This poor mans prime rib is a delicious main course perfect for holidays and fancy feasts while keeping your budget in check. Plan a whole meal for half the price and still get tender cuts of delicious meat.
Recipe: $23.28 | Per Serving: $3.88 | Servings: 6
This poor mans prime rib recipe is one of our favorite go-to recipes and has been for a while now. We don't usually eat beef roasts due to the cost (pork roasts are cheaper), but that doesn't stop me from stocking up during a good sale!
While I usually use beef roast to make Slow Cooker Beef Roast, this recipe is even simpler.
Prime rib is an expensive cut of meat usually served around the holidays. The price tag is usually around $20 or more per pound. Our version gives us several pounds of meat for less than $20 in total!
Serve it up with some Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green Beans, Creamy Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Dinner Rolls for a fantastic feast.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's more budget-friendly. Spending $50-$60 for an actual prime rib can be a hard price tag to swallow, but $15-$20 is much easier for grocery shopping on a budget, and it's even better if you can find the meat marked down.
- It's easy to make. Preheat the oven, rub some seasonings, cook for a few minutes, and then turn off the oven. This recipe is so simple and easy that it's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to leave the oven on for hours.
- It's perfect for celebrations! Whether you're planning to Celebrate Easter On A Budget, make it a Christmas dinner tradition, or Valentine's dinner for two, this poor man's prime rib recipe is perfect for any occasion.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Beef roast- You will want to make sure that you use BONELESS beef roast. Specifically, eye of round roast works best, but note that I have made this recipe with rump roast, chuck roast, and round bottom roast, and all have turned out deliciously.
Seasonings- You will want to use a blend of salt and pepper as well as other seasonings like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for a delicious flavor combination. Note you can keep it simple with just salt and pepper if desired.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Beef roast. Top loin roast is most similar to prime rib, but the Eye of round roast, when cooked properly, is a great substitute because there's a lot less fat and more meat. Other boneless beef roasts can be used instead. Rump roast, chuck roast, and round bottom roast have all been tested with this recipe.
Italian seasoning. I like to use Italian seasonings instead of individual seasonings because it's a blend of thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, and others. You can use individual seasonings like thyme, sage, and rosemary if desired.
Paprika. You can use regular paprika or smoked paprika. This adds a little color and flavor that really pairs well with the meat and other seasonings.
🔪 Instructions for Poor Mans Prime Rib
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Step 2: Add your seasonings to a small bowl.
Step 3: Mix together to combine.
Step 4: Sprinkle the seasoning over the beef roast.
Step 5: Rub the seasoning over the roast well to coat it completely in seasoning. You may have some seasoning blend left over.
Step 6: Place the seasoned roast into a baking dish or roasting pan. Do not cover or add anything else to this pan.
Step 7: Place the pan into the oven.
Step 8: IMMEDIATELY TURN DOWN THE HEAT TO 475 DEGREES F.
Step 9: Roast for 7 min per pound. So a 3 pound roast is 21 minutes and a 4 pound roast is 29min, etc.
Step 10: TURN OFF THE OVEN. Let the roast sit in the hot oven for the next 2.5 hours UNDISTURBED. Do not open the door at all while waiting. Have Patience.
Step 11: Remove the roast from the oven.
The internal temp should have reached 145 degrees F, but it could be lower than that when you check the temp at this point, thanks to the resting period. Expect it to look 10-20 degrees lower than expected. When you slice into the meat, you'll see that it is fully cooked and is no longer raw.
Step 12: Place roast onto a large cutting board, and have a towel handy. It will be juicy.
Step 13: Carve your roast into thin slices and serve immediately.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Position Fat Layer. When prepping your roast, remember to position the fat layer up in the baking dish. This simple step keeps your meat moist and helps that fat crisp up just right during baking.
- Adjust Oven Temp. After putting the roast in the oven, remember to lower the temperature right away. This helps prevent the skin from overcooking and ensures the roast ends up just the way you want it, not too rare or overdone.
- Monitor Cooking Time. The 2.5 hour wait time is standard, but note that many different things can affect this, including the type of oven you have and the size/type of the roast.
- Use Meat Thermometer. For precise temperature monitoring, consider investing in an In-Oven Meat Thermometer, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
- Check After 2 Hours. Alternatively, check the roast's status after approximately 2 hours of resting in the oven. That should give you a good idea of where it's at.
- Aim for 145°F. When aiming for a desired level of doneness, such as rare or medium, a target temperature of 145°F ensures a delectably juicy outcome. 145F for rare and up to 160F for medium. Prime ribs are usually served "rare," so the goal is 145F.
