Ribeye roast is a classic main entree for a special holiday or family meals, but the size of a rib roast is just not made for many smaller households. Learn to cook this delicious meal without eating leftovers for a week.
Introduction
A ribeye roast is a great company meal. But do you want to cook 5-10 pounds of meat if you have a smaller household? That will feed 10-20 people. That is just not friendly for most households.
Let’s make the ribeye roast “friendlier” for smaller households with these easy step by step instructions. Cut down for the smaller household; this recipe will not leave you eating leftovers all week.
I will confess, ribeye roast is just one of the cuts of meat I generally have passed over. They are generally huge and is just the wrong size for our home needs. But it can be “friendlier” for smaller households on special occasions.
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.
My Rating
A very nice roast with great taste and fork-tender. A nice 5.
🐄Ribeye
There is some confusion about prime rib vs. ribeye. The first point is “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 most 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 a 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, things labeled ribeye will almost always be boneless.
Now you are educated or very confused.
⏰🌡️Time and Temperature
After an initial 20 minute searing at 500° oven for 20 minutes, then decrease the temperature of the oven to 325° and continue to roast until desired internal temperature.
For my 2 ½ pound roast, the initial 20 minutes plus an additional 45 minutes for 130°, 55 minutes for 140°, and 60 minutes for 145°.
But when I used a roast slightly over 3 pounds, it added about 30 minutes to the above cooking times. So pay attention.
Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer.
🔥Smoking Ovens
Even though I took some steps to decrease the smoking oven issues. Mainly I cut back the butter that was going to melt off and having no chance of adding flavor.
You probably will still 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.
So 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-degree pan. This is my favorite.
- You can skip the "searing" entirely. It will take a bit longer, but it will be fine.
📖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
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
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. I suggest using the rack and a bit of water under the rack to cut down the smoke.
Place the 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 ½ 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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📖 Recipe
Small Ribeye Roast
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Ingredients
- 2-3 pound boneless ribeye roast
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500° 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 or roasting pan is good here. The pan needs some sides to prevent splatter. Add a bit of water under the rack to decrease smoking.
- Place on rack fat side up and into a 500° oven for 20 minutes then decrease the temperature of the oven to 325° and continue to roast until desired internal temperature.
- For my 2 ½ pound roast, an additional 45 minutes for 130°, 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.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A good estimate of size of the roast is ⅓ to ½ pound per serving.
- Never cook by time alone. Always check with a meat thermometer.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 3-4 days.
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-degree pan. This is my favorite.
- You can skip the "searing" entirely. 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
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Editor's Note: Originally published September 17, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Fran
I am going to try this recipe (sure it will be great), but am writing to thank you for all the wonderful recipes that you made available this year. Best wishes to you and your family --- including those beautiful four-legged children -- for a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with only the very best!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
You are so welcome and have a great holiday.
Dan
Leslie
Hi Dan, first, thank you for sharing a small prime rib recipe ( most recipes online are for much bigger and more ribs, till I found yours ) I bought a 2 1/2 lb one rib roast.
I cooked it tonight and followed your recipe and tweeked it a bit.
Because my roast was small and I didn't think it would stand on a rack with one rib I helped it a bit by taking a long piece of tin foil & rolling it up and put along the bottom edge and hooked it to the rack, I used a cookie sheet and lined it with parchment and added a small amount of water in case my old gas stove smoked, it did not, woohoo!..
500 for 20 min and 250 for 45 min and tented it for 15 min, it was a perfect 130 meat therm degrees!
Delicious!!!! ❤
Bonnie
Thanks for small prime rib recipe. If I buy one rib for one person, will it even stand, or lay on side? Any reason not to just sear in cast iron skillet? I would probably just do a rub with garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper; canola oil, or oil/butter mix to sear. Warm leftovers in reheated drippings? My experience with large rib roast to be rare is only about 18 minutes per lb at 350, so 20 minute sear in oven at 500, then 45 minutes at 325 seems a lot for 2.2 to 2.5 lbs. But, yes, have very good meat thermometer.
