No peek prime rib roast(aka the oven-off method) is an easy way to make a perfectly cooked roast beef with a gorgeous crispy sear on the outside! This oven-closed prime rib involves briefly roasting the meat at a high temperature before shutting off the oven and letting it cook to perfection in the retained heat! All you need is a quality beef roast, my quick and easy dry rub, and an oven!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs35 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs45 minutesmins
Course: Beef Dishes, Christmas dinner, Main Course, Prime Rib
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. I suggest between 4-8 hours at room temp with this no peek method.*USDA recommends a maximum of 4 hours.**
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 Roast
Preheat your oven 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.
Once the oven has preheated, generously season your 5-8 lb prime rib on all sides with 5 tablespoon prime rib rub (or more to taste).
5-8 lb prime rib, 5 tablespoon prime rib rub
Roast Without Peeking
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.)
Once your roast has been seared for your calculated amount of time, turn the oven off.
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℃).
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.
Remove your roast from the oven, then slice and serve right away.
Notes
Tips:
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.
I have heard that the high starting temperature can 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 originally planned before turning off the oven. It's also a good idea to preemptively turn on your oven vent so that you don't accidentally set off the smoke alarms!
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.
Storing:
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.
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.
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 through.