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One more prime rib recipe! We’ve done prime rib in every possible way, so we are rounding out our collection with this slow cooker prime rib! We couldn’t leave out the trusty slow cooker!
We’ve roasted prime rib, smoked prime rib, and cooked prime rib in the Instant Pot, so all we are missing is the slow cooker. You’ve asked, and we are answering! Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or just a nice Sunday dinner, prime rib in the slow cooker is a great option!
I am a huge fan of making dinner in the slow cooker. Some days just call for a crock pot meal. I especially like them for Sunday dinner. I can throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, and then dinner is ready at mealtime. So easy!
Ingredients You’ll Need
There’s nothing quite like a prime rib roast that makes your kitchen smell irresistible and your dinner guests swoon. These simple, flavorful ingredients are all you need to turn a slow cooker into your personal gourmet chef.
- Prime Rib: Boneless, main protein for roasting.
- Kosher Salt: Season all over the meat and into the slits.
- Black Pepper: Cracked, adds spice and depth to the crust.
- Butter: Softened, mixed with herbs and garlic for basting.
- Rosemary: Fresh and chopped, adds aromatic flavor to the butter.
- Garlic: Minced, incorporated into the butter for savory richness.
With these ingredients on hand, you’re set to create a prime rib that’s as effortless as it is impressive. Get ready to wow everyone at the table!
How to Buy the Right Prime Rib?
I’m going to go against almost everything I believe and tell you to get a boneless prime rib for this recipe. We found it works way better in a slow cooker without the bones in the roast. Go figure! No bone-in for this recipe!
You will want to talk to your butcher and ask for a prime rib roast with an untrimmed fat cap (ideally ½ inch thick). We prefer the flavor and texture of prime-grade beef, but choice grade will work as well, just ask the butcher which he has. Choice grade will be cheaper.
How to Make Slow Cooker Prime Rib
Making a prime rib in a slow cooker is about as easy as it gets. It just takes a little prep on the roast itself, and then the slow cooker does all the rest.
- Prep: Cut slits into the fat pad on top of the meat. First cut diagonally, then cut the opposite way to form a diamond pattern. See the video below!
- Season: Rub salt and pepper all over the roast and down into the slits.
- Chill: Place the roast in a baking dish and refrigerate uncovered for 12–24 hours to dry the surface.
- Rest: Remove the roast from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Reverse Sear: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear all sides of the roast until golden brown.
- Butter: Mix together butter, rosemary, and garlic.
- Crockpot: Place the browned roast fat-side up in the slow cooker and rub the butter mixture over the top.
- Cook: Cook on the low setting for 3–5 hours, depending on desired doneness. See FAQ for temperature ranges.
- Rest: Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil. Let rest 20 minutes to 1 hour.
- Serve: Slice and serve with horseradish sauce if desired.
What Do You Eat with Slow Cooker Prime Rib?
You’ve just cooked the perfect slow-cooker prime rib, and now comes the fun part: deciding what to serve with it. The possibilities are endless. Roasted or mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, herby bread, or a medley of seasonal vegetables all work beautifully.
Prime Rib FAQs
Prime rib is also called a Standing Rib Roast. It comes from the primal rib, one of the nine main cuts of beef. The full rib section includes ribs six through twelve, but a standing rib roast can have anywhere from two to seven ribs depending on what you buy and how much meat you want.
Prime rib is best enjoyed with a crowd! It is a decadent dish that usually involves guests around the dinner table. You can plan on 1 lb of prime rib per person. If you purchase a 6-8 lb roast, you can plan on serving 6-8 people, and if you are serving little kids, it will go a little farther.
The doneness of prime rib is always a hot topic. People often worry about how pink it is, but the best prime rib is cooked to medium or lower. Anything above medium can become tough and chewy. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature and aim for the following:
– Rare: 120–129°F
– Medium Rare: 130–134°F
– Medium: 135–144°F
– Medium Well: 145–154°F
– Well: 155–164°F
If the prime rib has been cooked properly and in low heat, the fat on the prime rib will be rendered, will melt in your mouth, taste heavenly, and will only augment the flavor of each bite. One of the reasons that prime rib is so tender and juicy is the moisture from the fat content, so it shouldn’t be completely omitted
Storing and Reheating
If you happen to have leftovers, they store for 5 to 7 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer in an airtight container.
