Sunday Supper is an Amazon Associate and may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.
My Standing Rib Roast recipe proves that it’s easy to make a perfectly cooked, beautiful roast using only simple ingredients!
This amazing rib roast is perfect for special occasions and the holidays. It makes the most memorable centerpiece for your Christmas dinner, and it is so much easier to make than you might think.
Jump to:
- FAQs
- Equipment
- Ingredients
- Always look for Marbling on Beef
- How to Cook a Standing Rib Roast
- How Long to Cook a Standing Rib Roast
- How to Carve a Standing Rib Roast
- Recipe Tips
- Rib Roast Temperature Chart
- Sides for Standing Rib Roast
- Leftover Rib Roast Recipes
- Amazing Holiday Roasts
- Reader Reviews
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Ina Garten’s Standing Rib Roast
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Ina Garten’s recipes. In fact, my first roast recipe was Ina Garten’s Sunday Rib Roast. I’ve always loved serving it with a side of Roasted Artichoke Salad and finishing off our meal with apple crisp.
I couldn’t help but fall in love with her beef rib roast recipe. But, as someone who has a hard time following recipe directions… my Sunday roast recipe evolved over time!
Now, I couldn’t be more excited to share with you my favorite recipe for garlic butter bone-in rib roast. It is so incredibly juicy and flavorful. I promise you are going to love this easy roast recipe!
And, once you get it done once – it is so easy to come back to again and again. If you’re like me, maybe you’ll wind up putting your own spin on it!
FAQs
Standing rib roast is a cut of beef from the rib section of a cow. It is also called a bone-in prime rib, as it contains the prime rib cut of beef.
Usually, a rib roast holds between 2-7 ribs and is prepared so it is “standing” when roasted. It makes the most beautiful presentation for a holiday table!
The Rib Roast is the most tender and succulent beef you will ever taste. If you cook it properly, it literally melts in your mouth. And I am going to show you how to cook it perfectly!
Ask your butcher to “French” your rib roast, and they will cut the excess meat and fat away from the bone so it is clearly exposed. This creates the most beautiful presentation on a rib roast!
A good estimate on how much rib roast you will need is about ½ pound per person when the roast is part of a holiday buffet, or ¾ pound per person when it is the main course.
Recipe Tip #1 If you have trouble finding rib roast in the meat section of your local supermarket, ask the butcher! They usually can cut this to order for you, especially during the holiday season. I always ask my butcher to French the bones. This is what creates this beautiful presentation.
Recipe Tip #2 Always pull your roast out of the oven a little early and let it finish cooking on the counter. This is a mistake many make when cooking a standing rib roast. I like to serve it a little on the rare side and use piping au jus sauce to finish cooking.
Equipment
- A roasting pan with a rack: This allows the roast to heat evenly as it cooks. Meaning, it is much easier to reach your desired degree of doneness!
- Aluminum foil: You will need this to tent the roast, but it is also necessary if you asked your butcher to French the roast for you. Covering the exposed bones with foil prevents them from drying out while the roast cooks.
- Meat thermometer: We highly recommend you use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your beef!
Ingredients
- Standing Rib Roast: Also known as bone-in prime rib. If you have trouble finding it at the supermarket, ask the butcher to cut it for you. While you’re at it, ask them to French the roast – this creates the most beautiful presentation!
- Butter, softened
- Fresh rosemary, minced
- Garlic, minced
- Black pepper and sea salt
- Ground thyme
Always look for Marbling on Beef
The most important part about cooking a rib roast is to choose the perfect cut of beef at the store. You want a cut with the most beautiful marbling.
Marbling refers to the white flecks and streaks of fat in the lean sections of beef. The term “marbling” comes from the fact that the streaks of fat actually resemble a marble pattern.
You may also hear it referred to as intramuscular fat. Either way, marbling adds so much flavor and is one of the main factors in judging the quality of a cut of beef.
How to Cook a Standing Rib Roast
Before you do anything, let the holiday roast sit for 2 hours to come to room temperature. This will allow the roast to cook evenly throughout.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soften butter, then stir in rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme to create a garlic butter paste.
- Rub the paste all over the rib roast and wrap aluminum foil around all exposed rib bones. Place the roast in the center of a roasting pan with a rack.
- Roast at 450°F for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 325°F and cook for approximately 2 hours. (Check your meat thermometer for desired doneness).
- Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest tented for 15 minutes. Slice rib roast, serve, and enjoy!
How Long to Cook a Standing Rib Roast
The high heat/low heat roasting method we use in this recipe works very well for a standing rib roast.
Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and cook for approximately 2 hours. This will give the roast a beautifully caramelized exterior with a juicy, tender interior.
How to Carve a Standing Rib Roast
- Stand the rib roast upright and hold the bones.
- Use a carving knife to cut between the bones. Carve as close to the bone as possible.
- Once you get to the bottom, cut along the bottom of the rib roast until you can remove the chop.
- Cut into smaller slices if desired. Always cut beef against the grain.
Recipe Tips
These are my best tips for cooking a roast perfectly. I know they’ll help you!
- Use the right pan: Use a roasting pan with a rack. This will help heat rotate evenly as the roast cooks.
- Let it sit before cooking: Bring your standing rib roast to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for approximately 2 hours. This will ensure even cooking throughout.
- Pull it out of the oven a little early: It is always best to serve your holiday roast on the rare side. You can always finish cooking it with warm au jus or put it back in the oven for a couple more minutes. But once it is over cooked, it is too late.
