Ribeye roast is a classic main entree for special meals. A ribeye roast is Prime Rib without the bone, making it easier to cook and scale to the right size at home.
Introduction
Ribeye roast on one of the best and most delicious cuts of beef. A ribeye roast is a great company meal due to its excellent marbling that makes an extraordinarily moist and tender cut of meat.
But do you want to cook a whole 5-10 pounds of prime rib or ribeye if you have a smaller household? That will feed 10-20 people. That is just not friendly for most households. A small prime rib roast or ribeye roast will be perfect for you.
A prime rib roast is a ribeye roast with the bones still attached. Bones will absorb additional heat so cooking times will be a bit longer but the technique is otherwise the same.
So let's learn how to cook a small ribeye roast or a small prime rib roast without eating leftovers for a week. With these easy step-by-step instructions, let’s make a small ribeye or prime rib roast perfect for smaller households.
Start with a good coat of garlic butter with some salt and pepper. It goes into a hot high oven to get a nice seared crust. Based on an Allrecipes.com recipe for inspiration—I scaled down some and some adjustments to decrease the smoking oven.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- Let the smaller ribeye roast set a room temperature for about an hour.
- Give the roast with a good rub of garlic butter with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Roast initially in a 500° oven to sear, then decrease the oven temperature to 325° and roast to your target internal temperature.
- Rest tented for 15-20 minutes before carving.
⏰🌡️Cooking Time and Temperature
After an initial 20-minute searing at 500° oven for 20 minutes, decrease the oven's temperature to 325° and continue to roast until desired internal temperature.
A 2 ½ pound roast, the initial 20 minutes searing at 500° plus approximately an additional 45 minutes for 130°, 55 minutes for 140°, and 60 minutes for 145°. But always check internal temperature several times early.
Approximate cooking time for 2 to 2 ½ pounds of ribeye roast
For 3 to 3 ½ pounds of ribeye roast, add approximately 20-30 minutes to the approximate oven and total times.
| Doneness | Oven Searing Time (500°) | Approx. Oven Time (325°) | Approx. Total TIme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare—cold red center 125°-130° | 20 Minutes | 40-45 | 60-65 |
| Medium—Rare warm red center 130°-140° | 20 Minutes | 45-55 | 65-70 |
| Medium—pink and firm 140°-150° | 20 Minutes | 55-65 | 70-80 |
| Medium Well and Well Done | Not Recommended |
Times are only provided to help in planning but never cook by time. You must cook to a final internal temperature. Always check the internal temperature several times early. Remember to account for a rise in temperature of 5°+ after removal from the oven.
The bigger and thicker a roast is, the longer it is to reach your desired internal temperature. Small roasts that are larger around but thin may be significantly faster.
🐄Ribeye vs. Prime Rib—What is the Difference?
There is some confusion about prime rib vs. ribeye. The simple answer, usually correct, is a ribeye roast and prime rib roast come from the same cut of beef, but the ribeye generally has had the ribs removed. So a prime rib contains a ribeye, but a prime rib also includes ribs.
What we think of as prime rib is generally a rib-in standing rib roast. It does not need to be a prime grade but will usually be choice grade.
So, a ribeye is not a prime rib, while a prime rib does contain the ribeye. A prime rib may not be prime graded, although I think it should be, so ask. Roast with rib may be called “prime rib” or standing rib roast. In the US, things labeled ribeye will almost always be boneless.
🔥What to Do About Smoking Ovens
You probably will have some because you have fat from the meat and butter in a 500° oven. Fat is going to hit hot metal somewhere and smoke.
I reduced the butter that would melt off and had no chance of adding flavor, which helped a lot.
You have some choices about if this smokes too much for you:
- You can realize it will probably happen and live with it. Lots of exhaust fans and open windows.
- You can eliminate the butter and use a higher temperature vegetable oil, which still may smoke some but less.
- You can add some water to the pan under the rack, so when the butter melts off, it hits the water (max temp of 212°) instead of the 500° pan. This is my favorite method.
- You can skip the "searing" entirely and use a 350° oven. It will take a bit longer, but it will be fine, just cook to a final internal temperature.
❓FAQs
A reasonable estimate of how much ribeye roast to buy is ⅓ to ½ pound per serving. Assume more for teenage boys and hungry people.
Cut the meat across the grain. Think of it as a log and cut off round slices for serving.
