How to Cook a Boneless Rib Eye Roast

Whether you are cooking for a family gathering or hosting an elegant dinner party, this simple recipe on how to cook a boneless rib eye roast will wow everyone when you serve this show-stopping centerpiece. Sometimes called a boneless prime rib roast, it’s juicy throughout, and the cooked temp ranges from medium-well on the ends to medium in the center. It can also be cooked rare if you so desire.

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My husband’s favorite cut of beef is a ribeye steak; however, I’m not very good at grilling or cooking a steak in the oven. Early in our relationship, I decided to try and cook a rib eye roast, which is what ribeye steaks are cut from. This turned out to be a great idea. It was super simple to make and cooked to perfection. Now, I prefer to cook a boneless rib eye roast, because it turns out perfect every time.

WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK YOUR ROAST

• A 3 to 5-pound boneless ribeye roast
• Kosher salt
• Meat thermometer
• A roasting rack or roasting pan with a wire rack

HOW I COOK MY PRIME RIB ROAST

First, set your prime rib roast on the counter one hour before you begin preparing it. I prefer to bring my cut of meat to room temperature before I begin cooking. There is information on the Internet that says bringing a cut of beef to room temperature doesn’t affect how your meat cooks. However, I prefer to sit my out, because I feel like it cooks better and doesn’t take as long to get to the final cooked temperature.

I always cook my boneless rib eye roast on a cooking rack. There are many options online for cooking a rib eye roast without a rack, but I prefer cooking mine on one. I feel like it helps brown the meat a tad bit better than if it’s sitting down in a pan of juices.

After your roast has set out for an hour, set your oven temperature to 450 degrees. Set your roast on the roasting rack, and place a meat thermometer in the middle in the thickest part of the meat.

Next, generously cover the top of the roast with kosher salt. Once the oven reaches 450 degrees, put the roast in the oven so the thermometer is facing the front and can easily be seen.

Cook for 15 minutes, as this will brown the outside of the roast. After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Plan for your roast to cook for 15 minutes per pound.

Cook your roast to 5 to 10 degrees less than you want your final temperature. Remove from oven, tightly cover in foil, and let your roast rest. This step is extremely important, as it continues to cook the roast and seals in the juices. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees during this resting period.

Once the roast has reached the desired temperature, remove the foil and thermometer. Place on a serving platter, slice, and enjoy.

BONE-IN OR BONELESS?

You can purchase a bone-in or boneless prime rib roast, but after trying both cuts, I prefer to cook the boneless ribeye roast.

Most people say the bone-in rib eye roast has more flavor, but I honestly can’t tell that much difference. However, I do think it’s much easier to cook a boneless rib eye roast to the perfect temperature.

We prefer grass-fed beef and our favorite is from ButcherBox. Their beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. ButcherBox beef also tastes incredible and is humanely raised and free of antibiotics and added hormones.

WHAT SIZE ROAST DO I NEED?

Generally, when planning how much meat per person, you have to weigh-in several factors. Most people work off the idea of a half-pound of meat per person. However, I would rather have too much than not enough.

You have to figure in how much fat your meat has, because if there is a lot of fat, it will shrink. Also, you have to figure in how many sides you will serve along with your main dish. The last thing to consider is how big of eaters your guests are. Children will eat smaller portions than adults.

A general rule of thumb for how I decide on the size of my prime rib roast is 3/4 to 1 pound per person. I am basing this off of a boneless ribeye roast. In general, when ordering a steak, most people order a steak that is 8 to 12 ounces.

IS IT BETTER TO COOK A PRIME RIB SLOW OR FAST?

When cooking a prime rib roast, the first thing to do is cook it at a very high temperature for 15 minutes in order to brown the outside. I always cook mine at 450 degrees to brown the outside. This also helps the Kosher salt to form a crust.

At this point, you want to cook the meat low and slow. Slow roasting a rib eye roast helps seal in the juices and cooks the cut of meat more evenly. I cook mine at 325 degrees at 15 minutes per pound for a boneless rib eye roast.

WILL SALT DRY OUT A RIB EYE ROAST?

I have seen many posts on the Internet talking about how salt will dry out roasted meat because it draws out moisture. Personally, I have never had a problem with my rib eye roast being dry. The salt does initially draw out moisture, but it ends up cooking back into the roast. I have tried this roast with various herbs and seasonings, and kosher salt is our favorite way. My roast turns out perfectly moist and full of flavor every time.

THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE TO SERVE A PRIME RIB ROAST

The perfect temperature varies from person to person, and depending on how you or your guests prefer to eat beef, is ultimately the perfect temp.

When I cook my rib eye roast, I leave it pink in the middle and more done on the outside. My husband likes his cooked medium-rare, and I like mine cooked medium-well. When I cook my rib eye roast, the outside is much more done than the inside, and this works out perfectly for us.

Doneness	Internal Temperature (when to remove from the oven)	Resting Time	Final Temperature After Resting
Rare	115°F	10 to 20 minutes	120°F to 130°F
Medium rare	120°F	10 to 20 minutes	130°F to 135°F
Medium	120°F to 125°F	10 to 20 minutes	135°F to 145°F
Medium Well	130°F to 135°F	10 to 20 minutes	145°F to 155°F
Well	140°F to 150°F	10 to 20 minutes	155°F to 165°F

• Internal Temperature – This is the temperature when you need to remove your rib eye roast from the oven.
• Final Temperature After Resting – After removing the roast from the oven, cover it tightly with foil and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise from the residual heat.

SIDES TO SERVE

• Baked Potatoes
• Marinated Slaw
• Marinated Potato Salad
• Wilted Lettuce

ENJOY YOUR BONELESS RIB EYE ROAST

Most people serve prime rib for holiday gatherings or get-togethers. We eat it frequently for Sunday dinner. As I mentioned before, ribeye steak is my husband’s favorite cut of beef. Since I’m not very good at grilling or cooking a steak in the oven, I prefer to cook a boneless rib eye roast, because it turns out perfect every time. Even if I overcook our prime rib, it is still juicy and delicious. Bon appétit!

xoxo,
Molly