Jer
If you have a skewer that fits your roasting pan, use that to hold up your small roast. I use three skewers, because my family like their meats cooked rare, med. rare and med. well!
Sarah
Hi, do you think I could use a 500 degree grill to do the searing to cut down on smoke in the house?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep, that would work also. Just do a fast transfer to the preheated oven. I generally do the water in the pan thing.
Dan
Megmac
Tried this recipe, the times were way off, way over done. It was such a nice roast and I followed this recipe and ruined it.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Sorry you had an issues but never cook by time alone-too many variables (the oven, exact temperature of the meat and oven when you start and thickness). Watch the internal temperature is the only safe way to cook this and many cuts.
North-Polemics
Every comment was positive. Except yours. And you did the VERY thing the poster REPEATEDLY said NOT to do which was "do NOT cook by time alone...use a meat thermometer for best results" (lost count how many times it was mentioned....along with reinforcement from commenters!) yet you felt compelled to post your negativity anyway. Some people man.
(p.s Thank you Dan, recipe was EXACTLY what I was seeking for my small rib roast. Hopefully, I don't "ruin" mine...lol...and yes, I have a meat thermometer...AND can follow crystal clear instructions!!)
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the comment.
I count three times in the recipe card and more in the post. I have a lot of this happen. I just feel they are making fools of themself. But I will delete a bad rating if it is like that comment. (I think there was a rating on that one.)
I do love people that read the comments. I always do.
Dan
Tobias Funke
2 pound boneless prime rib roast (actually 2.2 lbs) cooked perfectly by heating for 12 minutes (5-6 minutes X weight) at 500 degrees F (convection) then turned oven off and let sit for 60 minutes in closed oven. Medium to medium rare. This "high heat" method woks every time but my oven can handle it. Good luck!
Joanne Girard
I ordered a prim rib roast -boneless. 2/74 lbs. It was lkabeled delmonico boneless rib roast. I questioned the butcher. He said thats howthey lable it - it is prime rib. Can I cook it with your method?
\
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Joanne,
Welcome to the blog.
The answer is probably fine. The term "Delmonico" is at best ill-defined and adds confusion to me and most people about what it really is but by adding "rib roast" to the name, you should be OK-probably.
Delmonico steaks can be almost any steaks and any quality but usually are thick. In roasts, if used, it is usually used for rib roast, again any quality. But I have seen it used for eye of round (totally different meat).
Sorry to add confusion. Hope that helps.
Dan
Bronzi
Made this a few times with your recipe. I’m single so smaller size hard to find as well. Yummy
Denise
I never made a prime rib roast and followed this recipe to a T. My husband said the beef was “melt in my mouth” perfect. Thank you!
(I am a vegan and did not taste it)
Denise
Nancy
Rib roast was delicious once we got past all the smoke.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Nancy,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you. If you use a rack, the water in the pan trick I discussed above works well for the smoke issue.
Dan
jerry joyce
HI Dr. DAN
Iam having to roast a 8 lb rib eye. what are the times?
thanks: Jerry
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jerry,
Welcome to the blog.
The biggest I have done is 4 pounds so I have no great answer.
I would suspect 2 1/2 to 3 hours but highly suggest looking around for another discussion of the bigger roasts. As you know, the final internal temperature is really the determination of how long, not a clock.
Suggested Link: https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/charts-timetables-measuring/timetable-roasting-meats
One final thought, this technique depends on a high temp initially to "sear" then decrease to a lower temp to get to the right internal temp for us. The initial step of searing the outside may not be needed with the longer cooking time of a big roast.
Hope that helps a little.
Dan
Jack Long
Awesome
Could you use a Convection oven and decrease the cooking temperature and time?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jack,
Welcome to the blog.
The short answer is yep. You can move the oven temperature around and use convection if you want. (I usually do by the way). Since the endpoint is the final internal temperature, the time will vary by the adjustments you make.
