Easy step by step instructions for a wonderful small ribeye roast. Cut down for the smaller household. This roast will not leave you eating leftovers all week.
A ribeye roast is a company meal. But do you really want to cook 5-10 plus pounds of meat if you have a smaller household?
I will first confess, ribeye roast is just one of the cuts of meat I generally pass over. It is not a cut I grew up eating and if I want fancier, I tend to go to steak or a filet. But I do an occasional prime rib at a restaurant but frequently put off by the amount of fat. And lastly, it is just the wrong size for our home needs. So it was time to make it friendly for the smaller household.
My Rating
This is a very nice roast with great taste and fork tender. A nice 5.
Prime Rib vs. Ribeye
There is some confusion about prime rib vs.ribeyee. First “prime rib” is more of a marketing term. What we think of as prime rib is generally a rib-in standing rib roast. It does not need to be prime grade but will usually be choice grade.
I also want to mention that a ribeye is not an “eye of round.” Eye of round is from the “round” area in the diagram above near the tail area. It is lean but can use a similar cooking technique.
If you have a rib steak (prime rib steak) then the rib bone is left intact. But in a bone-in ribeye steak, rib bone will be cut through in the interest of consistent thickness. But mostly ribeye steaks in the US are boneless. If bone-in ribeye steak in the US, it will usually be called a cowboy steak or cowboy ribeye. This is usually cut 2 inches or thicker.
So in summary, ribeye is not prime rib, while prime rib does contains 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 basically, things labeled ribeye will will almost always be boneless.
Now you are educated or very confused.
Recipe notes on Ribeye Roast
I used an Allrecipes.com recipe for inspiration but had some changes. Most significant is the decrease in butter. Due to the initial searing temperature of 500 degrees, that amount of butter is just going to melt off and smoke.
So you have some choices about if this smokes too much for you. You can just realize it will probably happen and live with it. You can eliminate the butter and use a higher temperature vegetable oil which still may smoke some. You could 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-degree pan.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lower a rack so the roast will be in the middle of the oven.
Mix 3 tablespoon of softened butter with 3 cloves of crushed garlic. Poke a 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 salt and 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.
Place fat side up on the rack and into a 500-degree oven for 20 minutes then decrease the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees and continue to roast until desired internal temperature. For my 2 1/2 pound roast, an additional 45 minutes for 130 degrees, 55 minutes for 140 and 60 minutes for 145. But when I used roast slightly over 3 pounds, it added 30 minutes to the cooking time. 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.
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 80 minutes | 15 minutes |
|
|
| Easy step by step instructions for a wonderful small ribeye roast. Cut down for the smaller household. This roast will not leave you eating leftovers all week.
|
- 2-3 pound boneless ribeye roast
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lower a rack so the roast will be in the middle of the oven.
- Mix 3 tablespoon of softened butter with 3 cloves of crushed or minced garlic.
- Poke a 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 salt and pepper to the roast to taste.
- 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.
- Place on rack fat side up and into a 500-degree oven for 20 minutes then decrease the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees and continue to roast until desired internal temperature.
- Place fat side up on the rack and into a 500-degree oven for 20 minutes then decrease the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees and continue to roast until desired internal temperature. For my 2 1/2 pound roast, an additional 45 minutes for 130 degrees, 55 minutes for 140 and 60 minutes for 145. But when I used roast slightly over 3 pounds, it added 30 minutes to the cooking time. Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer. Your time may vary.
- Tent lightly with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Remember the roast will increase in temperature a few degrees when tented.
You will probably have some smoking from the oven due to the butter and the high temperature to start. So you have some choices. You can just realize it will probably happen and live with it. You can eliminate the butter and use a higher temperature vegetable oil which still may smoke some. You could 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 degree pan.
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All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
Last Updated
December 31, 2017
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Bill
I do enjoy beef above other meats but cooking a beef roast of any kind is problematic for me. I enjoy my beef at medium rare. Even medium isn’t an enjoyable taste of beef. My wife is the opposite, no red at all, or she won’t eat it, well done or none.
I don’t want to waste a good rib roast by either over or under cooking, so I don’t cook them. What I’m thinking of trying is to cook a rib roast to medium rare then after resting, slice her portion, return that portion to the oven until it reaches her desired well done.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
Bill
DrDan
Hi Bill,
Welcome to the blog.
I had a similar but not quite as severe problem yrs ago for large holiday meals. My solution at that time was to cook whole large beef tenderloins. The ends, and several inches in, were medium then tapered down to medium rare. But that was a big piece of meat. The key was to cook at high temps but not too long. The ends and outside of the middle cooked but the middle not so much.