Fresh salad and roasted vegetables like green beans or asparagus are good side dishes, along with potatoes as a starch. I always like to add crusty artisan bread.
For a nice wine compliment, we prefer Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.
❄️Storage and Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or frozen airtight for 3-4 months.
To reheat leftovers, first, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat in the oven covered with some moisture like au jus or beef broth.
📖Special Meal Recipes
How to Grill a Ribeye Steak on a Gas Grill
Smaller Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham
How To Roast a Turkey Breast with Gravy
How to Grill a Filet Mignon on a Gas Grill
How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the oven to 500° and lower a rack so the roast will be in the middle of the oven. Allow the ribeye roast to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Mix 3 tablespoons of softened butter with 3 cloves of crushed garlic. Poke 15-20 half-inch knife holes into the roast.
Slather the butter/garlic mixture onto the roast, pushing some of the mixture into the holes. Add some kosher salt and black pepper to the roast.
Prep a roasting pan with a rack and give the rack a heavy coat of PAM. A cake pan is good here. The pan needs some sides to prevent splatter. I suggest using the rack and some water under the rack to decrease the smoke.
Place the fat side up on the rack and into a 500° oven for 20 minutes, then decrease the oven's temperature to 325° and continue to roast until desired internal temperature—45 to 90 minutes depending on size and desired temperature. Alway check the internal temperature a few times early, every 15-20 minutes. Allow for a 5°-10° rise in temperature after removal from the oven. Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer.
Tent lightly with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Remember, the roast may increase a few degrees when tented.
📝Recipe
Small Ribeye Roast
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound boneless ribeye roast
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500° and lower a rack so the roast will be in the middle of the oven. Allow the ribeye roast to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of softened butter with 3 cloves of crushed garlic. Poke 15-20 half-inch knife holes into the roast.
- Slather the butter/garlic mixture onto the roast, pushing some of the mixture into the holes. Add some kosher salt and black pepper to the roast.
- Prep a roasting pan with a rack and give the rack a heavy coat of PAM. A cake pan is good here. The pan needs some sides to prevent splatter. I suggest using the rack and some water under the rack to decrease the smoke.
- Place the fat side up on the rack and into a 500° oven for 20 minutes, then decrease the oven's temperature to 325° and continue to roast until desired internal temperature—45 to 90 minutes depending on size and desired temperature. Always check temp several times early. Allow for a 5°-10° rise in temperature after removal from the oven. Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer. See Notes below about smaller or thinner roasts.
- Tent lightly with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Remember, the roast may increase a few degrees when tented.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A good estimate of the size of the roast is ⅓ to ½ pound per serving.
- Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer. The timing chart is in the post.
- If cooking a smaller, more flat and thin roast, it may cook faster since it is thinner. Please check the temperature a few times, least every 15-20 minutes. A continuous remote thermometer is recommended.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in the oven covered with some moisture like au jus or beef broth.
You may have some smoke issues. You have some choices.
- You can just realize it will probably happen and live with it. Lots of exhaust fans and open windows.
- You can eliminate the butter and use a higher temperature vegetable oil which still may smoke some but less.
- You can add some water to the pan under the rack, so when the butter melts off, it hits the water (max temp of 212°) instead of the 500° pan. This is my favorite.
- You can skip the "searing" entirely and roast at 350°. It will take a bit longer but will be fine, it is a great juicy cut of meat.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
Editor's Note: Originally published September 17, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Susan
Cooked much faster than expected - followed the 20 minute @500 and then 20 at 325 to temp check. My 2.89 # roast was 155 degrees. So very disappointed very much over done - I followed exact direction.
Susan
I reported the over cooked issue. I think I realized what happened for meat to get over done. I roasted in a black iron skillet - could that be my problem? I think my stove temp is calibrated ok.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Susan,
Sorry, I missed your follow-up comment. Yes, that will definitely affect cooking time and is the probable cause of your issue. It is related to the heat conductivity of cast iron.
Dan
Cynthia
Amazing! So happy I found this recipe!!! Came out perfect!
Roberta McGowan
Great instructions, turned out perfect! Merry Chrit
Suzi S
OMG! My first time making a rib roast and it is beyond delicious. An almost 3 lb roast cooked perfectly according to your directions. I may eat the entire thing. Thank you!
