance the richness with some roasted root vegetables, like carrots and parsnips tossed simply with olive oil and salt. For something green, you can never go wrong with a batch of creamed spinach. Check out some of my speedy side ideas over on my dinner ideas for busy weeknights page if you need to save a little prep time elsewhere!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
It’s rare for this roast to have leftovers, honestly, but if you managed to save some of that glorious meat, we need to treat it right! Always store the leftover prime rib slices and the au jus separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The au jus can last about a week, and the meat about three or four days.
When you reheat those perfect slices, don’t just throw them in the microwave naked! That’s a recipe for texture disaster. Instead, reheat them very gently in a baking dish covered tightly with foil. Pour a tiny bit of that reserved au jus right into the bottom of the dish before covering. This steams the meat just enough to bring back the moisture without cooking it further. For more simple, reliable recipes, check out my guide to 5-ingredient dinner ideas!
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Garlic Prime Rib
It’s totally normal to have questions when you’re tackling a big roast for the first time! I’ve been asked the same things over the years, especially around the holidays. Getting the timing and temperature right is key to making this **Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)** a guaranteed success. If you need quick dinner fixes later in the week, don’t forget to check out my 20-minute dinner ideas!
What internal temperature is perfect for medium-rare prime rib?
For that perfect, blushing medium-rare, you want to pull your roast out of the oven when the internal temperature hits exactly 120°F (50°C). Here’s the important part: it keeps cooking after you take it out! We call that carryover cooking. Resting it tented for 30 minutes will easily push that temperature up another 5 to 8 degrees, landing you right in that delicious medium-rare sweet spot. Never skip the rest!
Can I make the Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite) ahead of time?
You absolutely can prep ahead, which is a lifesaver on a busy holiday! You can mix that glorious garlic-herb butter coating a day or two in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. You can even rub it onto the meat and let it sit in the fridge overnight for an extra-deep flavor infusion. But please, don’t actually cook the roast until the day you plan to serve it! A cooked roast sitting around for hours just won’t have the same majestic presentation or texture.
What is the best way to calculate the cooking time per pound?
People ask for time per pound all the time, and I get why! As a starting point, at that lower 325°F temperature, you are looking at roughly 12 to 15 minutes per pound for medium-rare. Keep in mind, this is just a *guideline*. Ovens vary wildly, and the bone-in vs. boneless cuts change things up fast. Always, always, always rely on your thermometer reading rather than the clock when you’re roasting something this important!
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot
Now, let’s talk numbers, though honestly, on a holiday like this, calories are just suggestions, right? When you’re preparing a centerpiece like this stunning **Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)**, it’s helpful to know what you’re working with. This estimate breaks down the macros based on the recipe yielding 8 generous servings.
Here are the estimated figures for one serving:
- Calories: 1129
- Fat: 100 grams
- Protein: 47 grams
- Carbohydrates: 3 grams
But hey, a quick word of caution! Since this is a homemade recipe, these numbers are just our best guess. What you trim off, how much liquid the meat releases, and even the initial size of your cut can change things a bit. This estimate is based on the recipe ingredients as written, so enjoy that rich flavor knowing you’ve made something truly special!
Share Your Holiday Cooking Success
Wow, we really made an incredible **Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)** together! Now that your table is set and everyone is raving about the roast, I truly want to hear all about it. Sharing these big holiday successes is the best part of being a home cook!
Did you get that perfect medium-rare crust we talked about? Did the herbs really perfume your whole house? Please drop a rating for the recipe down below—five stars if I earned them! And if you snapped a photo of that masterpiece before carving into it, tag me on social media! I love seeing how you incorporate these recipes into your own family celebrations.
If you’re still buzzing from this cook and looking for that next recipe everyone will ask for next year, swing by my page on dinner ideas everyone asks for—I bet you’ll find something else fantastic to master!
Garlic-Herb Prime Rib with Au Jus (Holiday Favorite)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, kosher salt, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, and black pepper to make the herb butter.
- Pat the prime rib dry with paper towels. Rub the herb butter mixture all over the outside of the prime rib.
- Place the prime rib bone-side down, fat-side up, in an oven-safe pan or roasting tray. If making the au jus, place the quartered onion slices in the pan around the meat.
- Cook the prime rib in the center of the oven for 20 minutes at 450°F (230°C) to sear the outside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (50°C) for medium-rare. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your roast and oven.
- Remove the prime rib from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes, tented with aluminum foil to keep it warm. After resting, remove the string and bones, and slice the prime rib into ½-inch thick slices.
- For the optional Red Wine Au Jus: After removing the fat from the prime rib pan, add up to ¼ cup of the drippings back into the pan along with the beef broth and red wine. Add any leftover herbs if desired. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry.
- Strain the au jus through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the onion and browned bits. Transfer the au jus to a serving bowl and drizzle over the sliced prime rib.
