How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

In this article, we made precise calculations of how much beef you should consider buying per guest, gave some cooking tips, and shared a couple of our favoirite finger-licking seasonings.
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Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
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Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
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Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: August 14, 2023
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Prime rib or standing rib, whichever you prefer to call it, describes a large piece of beef. Prime rib is very large, so it is suited for family gatherings or a holiday dinner with friends. Who doesn’t love savoring the mouthwatering taste of the juicy, tasty meat?

For those who don’t know much about this amazing cut of beef but wish to, we have put together this article that gives you all the information you need to get you craving some tender prime rib.

What is Prime Rib?

How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

Prime rib or standing rib is a cut of meat that comes from the primal rib. Now the whole rib area has the rib numbers 6 to number 12. A standing rib can include anywhere from seven to two ribs. Ribeye steak is another in this section as it is the steak that is cut away from the rib. A whole primal rib can weigh from 12 to 16 pounds.

How Many Pounds of Prime Rib Per Person?

You need to ensure that you buy just the perfect amount of primal rib for everyone. If you are not very familiar with primal rib, you won’t know exactly what the correct amount is. There are a few factors to consider: how you serve the prime rib, how hungry the guests are, and serving boneless or bone-in?

Are you planning to add the prime rib to other side dishes or have it as part of a larger meal or maybe a buffet?  The general rule is to have one rib for every two guests. How much prime rib for eight adults? You need to go for a four-bone rib for that amount of people, and it will need to weigh about 8 pounds. Ensure this amount fits on your grill before buying. Remember that only half of the guests will actually get rib bones, so keep this in mind when serving. Are you looking to serve prime roast rib to 12 people or more? If so, you need to go for a seven-bone roast prime rib. If you get a boneless rib, you don’t need as much meat per person, and one-half pound should work nicely.

How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

Buying Prime Rib

Now it will depend on your liking as to what prime rib you buy. The Natural Angus Prime Rib is a favorite one around the holiday time as they usually weigh in at about 6lbs and can feed up to 6 adults. This meat is a tender cut and often cooks up nice and juicy due to being wet-aged for over 30 days to allow for a better flavor.

Bone-in or Boneless Prime Rib?

How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

Bone-in is often most preferred because the bone works to help insulate the meat throughout the cooking process. This will result in more tender and flavored meat. If you are following a recipe, it is best to go by what the recipe requests. If you want prime rib that is easy to carve, then you are best to go with boneless.

Pre-seasoned Traditional Rub Prime Rib Roast

Pre-seasoned prime roast means it is already flavored and ready to go. Prime rib meat can be seasoned with different herbs and spices mixed into a paste and is then rubbed into the meat. It is best to leave this soak into the meat to distribute the flavors throughout the meat.

USDA Prime Beef Rib Eye

How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

USDA Prime Rib Eye Beef is a beautiful cut of meat that is normally aged for 28 days. The meat is tender and boneless. Each prime beef rib eye roast will serve between 8 to 10 people. If you don’t need to feed this many people considering getting the meat cut down and aim for a certain number of ribs instead of going with the whole roast. The ribs that are closer to the shoulder, known as the second end, blade end, and chuck end, have more fat, whereas the ribs known as the first cut and loin end ribs 10 to 12 are leaner, and the meat is much more tender.

You can get prime rib roast as either boneless or bone-in. If you have trouble carving when the roast is cooked, consider getting the butcher to cut the meat off the bones and then tie it all back together again. For this, you will need one pound of meat with the bone per adult. It can be easy to confuse the USDA grading of the prime with the quality of the meat. Prime rib does not indicate the quality; it is the grading that describes what that quality of the meat is like.

Tips For Roasting And Grilling Perfect Prime Rib

Seasoning Prime Rib

Prime rib is a big and expensive cut of meat, and there needs to be care taken when you are both seasoning and cooking it. If you have an extra thick piece of meat, then you need to think about that and ensure you add a generous amount. Season with chopped garlic, salt, and plenty of herbs and spices. My favorite way to seasoning prime rib is to take the meat off the bone, add your seasonings and then tie it all back together again before you pop it in to roast.

How Much Prime Rib Per Person Should You Cook?

Storing Your Prime Rib

If you will not be preparing and cooking the meat right away, it needs to be kept in the fridge. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The prime rib can also be frozen but no longer than six months. If freezing, the meat will need to be well wrapped and ensure all the air has been removed. Prime rib needs to be eaten as soon as it is cooked. Once it has been cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 days and frozen for six months if you have leftovers. If you have cooked the roast but are not going to eat it until the next day, it is best to be kept as a whole rather than sliced or cut up. Take some of the juice it was cooked in and drizzle it over the meat before storing it to help keep the meat moist.

FAQ

Is prime rib good for you?

Meat in moderation is good for you and supplies plenty of iron that your body needs. Eating more than recommended is to be avoided as red meat has been linked to colorectal cancer Trusted Source Standing rib roast - Wikipedia standing rib roast, also known as prime rib, is a cut of beef from the primal rib, one of the nine primal cuts of beef. While the entire rib section comprises ribs six through 12, a standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven ribs. It is most often roasted “standing” on the rib bones so that the meat does not touch the pan. An alternative cut removes the top end of the ribs for easier carving. en.wikipedia.org and should be eaten as little as possible

What is the correct internal temperature of prime roast?

For the right flavor and texture, you want to cook the prime rib to 139 degrees Fahrenheit. Try and remove the meat from the cooker when it is ready at 125 degrees Fahrenheit, as it will continue to cook once removed from the oven.

How do I season prime rib overnight?

It is best to season the prime rib all over as early as you can. It is better to season and leave in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to seep through the meat. If you don’t have this time allow the rib to soak in the flavors for 45 minutes minimum.

Final Thoughts

Prime rib is considered a good quality piece of meat which is why the price runs high. There is truly nothing better than sitting down to enjoy a beautiful prime rib cut of meat. Your prime meat needs to have a nice brown crackling with seasoned herbs and some fat for flavor. When sliced open, your rib needs to have a pink center from edge to edge. There is truly nothing better than that.

We hope we have answered your question about how much prime rib per person and filled your brain with tips and tricks when it comes to prime rib.

References

1.
Standing rib roast - Wikipedia
standing rib roast, also known as prime rib, is a cut of beef from the primal rib, one of the nine primal cuts of beef. While the entire rib section comprises ribs six through 12, a standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven ribs. It is most often roasted “standing" on the rib bones so that the meat does not touch the pan. An alternative cut removes the top end of the ribs for easier carving.

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