I Tried the Brand New HoneyBaked Prime Rib To See if It's a Holiday Dinner Winner

After a few rounds of turkey and ham , I'm ready for something different when Christmas rolls around. As much as I love the classics, the familiar lineup can start to lose its spark by mid-December. Even the most festive dishes can feel repetitive when you've already had multiple plates of leftovers , office potluck contributions and Friendsgiving spreads. That's usually when my cravings shift to something richer and a little more celebratory, and for many families, including mine, that means that beef is the star of the Christmas table.

According to Beef Research , beef sales get a significant bump in December , as many people look for meaty options for their holiday meals. One of the most popular traditional beef cuts for Christmas is prime rib , and while it's considered a straightforward cut, it's also famously easy to overcook, underseason or otherwise mishandle (plus, it's expensive). Even experienced home cooks know the pressure of trying to nail the perfect doneness for a pricey roast.

This year, HoneyBaked—a company known mostly for its hams—is stepping in to make things easier. For the first time in decades, the company has added a brand-new protein to its lineup: prime rib.HoneyBaked invited me to try the new roast, and I was very curious to see how it would cook up at my house.

I also spoke with Chef Tim Ziga, HoneyBaked's culinary expert, who offered insight into how the company crafted this roast and what you need to know if you want to order one this year. Read on for all the meaty details, including how things went at my house when I tried the HoneyBaked prime rib.

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What Is Prime Rib and Why Is It a Christmas Favorite?

Prime rib is a classic cut from the beef rib primal, celebrated for its marbling, tenderness and deep, beefy flavor. Traditionally roasted slowly to medium-rare, prime rib is considered an impressive holiday centerpiece thanks to its size and richness. It has long been a holiday staple, especially at Christmas, because it feels festive without requiring elaborate preparation.

Its seasonal popularity was confirmed when I was recently at my local grocery store. I didn't see any prime rib in the meat case, so I asked the folks behind the butcher counter. The butcher told me they don't even receive their shipment until December 1 because demand is so concentrated around the holiday. People want prime rib in December more than any other time of year.

Families gravitate toward it because it feels celebratory and it offers a break from ham or turkey. However, it's also a cut that can be intimidating. The margin between perfectly cooked and overdone is slim and it's an pricey cut of meat, making it a high-stakes choice for home cooks.

Related: Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham Recipe

What Is the HoneyBaked Prime Rib?

HoneyBaked's USDA Choice prime rib is new for 2025 and just launched on December 1. It's seasoned, cooked to rare and packaged to lock in its juices, making it a heat-and-serve dish that's designed to streamline your holiday meal. Chef Ziga, who helped develop the product, reveals that they intentionally created a "straightforward dry rub" because they wanted "the beef to shine through."

Ziga acknowledged that even he was nervous making their first few batches, calling prime rib "a cut of meat that can be ruined fairly easily." But he said the team built this product to help home cooks succeed. "We wanted to set this up to set you up for success . This takes the guesswork out of it," he tells Parade .

The roast is designed as a centerpiece, a true "showstopper," in Ziga's words, and the presentation alone drew attention when I served it. My eight-year-old actually exclaimed, "What in the world is this?" when he saw it on the table.

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How Much Does the HoneyBaked Prime Rib Cost?

If you're like most people, you're trying to map out a realistic holiday budget and prime rib is one of those splurge items that can make or break it. A quick Google search shows that prime rib at grocery stores ranges anywhere from $12.99 to $25.99 per pound, depending on the grade, the store, your market and whether you're shopping during peak holiday weeks. Higher-end butcher shops often charge even more.

HoneyBaked's prime rib starts at about $26 per pound, but the final cost varies by location and by the size of the roast you select. Customers can buy the prime rib à la carte by the pound (the company has pre-determined ranges starting at five pounds, going up to eight pounds) or as part of a full meal with side dishes included (these start with four-pound roasts).

The price will increase if you include sides in your order. Some sides that are offered include cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole , loaded smashed potatoes, baked cinnamon apples and macaroni and cheese , just to name some. Customers can choose four sides to go along with their roast.

