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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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:
- Award Winning Instant Pot Turkey
- Cade’s Bananas Foster French Toast
- Orange Cinnamon Butterflake Rolls
- Instant Pot Blueberry French Toast Bake 3 Ways
- Candied Pecan Brussel Sprouts
- Mom’s Sticky Buns
- The Best Potato Rolls
- World’s Best Brown Sugar Ham
- Southern Macaroni and Cheese
The Absolute Best Instant Pot Prime Rib Recipe
Description
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
Nutrition
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Ron
I used a 4lb. Rib roast and after 8 minutes the temp. was 115f. Just were I wanted it. I finished it in the oven to desired med-rare. 130-135f would be too well done, to the saute it again.
Good recipe with a couple errors in cook time ir desired doneness.
Sweet Basil
Thanks for the feedback Ron!
Sari
I’m going to cook this tonight with only a pound of meat. Should it still cook for 8 minutes and slow release for 35?
Sweet Basil
Hi Sari! Sorry for the late response! It will need less cooking time, but I’ve never tried it with that small of a roast, so I’m not sure on the time.
Valerie
I was so hesitant to cook a standing rib roast…failed so many times in the past 🙁
This recipe is excellent and I have made it twice now! I served it on Christmas Eve and the 14 people who attended, loved it!! The instant pot made it easy and fast!
Sweet Basil
Yay!!! Thank you so much Valerie!
Adriana
I cook a small prime rib and wow I was amazed this recipe made it so good. I was really impressed. Thank you so much!!!!!!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Love to hear this! Thanks Adriana!
Emily
Amazing! Was very nervous about trying this for the first time. It was perfect. I did it exactly as described and then 7 mins under the broiler, perfectly medium rare.Thank you!!!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you so much Emily!
CF
Flavour was good but turned out raw after 8min High Pressure and close to 45min on Lo release (temp only cooked to 105-115F and the roast was 5lb3oz)
Elizabeth
Same! 1/2/2022
Crystal L Dombrowski
I haven’t tried this yet but planning on it really soon. I do have a question. We live at almost 5000 ft. I know on other things we have to ad time do to the altitude because water boils at a lower temperature. Has anyone made this at high altitudes.
Sweet Basil
Hi Crystal! We are at 4500 ft elevation and this is how we make it, so you should be good to keep the recipe the same!
Keola Wills
Cook longer than 8 minutes. After 40 minutes on warm my prime rib was only 110*. Just about wasted a $80 piece of meat.
Sweet Basil
Hi Keola! This recipe can be tricky because it needs to cook to temperature and that will be slightly different depending on the size and fat marbling in the meat. You did the right thing. If it’s not to temp, then it needs to cook longer.
Dennis Pierce
If I cook it with the bones it does it affect the cooking time at all. Do I need to cook it longer to get a nice medium-rare?
Sweet Basil
No, it shouldn’t change the cooking time. Enjoy!
Donna Tanaka
Help….ASAP. 12/24/2021
Family wants me to cook in the Instant Pot a 11.25 lbs (with Ribs) Prime Rib Roast for tomorrow Xmas dinner.
How many MINUTES and either LOW, NORMAL or MORE TEMP?
I’M using an Oval 10 quart Pressure Cooker that fits perfectly.
Sweet Basil
Hi Donna! I’m so sorry for the late reply. I didn’t hop online Christmas Eve or day. So I’m probably way too late, but I’ve never done a prime rib that big in the Instant Pot. Did it turn out ok?
Carol Dexter
I want to use the air fry lid to broil the prime rib. How long do I set the timer for?
Sweet Basil
I haven’t tried using an air fryer for this so unfortunately, I can’t say for sure.
Sewducky
Can you use the air fryer lid instead of broil (turn halfway) to make it a one pot sort of dish. (We don’t have a oven roasting rack)
Sweet Basil
I have never tried them in an air fryer, but I don’t see why not! Enjoy!
Sewducky
Follow-up on the lid. It worked nicely. I was nervous to turn it, so I just left it on the trivet. There’s a broil function on the fryer lid so I just tried that default setting (400 degrees for 4 minutes). It was a preset that you could adjust.
Sweet Basil
Awesome! Thank you so much for getting back to us on how it worked out!
Bronwyn
Can I leave the bones in, or will that affect cook time and texture?
Thanks! Excited to try this recipe tonight. 🙂
Sweet Basil
Yes, you can definitely leave the bones in. That’s what I did for the longest time, but then decided to try it without the bones and preferred it that way. Enjoy!!
Jaime Young
Can you leave the roast “uncovered” in the fridge for 24 hours? Isn’t the meat going to go bad?
Sweet Basil
Nope, it won’t go bad in the fridge. Leaving it uncovered will help it dry out it will cook perfectly and the outside will get nice and crusty delicious! Just make sure it doesn’t come in contact other things in your fridge. Enjoy!
Bree
I had a 4.5lbs prime rib and set it for 8 minutes. Left it for 35 minutes on warm and it was at 100°. Threw it in the oven for another 20. Definitely needs more than 8 minutes.
