How To Make A Thanksgiving Prime Rib: Best Recipes, Cook Times, Tips And Ingredients

For those who think that Thanksgiving Day turkeys are getting a little passé, it might be time to start a new main course meat tradition.

If the requisite, traditional turkey or honey baked ham is feeling a little stale this year, there is always prime rib. This roast can be an overlooked main course option for Thanksgiving, as many prefer to serve this dish for Christmas dinner. Rest assured, there is no shortage of prime rib roast recipes to try for a stellar Thanksgiving meal.

From dry-aged beef to a prime rib eye, here are five recipes to whip up for a great, non-conventional Thanksgiving meal.

1. Roast Prime Rib with Thyme Au Jus (by Bobby Flay): The famous Bobby Flay has a top-rated prime rib recipe for "Food Network" and it’s definitely worth a try. This easy-to-make recipe calls for garlic cloves, red wine and fresh thyme. The recipe even comes with a step-by-step video, for those that need a visual.
2. Roast prime Rib Au Poivre (from "Bon Appétit"): This rich recipe serves eight and calls for a 9-pound prime rib beef roast that includes around four ribs, the recipe specifies. This delicious jus is made from the melted fat from the pan-roasted meat juices, shallots, beef broth and cognac. Brandy will suffice, too. The recipe also suggests pairing this tasty roast with butter and tarragon-drenched green beans and baby carrots.
3. Prime Rib Roast with Balsamic Glaze (from "What’s Cooking America"): This prime rib roast serves somewhere between six to eight guests. The savory glaze is made from a tart balsamic vinegar and would go well with a red wine. This recipe requires about 15 minutes of prep time and two hours of cook time.
4. PW’s Prime Rib with Rosemary Salt Crust (by Ree Drummond): This is another relatively simple roast to make, especially for those who might be trying out a prime rib roast for the first time. Drummond’s recipe calls for a boneless rib eye, which is then encrusted in fragrant rosemary, garlic, thyme and tri-color peppercorns. This beef dinner yields 16 servings.
5. Three-Ingredient Prime Rib Roast (from "Food and Wine"): While the ingredients are few, this recipe will require around 15 minutes of prep time and four hours of cook time, so plan accordingly. This 12-pound bone-in prime rib roast will serve 10 guests. This particular roast recipe calls for some unusual, yet tasty, ingredients. These include vanilla bean, kosher salt and finely ground coffee. It might sound strange, but the Ryan Farr-created recipe stresses that the “earthy qualities” of the ingredients all pair nicely together.