How Long to Cook a Prime Rib in the Oven
You'll need about an hour to cook medium-rare prime rib in the oven for just a few people, but your cook time may vary: The amount of time it takes to cook a prime rib roast depends on both the size of the roast and how done you like your meat.
Our preferred approach to how to cook prime rib actually includes a few hours of inactive cooking time: You'll want to leave the roast on the counter for a few hours before you put it into the oven so that it can come to room temperature. Then, roast your prime rib at 500 degrees for 15 minutes, which will help the outside to get nicely browned. The next step is to pull the roast out and lower the oven temperature to 350. Then, finish cooking the meat to your preferred doneness:
- Rare: 15 to 16 minutes per pound
- Medium-rare: 16 to 17 minutes per pound
- Medium: 18 minutes per pound
- Medium-well: 19 minutes per pound
- Well: 20 minutes per pound