No Peek Prime Rib Roast

My rich, delicious no peek prime rib dinner is a winning cooking method every year during the holidays. I have so many friends and family who call and ask for the timing (again) and I know you'll love it too!

Whether you're a pro at hosting Christmas dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Christmas a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday prime rib early, too!

🥘 Ingredients

• Prime Rib - A 5 to 8-pound boneless or standing rib roast. I have tons of tips and tricks for choosing the perfect prime rib. Set it out 1-2 hours before cooking to come to room temperature.
• Seasoning - Approximately 5 tablespoons of my prime rib dry rub recipe (to taste) that combines salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, and more herbs for a flavorful roast every time.

🔪 How To Roast A No Peek Prime Rib

This is one of my easiest prime rib recipes, as long as you can resist the urge to open your oven!

Aim to prepare about 1 pound of meat per person if you're only serving a couple of sides. If you have a lot of side dishes, you can stretch it to ½ - ¾ pound of meat per person.

Notes Before Starting

A note on timing: One of the best ways to make sure that your roast turns out perfect and evenly cooked through, is to let it set out at room temperature. This takes the chill off the roast.

While I typically only set a steak out for an hour, I suggest between 4-8 hours at room temp with this no-peek method. Or as long as you feel comfortable with an expensive hunk of beef on your counter.

**USDA recommends a maximum of 4 hours.**

A note since you're setting out your roast: Season your roast before letting it set out to 'dry brine'. This will let the flavor enhance your juicier roast, give it a better caramelized browned color, and a crispier exterior.

Prep Your Prime Rib

Step 1: Preheat your oven. Set the oven temperature to 500°F (260℃/Gas Mark 10). Adjust your racks down if needed, so that your roast will easily fit into the center of the oven.

Step 2: Season the roast. Once the oven has preheated, generously season your 5-8 pound prime rib on all sides with 5 tablespoons prime rib rub (or more to taste).

Roast Without Peeking

Step 3: Sear the roast. Put your seasoned roast in a roasting pan with the fat side facing up and cook uncovered at 500°F (260℃/Gas Mark 10) for 5-6 minutes per pound. (I cooked my 6.75-pound roast at high heat for 35 minutes.)

Step 4: Turn off the heat. Once your roast has been seared for your calculated amount of time, turn the oven off.

Step 5: Be patient. Do not open the oven whatsoever for 2 hours to reserve the heat. At the 2-hour mark, use a meat thermometer to check that your roast is ready with an internal temperature of 135-140°F (55-60℃).

Step 6: Adjusting if necessary. If the temperature is not quite there yet, you can turn on the oven to 375℉ (190℃/Gas Mark 5) and cook until it's done.

Step 7: Serve. Remove your roast from the oven, then slice and serve right away.

🍽️ What To Serve With Prime Rib

When choosing side dishes to serve with prime rib dinner, I lean towards elegant versions of steakhouse classics or holiday favorites, depending on the occasion.

For example, creamed kale is rich and indulgent, or you could opt for an upgraded potato side dish like fondant potatoes or dauphinoise potatoes.

For a picture-perfect holiday meal, see my prime rib Christmas dinner menu. Or, check out my full collection of recipes to serve with prime rib for more of my favorite side dishes.

💭 Tips & Notes

• Use approximately one tablespoon of seasoning for each pound of prime rib. Start with less and add more as desired.
• Some newer oven models feature a cooling fan that comes on when the oven is turned off to reduce the temperature quickly. If that's the case for your oven, you can unplug it or shut off the breaker so the fan doesn't turn on.
• The high starting temperature might cause the oven to smoke for some people. If that happens, reduce the initial roasting temperature to 450°F (232°C/Gas Mark 8) and let it cook for 5 minutes longer than initially planned before turning off the oven. It's also a good idea to preemptively turn on your oven vent so you don't accidentally set off the smoke alarms.
• Reserve those flavorful beef drippings to make a quick prime rib au jus or red wine au jus while your roast rests. Creamy horseradish sauce would also be delicious on the side.

⏲️ Timing For Extra Small or Extra Large Roasts

These instructions are great as-written for cooking any average-sized prime rib roast between 5 and 7 pounds. If your roast is much smaller (less than 2 pounds) or significantly larger (more than 10 pounds), here's what you should do:

For small roasts (under 2 pounds): Reduce the cooking time during the second stage (when the oven is off) to 60-90 minutes instead of 2 hours.

For large roasts (over 10 pounds): Cut the roast into two halves and cook them simultaneously. Figure out the initial cooking time based on the weight of just one-half.

For instance, if you have an 11-pound roast, cut it into two 5.5-pound halves, put them in the oven, and cook at 500°F (260°C/Gas Mark 10) for 33 minutes. (6 minutes per pound x 5.5 lbs roast = 33 minutes of cooking time.) Then, cook as directed for 2 hours with the oven off.

🙂😀 Testimonials

I recently tried this no-peek prime rib recipe, and it completely transformed my holiday dinner hosting experience! Not having to constantly check on the roast let me focus on other aspects of the meal which was a total game changer!

Cathy Lane, South Dakota

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Once cooled, I recommend slicing the roast and putting the leftovers in a sealed Ziploc or airtight container in the fridge. They're best enjoyed within 5 days.

Learn more about how long prime rib leftovers will last here.

Freezing

Slice your roast and transfer the meat to a heavy-duty freezer bag. If you squeeze out any excess air and seal it tightly, it will last for up to 6 months.

For more useful information, see how long prime rib will last in the freezer.

Reheating

Let frozen prime rib thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it. Then, cover your leftovers and ¼ cup of beef broth in a pan with foil. To maintain juiciness, add ¼ cup of beef broth.

Bake at 300°F (150°C/Gas Mark 2) for 20-30 minutes or until heated to your satisfaction.

You can find more specific instructions with tips and tricks in my guide to reheating prime rib. For leftover recipe inspiration, see all of my prime rib leftover recipes.

❔ Do I Need To Rest My No Peek Roast?

No, not at all! The time spent in the oven with the heat turned off and cooking in the residual heat is enough 'resting' time for this cooking method.

📖 Recipe Card