Leslie
Every holiday especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas (all year long) I use your easy gourmet recipes. They are now part of our family tradition. This prime rib recipe always comes out perfect every time I make it
Thank you
Leslie
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Thanks Leslie,
Have a great holiday.
Dan
Carole
How do I cook a 5 lb. boned rib roast?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Carole,
Welcome to the blog... but I'm going to beg-out of answering. I have not gone over 3 1/2 pounds in many years.
I will give a few comments. The thickness of the meat is a bit more important than the weight determining the cooking time and bones absorb more energy so bone-in takes a bit longer than boneless.
A rest of the meat at room temperature will help cook larger pieces get to the right final internal temperature. An old trick that works well. I see some recipes very long times but please be safe and I only would do 1 hour max.
I might just skip the sear for a bigger roast. That would allow longer oven time without overcooking to surface to get to the internal temperature you want.
Lastly, always cook to a final internal temperature and NEVER by time alone.
Hope that helps some.
Dan
Carolyn S.
I would refer you to Paula Deen's recipe for "Foolproof Standing Rib Roast". It has never failed me. Google is your friend.
CJ
Hi,
Added thyme and shallots to the butter mixture. I had a 2 rib roast and tried the sear (never thought of it for some reason) and although I do not have a thermometer to measure internal temp cooked for 1 hr and 45 minutes and got a firm pink interior. Thank you for the butter idea and the sear. normally coat overnight with lipton onion and mushroom soup mix and garlic cloves.
Julie
Sir, I want to thank you so much for your small roast instructions. I always do a large roast, but for some reason I had a 2lb rib roast in my freezer. I knew I couldn't roast it like I normally do and was afraid that I would ruin it. I followed your instructions exactly (using a meat thermometer) and it was perfect. It was served with wilted lettuce from our hydroponic garden and mashed potatoes. Fantastic meal. Thank you for making it such a success. Julie
Vince Delisi
I’ve been cooking for many, many years and always worried about a small roast. I followed this exactly and it was perfect! Better than a $100+ meal at a steakhouse for under 20. Thanks. I will use this from now on. Old dog- new trick.
Ron
OK - sounds good - but fat side is full and 1/2 inch thick ???
Anticipate slicing almost through the fat every one inch and 3 X's on each slice of fat and use as slice marker ?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Ron,
Welcome to the blog.
Cutting the fat is not need but sounds like it might look nice and be a marker as you suggest.
Dan
Renee
Dan
Thank you for the Perfect way to cook a small prime rib!!
I bought a 4.85 lb. ribeye that was still to large for two. I threw it into my freezer for 1.5 hours, took it out and sliced it into two. I seasoned and started it as you described, but it reduced to 250 and baked it until the internal temperature reached 121. The internal temp rose to 127 as it rested. I DID have a digital probe in place so I didn’t keep track of the time. Oh, my gosh it was so good! And I get to do it again in the not-to-distant future! Thank you again!!
Sharon Gardner
1half pound roast, how to cook rib eye?
Helen
Oh my gosh! Took the risk of making a new thing for Christmas dinner, but wow! better than the restaurants! Just me and hubby this year so it wasn't too great a risk, but I would definitely venture out into cooking this for company... even better, no need to go to prime rib Wednesday at a local eatery, when you never know if they will be sold out by the time you get there!
Linda
Perfect recipe. Followed the instructions to the letter and it came out great. I used 3 1/2 lb. roast. My husband could not wait for it, after smelling garlic all afternoon. I did use 2 full cups of water in the baking pan. Since I used a large turkey roaster extra water was not a problem.
Joe
Hi Linda,
How long did you cook the roast after the sear and what temperature did you get?
Thanks
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Joe,
It is discussed in the post above. Here is a shortcut to that area. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/smaller-rib-eye-roast/#time-and-temperature
Dan
Julie Carnahan
I have a 31/2 lb roast and would also love to know how long you cooked, at what temp. I don't want to waste a $20. on sale cut of meat!! We like it rare. Thanks so much!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Julie,
Welcome to the blog.
Rare is hard since what you define as rare may not be for others. So you must decide on the final internal temperature you want. You also have the variables of thickness, starting temperature of the meat, and your oven.
A rough guess, if you do the sear, is in the 75-90 minute total time (including the sear time) range for about 130 degrees (you may want lower). BUT you must monitor the internal temperature or you very likely will ruin your roast. Never cook by time alone.
