Air Fryer Prime Rib – This tender, juicy and flavor-filled prime rib is sure to impress over the holidays or for any special occasion. Seasoned to perfection and coated in garlic and herbs, this prime rib roast is ready to serve in under two hours!

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Christmas is this weekend and so many of us are finishing our menus and putting together our shopping lists to pick up the ingredients for all of the amazing food we’ll be making over the holidays.

If you’re looking to splurge a bit and make something that will make your guests swoon, this Air Fryer Prime Rib is the show-stopper you’ve been searching for. So, grab your air fryer, pick up a prime rib roast and let’s do this!

HOW TO MAKE PRIME RIB IN THE AIR FRYER

To make this no-fail prime rib, you’ll need:

Prime rib roast
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Rosemary
Thyme
Minced garlic

Once you have your ingredients together, let’s start with the seasoning!

SEASONING THE PRIME RIB

Lay the roast on a large piece of plastic wrap.
Brush olive oil on all sides of roast.
Season all sides of roast with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Press minced garlic onto roast.
Wrap plastic wrap around roast, sealing it tightly and place the wrapped roast in the refrigerator overnight.

COOKING THE PRIME RIB

Remove the prime rib from the fridge and place it on counter to allow the meat to come to room temperature for 2-3 hours before cooking.

When you’re ready to prepare the prime rib, unwrap the roast and place it in the greased air fryer basket.

Air fry the roast at 390ºF for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 320ºF and air fry for an additional 60 minutes or until internal temp reaches 120º – 125ºF for medium-rare.

A digital thermometer does a great job monitoring the temperature. Once the roast comes to temp, remove it from the air fryer and allow the meat to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Then, slice and serve!

HOW LARGE OF PRIME RIB ROAST DO I NEED?

Slices of prime rib are usually larger than pieces of sirloin or tenderloin. When serving the meat with other sides, 1/2- 3/4 pound per person will usually be enough. A 4-5 pound roast will fit nicely in the air fryer and serve 6-8 people.

If you have a larger basket in your air fryer, you may be able to get away with something a little larger yet.

WHY SHOULD PRIME RIB BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE COOKING?

Bringing the prime rib roast to room temperature ensures it will cook evenly. If you skip this step, you may end up with well-done meat on the ends and raw meat in the middle.

Your best bet is to remove the roast from the fridge and place it on your counter for 2-3 hours before cooking.

AT WHAT TEMP SHOULD THE PRIME RIB BE REMOVED FROM THE AIR FRYER?

Once you remove the prime rib from the air fryer, it will continue cooking for a bit and the internal temperature will continue to rise several degrees. You don’t want to overcook prime rib.

I suggest removing the roast from the air fryer once it hits 120º – 125ºF for medium-rare. If you’re looking for more guidance on other temps, review the guidelines below:

Rare – remove at 110°F. Rested temp will be 117-120°F. Center is bright red (almost cool), pinkish toward the outer edges.
Medium Rare – remove at 120°F. Rested temp will be 127-130°F. Center is very pink, slightly brown toward the outer edges.
Medium – remove at 130°F. Rested temp will be 137-140°F. Center is light pink, outer portion is brown.
Medium well – remove at 140°F. Rested temp will be 147-150°F. No pink color.
Well – remove at 150°F. Rested temp will be 157-165°F. I definitely don’t suggest cooking this long.

HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER PRIME RIB?

We always try to buy a large enough roast that we WILL have leftovers! We love to warm up some pieces for breakfast and eat it with our eggs.

Store leftovers in a sealed storage container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

CAN YOU FREEZE COOKED PRIME RIB?

Yes, you can! Allow the meat to cool completely, slice it and place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to a month in the freezer.

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