The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (2024)

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Danilo Alfaro

The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (1)

Danilo Alfaro

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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Updated on 02/6/24

Tested byJoan Velush

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Servings: 4to 8 servings

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This technique produces a perfectly medium-rare prime rib roast with a gorgeous brown crust on the outside. It works best for smaller prime ribs, from 4 to 8 pounds. The key to this method is knowing the exact weight of your prime rib. Just copy it off the label, write it on a sticky note, and put it on your fridge before you throw away the butcher paper.

The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (2)

A bonus for this recipe: You don't actually need a meat thermometer with this technique (although you can certainly use one anyway). You'll also notice that there's no resting time, which might come as a surprise if you're used to resting your meat after roasting it. Resting isn't necessary with this recipebecause the meat is basically resting as it sits in the oven.

Serve with some delicious sides, a simple au jus sauce made with the pan juices, or try a creamy horseradish sauce.

Ovens With Cooling Fans

Some oven models have cooling fans that reduce oven temperature quickly to protect electronic controls. Because this method needs the residual heat from the oven after it's turned off to cook the rib roast, ovens with these cooling fans may not be suitable to cook in this manner. If your oven does have this feature, we recommend you not use this closed-oven method and, instead, use the traditional method.

What You'll Need to Make This Prime Rib Roast Recipe

A Wireless Meat Thermometer
A Sharp Knife
A Dependable Roasting Pan

“The Closed Oven Method works beautifully. Follow the directions and you’ll achieve a perfect medium rare (130°) and a beautifully crusted exterior with virtually no fuss. Once the oven is turned off and the two hours are up, your roast is ready to serve with no resting.” —Joan Velush

The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (7)

  2. The night before cooking the prime rib, unwrap the roast and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the surface, making it easier to get a nice brown color on the roast.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (8)

  3. Three hours before you want to begin cooking, take the roast out of the fridge and place it on a sheet pan at room temperature.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (9)

  4. Half an hour before you start roasting, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 500 F. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (10)

  5. Now it's time to do your calculation. Simply multiply the weight of your roast (in pounds) by 5. That's your total roasting time in minutes. For instance, if you have a 4-pound roast, 4 × 5 = 20 minutes. An 8-pound roast? 8 × 5 = 40 minutes. Remember that number.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (11)

  6. When you're ready to cook, set the roast in a roasting pan with a rack, fat-side up. If you're nervous about the cooking time, you can insert a meat thermometer or a digital probe thermometer into the deepest part of the meat, being careful not to hit bone.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (12)

  7. Roast the for however many minutes you calculated above. When the time's up, turn off the oven, and walk away. Do not open the oven door for any reason for the next 2 hours.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (13)

  8. In 2 hours, take the prime rib out of the oven, carve, and serve right away. If you used a thermometer, you'll see that the internal temperature of the meat has reached 130 F, perfect medium-rare.

    The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (14)

Tips

  • For a bone-in prime rib, figure two servings per rib, while a boneless roast will yield two servings per pound.
  • When trying to figure out how much time you need to roast your prime rib, use this simple calculation: weight of the prime rib (in pounds) x 5 = total roasting time in minutes. For example, if you have a 3-pound roast, 3 x 5 = 15 minutes. A 6-pound roast? 6 x 5 = 30 minutes. If using another scale for weight, such as kilogram, convert to pounds before calculating the cooking time.

How Long Can You Leave Prime Rib Out Before Cooking?

For the best results, leave your prime rib roast out on the counter to come up to room temperature for two to three hours before cooking. It's not advisable to leave it much longer than three hours to help prevent the development of bacteria.

Do You Cover Prime Rib When You Cook It in the Oven?

Leaving prime rib roast uncovered while roasting allows the meat to develop a nice brown crust. You should only cover the roast with aluminum foil if it is becoming too brown. Overbrowning is not likely when using a cooking technique like the closed-oven method.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1548Calories
123g Fat
0g Carbs
102g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 8
Amount per serving
Calories1548
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 123g158%
Saturated Fat 50g248%
Cholesterol 376mg125%
Sodium 325mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 0g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 102g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 60mg5%
Iron 11mg61%
Potassium 1474mg31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • steak
  • prime rib roast
  • dinner
  • american

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The Closed-Oven Method for Cooking a Prime Rib Roast (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to cooking prime rib? ›

How to Roast Prime Rib
  1. Take the chill off the roast. Remove the roast from the fridge at least two hours before you plan to roast it. ...
  2. Season the prime rib early. Season the rib roast right after removing it from the fridge. ...
  3. Oven sear the roast for 15 minutes at 500°F. ...
  4. Reduce the heat and cook to desired doneness.

What is the best temperature to cook a prime rib roast? ›

Brown the roast at 500°F (or as high as your oven will go) for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 325°F to finish roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Roast in the oven until the thermometer registers 115°F for rare or 120° for medium rare, and 130°F for medium.

Is it better to cook prime rib at 325 or 350? ›

Start by cooking your prime rib at 500°F for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 325° F and cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well. A meat thermometer is essential to ensure you cook it perfectly!

When cooking prime rib in the oven should it be covered? ›

Do you cover prime rib roast when cooking? You can cover rib roast when cooking after searing it to help it retain some of its moisture, but it's not necessary. For the best results, leave the roast uncovered until you remove it from the oven or grill and place it at room temperature for resting.

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.

Is it better to cook prime rib slow or fast? ›

The Benefits of Slow Roasting

First, slow roasting produces a Prime Rib that is tender, juicy, and has evenly cooked meat.

Should you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan when cooking prime rib? ›

Placing the oven rack too high up will cause your roast to brown too quickly and burn! After 30 minutes in the oven, add a ½ cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. The key is to allow the onions to brown and caramelize while roasting, but not to burn and smoke in the fat.

Should I sear prime rib before roasting? ›

We recommend a low, slow cook preceded by a good sear.

How long should prime rib sit at room temperature before cooking? ›

Let it sit on the counter for 4 hours before cooking. Bringing the roast to room temperature is especially important here because a cold roast will take much longer to cook. Step three: Cook it low and slow. Set the oven to 225 degrees F and put the roast in the oven.

Do you cook prime rib fat side up or down in the oven? ›

Place the roast fat side up, bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. This allows the heat to sear the roast, trapping the juicy flavors inside while the rest of the meat cooks. On average, each pound of rib needs 15 minutes to cook (i.e., a 4 lb.

How long to cook an 8 lb prime rib at 325 degrees? ›

Standing Rib Roast Cook Time Chart (for medium-rare)

7 pounds (bone-in): 20 minutes at 500 degrees F; 85 minutes at 325 degrees F. 8 pounds (bone-in): 20 minutes at 500 degrees F; 100 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Do you leave the meat thermometer in while cooking prime rib? ›

If you're using one of the traditional methods with a probe thermometer, simply leave the probe in after you take the meat out of the oven.

What is the rule for prime rib? ›

For a bone-in prime rib, figure two servings per rib, while a boneless roast will yield two servings per pound. When trying to figure out how much time you need to roast your prime rib, use this simple calculation: weight of the prime rib (in pounds) x 5 = total roasting time in minutes.

How long should I let my prime rib sit out before cooking? ›

Let it sit on the counter for 2 to 3 hours before smoking; this will help it cook more evenly.

Do you cook prime rib ribs up or down? ›

Place the roast fat side up, bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. This allows the heat to sear the roast, trapping the juicy flavors inside while the rest of the meat cooks. On average, each pound of rib needs 15 minutes to cook (i.e., a 4 lb.

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