This will work somewhat with this smaller rib roast but not as well.
Your plan to cook her portion after cutting will “work” but the issues I see are you will lose a lot of juices. So her’s will be dry. And you will be eating at totally different times.
But considering how far apart your tastes are, I would suggest rib eye steaks or filets. You can control the cooking much easier with better results for both of you.
Hope that helps.
Dan
kiloran greenan
Sensational! First time I tried a bone in ribeye roast and your instructions were spot on. I started with 450 oven, added water to just cover roasting pan, after 20 min. reduced to 325 for 45 min – came out a perfect medium rare. I was nervous because the roast was only 2 1/4 pounds. I also appreciated all the information you provided about the cut of beef and the “difference” between prime rib and ribeye. Many thanks! It’s a keeper.
DrDan
Hi Kiloran,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked so well for you and thanks for the note.
Dan
Heidi
Why does your instructions say to raise the time in the oven for higher temperatures? (“an additional 45 minutes for 130 degrees, 55 minutes for 140 and 60 minutes for 145.”
DrDan
Hi Heidi,
Welcome to the blog.
You start at 500 then decrease to the oven temp to 325. The part you are referring to is about the final internal temperature you want. So to get to 145-degree internal temp it takes about 60 minutes more but as always, times are provided for estimates, cook to the final internal temperature you want.
Hope that is clear.
Dan
Roz
I don’t have real butter. Would margarine do??
DrDan
Hi Roz,
Welcome to the blog.
It will “work” but not be as good. Considering what you paid for the ribeye, spring for the butter.
Dan
Ros
I keep this recipe bookmarked. It never fails. I do start it a little cooler (450) and then lower the temp as directed. This seems to keep the smoke down and it still gets nice and browned and crispy on the outside. I use a probe thermometer with a beeper, so when it hits 128, I’m alerted. This way, I can do any size roast and let the thermometer do the work! Thanks for the great recipe.
DrDan
Hi Ros,
I do love my remote thermometer. Thanks for the suggestion and the note.
Dan
Erika
Excellent! I had a 2.3 lb standing rib roast. I chewed on the bone as soon as it rested. Sooo good. How can you lose with that much beef and butter?
Leslie
Made roast last Friday, per recipe, did not have any smoke problems. 5 star review, I also made your au-graten potato recipe and stove top green bean (also 5 star recipes). I got my menu ideas by looking at the first picture, would love it if you always posted pictures with side dishes or give serve with suggestions. My husban and and friends loved this meal thanks so much
DrDan
Glad they are working well for you and you solved your oven issue at least for this meal. I’m a little surprised you had no smoke.
My side dishes tend to be boring so I never mention them. Plus, I have very little imagination. How many times can you say baked or mashed potatoes and green beans (grandpa’s favorite)? Here I did have scalloped potatoes. I need to do more sides…
Leslie
Thanks for the advice, may bring roast & cook at friends house.
Leslie
I just purchased a beautiful roast (expensive) but my oven decided to act up! How do I convert this recipe for a 3 burner gas grill (plan on making the roast this Friday )? Thank you, Leslie
DrDan
Hi Leslie,
You can probably do it on a grill, I suspect the best way is indirect heat similar to how I cooked the whole chicken a few months ago. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/grilled-whole-chicken-on-a-gas-grill/
Now, this is a total guess on my part. I would set up the grill like the chicken then sear for 5 minutes per side on the hot side then put it the indirect side fat side up. Probably rotate after about 30 minutes. Then watch the internal temperature.
Now realize I have not done this or any beef like this but I was planning a Tri-Tip roast and this is what I had in my mind to do. It may or may not work well. It is your expensive meat and a company meal we are talking about. How do they feel about Pizza if it doesn’t work… You may want to Google for somebody who as actually done this.
Dan
Melody
You’re killing me! The roast looks delicious! Say what? I’ve just developed a serious allergy to beef – my favorite special occasion treat. Have you ever heard of this?
DrDan
Sorry about that…
In over 40 yrs in medicine, I have never had one but it is not impossible. Be sure you are seeing a board-certified allergist for confirmation. Food allergies are very tricky to be accurate about and there are lots of newer things the allergist can do.
Yvonne
I have heard of sudden red meat allergies being caused by a kind of tick bite. Might be worth asking for testing. Best of luck.
Lara
We have made this cut of roast on a rotisserie over a gas grill. Outstandingly delicious!!