Sweet Basil
Hi Bree! This recipe can be tricky because it needs to cook to temperature and that will be slightly different depending on the size and fat marbling in the meat. You did the right thing. If it’s not to temp, then it needs to cook longer.
Andrew
What size Instant Pot are you using for this recipe?
Sweet Basil
Hi Andrew! We have a 6qt Instant Pot.
DAVID WHITE
Any suggestion on reheating in an instant pot?
Sweet Basil
I know it can be down on keep warm, or steam. But with steam it can change the flavor or consistency a bit. I haven’t done it, but let me know if you try it!
Frederick Leiss
Tasty, but pretty much raw. Put it in the oven to get to medium rare.
Sweet Basil
It does turn out more pink when it is done in the Instant Pot for some reason. But as long as it has an internal temperature of 130 degrees it is safe to eat and should be cooked to over 140 degrees.
Randyellen Klapper
I don’t have the rack for my instant pot, how can I adapt this for my slow cooker?
I have a 5 pound boneless prime rib.
Please and thank you.
Sweet Basil
You can use can kind of heat resistant item to prop up the prime rib out of the liquid in the Instant Pot. Or if you would rather use a slow cooker, we actually have a post coming out in the fall for cooking prime rib in the slow cooker. Here are the steps:
1. Cut just into the fat pad on top of the meat at a diagonal and then turn the opposite direction and cut again to make a diamond pattern.
2. Rub the salt and pepper all over the meat and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
3. Remove from the fridge and set on the counter for 1 hour.
4. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brown each side of the meat.
5. Remove to a slow cooker.
6. Mix the butter and garlic and then rub all over the top of the meat.
7. Cook on low for 3-5 hours or until desire temperature is reached. We like medium at 140 degrees, about 3.5 to 4 hours.
8. Allow to rest with a little foil draped over the top for 20 minutes to 1 hour before slicing.
Randyellen Klapper
Thank you for the share.
Sweet Basil
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Pam Davis
Amazing! I made this tonight for my husband’s birthday. I had a 2.2pd no bone prime rib roast. So I followed the directions after the part about cutting off the bone. I decreased ingredients and cook time in half. It was perfect. I paired it with roasted asparagus, cesar salad, and rolls.
Sweet Basil
That sounds like the perfect meal! Happy birthday to your husband!
Dan
Step 13 needs to be rewritten. How long are we broiling? Step 14 can be deleted, it’s already on a cutting board.
Sweet Basil
Hi Dan! You just broil until it is browned on each side. It might be a minute or two on each side. It depends on where your rack is in the oven. I’ve updated step 13 and removed step 14. Thank you for that!
Bill
Hi,
I like the ribs but I assume it affects the cooking time of the recipe? IF I wanted to use the bones still intact would you have a suggested time? Also, can this be done from frozen?
Marisa
Wow!! This was sooooo good and super easy. It was my first instant pot recipe. Will definitely make it again. Thanks!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Love to hear that! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment and review!
Debbie
Excellent Prime Rib. Came out Medium Rare – exactly how I like it. I added about 1/2 cup red wine to the beef broth for cooking to enhance the flavor and I used the broiler method for searing. It was much easier than turning that large piece of beef in a skillet.
The rib bones went into my ‘spaghetti’ sauce I had cooking in my crock pot. They enhance the flavor and the small bit of meat on the ribs falls off to make meat sauce.
Thanks for an easy recipe!
Sweet Basil
Wonderful, Debbie! Thank you so much for the feedback and so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Alex
Amazing. Made this exactly as written with the addition of 5 minutes to have the meat be medium rare. We will be making this again!!
Sweet Basil
Thank you Alex! It is so tasty!
Katie
Can I follow the same directions for a boneless prime rib roast?
Sweet Basil
Yes!
Donna
Whoops! Instant pot.
Christine Cummings
Throw away the ribs?!?!? What a waste! Save them for another recipe and then keep the bones for bone broth! There are plenty of online recipes out there for instant pot ribs and bone broth.
Sweet Basil
That idea is perfect!!
Donna
My family would like the prime rib cooked to medium. How long should it cook in stand pot?
Sweet Basil
I would do just 3-5 minutes longer. For some reason, prime rib in the Instant Pot comes out more pink than when it is cooked in the oven. So it will reach the proper temperature for medium, but it still might look under done to you.
Donna
Whoops. Instant pot
Donna W.
I use this recipe for the Prime Rib last night. It was my very first time cooking Prime Rib! It was only 2.5 lbs, so I wasn’t sure on the cooking time? I decided to go with the recipe time of 8 mins. I also had my insta pot set on “release” pressure. Although the meat was tasty, it definitely was overcooked and a Little tough! We like our meat Medium Rare and of course Tender!
What did d I do wrong and what should I do differently next time?
miguel
Should have cut the time in half to 4 min with 15-20 min in warm setting without the pressure released