Sous Vide Prime Rib

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If you want a surefire way not to ruin that expensive rib roast you just bought, this sous vide prime rib recipe is a must try. Ultra tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, this recipe is what life is all about.

So whether you making an extravagant holiday dinner or just a treat for you and your family, this recipe is the BEST way to cook prime rib in my humble opinion.

And if you've been following me, you know that I posted a sous vide rib roast recipe a while back that was incredible, and not all that different than this recipe.

I really love this for holidays or family gatherings because it is virtually hands-off and you never have to worry about it getting overcooked while your attention is on all the delicious sides.

When you're paying $75-200 on a piece of meat, you prefer not to ruin it. When we buy a tenderloin, we always make this sous vide beef tenderloin too.

If you guys have been around a while, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for sous vide cooking. It's just honestly the best way to cook meat. You'll definitely want to try some of these sous vide beef recipes:

• Sous Vide Beef Ribs
• Sous Vide Beef Tongue (seriously, you MUST try this!)
• Sous Vide Roast Beef
• Sous Vide Sirloin
• Sous Vide Beef Cheeks
• Sous Vide Chuck Roast (a site favorite)

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• What is Sous Vide?
• Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Storage/Reheating Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why This Recipe Works

Honestly, the main reason it works so well is that the sous vide eliminates the guesswork and takes stress out of the equation. That said, I've made the recipe extra special for you too:

• Seasoning in advance and letting it sit overnight allows to meat to get so flavorful as well as helping it stay ultra juicy and tender.
• Roasting it in a hot oven afterwards helps give it that golden brown caramelized texture and flavor.
• We use the bag juice and other ingredients to make the most incredible au jus perfect for serving with the sliced beef, or with sandwiches the next day!
• While I recommend cooking it rare, you can cook it to any doneness you prefer (temperatures are included below).

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts is included the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For the best results, using a USDA Prime rib roast is recommended if you don't mind spending a lot of money. However, if you want a more budget friendly version, you can use Choice which is also a good cut (and what I use most often). Avoid using Select which is the worst quality and can affect your results.

You can buy a single rib roast or the largest one you can find. This recipe works for any size. If you cook a very large one, I would go with the longer cooking options just to make sure it gets nice and tender.

I love using roasted garlic when cooking the roast, but if you don't have roast garlic you can leave it out. I don't recommend using fresh garlic as it can develop bacteria when cooked at lower temperatures like we're doing here.

For the jus, we use red wine and beef stock (I'm all about homemade beef bone broth, but use whatever you like) mixed with the cooking liquid from the bag. If you prefer not to use wine, you can just substitute extra beef broth.

Step By Step Instructions

Season the rib roast with the salt and pepper and let it sit uncovered on a baking rack (over a plate) in the fridge overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 131F degrees for a prime rib cooked rare. If you prefer a different doneness, use this table:

Temperature	Time	Doneness
131F Degrees	8-12 hours	Rare (my favorite)
135F Degrees	8-12 hours	Medium Rare (my second favorite)
140F Degrees	8-12 hours	Medium
145F Degrees	8-12 hours	Medium Well (not recommended)
150F Degrees	8-12 hours	Well (not recommended)

Place the rib roast in a vacuum seal bag with the roasted garlic and fresh thyme and seal.

Cook in the water bath for 8-12 hours. I always go 10-12 hours as I like it ultra tender. The longer you cook it, the softer it will get.

Remove from the water bath and place in an ice bath for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 500F degrees.

Remove the rib roast from the bag, reserving the bag juice for the jus (below).

Place on a rack over a baking sheet and rub the butter over the top. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on the outside.

While the beef roasts, combine all the ingredients for the jus in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the alcohol in the wine has been cooked off. Adjust for salt if necessary (I don't typically add extra salt).

Remove the rib roast from the oven. Let it cool slightly.

Slice and serve drizzled with the jus and serve with horseradish sauce (optional).

**Can also be sliced thin and served on sandwiches.

Expert Tips

1. Salting it overnight allows the salt to penetrate into the meat which adds flavor and also helps keep it tender. While you can skip this step, I recommend doing it if you can so you get the best results possible.
2. The longer you cook it, the softer it will get. I do not recommend cooking more than 12 hours or it can start to become too soft and mushy.
3. I recommend cooking it rare to medium rare, but doneness options are included above if you prefer something different.
4. Always place it in an ice bath when it's done to cool the outside of the pme rib. This allows the butter to be spread on before roasting, as well as helps to avoid it overcooking in the hot oven.
5. You can cook this ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days until ready to serve it. Reheat it in a 131F degree water bath for 30 minutes, then roast per the recipe instructions.

How to Serve Sous Vide Prime Rib

You can use a compound butter in place of the salted butter if you want some extra oomph to your prime rib. Try these combos:

• Mix the butter with 1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic (and/or minced onion);
• Mix butter with 1 teaspoon fresh herbs such as thyme, tarragon, rosemary, oregano, or sage;
• Add 1 teaspoon of truffle zest for an amazing truffle butter;
• Chop up a tablespoon of sundried tomatoes and mix them in with the butter;
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of blue cheese in with the butter (one of my favs).

In addition to the compound butters, sous vide prime rib can be sliced and served on sandwiches with my ultra favorite horseradish sauce (from the sous vide filet mignon recipe).

And of course, if you want to make this a decadent meal, serve it with these sides:

• Parmesan Truffle Fries
• Truffle Mashed Potatoes
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
• Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
• Honey Roasted Parsnips
• Sous Vide Carrots
• Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

And dessert - you can't forget dessert!

• Sous Vide Cheesecake
• No Bake Chocolate Mousse Pie
• Lemon Chiffon Pie
• Sous Vide Crème Brulee
• Chocolate Souffle

Storage/Reheating Instructions

You can cook this ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days until ready to serve it. Reheat it in a 131F degree water bath for 30 minutes, then roast per the recipe instructions.

It can also be frozen after it is cooled in the ice bath. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve it, thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat in a 131F degree water bath for 30-45 minutes.

Slather with the butter and roast according to the recipe instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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