To reheat it, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F, place the sliced prime rib in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of beef broth, cover tightly with foil, and let it heat for about 10 minutes. Using this slow cooker method, you can serve a juicy, tender prime rib that will impress everyone at the table.
Prime rib does not have to be intimidating. The trick is to season it and let it rest uncovered in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. This dries out the surface and sets you up for a gorgeous, flavorful crust when it cooks.
Who knew something so fancy could be this easy? The slow cooker does all the work, and you still get that melt-in-your-mouth, restaurant-quality prime rib. Serve it up with your favorite sides, soak up the compliments, and enjoy every juicy bite. This is one of those recipes that makes you look like a pro without even breaking a sweat.
More Slow Cooker Main Dishes:
Watch How This Prime Rib is Made…
Slow Cooker Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 6-8 Pound Prime Rib, boneless
- 1-2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, cracked
- ⅓ Cup Butter, softened
- 1 Tablespoons Rosemary, fresh, chopped
- 8 Cloves Garlic, minced
Instructions
- 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.6-8 Pound Prime Rib
- Rub the salt and pepper all over the meat and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.1-2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
- Remove from the fridge and set on the counter for 1 hour.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brown each side of the meat.
- Remove to a slow cooker fat side up.
- Mix the butter, rosemary and garlic and then rub all over the top of the meat.1 Tablespoons Rosemary, ⅓ Cup Butter, 8 Cloves Garlic
- 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.
- Allow to rest with a little foil draped over the top for 20 minutes to 1 hour before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can’t wait to try your prime roast recipe.
thanks for sharing step by step directions.
Going out today and purchase the roast and a larger slow cooker
Yay! Enjoy Barbara! Happy holidays!
Do you need to add any liquid? Most slow cooker recipes need at least a 1/4 cup of water. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! With the butter and natural juices of the prime rib, we haven’t ever had to add liquid, but you could definitely keep your eye on it. A little beef broth wouldn’t hurt anything!
I’m sorry but you never cook this cut of meat in a slow cooker what a waste of a fantastic piece of meat
Hi Al! Sometimes a slow cooker is what work best for people so we try to cover all our bases! Our smoked prime rib recipe (https://ohsweetbasil.com/traeger-smoked-prime-rib-recipe/) is my favorite!
Can I leave the bone in? That’s the way my butcher prepared my roast.
Hi Susan! Yes, you can leave the bone in. You might just need to let it cook a little longer. Keep your eye on the internal temperature with a meat thermometer if you have one. Enjoy!
Slow cooker ( crock pot ) recipe is terrible!!
I followed the directions to a tee…..it turned out like a rump roast , a cheep cut of meat.
I purchased a standing rib roast…$100.00………I was so embarrassed in front on my quest…how this turned out.
The pictures on this site has to be from a rib roast cooked in the oven…..
Hi Mary! I’m so sorry for your disappointment. The photos are of a boneless standing rib roast that we cooked in a slow cooker prepared and cooked just as written in the instructions.
How many pounds is the prime rib roast?
I made this for a small Christmas dinner of three people and it was a hit! I should have adjusted the cooking time or checked the temperature earlier for a small cut (less than three pounds), but it was still tender and juicy. In an oven, it would have been ruined. This was my first time cooking prime rib and it couldn’t have been any easier than this. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much Kathy! Love to hear this!
Any experience with adding wine to this recipe? Also, any tips for making gravy for this?
Thanks! This is my first time making a roast so I am a little nervous.
Hi Tammy! We don’t cook with alcohol, so no experience there. For the gravy, I like to pour the drippings from the crock pot through a strainer into a saucepan. Heat it on the stove until boiling, and then add a slurry of water and cornstarch (about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of water, mixed thoroughly). Whisk until thickened.
When using a slow cooker for prime rib should the fat side be down or up when cooking? Also what cook setting is best?
My husband and I absolutely ADORE prime rib, and have often wondered how it would taste cooked in our kitchen.
I’m creeped out by the idea of letting the meat sit out for an hour, as we are told not to leave meat to thaw at room temperature
Hi Jennie! It definitely depends on the temperature of your house. In the summer, you may not need to leave it out as long. If it still makes you uncomfortable, you can reduce the time, but just plan on it needing a little longer to cook to temperature. Enjoy!