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Garlic Butter Prime Rib is rich, juicy, and incredibly tender: a true showstopper for any special meal. Roasted in a flavorful garlic herb butter, it melts in your mouth with every bite.
Also known as a Standing Rib Roast, this cut is easier to make you’d think. With our simple method, you’ll get a golden crust and perfectly cooked center every time. Serve it with Red Wine Jus, creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies for a complete feast.
What Makes This Garlic Butter Roast Work
What sets this Garlic Butter Roast apart is the rich, garlicky butter that locks in moisture and infuses every bite with bold, savory flavor. As it roasts, the butter mixture forms a golden crust on the outside while keeping the center melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The beauty of this garlic butter rib roast is its simplicity—no complicated steps, just a foolproof method that ensures juicy, evenly cooked results every time. Whether you’re making this prime rib recipe for a holiday gathering or an intimate dinner, it brings restaurant-quality flavor with surprisingly little effort.
What Goes Into This Recipe
This Garlic Butter Roast delivers show-stopping flavor with just a handful of bold, reliable ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make it unforgettable:
- Standing Rib Roast: A 6.6-pound, 4-bone prime rib is the star—juicy, tender, and full of natural flavor that shines when slow-roasted.
- Garlic: Two whole heads, halved but unpeeled, roast alongside the beef to infuse it with subtle, mellow garlic essence.
- Unsalted Butter: Forms the base of the garlic butter rub, helping to create a golden crust and rich, savory flavor.
- Red Wine Jus: Made with beef stock, red wine, and a touch of cornstarch (if you prefer it thickened), this optional sauce adds a deep, luxurious finish to every slice.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurement.
How to Make Garlic Butter Roast
- Bring to Room Temperature: Remove the prime rib from the fridge at least 3 hours before roasting. Pat it dry with paper towels to help the butter stick.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 460°F (240°C) or 430°F (220°C) if using a fan/convection oven. This initial high heat helps develop a flavorful crust.
- Make the Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, and half of the salt until smooth and well combined.
- Prepare the Pan: Arrange the garlic heads cut-side up in a roasting pan. Spread garlic butter on the bone side of the roast and place it on top of the garlic halves.
- Butter and Season: Rub the remaining garlic butter over the top and sides of the meat. Season all over with the remaining salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- High-Heat Roast: Roast the prime rib uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown and beginning to crust.
- Butter Again and Reduce Heat: Carefully remove the roast, spread with the rest of the garlic butter, then reduce oven to 250°F (120°C) or 220°F (100°C) fan. Return to oven.
- Slow Roast and Baste: Cover with foil and slow roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours, basting every 20–30 minutes, until internal temp reaches 118°F (48°C) for medium rare.
- Rest the Roast: Transfer roast to a plate, tent with foil, and rest for 20–30 minutes. The internal temp will rise to about 130°F (55°C), giving you a perfect medium-rare center.
- Make Red Wine Jus: Place the pan with drippings and garlic halves on the stove. Add wine and 2½ cups beef stock, then stir in a cornstarch slurry made with the remaining stock. Simmer until thickened and strain.
Garlic Butter Prime Rib is rich, bold, and made for pairing with comforting, flavorful sides. For the ultimate feast, serve it with a generous scoop of Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan to soak up every drop of that red wine jus. Add a side of Roasted Mushrooms (Balsamic Soy) for a deep, earthy contrast, and Buttery Sautéed Green Beans to bring a pop of color and freshness to the plate.
Recipe FAQ’s
Look for a high-quality Standing Rib Roast from a butcher rather than a supermarket—it’s often fresher and better marbled. Bone-in is ideal, as the bones act as a natural roasting rack and add flavor. You can also ask for a “frenched” cut where the bones are cleaned, or have the bones removed and tied back on for easy carving.
Plan for about 1 pound (450 g) per person if using a bone-in roast. If you’re serving several sides, you can get away with slightly less.
Use a meat thermometer for the most accurate results. Remove the roast just before your target doneness since it will continue to cook as it rests.
Rare: Remove at 115°F (46°C), final temp 120°F (49°C)
Medium Rare: Remove at 118°F (48°C), final temp 125°F (51.7°C)
Medium: Remove at 123°F (51°C), final temp 130°F (55°C)
Medium Well: Remove at 127°F (53°C), final temp 135°F (57°C)
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Best Prime Rib in Garlic Butter
Ingredients
PRIME RIB:
- 6.6 pounds standing rib roast 4 bone rib roast
- 2 heads garlic unpeeled and halved horizontally, unpeeled keeps it together
GARLIC BUTTER:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
RED WINE JUS:
- 3 cups low sodium beef stock or broth
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch cornflour – optional for a thicker sauce.
Instructions
- PRIME RIB: Take prime rib out of the refridgerator atleast 2 – 3 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature. Pat dry all over with paper towel.
- PREHEAT: STANDARD oven to 460˚F (240°C) | FAN/CONVECTION 430˚F (220°C).
