Are you searching for the ultimate holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table that is the very definition of a special occasion? This incredible, from-scratch Classic Prime Rib with homemade Yorkshire Puddings is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender rib-eye roast, with a perfect, edge-to-edge rosy-pink center, all encased in a savory, crackly, and deeply flavorful peppercorn-herb crust. And to catch all those delicious drippings? A basket of light, airy, and crispy Yorkshire puddings.
This isn’t just another roast recipe; it’s your definitive guide to mastering the king of all beef roasts. While a perfect prime rib may seem like the exclusive domain of a fancy steakhouse, we’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless, tender roast that never fails. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become the highlight of your celebration.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Holiday Showstopper
What makes this Prime Rib so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, pure beef flavor and its brilliant, foolproof roasting method. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, minimalist cooking, letting the high-quality beef shine. The star of the show is a magnificent, boneless rib-eye roast, which is rubbed with a fragrant, from-scratch paste made from coarsely crushed peppercorns, fresh herbs, and garlic. The roast is cooked using a “reverse sear” style, high-heat-then-low-heat method, which is the secret to its perfect, golden-brown crust and its juicy, perfectly cooked interior. The final, magical touch is using the rich, flavorful pan drippings to create impossibly light, puffy, and crispy Yorkshire Puddings.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 12-16 |
The Butcher’s Best & The Baker’s Secret: Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and one crucial tool to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Roast (The Star of the Show!):
- Boneless Rib-Eye Roast: This is the classic cut for a boneless prime rib.1 For this recipe, you’ll need a large, 10- to 14-pound roast. For the best flavor and texture, look for a roast with a generous fat cap and beautiful marbling.
- The Peppercorn-Herb Rub: The secret to the deep, complex, and aromatic crust is making your own.
- Whole Peppercorns & Fresh Herbs: It is absolutely essential to use whole peppercorns (a tricolor blend is beautiful!) that you crush yourself, and fresh rosemary and thyme. The vibrant, pungent, and complex flavor is a world away from pre-ground spices.
- The Yorkshire Pudding:
- The Drippings!: For the most authentic, classic, and unbelievably delicious flavor, there is no substitute for the hot, rendered beef drippings from your prime rib. This is the key that gives the Yorkshire pudding its signature, rich and savory flavor.
- The Key Equipment (A Meat Thermometer!): This is the single most important, non-negotiable tool for a perfect prime rib.2 Because a rib roast is an expensive cut of meat, an instant-read meat thermometer is the only 100% foolproof way to guarantee that your roast is cooked to your desired, perfect temperature.
The Roasting & “Puff” Masterclass: The Secrets to Perfection
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Room Temperature is Key: A crucial, professional step! By letting your large roast sit at room temperature for an hour or two, you are allowing the chill from the refrigerator to come off. This is the key that will help your roast to cook much more quickly and, most importantly, evenly.
- The High-Heat Sear: The initial, 45-minute blast of very high heat ($500^{\circ}F$) is the key that creates the beautiful, dark, and crackly crust on the outside of the roast.
- Trust Your Thermometer & Rest!: You must let your finished roast rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
- For the Puddings: A Screaming Hot Pan & Fat: You must preheat your muffin tin with the beef drippings inside until the fat is literally smoking hot. When the cool batter hits the ripping hot fat, the initial shock of intense heat is the magic that instantly creates a huge amount of steam, which is the force that makes the pudding puff up to its iconic, towering height.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Prime Rib
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Aromatic Peppercorn-Herb Rub
One to two hours before you plan to cook, remove your roast from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
In a large plastic bag, use a rolling pin to pound your 4 tablespoons of peppercorns to break them open. In a bowl, use your fingers to toss the crushed peppercorns with the leaves from your rosemary and thyme sprigs, the 1/3 cup of kosher salt, and the 8 cloves of minced garlic.
Place your beef, fat-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Drizzle the 1/4 cup of olive oil all over the surface and rub it in. Sprinkle the peppercorn-herb-salt mixture all over the surface of the beef, pressing it lightly to adhere.
Part 2: The Two-Stage Roast and the Final Rest
Step 1: Place your oven rack on the bottom position and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).
Step 2: Roast the beef for 45 minutes.
Step 3: Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and insert a meat thermometer sideways into the center of the roast. Continue to roast for another 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 4: You will know the roast is a perfect medium-rare when your thermometer registers 120∘F to 135∘F.
Step 5 (The Most Important Step!): Remove the beef from the rack and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes before you slice it. Do not discard the precious drippings in the roasting pan!
Part 3: The Art of the Perfect Yorkshire Pudding
Step 1: While the roast is resting, increase your oven temperature to 450°F (232°C).
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk your 5 large eggs and 1 cup of half-and-half until they’re totally combined. Sift your 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons of salt directly into the bowl and whisk until the batter is nice and smooth.
