No Fail Prime Rib Roast with Au Jus Sauce
on Dec 19, 2024, Updated Nov 13, 2025
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Tender, juicy, No Fail Prime Rib Roast with Au Jus Sauce! This prime rib recipe has an incredible depth of flavor and needs just 15 minutes of prep time. It’s the perfect holiday Christmas dinner that’s elegant, stunning, and foolproof!
Looking for some more holiday dinner ideas? Check out our Red Wine Braised Short Ribs or try our Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken and Brown Sugar and Butter Roasted Turkey Breast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Prime rib is a simple meal to prepare; all it takes is a little prep and some oven time, and then it comes together really perfectly.
- Quick and easy: You’ll need just about 15 minutes of hands-on time to put the dish together, making it one of the most effortless and easy holiday recipes out there.
- Prep ahead: You can cook your prime rib ahead of time, wrap it with aluminum, and then when your guests come, crank up the heat to broil on all sides to finish it off.
- Juicy and tender: Dry brining with salt and pepper beautifully enhances the flavors and textures of the meat, making every bite soft and irresistibly tender.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
- Prime rib roast: We used a bone-in-standing prime rib roast here. If you can’t find it, choose a top loin roast- it is your next best bet.
- Seasonings: For the dry brine, we are using kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and that’s it!
- Au Jus: To make the perfect, flavorful Au Jus, you’ll need good quality beef, stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, unsalted butter, and some Kosher salt and pepper. And of course, the drippings too, although not necessary.
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips and Substitutions
- Temperature matters: Remember to get the meat out at room temperature for at least 3 to 4 hours before you cook it. This will allow the flavors and juices to lock in, but also for the cook on the prime rib to be just right.
- If you want a thicker Au Jus: To thicken up the au jus slightly, you can add a simple slurry made using cornflour and water or all-purpose flour and water, gradually into it while it is still on heat, and keep stirring for a minute until it turns thicker.
- Prime Rib Substitutions: While all the cooking times will vary, you can use different cuts of meat for this recipe, such as top-loin roast, or a beef tenderloin.
How to Make Prime Rib with Au Jus Sauce
Step 1: Rub your prime rib dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to the fridge, uncovered, overnight. The next day, bring out your prime rib to room temperature, for 3 to 4 hours.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 250°F. Transfer your prime rib to the top middle rack, and cook until medium-rare. Cover and let this sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, bring the heat up, and broiler on.
Step 3: In a medium saucepan, melt your butter. Then add beef stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil, reduce by half.
Step 4: Turn your broiler on high, and transfer your prime rib back to the top rack of the oven. Char on all sides to get a crust by broiling for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping the roasting rack as needed for even charring.
Carefully transfer your prime rib to a cutting board, remove the bone, and with a sharp knife, carve into slices. Serve with your au jus, Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach with Parmesan, and Horseradish Cream Sauce.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
Make the prime rib and au jus a whole meal by serving it with some sides. Here are a few good ideas to inspire you.
With a Salad:
Side dish pairings:
- Cheesy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- The Best Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes with Sage
- Caviar and Potato Chips
- Baked Camembert with Honey and Chili Flakes
For a holiday dinner:
- Easy Sautéed Haricots Verts with Shallots
- The Best Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes with Sage
- Garlic Rosemary Turkey Gravy.
- Cranberry Baked Brie Cheese (15 Minute Appetizer)
Finished up with a dessert
Prime Rib with Au Jus Sauce FAQs
A 6-pound roast should ideally be fine for around 6 people, and that’s what we’ve used for this recipe.
You can! Freezing the Au Jus is actually a great way to meal prep and have it ready ahead of time. Simply allow it to come to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container or in an ice-cube tray, and freeze it for up to 2 months.
The best way to check if the prime rib is cooked is to use a digital meat thermometer. If the internal temperature reads 120 degrees, it is rare and ready to come out. If you prefer the meat medium well, aim for an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees.
You absolutely can! If you can, ask the butcher to pack the bone along for you to use to make the Au Jus.
If you have any leftover meat, refrigerate it for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can then cube it and use it to make a steak pot pie, a hearty beef stew or even thinly slice the meat and use it as a stuffing for your roast beef sandwiches.
More Meat Recipes
If you do make this Prime Rib with Au Jus recipe, leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, we would love to hear what you think! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, we love to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest in your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter. We can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest!
No Fail Prime Rib Roast with Au Jus Sauce
Ingredients
Prime Rib
- 6 pound bone-in standing prime rib roast
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Au Jus
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups high-quality beef stock
- 1/4 cup red wine
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce, adjust to your taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Brine your Prime Rib: On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay over a baking rack. Rub your prime rib completely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper all around the prime rib. Transfer to the fridge, uncovered, overnight.
- The next day, bring out your prime rib to room temperature, for 3 to 4 hours. This will help develop the flavors and allow the prime rib to cook evenly.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F and position a rack on the bottom and top middle.
- Place the prime rib in a roasting pan with the fat cap side up, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, laying the prime over the rack. If you are using a larger prime rib, wrap twine lengthwise 2 to 3 times so the prime rib stays in place as it cooks. If your prime rib can’t stand up with the fat cap, just lay it flat over the roasting rack the best you can.
- Cook your Prime Rib: Transfer your prime rib to the top middle rack, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F for medium-rare (my preference), this will take about 20 to 25 minutes per pound, so for a 6-pound roast, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature, or you can also place a temperature probe in the prime rib throughout the cooking process to track progress without opening the oven.
- Once your prime rib has reached your desired temperature, remove it from the oven and tent it to cover it with aluminum foil. Let this sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring the heat up to 500 to 550°F.
- Make your Au Jus: In a medium saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat until melted and glistening. Then add beef stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the heat up to medium-high heat and bring this to a rapid boil. Then, bring the heat to medium, reducing it by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Turn your broiler on high, and transfer your prime rib back to the top rack of the oven. Char on all sides by broiling for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping the roasting rack as needed for even charring.
- Carefully transfer your prime rib to a cutting board, remove the bone, and with a sharp knife, carve into slices.
- Serve with your au jus (just warm it up if it hardens), Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach with Parmesan, and Horseradish Cream Sauce.
Video
Notes
- Temperature matters: Remember to get the meat out at room temperature for at least 3 to 4 hours before you cook it. This will allow the flavors and juices to lock in, but also for the cook on the prime rib to be just right.
- If you want a thicker Au Jus: To thicken up the au jus slightly, you can add a simple slurry made using cornflour and water or all-purpose flour and water, gradually into it while it is still on heat, and keep stirring for a minute until it turns thicker.
- Prime Rib Substitutions: While all the cooking times will vary, you can use different cuts of meat for this recipe, such as top-loin roast, or a beef tenderloin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The most epic prime rib! It may seems intimidating but I promise, it’s easy to make this at home!! I hope all my tips and tricks in this post are helpful to make the perfect prime rib with au jus! Happy holidays!