There's nothing better than the smell of a rib roast as it cooks in your oven. It's the perfect main course for holidays, special occasions, or just because. Since standing rib roasts come in all sizes, the cooking times can vary vastly. Fortunately, there are easy timing guidelines you can follow to cook the roast. Our standing rib roast cooking time chart below takes out the guesswork and allows you to cook the perfect bone-in rib roast every time.
Rib Roast Cooking Time Charts
When cooking a bone-in rib roast, cook it at 450°F for 20 minutes to brown the roast. Then, reduce the heat to 325°F and cook to the desired internal temperature. The charts below can help you determine how long to cook. Always start checking the internal temperature of the roast about 30 minutes before your timer goes off, and remove it from the oven when it is within 5°F of the final temp. Rest, tented with foil, for 20 minutes to allow the roast to finish cooking internally and the juices to redistribute.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council recommends roasting standing rib roast to medium-rare or medium, as do other experts. The charts below will show you cooking times for each of the different temperatures and sizes of roasts.
Medium-Rare
To cook a bone-in rib roast to medium-rare (125°F to 130°F), cook it for 20 minutes at 450°F, and then 20 minutes per pound at 325°F.
| Weight | At 450°F | At 325°F | Total |
| 3 lbs | 20 min | 60 min (1 hr) | 80 min (1 hr 20 min) |
| 4 lbs | 20 min | 80 min (1 hr 20 min) | 100 min (1 hr 40 min) |
| 5 lbs | 20 min | 100 min (1 hr 40 min) | 120 min (2 hr) |
| 6 lbs | 20 min | 120 min (2 hr) | 140 min (2 hr 20 min) |
| 7 lbs | 20 min | 140 min (2 hr 20 min) | 160 min (2 hr 40 min) |
| 10 lbs | 20 min | 200 min (3 hr 20 min) | 220 min (3 hr 40 min) |
| 15 lbs | 20 min | 300 min (5 hr) | 320 min (5 hr 20 min) |
| 20 lbs | 20 min | 400 min (6 hr 40 min) | 420 min (7 hr) |
Medium
To cook a standing rib roast to medium (135°F), cook it for 20 minutes at 450°F and then 25 minutes per pound at 325°F.
| Weight | At 450°F | At 325°F | Total |
| 3 lbs | 20 min | 75 min (1 hr 15 min) | 95 min (1 hr 35 min) |
| 4 lbs | 20 min | 100 min (1 hr 40 min) | 120 min (2 hr) |
| 5 lbs | 20 min | 125 min (2 hr 5 min) | 145 min (2 hr 25 min) |
| 6 lbs | 20 min | 150 min (2 hr 30 min) | 170 min (2 hr 50 min) |
| 7 lbs | 20 min | 175 min (2 hr 55 min) | 195 min (3 hr 15 min) |
| 10 lbs | 20 min | 250 min (4 hr 10 min) | 270 min (4 hr 30 min) |
| 15 lbs | 20 min | 375 min (6 hr 15 min) | 395 min (6 hr 25 min) |
| 20 lbs | 20 min | 500 min (8 hr 20 min) | 520 min (8 hr 40 min) |
Medium-Well
To cook the roast to medium-well (145°F), cook it at 450°F for 20 minutes, and then 30 minutes per pound at 325°F.
| Weight | At 450°F | At 325°F | Total |
| 3 lbs | 20 min | 90 min (1 hr 30 min) | 110 min (1 hr 50 min) |
| 4 lbs | 20 min | 120 min (2 hr) | 140 min (2 hr 20 min) |
| 5 lbs | 20 min | 150 min (2 hr 30 min) | 170 min (2 hr 50 min) |
| 6 lbs | 20 min | 180 min (3 hr) | 200 min (3 hr 20 min) |
| 7 lbs | 20 min | 210 min (3 hr 30 min) | 230 min (3 hr 50 min) |
| 10 lbs | 20 min | 300 min (5 hr) | 320 min (5 hr 20 min) |
| 15 lbs | 20 min | 450 min (7 hr 30 min) | 470 min (7 hr 50 min) |
| 20 lbs | 20 min | 600 min (10 hr) | 620 min (10 hr 20 min) |
The Hardest Part Is the Waiting
Cooking a standing rib roast isn't difficult. But as that amazing smell wafts through your house, it gets harder and harder to wait for all that goodness. Trust me, don't get so anxious you skip the part where it rests for 20 minutes. Waiting that extra 20 will leave you with a more flavorful, juicier roast.
