Herbed Prime Rib Roast With Horseradish

This juicy and tender Herbed Prime Rib Roast is cooked to perfection for the holidays. Each bite melts in your mouth and has a hint of tang thanks to the creamy homemade horseradish sauce.

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This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. All opinions are my own.

Your holidays just got a lot easier! This “set it and forget it” Herbed Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish is juicy, tender, and makes for a beautiful centerpiece during Christmas dinner. With just a few simple seasonings, this marbled piece of meat turns out impeccably flavored and is even great for leftovers.

No matter the size of your holiday meal, beef will make your dinner feel special. Keep your holiday traditions alive by cooking this delicious Beef Prime Rib Roast. You can stretch the leftovers into multiple meals by using the beef for sandwiches, easy lunches, or a quick dinner.

Still, looking for holiday inspiration? Head to Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner’s website to find shareable recipes, ingredients, and everything else you need to make the perfect beef holiday meal.

What is Prime Rib Roast?

This beautiful, fatty, marbled piece of meat is called prime for a reason! Also called a Standing Rib Roast, Prime Rib is an excellent cut of meat and comes from the primal rib on the cow (one of the 9 primal cuts).

Bone-in Prime Rib is one of my favorites. It cooks slower, but seals in extra flavor. The meat will turn out juicy and tender.

Is Prime Rib Roast the same as Ribeye Roast?

Both a Prime Rib and Ribeye Roast are high-quality cuts of beef, come from the same part of the cow, and don’t stray far from each other in terms of flavor. They do, however, have a few key differences.

A Prime Rib Roast contains rib bones, meaning you get extra beefy flavors. It benefits from being cooked in its own juices as well as bolder seasonings. It’s a great choice when you need to feed a crowd.

Ribeye Roast is traditionally boneless but also delicious and a great choice for a date night or a special weeknight dinner. All it needs is a simple seasoning of olive oil, salt, and pepper. This cut of meat is best cooked with a sear and then finished in the oven and can be cut into steaks like I feature in my recipe for Ribeye Steak.

Herbed Prime Rib ingredients

A cut of meat for a special occasion doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated. A Prime Rib Roast can be seasoned with just a few simple ingredients. Don’t forget the baby potatoes, green beans, and chimichurri sauce on the side!

Here’s what you need:

• Bone-in Prime Rib Roast
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to cook Prime Rib Roast

The secret to an excellent Prime Rib Roast is to cook it at a high temperature for a short amount of time, then turn the oven way down for a few more hours. I’d recommend using an oven-safe meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked to perfection. Find more Oven Roasting Basics here.

This is how you cook a Prime Rib Roast:

1. Prepare the roast: Place the roast in a roasting pan and cut a few shallow slits on the non-fatty side.
2. Season the meat: Combine the rosemary, oregano, olive oil, and garlic in a bowl. Use it to season the Prime Rib on all sides and into the slits. Leave it in the fridge to sit for 30 minutes to one hour.
3. Cook the Prime Rib: Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper before placing it in a hot oven. After a few minutes, turn the heat down and cook for an additional 2 hours.
4. Serve: Slice and serve with horseradish sauce.

Horseradish sauce ingredients

To complement the beef, serve it with this creamy and tangy horseradish sauce. It’s easy to whip together and tastes even better than what you would be served in a steakhouse. Another sauce to add is my delicious chimichurri sauce.

This is what you need:

• Sour cream
• Creamed horseradish
• White balsamic vinegar
• Parsley
• Chives
• Salt

How to make homemade horseradish sauce

It’s so easy! Horseradish sauce can be made in 5 minutes and then used on the side of beef or in a sandwich.

This is what you need to do:

1. Mix everything together: Mix the sour cream, horseradish, vinegar, and parsley together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt. 
2. Serve: Scoop some of the sauce onto your plate with the roast or spread it on a beef sandwich the next day.

Helpful recipe tips

• The prime roast cook time is set at 15-20 minutes per pound. If your roast is smaller, just calculate the full cook time that way.
• Use an ovenproof meat thermometer instead of an instant-read meat thermometer. This helps you avoid opening the oven door countless times or poking holes in the meat.
• Use a roasting pan with a rack if you have one. This will improve air circulation and promotes more even cooking.
• Prime Rib is juiciest and the best tasting when it’s cooked medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness.
• Let the meat rest for 20 to 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. This tent will seal in all of the natural juices and create a better, more flavorful bite. 

Storing and reheating

As soon as you’re done serving the Prime Rib Roast, seal up any leftovers in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2-3months. Reheat the leftovers in the oven or microwave.

Store any leftover horseradish sauce in a jar or sealed container for up to 2 weeks. Spread it on a sandwich or serve it with steak!

What to serve with Prime Rib Roast

Don’t forget plenty of side dishes to complement your Prime Rib:

• Garlic Mushrooms With Thyme
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Mushroom And Sausage Stuffing
• Parker House Dinner Rolls
• Cheesy Polenta

More beef recipes to try

These savory recipes featuring beef would be delicious at any time of year:

• Rib-Eye Steak Cooked In The Oven
• Instant Pot Beef Ragu
• Grilled Flank Steak
• Beef Short Ribs
• Caprese Salad Burgers

If you give this Herbed Prime Rib Roast With Horseradish a try, let me know in the comments below. I love seeing your pictures too, so please tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog and use #lenaskitchenblog so I can share them to my page!