- GARLIC BUTTER: Mix together the butter and garlic and 1/2 tablespoon of salt in a small bowl until combined.
- SKILLET OR ROASTING PAN: Arrange garlic halves in a heavy-based pan or cast-iron skillet. Spread 2 tablespoons of garlic butter on the underside of the beef (bone-side) to completely coat. Place the roast, bone-side down, in the pan/skillet on top of the garlic halves (the bones create a natural roasting rack for the meat). Spread another 2-3 tablespoons of garlic butter on the top and sides, rubbing into the flesh. Coat well.Season with remaining salt and pepper.
- ROAST: For 20-30 minutes or until the roast has nicely browned.
- GARLIC BUTTER 2: Carefully remove roast from oven. Spread with remaining garlic butter.
- REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE: STANDARD oven 250°F (120°C) | FAN/CONVECTION oven 220°F (100°C).
- COVER WITH FOIL and continue to slow roast for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, basting every 20-30 minutes with the pan juices, until reaching your desired preference. Internal temperature should read 118°F | 48°C for med/rare. (TIP: Start checking internal temperature after 45 minutes of roasting. Continue to keep checking with each baste to ensure it doesn't over cook.)
- Once cooked to your liking, allow to rest for 20 minutes. The roast will continue to cook as the juices inside settle, raising the internal temperature to 130°F | 55°C for a perfect medium-rare prime rib.
- REST: Transfer roast to serving plate, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 20 – 30 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 125°F (52°C) for medium rare.
- SLICE AND SERVE with Red Wine Jus/Sauce.
- RED WINE JUS: Place skillet with pan juices and the cooked garlic halves left in the pan on the stove top over high heat. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the beef stock and all of the wine. Bring to a fast simmer for 10 minutes until iquid has reduced by roughly half.
- REDUCE HEAT to medium. Whisk cornstarch (cornflour) into the remaining beef stock. Whisk half of the mixture into the red wine jus. Sauce will begin to thicken. Whisk in remaining cornstarch mixture for a thicker jus. Strain jus into a bowl, pressing garlic juices through the strainer, then pour jus into serving jug.
Notes
- Rare: 120°F (49°C). Remove from oven at 115°F (46°C) internal temp.
- Medium Rare: 125°F (51.7°C). Remove at 48°C / 118°F internal temp.
- Medium: 130°F (55°C). Remove at 123°F (51°F) internal temp.
- Medium Well: 135°F (57°C). Remove at 127°F (53°C) internal temp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is an outstanding recipe! I am grateful you posted not only the recipe but shared the techniques to create the perfect Prime Rib. The bonus is the shared recipes that compliment this main coarse. Hats off to you guys for doing it right. I am now rethinking my dinner choice for Christmas Eve due to this post! I love you guys and Merry Christmas.
This sounds wonderful for Christmas dinner… a great change from turkey!
This is my favorite blogger EVERRRR! I will be making this on Christmas Eve for my family! I am so grateful for this blog, you have no idea! Keep it up Karina! We need you! You are fantastic!
Gotta be honest …I’m a little nervous about a 250 degree roasting temp but this looks so dee-lush, I’m game to try it! Your other recipes are 5 star so I have complete faith in you!!!
AH-MAZING!!!!! Made this last night with a small 5.99-a-pound prime rib that was on sale from the local supermarket and it was divine! I’m not hosting Christmas for the first time in almost 30 years, but we’ve always served a prime rib so I’m an old pro at it – but I’ve never used the low and slow method. The meat was perfectly cooked, and interestingly enough it was medium rare all the way to the edges, as opposed to being more cooked on the outside, with only the center portion of the meat being medium rare.
Served it with truffle mashed potato and an arugula salad (you know, because we’re watching our waistlines . . . ) and it was a fantastic way to welcome home our boys from college. This recipe is definitely a keeper. If you use one of the temperature probes that beeps when it gets to the right temperature, you can just pop it in and get on with wrapping presents, which was exactly what I did.
PS – Karina that Christmas Crack recipe has become an annual favorite! This year, in addition to the peanut butter, we did nutella and chopped hazelnuts and it was a smash hit. We’ve been giving trays and tins out for the holidays and have received rave reviews from neighbors, coworkers, clients, our letter carrier and our sanitation guys! Thank you for what you do 🙂
Karina, you are a genius! This is my husband’s first Christmas in the USA after having moved this year from a lifetime overseas. We’re still a bit discombobulated but happy to be on the same continent at the best time of year. I simply cannot wait to try your recipe! Thank you and I’m off to the butcher shop…
I just tried this recipe and my husband loved it. The only thing I had to change was the salt. I used Kosher salt but I think it’s the same. When I make the “jus” it tastes delicious. Thanks you for sharing this it has taken the fear out of cooking red meats
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try.
Read the recipe this morning. Made it this evening. The detail is perfect for the perfect prime rib roast. The temperature guage worked well and gave the best prime ever. A delight!
I have never prepared prime rib before but your step by step instructions have given me the courage to try it.