Early in my catering career, I learned that beef ribeye roast was the best way to impress guests with a fancy meal. It felt a little intimidating at first—I was much more comfortable making dishes that could be prepped in advance, like braised pork or slow-cooker beef tips. But I trusted my culinary training and went for it. It was much easier than I thought! The guests loved the juicy, tender beef and raved about the flavor.
If you also feel overwhelmed by the idea of cooking a large, expensive cut of meat, this boneless ribeye roast recipe is a good place to start. It’s shockingly simple, even if you’ve never prepared a beef roast, and ribeye is one of the most forgiving cuts of meat. It’s cut from the beef ribs, an area of the cow that doesn’t get much exercise. The meat is naturally tender and has a high amount of marbling. All that intramuscular fat melts into the meat as it cooks, ensuring the roast stays juicy and oh-so-flavorful.
Really, the only thing you need to watch for is the roast’s internal temperature. Ribeye roast has the best flavor and texture at medium-rare to medium temperatures, so use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking.
Ribeye Roast vs. Prime Rib vs. Ribeye Steak
Prime rib and ribeye roast are essentially the same thing, but one contains bones, and the other is boneless. Both roasts come from the rib primal of the beef, comprising the sixth through the twelfth ribs. The ribeye roast is carved off the rib bones and may be called a boneless beef rib roast. The prime rib contains the rib bones and can be labeled as bone-in beef rib roast or standing rib roast.
If you cook the roast whole, it’s called prime rib or ribeye roast. If you cut steaks from the roast before cooking it, they’re called ribeye steaks. Ribeye steaks can be bone-in or boneless.
Ingredients for Ribeye Roast
- Beef ribeye roast: A 3- to 4-pound boneless roast feeds about eight people. For a really special meal, opt for USDA Prime (the USDA’s highest grade of beef). It’s the most expensive, but it also has the most marbling. That extra fat gives it unparalleled flavor.
- Dry rub: We make this dry rub with lemon-pepper seasoning, paprika, garlic salt, dried rosemary and cayenne pepper. These herbs and spices complement the beef’s flavor, and the cayenne pepper adds a hint of heat.
Directions
Step 1: Season the ribeye roast
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix together the lemon-pepper seasoning, paprika, garlic salt, rosemary and cayenne pepper. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and rub it with the seasonings.
Editor’s Tip: Let the roast sit on the counter for 30 minutes to one hour to take the chill off. Room-temperature meat cooks more evenly than cold meat and browns more easily, creating a gorgeous crust.
Step 2: Roast the ribeye roast
Roast the meat, uncovered, until it reaches the desired doneness. A thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ribeye roast should read 135° for medium-rare or 140° for medium.
Editor’s Tip: Plan on about 20 minutes per pound, or about 1 hour for a 6-pound roast and 1 hour and 20 minutes for an 8-pound roast. The meat’s internal temperature will continue to rise as it sits, so consider removing the roast from the oven when it’s 10° below the target temperature.
Step 3: Rest
Remove the roast from the oven. Tent with foil, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Editor’s Tip: The roast will smell so good that you’ll want to dig in immediately, but it’s important to rest ribeye roast. Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the meat for the juiciest, most tender eating experience.
Ribeye Roast Variations
- Make it with a bone-in ribeye roast: A bone-in ribeye roast takes longer to cook, as the bone acts as an insulator and slows down the transfer of heat to the meat. Check out our recipes for standing rib roast and herb-crusted prime rib for more details on how to cook bone-in ribeye roasts.
- Change the spices: Feel free to make the dry rub with any of your favorite herbs and spices. You can use any dry rub recipe, like our homemade steak seasoning.
- Add butter: Rub the meat with softened butter before adding the dry rub for added richness. Plain butter is just fine, or use a flavored butter recipe like garlic butter.
How to Store Ribeye Roast
Store leftover ribeye roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Sliced ribeye roast will dry out more quickly, so try to avoid cutting more than you’ll need for a single sitting.
When it comes to reheating ribeye roast, any amount of extra heat will cause the meat to exceed medium-rare temperatures. There’s really no way around that, so reheat the roast with a splash of broth or gravy to add moisture to the meat. You can also enjoy the meat cold. Slice it thin and pile it high onto a good bread to make delicious roast beef sandwiches.
Ribeye Roast Tips
How do you slice a ribeye roast?
When asked how to cut steak and beef roasts, I generally recommend slicing the meat against the grain. However, the grain can be difficult to detect with a ribeye roast. This meat is naturally tender, so slicing it against the grain isn’t as critical as it is with tougher cuts like flank or skirt steak. So don’t stress too much, and slice the meat thin or thick, depending on your preferences.
Can you make gravy with the ribeye roast drippings?
Ribeye roast drippings make an excellent gravy! While the beef rests, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a measuring cup and skim off the fat. Then, to prepare gravy from pan drippings, make a roux with flour and butter. Whisk in the skimmed drippings and some beef broth, and simmer until the gravy reaches the desired thickness.
Should you cook ribeye roast covered or uncovered?
We cook ribeye roast uncovered so it achieves a gorgeous caramelized crust. If the roast browns too quickly, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top to protect it from burning.
