We shared our recipe for the Absolute Best Prime Rib last year, and this year we are speeding up the process and showing you how to cook Instant Pot Prime Rib in less than 45 minutes!

The holidays are busy and can be stressful, especially when it come to preparing food. Time is crucial…time with the family, time with friends. You don’t want to spend hours and hours in the kitchen. This Instant Pot Prime Rib solves that problem!

A photo of cooked instant pot prime rib sliced into.

If you want a fancy, impressive dinner in a hurry or you need to free up oven space for your holiday baking, cook up a melt-in-your-mouth prime rib in under an hour all in the Instant Pot!

How to Make Prime Rib in an Instant Pot?

Prime rib doesn’t need to be intimidating! We are going to walk you through every step. We also have a video in our Absolute Best Prime Rib post if you need to see any of the steps. Let’s get started by prepping the prime rib:

Prep the Prime Rib

Most of your success in cooking a prime rib is going to come in your prep work. The first step is to cut slits in the outer fat layer with a very sharp knife. The slits should be about 1 inch apart in a criss-cross pattern. Just be sure to not cut into the meat.

Slice down through the meat on the opposite side of the of prime rib close to the ribs and remove them from the meat and discard. Rub Kosher salt all over the roast especially in the slits you created. Place the meat on a plate store it in the refrigerator uncovered for at least 24 hours and up to 96 hours.

Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator about 2-3 hours before you’re ready to start cooking it. You want it to be close to room temperature. Set out the butter at the same time so it has time to soften.

A photo of a cooked instant pot prime rib.

Cook the Prime Rib

Turn your Instant Pot on and set it to “more saute”. Drizzle some oil into the pot and brown each side of the prime rib. Remove the meat and turn the Instant Pot off. Add the beef broth into the Instant Pot and place a trivet in the pot. Mix the butter and garlic together in a bowl, season the prime rib with pepper, and then rub it with the garlic butter.

Place the prime rib onto the trivet and put the lid on your Instant Pot. Cook it at high pressure for 8 minutes and then don’t touch the pressure valve for 35 minutes. The Instant Pot will automatically switch over to warm and the meat will continue to cook. Head down to our FAQ section for more info on cooking in an Instant Pot and all things prime rib!

After the 35 minutes, there shouldn’t be anymore pressure left, but release the valve just in case. Then remove the lid and pull the prime rib out. Heat a skillet on the stove to medium high heat and drizzle a little oil in. Brown each side of the meat so you get a nice crispiness on the outside. You can also do this in the broiler if you prefer. Reserve all the drippings that come off the roast.

A photo of a cooked instant pot prime rib roast.

Rest and Slice

After you have browned each side of the roast, place it on a cutting board and cover it with some foil. Make the gravy (see following section) from the reserved drippings while the meat rests. Cut the meat into 3/4 inch slices and season with coarse salt. Serve with the gravy. Enjoy!

Gravy

Pour the drippings from browning the meat through a strainer into a bowl and set it aside. Set the Instant Pot to “saute” mode and add 3 tablespoons of flour to the drippings left in the pot. Whisk thoroughly for a couple of minutes to make a roux. Gradually add the strained drippings into the roux and continue cooking until it is smooth and thick. Season to taste.

A photo of a slice of instant pot prime rib covered in delicious gravy.

What Should I Eat with Prime Rib?

Some sort of potatoes is a must for me with prime rib. Whether it’s our best mashed potatoes, our steakhouse smashed potatoes or a delicious baked potatoes, I have to have potatoes!! And you all know I never say no to bread…no way! Our easy herb focaccia bread is awesome or just a simple dinner roll is magic! We should probably have a vegetable or two as well, so I like to do some roasted garlic vegetables or lemon pepper asparagus as well.

FAQ

What Does An Instant Pot Do?

An Instant Pot is a multi-cooker that does the job of several of your kitchen appliances all in one machine. It can be a slow cooker, an electric pressure cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, a sauté pan, or a warming pot. In this case we use it as a sauté pan, a pressure cooker and a warming pot. They are pretty dang awesome! There’s a link in the recipe card to the style of Instant Pot that we have.

What Is The Difference Between An Instant Pot And A Pressure Cooker?

