Prime Rib with Au Jus
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Oct. 28, 2026
Every single year for decades now, my husband and I have been making this prime rib with au jus for the holidays. There are never any leftovers. Prime rib au jus sounds fancy, but this recipe is unique in that it’s mostly hands-off and comes out perfectly juicy and tender. The boldly flavorful au jus has beef stock, butter, garlic, and fresh herbs. No drippings, no wine, and can be made in advance. Bring big, bold flavors to your table with minimal effort.
In This Article
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Amy’s Notes
I count it a blessing that pretty much all my friends and family love a good prime rib roast, as this prime rib with au jus is one of my husband’s favorite roasts to make. It’s way easier than people think to have this restaurant-worthy dish right at home. Get big, bold exciting flavors in every slice. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Just 4 ingredients: For the roast itself, you’ll only need fresh prime rib, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Hands-off cooking: Season it the night before, then let the oven do its thing low and slow.
- Tender and juicy: This prime rib recipe never fails in its tenderness and juiciness, thanks to the overnight dry brine and slow cooking method.
- Make-ahead au jus: With huge savory flavor, you can make the au jus up to 2 days before, so you’re not juggling a saucepan at the last minute.
Planning the whole holiday menu? Our Christmas dinner recipes have you covered, and these slow cooker garlic mashed potatoes are made for soaking up that au jus.
How to Make Au Jus for Prime Rib
Au jus, pronounced “ah-zhoo,” is French for “with juice.” It’s a thin, savory sauce, lighter than gravy, made for spooning over sliced beef like prime rib or beef tenderloin. Ours skips the drippings and no wine is needed. Beef stock and Better Than Bouillon bring big, rich, beefy flavor, so you can make it while the roast rests or even a day ahead. If you do have drippings in the pan, go ahead and stir them in for even bolder flavor. This au jus is actually better than restaurant versions.
Key Recipe Ingredients
For the Prime Rib
- Prime Rib Roast: Use either a bone-in or boneless prime rib roast with lots of marbling for a tender texture and big, beefy flavor. Since you cook by the internal temperature on your meat thermometer, and not according to a specific time, any size roast will work.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder season the beef and work as a dry brine, so the roast stays juicy as it cooks.
For the Beef Au Jus Sauce
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness and gives the au jus a silky finish.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary add bold, fragrant flavor.
- Better Than Bouillon Beef Base: This concentrated beef base packs huge savory flavor into the au jus, no drippings or wine required.
- Cornstarch: Dissolve it completely in water to make a slurry that lightly thickens the au jus.
- Beef Stock: This gives you the rich flavor of beef drippings without waiting on the roast to finish cooking.
Tips for the Best Prime Rib
We’ve made this prime rib for too many holiday dinners to count by now. My husband and I have perfected this recipe and here are our best tips for the best prime rib with au jus:
- Don’t trim the roast. You want a nice layer of fat all around your meat. It locks in all that beefy flavor and keeps the roast from overcooking during the final broil. Trim it off and you risk a drier, tougher roast.
- Keep an eye on the thermometer. Cook time depends on the size of your roast and whether it has bones, so plan for at least a couple of hours and go by internal temperature, not the clock. The meat thermometer should read 120°F for medium-rare. The temperature will keep climbing while it rests on the cutting board.
- Use the right thermometer. Pick an oven-safe meat thermometer with a probe that goes into the center of the roast before it goes in the oven and stays there the whole time. Do not use the kind that needs to be poked into the roast in the middle of cooking.
- Rest the roast. Once it’s cooked, let it rest at least 20 minutes on a cutting board, loosely tented with foil. This lets the juices settle back into the meat, so every slice stays juicy.
- Adjust the au jus for prime rib. Au jus is meant to be thinner than gravy. If you like a thicker sauce, stir in a little more fully dissolved cornstarch.
How to Store Leftover Prime Rib
For best results, store the meat and au jus separately.
To Store the Prime Rib Roast
To keep your roast tender, store it unsliced, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to eat, take it out of the fridge a little early so it isn’t ice cold. Place it in a pan covered with foil, and warm it in the oven at the lowest setting just until it is heated through. Take care not to let it overcook.
To Store the Au Jus
Transfer any leftover sauce to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, thaw frozen au jus in the fridge overnight. Then warm it in a saucepan over medium heat, or heat it in the microwave in 30-second bursts until hot. If it’s too thickened up, add a splash of broth to loosen it.
Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe
Prime Rib with Au Jus
Ingredients
For the Prime Rib
- 5-6 pound boneless prime rib roast, untrimmed
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
For the Au Jus
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon beef base, or beef bouillon powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups beef stock, regular strength
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, fully dissolved in 2 TB water*
Instructions
For the Prime Rib
- Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Pat the prime rib roast dry with paper towels. Generously coat all sides with the salt mixture, pressing so it sticks. Place the roast on a plate, cover, and chill in the fridge overnight.
- Take the roast out of the fridge about 1 to 2 hours before it goes in the oven.
- Set oven to 200F. Insert the meat thermometer probe into the center of the roast and place the roast on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until the internal temperature is 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness. For medium-rare (130F), remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 120F.
- Remove the roast from the oven, loosely tent with foil, and let it rest at least 30 minutes. Leave the thermometer probe in and don’t slice into the roast yet, or the juices will escape.
For the Au Jus
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and stir 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute. Add the thyme, rosemary, bouillon, black pepper, and beef stock. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil and keep boiling until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Reduce heat to a low boil. Add the dissolved cornstarch a little at a time, stirring constantly. Use only as much as you need for the sauce to reach your desired thickness. Remove the herb sprigs. For a smooth sauce, strain the au jus if you like.
- Just before serving, set the oven to broil and brown all sides of the roast, rotating as needed. Slice and serve with warm au jus.
Equipment
Notes
- Overnight dry brine: Plan ahead for this. The seasoned roast chills in the fridge overnight before cooking. Dry brine is what makes our prime rib recipe so juicy. Note that this isn’t included in the prep and cook times above.
- Don’t trim the fat: Leaving it on keeps the roast from overcooking during the final broil.
- Cook by temperature, not time: Cook time depends on how cold the roast is when it goes in the oven. A 5 to 6 pound boneless roast usually takes about 2 to 3 hours to reach rare. A bone-in roast takes longer.
- Rest at least 20 minutes: The juices settle back into the meat, and the roast won’t overcook when you broil it. Make the au jus while it rests, so you can broil and slice right before serving.
- Smooth au jus: Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved in the water, with no white streaks, or the sauce can turn lumpy. Au jus is meant to be thinner than gravy. For a thicker sauce, add a little more dissolved cornstarch.
- We love it with these Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes for soaking up every drop of au jus.
- This recipe is part of our Christmas Dinner Recipes collection.
Nutrition (per serving)
What to Serve with Prime Rib
Prime rib loves a side that soaks up all that au jus. Here are our favorites:
Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Your slow cooker frees up the stovetop, and these garlicky mashed potatoes are a keeper.
- Smashed Potatoes: Crispy at the edges, tender in the center, and loaded with flavor.
Vegetables
- 15-Minute Honey Glazed Carrots: A super simple, fresh side that adds a pop of color to the table.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash: Caramelized, a little sweet, and great next to any roast.
- Butter and Garlic Mushrooms: Tender, garlicky mushrooms that taste amazing with prime rib and a spoonful of au jus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Make it up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Warm it on the stovetop while the roast rests. If it thickened up overnight, stir in a splash of broth.
Nope. Ours is made without wine, and it still has big, bold beefy flavor. If you love the taste of red wine with beef, try our red wine sauce for beef tenderloin.
Not quite. Gravy is thickened with flour, so it’s thick and rich. Au jus is much thinner, more like a savory dipping sauce, so it soaks right into every slice of beef.
Either one works great. The method is the same: cook by your meat thermometer, not the clock. A bone-in roast just takes a bit longer to cook.
Plan on about 2 to 3 hours for a 5 to 6 pound boneless roast to reach 120°F. A bone-in roast takes longer. Start checking early and go by the thermometer, not the clock.
Pull it about 10 degrees below where you want it to end up, since it keeps cooking as it rests. For rare, pull at 115°F. For medium-rare, pull at 120°F. For medium, pull at 130°F.
Yes! Pour off the extra fat, then stir the drippings into the saucepan with the beef stock. It gives your au jus an even bigger, beefier flavor.
More to Cook and Eat
- Beef Tenderloin Roast with Red Wine Sauce: Tender, juicy, and big on flavor. This is our go-to dinner for special occasions.
- Tender Braised Beef Brisket: Great for making ahead, and it tastes even better the next day!
- Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe: Hot off the grill and topped with a bright, garlicky sauce. Hands down the best steak we’ve ever had.
- Easy Salisbury Steak with Gravy: Tender beef patties smothered in rich onion gravy. Even picky eaters clean their plates.
- Easy Slow Cooker Smoked Brisket: All the bold, smoky flavor of brisket, no smoker or wood chips required.