The roast I had weighed just about 7 pounds, coming to roughly $182, which is in line with typical holiday prime rib costs. The difference here is that this prime rib had most of the work already done for me, making it a better deal, in my opinion.

Related: This Old-School Cooking Secret Is Making a Major Comeback In 2026

How Many People Does the HoneyBaked Prime Rib Serve?

When you're planning a holiday meal, one of the biggest questions is how much meat you actually need to feed your crowd, especially with something as special (and pricey) as prime rib. Because HoneyBaked's prime rib comes fully cooked and trimmed, you don't have to account for as much waste as you would with a raw roast from the grocery store, which will shrink as it cooks and will need to have some fat trimmed away before serving.

HoneyBaked's website tells you how many people each roast will serve. For example, the five-to-six-pound roast feeds 11, while the seven-to-eight-pound roast feeds 15.

Related: The Best Way to Carve Prime Rib, According to Chef Curtis Stone

How To Buy HoneyBaked's Prime Rib

You can order the HoneyBaked prime rib online through the HoneyBaked website and choose local delivery or in-store pickup, or you can visit your local HoneyBaked retail location to buy it directly from the counter.

Availability can vary by store, so it's a good idea to call and check inventory early, especially during peak holiday weeks.

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How I Tested HoneyBaked's Prime Rib

Chef Ziga stresses the importance of reading the included instructions carefully. HoneyBaked provides detailed, clear steps that walk you through reheating the roast properly.

Because I was trying the roast before it was available in stores, it was shipped to me frozen. I let it thaw for two days in my fridge before cooking it. If you pick up from the store, you may not need to thaw it, but it's worth calling ahead and asking because if there is thawing required it will impact your timeline.

The day I cooked it, I let the prime rib sit on the counter for an hour so that it was closer to room temperature before I stuck it in the oven.

I heated my oven to 350°, took the roast out of the package, placed it on a baking rack inside a small roasting pan and cooked for 3 1/2 hours, per the instructions.

Other Helpful Tips and Tricks

Chef Ziga says that you shouldn't rely on the instructions alone for how long to cook the prime rib. Make sure to use a meat thermometer ! The instructions are helpful, but the thermometer is essential to make sure your roast is cooked the way you prefer it.

He also recommends pulling the meat out of the oven when it's 10 degrees below your desired final temperature because the meat will continue to cook (and the internal temperature will rise) as it rests.

And don't forget to build in time for the roast to rest. This 20 to 30 minute waiting time allows the juices to redistribute, preventing them from spilling out of the meat and onto your cutting board instead of staying in the roast.

The instructions suggest cooking the prime rib on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, but Chef Ziga explains that you can also cook it directly in the pan. Whatever you choose, he strongly recommends saving the drippings (they make excellent gravy ).

On the topic of sides, he suggests pairing the prime rib with "classic, simple sides," like potatoes au gratin and other dishes with layered flavors that complement, rather than compete with, the star of the meal.

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HoneyBaked Prime Rib: My Honest Thoughts

I genuinely loved this prime rib, and it made the experience of cooking such a high-stakes roast surprisingly easy. The instructions were clear, the flavor was rich and the texture remained tender even after reheating. The only challenge? We didn't pull it out of the oven early enough, and ours ended up more well done than the medium-well we prefer. That's on us, though, and underscores exactly why using a thermometer is so crucial.

Even slightly overcooked, it was absolutely delicious! The seasoning was subtle in the best way, letting the beef take center stage. It felt like a special-occasion dish without requiring the stress usually associated with making prime rib from scratch.

We'll be getting another one for Christmas , and this time, we'll take Chef Ziga's advice to heart and have the thermometer at the ready. My whole family enjoyed this centerpiece roast and it definitely will make holiday hosting easier.

Up Next:

Related: 20 Showstopping Christmas Eve Recipes to Wow Your Guests

Source:

• Chef Tim Ziga, HoneyBaked's culinary expert

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.