The very best prime rib au jus combines rich beef drippings from your roast with beef stock, Worcestershire, and seasoning. It's a savory part of serving a fantastic prime rib dinner for your Christmas or holiday meals! This incredibly flavorful DIY beef sauce is easy to make - just as easy as starting with a store-bought packet.
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Making this easy au jus is the perfect way to round out your holiday meals!!
In my opinion, no roast is complete without some rich and tasty au jus for dipping tender pieces of perfectly roasted prime rib into. It's a staple for holiday meals, whether you serve prime rib or roast beef.
My au jus pairs so perfectly with prime rib french dip sandwiches. I also use up any remaining au jus in quite a few of my leftover prime rib recipes!
🥘 Ingredients
Au Jus Ingredients (with or without the drippings)
- Prime Rib Beef Drippings (or butter if not using drippings)
- Beef Stock
- Beef Broth Paste (Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
- Worcestershire Sauce (optional, you can also use soy sauce)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Gravy Ingredients (optional)
- Prime Rib Beef Drippings (or butter if not using drippings)
- All-Purpose Flour (use gluten-free all-purpose flour if desired)
- Beef Stock
- Beef Broth Paste (Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
- Worcestershire Sauce (optional, you can also use soy sauce)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Prime Rib Au Jus
I'm including the directions to make your tasty prime rib jus in one of 3 ways. This way, you can choose to use your drippings, make your au jus without drippings, or opt to make a delightful prime rib gravy.
Au Jus (with or without the drippings)
- Start with your fat. Add ½ cup of prime rib drippings (or butter) to a saucepan. Melt over medium-high heat.
- Add more beefy goodness. Pour in 2 cups beef stock, add 1 tablespoon beef broth paste, and optional 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Whisk.
- Simmer and reduce. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes as the jus will reduce and concentrate the flavors.
- Adjust seasoning if needed. Taste and add salt and pepper seasoning.
- Serve or store. Remove from heat and serve, or allow to cool completely and store for later.
How To Make Prime Rib Gravy (optional)
- Make a roux. Add ½ cup drippings (or butter) to a sauce pan. Melt over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until fully blended.
- Add liquids. Pour in a ½ cup portion of the beef stock, add the 1 tablespoon of beef broth paste and optional 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Whisk very well, no clumps should be in the gravy. Then whisk in the remaining 1 ½ cups beef broth.
- Simmer and thicken. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce heat and continue whisking while simmering. Gravy should thicken in 2 to 3 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
- Serve. Portion out immediately or cover and serve while still warm.
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💠Tips & Notes
- Do not add salt until the cooking process is complete. The jus will reduce and concentrate flavor.
- You can add aromatics if desired. I typically add a fresh sprig of rosemary.
- For the gravy, you can add minced shallots and garlic if desired. You can add them to the au jus for flavor, but should strain them out before serving.
- If you don't plan on using drippings, make it ahead of time! You can store the jus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- See my recipe for a fabulous red wine au jus!
😋 More Great Recipes To Serve With Prime Rib & Roasts
- Yorkshire Puddings (great to sop up the au jus)
- Oat Rolls (the perfect fluffy rolls for any meal)
- Garlic Green Beans (an easy, flavorful side dish)
- Fondant Potatoes (the MOST AMAZING potato side dish ever)
- Twice Baked Potatoes (my favorite easy potato side dish for roasts)
- Horseradish Sauce (what better to dip your prime rib into)
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📖 Recipe Card
Best Prime Rib Au Jus Recipe (With or Without Drippings) + Gravy!
Ingredients
Au Jus Ingredients (with or without the drippings)
- ½ cup prime rib beef drippings (or butter if not using drippings)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon beef broth paste (Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, you can also use soy sauce)
- salt & pepper (to taste) (add seasoning when cooking process is finished to taste)
Gravy Ingredients (optional)
- ½ cup prime rib beef drippings (or butter if not using drippings)
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (use gluten free all-purpose flour if desired)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon beef broth paste (Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, you can also use soy sauce)
- salt & pepper (to taste) (add seasoning when cooking process is finished to taste)
Instructions
Au Jus (with or without the drippings)
- Add the ½ cup prime rib beef drippings (or butter) to a sauce pan. Melt over medium-high heat.
- Pour in the 2 cups beef stock, add the 1 tablespoon beef broth paste, and optional 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Whisk.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes as the jus will reduce and concentrate the flavors.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper (to taste).
- Remove from heat and serve. Or allow to cool completely and store for later.
To Make Prime Rib Gravy (optional)
- Add the ½ cup prime rib beef drippings (or butter) to a sauce pan. Melt over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Pour in the first ½ cup of 2 cups beef stock, add the 1 tablespoon beef broth paste, and optional 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Whisk very well; no clumps should be in the gravy. Once combined, pour in the remaining 1½ cups of 2 cups beef stock and whisk until smooth again.
- Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce heat and continue whisking while simmering. Gravy should thicken in 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper (to taste), and serve.
Wes says
Exceptional jus for our Prime rib dinner. Easy to make and tasty!
Carla Ritenour says
I had never made au jus before and this recipe was very simple to follow. I used "Better than Bullion " as the recipe suggests. It turned out absolutely fantastic. My daughter and son-in-law (who are foodies) said it was THE best that they had ever taste!!!! There were leftovers and I saved it for other creations. My son-in-law raved about it at every meal. He was disappointed when he found out that it was all gone. I WILL be making this again. It was perfect for the French Dip sandwiches I had made it for. I can't wait until I cook my next prime rib.
Hanz says
Awesome prime rib sauce! My new go to for any beef recipe that needs this au jus. I did use more rib drippings than called for in the recipe but delicious!