Dan
Mr_Yesterday
Helpful recipe, thank you. I ran a 3 lb roast for 450 20 minutes, then 350 half hour, then 325 another 30 to 45 minutes. Then 20 minute rest, and it was still red and juicy when cut open. It's all good to heat up a little quicker and then roast a little quicker, although I still hold to traditional lower temps on the bottom half of the cook time. Personally I like mine with organic olive oil covered with a thick layer of unground celtic sea salt pre cook covering. Then the silverback fat layer along the end of the roast really shrinks up and pulls back, allowing for better consistency in the rib meat cook and the end of the primary roast cook area. You can scrape those fat roasted salt kernels off the fat and eat them with steak before, alongside, or after the bites, whatever you like. The most glorious and intense flavored salt you'll ever have. I don't cut off the rib before cook myself, it's just easier to pop it in, then cut along the ribs with a super sharp knife after cooking, but before carving. Best roast ever, the rib eye. One of these days I'll make the time to pop garlic cloves in there, marinate it before hand, etc, etc. Spritz it with lemon or lime right before each bite if you really want a zesty flavor. Also we've been known to cook a whole roast, only to then turn around and use roast cut up squares in lettuce wraps along with sizzled organic corn and beans. Rib roast lettuce wraps with organic veggies? Don't knock it until you've tried it. If you are reading this you are the resistance. Cheers.
DrDan
Hi Mr_Yesterday.
Welcome to the blog. Sorry for the delayed response.
Thanks for the details of you experience, hopefully it will help others.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Peg
I'm so happy to find cooking times for smaller roast! Thank you! My question is related to the butter. My daughter is dairy intolerant so I'm looking for a replacement even though I would absolutely love the butter! With the smoking issue oh, I suppose olive oil would not be a good replacement. I do have grape seed oil, canola oil, coconut oil and regular vegetable oil. What would you suggest as a replacement for the butter?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Peg,
Welcome to the blog.
I would tend to use canola oil since I know it is neutral. Grape seed oil, which is "neutral", seems to have a bit of taste to me.
Dan
Robert
Hello Everyone,
Getting ready to do a ribeye roast and just fired up the oven to preheat. The roast weighs just over 2 lbs for myself,wife and daughter. I will be using the beef broth method and put on a nice rub after letting it set out for a while.
I will update on how it goes later
Kurt Lindstrom
Did not read far enough regarding the "smoke" part :) Turns out our smoke alarm system is working as intended :) Now waiting to finish cooking....
DrDan
Hi Kurt,
Welcome to the blog.
It is always good to test those smoke detectors occasionally :)
There is a suggestion a few days ago by Frances to use a can of beef broth in the bottom and it can be used for au jus later. I really like that suggestion.
Thanks so much for the note. Maybe a few others will take note.
Dan
Louisa
Dear Dr. Dan,
Purchased a 2.63 lb. roast to cook on New Year's Day. Haven't done one in years so needed a recipe for a small roast for two. Was I ever glad that I found your recipe! Was a little anxious about a 500 degree oven and smoke from the melting butter. However, as the roast cooked there was no smoke (put about a half cup of water in bottom of pan) and after 20 mins at 500 degrees in my gas oven, the roast was beautifully browned. Turned oven down to 325 degrees and inserted meat thermometer and cooked another 65 mins until roast reached a temperature of 135 degrees. Another 65 mins. seems too long for this size roast but it turned out medium rare. Perfection! Your recipe definitely rates five stars. Thank you so much!
DrDan
Hi Louisa,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks so much for the detailed report for others to read and thanks for the note.
Dan
Frances Cheslock
I added a can of beef broth and some sliced mushrooms to the bottom of the pan which eliminates the smoking butter and makes a lovely au jus to serve with the roast or thicken for gravy. This roasting method worked perfectly! thank you!
DrDan
Hi Frances,
Welcome to the blog.
I love that idea.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Angela
Made this for Christmas eve dinner and it was so tasty! Had a 2.5 lb bone-in rib roast. Salted in the a.m. for about 6 hours in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for an hour after poking with knife and coating in butter. 20 minutes at 500 degrees (with water in pan under rack) then 325°F for 60 minutes. Yummy!
DrDan
Hi Angela,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry for the delayed response.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for the note.
Dan