Step 3: Use a slotted spoon to remove any large bits of peppercorns or herbs from your pan drippings. Pour about 1/2 teaspoon of the hot drippings into each cup of a standard muffin pan and place the pan in the hot oven for a couple of minutes, until the drippings just begin to smoke.
Step 4: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and immediately fill the muffin cups about halfway with your prepared batter. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, without opening the oven door, until the puddings have “popped” and are a deep golden brown.
Serve your beautiful prime rib, carved into slices, with a basket of the warm, puffy Yorkshire puddings.
Prime Rib (with Foolproof Yorkshire Pudding!)
A classic and impressive recipe for a showstopper Prime Rib roast, perfect for a holiday centerpiece. The boneless rib-eye roast is coated in a fragrant, crust-forming rub made from crushed peppercorns, fresh herbs, and garlic. It’s cooked using a two-temperature method—starting at a very high heat to create a crust, then roasting low and slow until perfectly medium-rare. The meal is completed with a classic accompaniment: light, airy, and savory Yorkshire Puddings, which are baked in the hot, rendered beef drippings from the roast.
Ingredients
- For the Prime Rib:
- 1 (10-to-14-pound) boneless rib-eye roast
- 4 tablespoons tricolor peppercorns
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- For the Yorkshire Pudding:
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Drippings from the prime rib
Instructions
- Prepare the Roast: Preheat the oven to 500°F with a rack on the bottom position.
- In a plastic bag, crush the peppercorns with a rolling pin. In a bowl, use your fingers to mix the crushed peppercorns, rosemary and thyme leaves, salt, and minced garlic.
- Place the beef, fat-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and rub it in. Press the peppercorn-herb mixture all over the surface of the beef.
- Roast the beef at 500°F for 45 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and insert a meat thermometer into the roast. Continue to roast for an additional 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the thermometer registers 120°F to 135°F for medium-rare.
- Remove the beef from the pan and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving.
- Make the Yorkshire Pudding: While the roast is resting, make the batter. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and half-and-half until combined. Sift the flour and 2 teaspoons of salt into the bowl and whisk until the batter is smooth. Refrigerate the batter.
- After the beef is removed from the pan, increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Use a slotted spoon to remove the large herb and peppercorn pieces from the pan drippings.
- Pour about 1/2 teaspoon of the hot drippings into each cup of a standard muffin pan. Place the pan in the hot oven for a couple of minutes, until the drippings are just about to smoke.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and immediately fill the muffin cups about 1/2 to 2/3 full with the chilled batter.
- Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until the puddings have puffed up and are golden brown.
- Serve the sliced prime rib with the warm Yorkshire puddings.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course, perfect for a special holiday dinner like Christmas.
- The two-temperature roasting method—starting very high and then finishing low—is a key technique for developing a flavorful crust while ensuring a tender, perfectly cooked interior.
- Resting the roast for 15 minutes before carving is crucial for the juices to redistribute, ensuring the meat is moist and tender.
- For the best Yorkshire puddings, the batter should be cold and the beef drippings in the muffin pan must be smoking hot before the batter is added.
What to Serve With Your Prime Rib
This show-stopping prime rib and Yorkshire pudding duo is the perfect centerpiece for a classic holiday dinner. It pairs beautifully with all the steakhouse favorites.
- Potatoes: A creamy mashed or a crispy roasted potato is an absolute must-have.
- Classic Sides: A rich creamed spinach is a quintessential accompaniment.
- The Sauce: A simple, tangy horseradish cream sauce or a rich, savory au jus made from the pan drippings are the perfect finishing touches.
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Storage and Leftover Ideas
- Storage: Store any leftover prime rib, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Thinly sliced, leftover prime rib makes the absolute best steak sandwiches!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a juicy, not dry, prime rib?
The two most important secrets are to not overcook it and to let it rest. Using an instant-read thermometer to pull the roast from the oven when it reaches the correct temperature and then letting it rest for at least 15 minutes are the non-negotiable keys that will guarantee an incredibly juicy and tender result.
Q2: How do I order a prime rib from my butcher?
Simply call your local, high-quality butcher a week or two in advance and ask to order a “10- to 14-pound, first-cut, boneless rib-eye roast.”
Q3: How much prime rib do I need per person?
A good rule of thumb is to plan for about 1/2 pound of boneless roast per person.
Q4: Why did my Yorkshire puddings come out flat?
There are three common culprits for a flat pudding: your batter was not rested (refrigerating it helps!), your pan and fat were not screaming hot before you added the batter, or you opened the oven door while they were baking.
Q5: What internal temperature should I aim for?
For a perfect, rosy-pink medium-rare, you should pull your roast from the oven when the internal temperature registers 120∘F to 130∘F. For medium, aim for 135∘F. Remember, the temperature will continue to rise by about 5 to 10 degrees as the roast rests.