*Internal Temperature for Prime Rib

Prime Rib Temperature

Use this handy cheat sheet below to know when your meat is perfectly cooked (or when it's an overcooked mess).

Rare: 120-125 degrees F

Red interior which may fade to pink at the outermost edges

Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees F

Pink with a deeper, nearly red center

Medium: 135-140 degrees F

Mauve, uniformly colored interior

Well-done: 145 degrees F+

Brown, no pink

Regardless of your cooking method, you'll have the best success cooking a medium rare prime rib if you allow it to come to room temperature beforehand. This helps the meat cook more evenly throughout. In fact, if you've ever noticed that your roast or steak is gray on the outside edges and bright red in the center, chances are it was too cold when it hit the skillet, oven, or grill. To cover your bases, remove the meat from the refrigerator at least an hour beforehand.