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.
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!
Prime rib is an expensive cut of meat usually served around the holidays. The price tag is usually around $20 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.
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 to allot in the grocery budget, 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 that 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 a Christmas dinner tradition, or Valentine's dinner for two, this poor man's prime rib recipe is perfect for any occasion.
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🥘 Ingredients
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 quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make poor mans prime rib with these simple step-by-step 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.
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.
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.
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.
🧾 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.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Place the fat layer up. If the meat you are using has a layer of fat, place it on top when arranging it in the baking dish. This will help to keep the meat juicy as the fat dissolves, and it will crisp up nicely when baking.
Turn down the oven
Make sure that you turn the oven down immediately after placing the roast into the oven. If you don't, you will overcook the skin of the roast, and it could result in a charred appearance. Not only that, but the roast will not be as rare as desired once finished.
You may not need 2 ½ hours
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.
I HIGHLY recommend using an In-Oven Meat Thermometer to alert you when the meat has reached the proper temp. 145F for rare and up to 160F for medium. Prime ribs are usually served "rare," so the goal is 145F.
If you do not have or wish to buy an In-Oven Meat Thermometer, check on the roast after it has rested in the oven for 2 hours.
I have had 3-5 pound roasts reach 145F in the thickest part of the meat after as little as 45 minutes of rest in the oven.
Practice the recipe at least once
If you wish to make this recipe for a dinner party or guests and you really want to impress, I really recommend that you test drive the recipe at least once. This will allow you to get comfortable with the long wait time, and it can help you to better gauge when the roast is ready.
As stated, 2.5 hours is a standard waiting time, but if dinner is planned for 5pm and the roast is ready at 4pm, things won't run as smoothly as you had hoped.
Buy two similar sized, same type roasts, and test the recipe with one, so you can have the second one for the event, using any notes gathered from the first roast.
🍳 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! Cast Iron Green Beans, Purple Mashed Potatoes, Maple Dijon Roasted Rainbow Carrots, and Oven Baked Potatoes are some examples.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
I like to slice half of my roast at a time, serving the sliced portion and saving the rest for later. By not slicing it all up at once, I can prevent it from drying out.
You can keep your leftover roast in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days in an airtight container.
💭 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 close to room temperature rather than chilled and straight from the fridge. This is because it will cook more evenly and reach temperature faster.
More great main dish recipes to check out soon
📖 Recipe
Poor Mans Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 3 pound Beef eye of round roast (room temp) *see notes ($16.24)
- 1 Tablespoon Salt ($0.30)
- 1 Tablespoon Ground pepper ($0.30)
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning ($0.15)
- ½ Tablespoon Garlic powder ($0.15)
- ½ Tablespoon Onion powder ($0.15)
- ½ Tablespoon Smoked paprika or regular paprika ($0.15)
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
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.
Recipe Tips
- Place the fat layer up. If the meat you are using has a layer of fat, place it on top when arranging it in the baking dish. This will help to keep the meat juicy as the fat dissolves, and it will crisp up nicely when baking.
- Make sure that you turn the oven down immediately after placing the roast into the oven. If you don't, you will overcook the skin of the roast, and it could result in a charred appearance. Not only that, but the roast will not be as rare as desired once finished.
- 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.
- I HIGHLY recommend using an In-Oven Meat Thermometer to alert you when the meat has reached the proper temp. 145F for rare and up to 160F for medium. Prime ribs are usually served "rare," so the goal is 145F.
- If you do not have or wish to buy an In-Oven Meat Thermometer, check on the roast after it has rested in the oven for 2 hours.
- I have had 3-5 pound roasts reach 145F in the thickest part of the meat after as little as 45 minutes of rest in the oven.
- If you wish to make this recipe for a dinner party or guests and you really want to impress, I really recommend that you test drive the recipe at least once. This will allow you to get comfortable with the long wait time, and it can help you to better gauge when the roast is ready.
- As stated, 2.5 hours is a standard waiting time, but if dinner is planned for 5pm and the roast is ready at 4pm, things won't run as smoothly as you had hoped.
- Buy two similar sized, same type roasts, and test the recipe with one, so you can have the second one for the event, using any notes gathered from the first roast.
Reheating
- Reheat your thin slices of prime rib for about 1 minute on a plate in the microwave.
Storage
- I like to slice half of my roast at a time, serving the sliced portion and saving the rest for later. By not slicing it all up at once, I can prevent it from drying out.
- You can keep your leftover roast in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days in an airtight container.
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