An Instant Pot and a pressure cooker can do similar things, but there are a few important differences. An Instant Pot uses electricity as it’s heat source rather than a gas or electric stove. Instant Pots are also programmable, so you can set them how long you want them to cook and when you want them to turn on and off. The other big difference is the 6 other functions of an Instant Pot mentioned above. Both and Instant Pot and a pressure cooker cook food at an extremely high pressure which reduces the amount of time needed to cook.

Should Cooked Prime Rib Be Pink?

Prime rib is best cooked to rare or medium rare. It should never be cooked past medium (140°F) because all the fat will melt out and the meat will be left tough and chewy. So yes, it will be a little pink. As long as it has reached temperature (130°F), it is perfectly safe to eat.

Is Prime Rib an Expensive Cut of Beef?

Yes, prime rib is an expensive cut of meat, and for good reason. It is fabulous! It has loads of marbling which results in more flavor. A full prime rib is cut from the 6th through 12th ribs of the cow, so seven ribs in total, meaning you are getting quite a lot of meat and bones. It takes some extra work for a butcher to get it, making it more expensive.

Is There Another Name for Prime Rib?

Prime rib is also sometimes called standing rib roast. Different people call them different things. We mentioned a full prime rib is 7 ribs. A standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven ribs, just depending on what you buy.

How Many Pounds of Prime Rib for 8 People?

Trying to decide how much meat people are going to eat is so hard! As a general rule for prime rib, I go with about 1 pound per adult. So for 8 adults, a 4-bone prime rib should be plenty. If you’re going to feed 20 adults, you’re going to want an 8 to 10 bone prime rib.

A photo of cooked instant pot prime rib sliced into.

If you want to see all our tips and tricks for cooking all the basics in the Instant Pot, download our free Instant Pot Cheat Sheet!

Juicy, tender prime rib all done in under an hour! Seems unbelievable, right? Try this Instant Pot Prime Rib and see for yourself! Your holiday guests are going to think you were in the kitchen all day preparing it!

If You’re Looking for More HOLIDAY RECIPES, try these:

The Absolute Best Instant Pot Prime Rib Recipe

4.19 from 165 votes
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 43 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 43 minutes

Description

Love prime rib but lack the time to make it? Instant pot prime rib to the rescue!

Ingredients 

  • 5 Pound Standing Rib Roast, Prime Rib
  • 2 Heaping Tablespoons of Kosher Salt
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 4-6 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter, Unsalted
  • 1 Cup Beef Broth

Instructions

  • Using a very sharp knife, cut slits in the outer surface layer of fat, spaced 1 inch apart, in cross pattern, much like crossing on a baked ham. Do not cut into the meat.
  • Gently slice down through the meat, following the bones to remove them from the meat. Discard the ribs.
  • Rub 2 heaping tablespoons of Kosher salt over entire roast and especially rub it into the slits.
  • Place the meat onto a plate. Refrigerate the meat, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 96 hours.
  • Place the meat on the counter to rest for 2-3 hours so it takes the chill off. At the same time, set out the butter to soften.
  • Heat the instant pot on "more saute" and add a small drizzle of oil. Brown each side of the meat. Remove the meat and turn off the pot.
  • Place the broth in instant pot.
  • Place a trivet in the pot.
  • Season the meat with pepper.
  • Mix the butter and garlic in a bowl, and rub it all over the meat. Carefully lower the meat onto the trivet.
  • Place the lid on the instant pot and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.
  • Leave the lid on and don't touch the pressure valve for 35 minutes. The IP will switch over to warming mode and the meat will continue to cook to 130-135 degrees.
  • Remove roast from the instant pot and heat a skillet to medium high heat with a little oil. Brown each side of the roast. You can also place under a broiler in the oven if you want to brown it that way. Reserve drippings and place the meat under a little foil on a cutting board. Go to the gravy steps.
  • Slice meat into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Season with coarse salt to taste along with any drippings turned to gravy, and serve.

For the Gravy

  • Pour the liquid from the browning out through a strainer into a bowl and set aside.
  • With the pot on the sauté setting, add 3 tablespoons of flour to the drippingsleft in the Instant Pot. Continue to cook the roux mixture for two minutes, whisking as it cooks.
  • Gradually add the strained liquids to the roux and continue cooking until the gravy is smooth and thickened. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Equipment

Notes

Cooked prime rib will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 901kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 39gFat: 81gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 655mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 4mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: 100 + BEST Easy Beef Recipes for Dinner

A photo of cooked instant pot prime rib sliced into.

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