- Let it rest before cutting: Always make sure you let your rib roast rest for approximately 15 minutes before cutting into it. This will ensure the juices stay in the roast and you will have a juicy rib roast.
- Let your butcher make it pretty: Ask your butcher to French the rib roast for you. This makes for such a pretty presentation. When roasting, covered the bone ends with aluminum foil so they didn’t dry out.
- How to cut a rib roast: Always, always cut beef against the grain.
TOP TIP—Make extra garlic butter. Just trust me on that one! You’ll want to slather this butter on everything. It is so delicious. Even better if you’re serving the roast with Yorkshire Puddings or Air Fryer Biscuits to add the butter too.
Rib Roast Temperature Chart
It is always best to use a meat thermometer to make sure your rib roast recipe is done perfectly to your liking.
When using a meat thermometer to check doneness, look for the following numbers.
- Rare: 120-125°F – Bright red interior
- Medium Rare: 130-135°F – Pink on the outer crust with a deeper red center
- Medium: 135-140°F – Mauve/light pink colored interior
- Well-done: 145°F+ – Brown on the inside, no pink
Sides for Standing Rib Roast
- Scalloped Potatoes: Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, or Oven-Baked
- Mashed Potatoes: Traditional or Instant Pot
- Salad: Roasted Artichoke Salad and Orange and Fennel Salad
- Vegetables: Green Bean Almondine, Garlic Roasted Carrots, Instant Pot Candied Carrots, and Smashed Brussels Sprouts
- Bread: Yorkshire Pudding, Air Fryer Biscuits, and Instant Pot French Bread
- Check out all my favorite side dishes for roast beef and easy Christmas side dishes
Leftover Rib Roast Recipes
It is a tradition to always buy a larger roast so I can make this Creamy Penne Pasta with Sliced Prime Rib the day after a holiday meal. It is truly the best way to use leftover rib roast, hands down. We look forward to this meal every year and it certainly doesn’t feel like leftovers!
You can create a Hot Roast Beef Sandwich with Caramelized Onions with cheese sauce and Perfect Caramelized Onions that is out-of-this-world delicious!
A favorite in my household is also to make an open-faced roast beef sandwich with toppings piled on. I personally love to add remoulade sauce to my sandwich.
Amazing Holiday Roasts
- Prime Rib roasted low and slow
- Instant Pot Prime Rib using the reverse sear method
- Boneless Prime Rib
- Smoked Prime Rib
Reader Reviews
Awesome Recipe! I did an 8lb it was perfect
@teambrooks2
Easy instructions, turned out great
@citadel1
It was amazing!
@leylasangels8250
📌 Pin it for later!
Did you enjoy this page? Save it on Pinterest for later!📋 Recipe
Standing Rib Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- Roasting pan with rack
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 7-8 Pounds Rib Roast or Bone-in prime rib
- 1 Cup Butter Softened
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Minced
- 8 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soften butter, then stir in rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme to create a garlic butter paste.
- Rub the paste all over the prime rib roast and wrap aluminum foil around all exposed rib bones. Place the roast in the center of a roasting pan with a rack.Roast at 450°F for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 325°F and cook for approximately 2 hours. (Check your meat thermometer for desired doneness).
- Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest tented for 15 minutes. Slice rib roast, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use a roasting pan with a rack. This will help heat rotate evenly as the roast cooks.
- Bring your standing rib roast to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for approximately 2 hours. This will ensure even cooking throughout.
- Always make sure you let your rib roast rest for approximately 15 minutes before cutting into it. This will ensure the juices stay in the roast and you will have a juicy prime rib roast.
- Ask your butcher to french the rib roast for you. This makes for such a pretty presentation. When roasting, covered the bone ends with aluminum foil so they didn’t dry out.
- Always cut beef against the grain.
Audrey says
Sounds gfreat. I had a recipe years ago that utilized the ribs after roast was carved. You set them aside and then did smething the next day or so with them and the oven but I have lost the recipe and it is too long ago to recall how they were fixed. can anyone help?
Marion Myers says
Hi Audrey, I use the ribs to make a delicious broth for gravy, soup/stew, french dip sandwiches, etc… So many uses. Cook the bones at 325°F until they are brown on the outside. In a big pot add the bones, any reserved fat trimmings from the roast, 2 med yellow onions (quartered), 2 med carrots, chopped, a stalk of celery, chopped, 3-4 cloves garlic, some fresh thyme sprigs, about 10 peppercorns, a couple teaspoons kosher salt, and a bay leaf. Add water to cover. Let that simmer for about 3 hours or more to your taste. Strain out the solids. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Put it in the fridge so the fat can harden and then discard hardened fat. Great for so many uses.
Vicki says
This was extremely good there wasn’t much of a fat cap on this standing rib roast I bought so I thought I’d try your recipe and it was outstanding merry Christmas to you and thank you for the recipe
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Vicky, Thanks so much for reaching out and letting me know you enjoyed the standing rib roast recipe. It is also one of my favorites. I hope you had a fabulous holiday.
Susan says
This is such a delicious recipe! My butcher cut out the bones and tied them back on and it was outstanding!
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for letting us know you enjoyed this recipe. It is truly a favorite on our holiday table!
DebbieLB says
This is a spectacular recipe that we enjoy every Thanksgiving at our Kansas ranch! Cowboys love rib roast (cowgirls too!).
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Debbie! We love this recipe!