- And here's a pro tip. Before hosting a dinner party or serving guests, I highly recommend trying the recipe at least once. This allows you to become familiar with the cooking process and ensures you're prepared for any surprises.
- For instance, I've found that 3-5 pound roasts can reach 145°F in the thickest part after just 45 minutes of resting in the oven. Keep in mind that while the standard waiting time is typically 2.5 hours, factors like oven type and roast size can influence cooking time.
🍳 Reheating
Reheat your thin slices of prime rib for about 1 minute on a plate in the microwave.
🥗 Side Dishes
This recipe goes well with so many different dishes! I'd suggest serving it with Cast Iron Green Beans, Instant Pot Asparagus, or Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Slicing Strategy: Slice only half of your roast at a time, serving the sliced portion and saving the rest for later. This prevents the roast from drying out prematurely.
Refrigeration: Store leftover roast in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Slow cooking your roast will allow it to cook more evenly. Once a nice skin or crust has been formed, turn down the heat and allow the roast to cook low and slow for the perfect results.
You should leave your roast uncovered when baking as it will help to get a nicer skin and will allow it to cook properly.
It's best to use prime rib that is at or is close to room temperature rather than chilled and straight from the fridge. This is because it will cook more evenly and reach temperature faster.
Beef eye of round roast or other cut of beef roast can become a more frugal option that allows good taste and juicy red meat without the high price tag.
❤️ More Delicious Main Dish Recipes
If you tried this Poor Mans Prime Rib, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Poor Mans Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon salt ($0.02)
- 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper ($0.24)
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning ($0.16)
- ½ Tablespoon garlic powder ($0.16)
- ½ Tablespoon onion powder ($0.16)
- ½ Tablespoon paprika, regular or smoked ($0.16)
- 3 pound beef eye of round roast (room temp) *see notes ($22.38)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Add your seasonings to a small bowl.
- Mix together to combine.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the beef roast.
- Rub the seasoning over the roast well to coat it completely in seasoning. You may have some seasoning blend left over.
- Place the seasoned roast into a baking dish or roasting pan. Do not cover or add anything else to this pan.
- Place the pan into the oven.
- IMMEDIATELY TURN DOWN THE HEAT TO 475 DEGREES F.
- Roast for 7min per pound. So a 3 pound roast is 21 minutes and a 4 pound roast is 29min, etc. If the roast gets "too dark" on the crust for your liking, you can loosley place a large piece of foil on top to prevent it from browning further.
- TURN OFF THE OVEN. Let the roast sit in the hot oven for the next 2-2.5 hours UNDISTURBED. Do not open the door at all while waiting. Have Patience. At this point your roast will only be about 60-70degrees F in temp, the residual heat in the oven will cook it the rest of the way.
- Remove the roast from the oven.
- The internal temp should have reached 145 degrees F, but it could be lower than that when you check the temp at this point thanks to the resting period. This means that it came up to temp and then started dropping down again. You will know for sure once you slice into the roast and see how "done" it is.
- Place roast onto a large cutting board, and have a towel handy, it will be juicy. Carve your roast into thin slices and serve immediately.
Notes
- Top Loin Roast: Similar to prime rib, but Eye of Round Roast is a lean alternative.
- Fat Layer Placement: Position fat layer up for juicier, crispier roast.
- Oven Temperature: Immediately reduce temperature to avoid overcooking.
- Cooking Time: 2.5 hours is standard, but can vary based on oven and roast size.
- Meat Thermometer: Aim for 145°F for rare; consider In-Oven Meat Thermometer for precision.
- Timing Check: After 2 hours, assess roast doneness.
- Practice Recipe: Test run recommended to ensure timing and gauge readiness.
- Reheating: Microwave thin slices for 1 minute on plate.
- Storage: Slice half, store remaining in airtight container for up to 4-5 days in fridge
Rosa-Lauren Semien says
How long should I leave it in the oven for Medium Well?
Nicole Durham says
Even just 5-10 extra minutes in the oven with the heat on can lead to well done or medium well results. I strongly recommend using an in-oven thermometer to alert you when it's reached temp.
Dustin Derigo says
Love the recipe and instructions...did not appreciate the ad with a dirty toilet in the middle of it! 🙁
Nicole Durham says
I'm so glad you loved the recipe and instructions! I completely understand how frustrating it can be when the ads aren’t ideal. Unfortunately, I don’t have control over the specific ads that show up, as they’re usually tailored based on browsing history and other factors (and they're automated by the ad network). Thanks for your understanding, and I hope it doesn’t take away too much from your enjoyment of the recipe!