Sous Vide Prime Rib Steak (+ VIDEO)

Sous vide prime rib steak is one of my favorite sous vide holiday dish recipes. Prime rib sous vide style is super juicy. In this recipe for sous vide steak I’m cooking a 2.5 LB prime rib. You can cook a 6 or 7 LB sous vide prime rib roast, too, but I recommend cooking those for 8-10 hours instead of the 6 hours this smaller cut is cooked in this video (scroll to the bottom of the page to see it).

After sous viding prime rib, it’s finished in the cast iron skillet for a few minutes… then devoured. Let’s make it!

Between parenting and the pandemic, it’s so hard to find the time (or energy) to have a nice dinner or quality time. And as someone who cooks as a form of self-care, I find it important to prioritize home cooking with fresh ingredients. When I land on an unexpectedly busy week, I go for meal prep that will last a few days. Instant Pot soups are one. Sous vide food is another.

Juicy, delicious, and perfectly cooked, this sous vide prime rib steak is the perfect work from home lunch or at-home date night dinner. 

Whether you’re looking for a fancy home date night or want to pick up a food hobby, this easy steak is the perfect recipe for both the sous vide enthusiast and novice chef.

Ingredients for Sous Vide Prime Rib Steak

For this recipe, I used a 2.5-pound prime rib steak and a few of my go-to pantry staples. I kept things simple seasoning with just thyme, butter, and salt.

Want a tasty sauce for this steak? Check out this creamy peppercorn sauce or get my free sauce recipe book.

How to make Sous Vide Prime Rib Steak

Spend just 10 minutes of prep time before letting your sous vide work its magic in this easy prime rib steak recipe. Made with just a few ingredients, you are going to blown away with the perfect cook and mouthwatering flavors.

Step 1. I always like to preheat my sous vide machine first, in this case to 132 degrees F. While waiting for the sous vide to bath preheat, season steak with salt, then top with thyme.

Step 2. Vacuum-seal the prime rib steak (or put it in a ziplock bag) with all of the seasonings. Use a vacuum sealer to fully seal the bag, and then sous vide for 6 hours.

PRO TIP: Cover the sous vide container to prevent heat from escaping for this long cook. I also usually place a cutting board or another barrier under the water container to protect natural countertops from the heat of the water.

Step 3. When finished cooking, remove the sous vide prime rib roast from the water bath. If desired, shock the steak in ice water to stop the cooking process, then remove from the bag.

Discard the thyme and pat the steak dry to remove the extra moisture before searing.

NOTE: It will look a little funny on the outside because it needs to be finished with high heat in a cast iron pan — don’t worry, it will be delicious!

Step 4. Now it is time to finish your steak in a cast iron skillet. First, heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-high and add olive oil.

When the oil is hot and shiny, add the cooked sous vide prime rib to the pan. Sear the sous vide prime rib quickly, until a brown crust appears on each side — for just about 20-30 seconds. Don’t forget to use tongs to sear the edges of the steak as well.

Transfer your delicious sous vide prime rib to a cutting board and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.

FAQs

Will the sous vide give me a steakhouse-style cook?

Absolutely! In fact, your sous vide prime rib steak may actually be cooked better than your favorite steak restaurant. Because of the temperature control, the sous vide method actually guarantees a more even cook edge to edge than on a grill or stovetop.

Can I cook a larger steak?

You can, but that means your cook time will change! Cook and temperature times vary depending on many factors, including the size of your steak and whether you’d like it cooked medium, rare, or another temp. For example, if you are sous viding prime rib between 6-7 pounds, increase the time in the sous vide water to 8-10 hours.

How can I add flavor to this sous vide prime rib steak recipe?

I love to add my favorite sides, but you can also infuse your steak with any number of mouthwatering sous vide steak marinades. It’s also delicious to have a homemade sauce to drizzle over the steak before serving, like this creamy peppercorn sauce. Want more? Check out my free sauce recipe book.

Bring the restaurant home

There is no need to trek to a restaurant or spend tons of money on the perfect, mouthwatering prime rib steak. The sous vide is an amazing tool for recreating your favorite restaurant-style meals from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Whether you’re a sous vide enthusiast, a flourishing chef, or simply looking to create a nice family dinner, this prime rib steak recipe is sure to be a huge success. Serve alongside your favorite sides, like mashed potatoes or veggies, and prepare for a home cooked meal your family will swear is takeout!

Looking for another steak to sous vide cook? Try this recipe for sous vide porterhouse.

Final tips for making sous vide steak

• Kick up the flavor. Want to infuse more flavor in your sous vide steak recipes? See my guide to sous vide steak marinades.
• Use frozen steak. Did you know you can cook foods from frozen using the sous vide method? See my guide to sous vide frozen steak.
• Adjust time for steak size. If you are sous viding prime rib between 6-7 pounds, increase the time in the sous vide water to 8-10 hours.

Are you a foodie, too?

I’m passionate about sous vide cooking, and maybe that’s why Sip Bite Go has become one of the most popular sous vide blogs on the web. It’s where I share what I’m doing in the kitchen, and I love putting up new videos and recipes so you can follow along.

Find me on Instagram to see my latest sous vide cooks @sipbitego.

For in-depth tutorials on sous viding steaks and more, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel.

Find new ways to enjoy your favorite food with sous vide cooking with my new book — The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.

The Perfect Sous Vide Setup

Everyday I’m asked, “what do you need to sous vide food?”. Here’s my answer.

1. A sous vide machine.
   Option 1: “stick” models like the Joule, Anova, or Instant Pot Slim.
   Option 2: “multipot” models like the SousPreme multipot or InstantPot Duo Evo Plus.
2. Sous vide container.
   If using a sous vide “stick” model, you need something to hold the water the food cooks in, like a bucket or stockpot.
3. Bags to cook sous vide food.
   Keep it simple and sous vide in ziplock gallon bags, or get fancy like me with a vacuum sealer setup.
4. Nice-to-have accessories for sous vide cooking.
   – Sous vide weights to hold down food that floats.
   – Mini mason jars for desserts and sous vide egg bites.
   – Cast iron skillet to sear sous vide steaks to finish them.
   – My sous vide cookbook with 100+ recipes.
5. Butcher quality meat.
   Stock up on top-quality meats like wagyu at Crowd Cow and Snake River Farms. They always have specials, and will ship delicious cuts of craft meat right to your door.