A few other points. Start checking the internal temperature 15-20 minutes before your lowest time and then check frequently after that. And the final internal temp will usually rise a few degrees after removal from the oven and tented.
I know that is not the exact answer you wanted but hope it helps some. So get out the thermometer and be careful. Check the temp early and often.
Dan
Carol DiNardo
I am so pleased to find your blog. I have one question about the rib roast: Do the temperatures listed correspond to 135° for medium rare, 140° for medium, and 145° for medium well?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Carol,
Welcome to the blog. Not quit on the temps. The commonly accepted ranges are listed in the post https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/smaller-rib-eye-roast/#time-and-temperature. I was giving approximations to help people estimate when to check temps.
As always, never cook by time alone. Times vary by ovens, thicken of meat, and exact temps of the meat at the start of cooking. So keep an ey on it to get what you want. Always remember that the temp will rise a bit during the rest period (3-4°) and that you can always cook something a bit more but you can not uncook something.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Jay
Linda, can I ask how long you cooked 3.5kb roast? I m following this recipe, 20 min on 500, 45 min then 30 min?
It’s my first time pls let me know. Thank you.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jay,
Welcome to the blog. I doubt Linda will see this. For me, in my oven, it would usually take 20 minutes plus 45-60 minutes. Plus about 30 more for a bigger roast. Boneless cooks faster than bone-in.
BUT ovens vary, and the thickness is important and how long you rested the roast before cooking.
You must cook to a final internal temperature and NEVER by time alone. Times are provided for planning. So a meat thermometer is required.
Dan
Ronda K
Dr. Dan:
Thanks for the recipe for a smaller roast. I'll be making it for Christmas Day.
One question - Do you begin with the roast cold straight out of the refrigerator or do you begin with a roast that has been out of the refrigerator for a period of time?
Thanks for your help!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Ronda,
Welcome to the blog.
Either will work since we are cooking to a final internal temperature. Staight out of the refrigerator will take a bit longer to get to the temperature you want.
Dan
Debbie
I’m also interested in how the cooking time may vary with a bone in rib-eye roast. Searing it in a cast iron skillet vs. a 500 degree oven? Do I cook a 2.75, 2 rib roast standing on its ribs or laying down? Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Debbie,
Welcome to the blog.
Bone in will take a bit longer but not a lot. Sear on the stovetop should work fine but be a bit careful, the butter many not do well, you might want to sear with oil the brush with butter going into the oven.
Position. An individual choice. I would tend to stand it up if it is stable. Better cooking on both sides.
Dan
Added comment. I did not give a specific answer about "how much longer" since you are cooking to a final internal temp and not by time. Also, searing on the stovetop vs oven probably will increase the time a bit also.
Dawn
Hi there! My oven does not reach 500°. Meaning it actually shuts itself off when it gets too hot. Would doing a low or high broil work instead for the 20 minute period? Or would 475 work?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Dawn,
Welcome to the blog.
Go for the 475. I discuss skipping the sear in the post if you want to do that instead.
Dan
David
My wife picked up a 2.5 prime rib knowing I enjoyed them at restaurants. I’m familiar with the roast but not cooking it. These instructions for a smaller cut were all I found and as this direction was my first choice it was the best choice Went much better than expected. Top Notch and as the cook says through out don’t judge by time alone. Check your Prime Rib temp.
T. Y.
David
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi David,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for re-enforcing the check the temperature and not the clock thing. I wish everybody would do that.
Thanks for the note and rating. Have a great holiday.
Dan
Lisa
Hi there! I have been researching Prime Rib recipes & found yours. I appreciate the fact that it is specific to small prime ribs. If I have a 3.5 lb. roast, do I still cook at 500 degrees for 20 minutes? Then, how long at 325?
Your help is greatly appreciated!
Lisa
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the blog.
The "sear time" at 500 would stay the same, it is aimed at the surface.
The cooking time after that... no single answer. It depends on the final temperature you want, the thickness of your roast along with oven variables.
You must use a meat thermometer to get the results you want. You will fail if you cook by time alone. Having said that, to get a 3.5 pound roast to about 140 after a 20 minute sear, probably close to 60-80 minutes. But start checking internal temperature at about 45 minutes.
Hope that helps some but there is no exact answer.
Dan