The air fryer is the perfect appliance to make a show-stopping prime rib roast. Seasoned with a mustard and herb rub, this prime rib will impress all of your guests for any special occasion. With a flavourful mustard-herb crust, this air fryer prime rib roast beef is an easy addition to your holiday table, without having to heat up the oven! Serve with classic roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a show-stopping wedge salad, and glazed brussels sprouts, for a feast at home!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Easier than the oven! By cooking this prime rib in the air fryer, you get a perfect crust, with little mess and clean up. That also leaves room for all your sides in the oven, which is perfect for holiday dinners.
Foolproof doneness! By gauging your cooking by temperatures instead of cooking times, you will always end up with your desired doneness. No more over or undercooked roasts!
Perfect for leftovers! This show-stopping roast is delicious for dinner, but even better for leftovers. The options are endless.
🥘Ingredients
- Prime rib roast: Prime rib is a perfect cut of meat for a roast, because of its fat-to-meat ratio. The marbling will always give you a juicy roast.This recipe will work for a roast as big or as small as you like. Be sure to buy one that fits in your air fryer basket - found that 4lbs was ideal for my air fryer size.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard is a tangy base that acts as a glue for the seasonings. The flavor is not overpowering once cooked, but it does crust up nicely in the air fryer!
- Dried thyme: The flavor of thyme is slightly peppery and earthy. The meatiness of the prime rib stands up perfectly to the thyme.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Fresh garlic: Garlic powder works perfectly fine in place of fresh garlic.
- Dijon mustard: You can use grainy mustard, or leave it out completely if you prefer.
🔪Variations
- Black pepper crust: Crust the beef heavily with coarse ground black peppercorns, for a spicy twist on prime rib!
- Sliders: Use leftover prime rib to make sliders. Slice thinly, and make sandwiches with mini brioche rolls, horseradish mayonnaise, and crispy onions.
- Classic: If you prefer letting the flavors of the beef sing, season the beef simply with salt, pepper, and some garlic and onion powder. It will still be delicious!
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Bring the meat to room temperature - Best practice is to bring your cut of meat to room temperature, to get a nice crust while cooking.
Pat the rib roast dry on both sides with a paper towel. This will ensure that the mustard rub sticks, and that the outside will brown evenly. Too much moisture on the exterior will cause the meat to steam. [photo 1]
In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the ingredients for the mustard rub. Using a silicone pastry brush, spread a liberal coat of the rub on one side of the roast. [photos 2 &3]
Place the roast in the air fryer basket, rub side down. Evenly spread the other side of the roast with another liberal coat of the rub. If using, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. [photo 4]
Air fry at 375°F until a meat thermometer reads between 130-134°F for medium-rare prime rib. Remove from the air fryer, and transfer to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
💭 Expert Tip
The following is a doneness chart, depending on the size of your prime rib and your desired doneness:
| Rare | 120-129°F | (49-54°C) |
| Medium Rare | 130-134°F | (55-57°C) |
| Medium | 135-144°F | (58-62°C) |
| Medium Well | 145-154°F | (63-67°C) |
| Well Done | 155-164°F | (68-73°C) |
Keep in mind that the temperature of your meat will rise up to 15° while resting!
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- The prime rib will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days, in an airtight container.
- Reheat leftover meat covered in foil.
- You can freeze cooked prime rib for up to six months in the freezer, provided it is stored in an airtight, freezer friendly container.
- To reheat, defrost the prime rib and heat in the oven or air fryer covered in foil.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
In general, you can account for 1lb of bone-in prime rib per person.
Absolutely - prime rib is traditionally made in the oven! You can use this same recipe, and cook it on a roasting rack in the oven instead.
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Air Fryer Prime Rib Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 4 lb Prime rib roast bone in
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Thyme fresh or dried
- 1 tablespoon Sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Dry the meat: Pat the rib roast dry on both sides with a paper towel. This will ensure that the mustard rub sticks, and that the outside will brown evenly. Too much moisture on the exterior will cause the meat to steam.4 lb Prime rib roast
- Make the rub: In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the ingredients for the mustard rub. Using a silicone pastry brush, spread a liberal coat of the rub on one side of the roast.½ cup Dijon mustard, ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 3 cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Onion powder, 1 tablespoon Thyme, 1 tablespoon Sea salt, 1 tablespoon Black pepper
- Transfer to the air fryer: Place the roast in the air fryer basket, rub side down. Evenly spread the other side of the roast with another liberal coat of the rub. If using, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Cook: Air fry at 375°F until a meat thermometer reads between 130-134°F for medium-rare prime rib. Remove from the air fryer, and transfer to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Equipment
Video
Notes
| Rare | 120-129°F | (49-54°C) |
| Medium Rare | 130-134°F | (55-57°C) |
| Medium | 135-144°F | (58-62°C) |
| Medium Well | 145-154°F | (63-67°C) |
| Well Done | 155-164°F | (68-73°C) |
Karen
What are the overall approximate frying times? I cannot figure out what time to put the roast into the air fryer. For example, if I want to eat at 6pm, what time should I begin the cook time for a 6lb? 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.? I don’t have a thermometer that I can stick into the roast. Thank you.
Sunena Anand
Hi Karen! I would first like to apologize for the late response, due to the holidays coming in between. I hope if you were making this over the holidays, it turned out well. If you are still planning on making it, I would say that the cooking time for a 6lb roast would be approximately 1 1/2 hrs, with 15-20 minutes to rest the meat. I hope you had a wonderful holiday! 🙂