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Holiday roast: how much, how long, when to start
For a holiday beef roast, buy about one rib of prime rib for every two guests (450–500 g / 16–18 oz bone-in per person) or 200–250 g / 7–9 oz of trimmed tenderloin per adult. Prime rib roasts at 110 °C / 225 °F for 30–40 minutes per 450 g / 1 lb and is pulled at 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F for medium-rare; a tenderloin takes 25–40 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F. Enter your guests and the hour you serve.
These are estimates for planning, not guarantees: every piece, butcher and grill is different. Nothing you type leaves this page.
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The numbers at a glance
| Roast | Raw per adult | Oven | Time | Pull, medium-rare | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime rib | 450–500 g / 15.9–17.6 oz | 110 °C / 225 °F | 66–88 min/kg (30–40 min/lb) | 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F | 30–60 min |
| Beef tenderloin roast | 200–250 g / 7.1–8.8 oz | 220 °C / 425 °F | 25–40 min | 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F | 15–30 min |
| Beef Wellington | 167 g / 5.9 oz | 200 °C / 400 °F | 35–40 min | 52 °C / 126 °F | 10 min |
| Adults | Prime rib (ribs · weight) | Tenderloin, trimmed | Tenderloin, whole untrimmed | Wellingtons of 1 kg / 2.2 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 · 1.8–2.2 kg / 4–4.9 lb | 0.8–1 kg / 1.8–2.2 lb | 1.1–1.7 kg / 2.4–3.7 lb | 1 |
| 6 | 3 · 2.7–3.3 kg / 6–7.3 lb | 1.2–1.5 kg / 2.6–3.3 lb | 1.7–2.5 kg / 3.7–5.5 lb | 1 |
| 8 | 4 · 3.6–4.4 kg / 7.9–9.7 lb | 1.6–2 kg / 3.5–4.4 lb | 2.2–3.3 kg / 4.9–7.3 lb | 2 |
| 10 | 5 · 4.5–5.5 kg / 9.9–12 lb | 2–2.5 kg / 4.4–5.5 lb | 2.8–4.2 kg / 6.2–9.3 lb | 2 |
| 12 | 6 · 5.4–6.6 kg / 12–15 lb | 2.4–3 kg / 5.3–6.6 lb | 3.3–5 kg / 7.3–11 lb | 2 |
Questions
How much prime rib per person?
About one rib for every two people, or 450–500 g / 16–18 oz of bone-in roast per guest. Add 20–30 % for leftovers; children eat about half.
How long does prime rib take per pound?
In a 110 °C / 225 °F oven, roughly 30–40 minutes per 450 g / 1 lb, so a 3-rib roast takes about 3½–4½ hours. Pull it by thermometer at 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F for medium-rare, rest it 30–60 minutes, then sear it at 260 °C / 500 °F for 6–10 minutes before carving.
What temperature should prime rib be pulled at?
For medium-rare, pull it from a low oven at 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F; after resting and searing it reaches 54–57 °C / 130–135 °F. The USDA safe minimum for whole cuts is 63 °C / 145 °F with a 3-minute rest.
How much beef tenderloin per person?
200–250 g / 7–9 oz of trimmed raw meat per adult. A whole untrimmed tenderloin gives about 60–72 % trimmed meat: 2.5–3 kg / 5.5–6.6 lb whole gives about 1.8 kg / 4 lb trimmed, which serves about eight.
How long does a beef tenderloin roast take?
After searing, a trimmed 1.8 kg / 4 lb tenderloin needs 25–40 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F to reach 50–52 °C / 122–126 °F in the center (medium-rare), then a 15–20 minute rest. The thermometer decides.
How long does beef Wellington take?
Bake a 1 kg / 2.2 lb Wellington at 200 °C / 400 °F for 35–40 minutes, until the core reads 52 °C / 126 °F; after a 10-minute rest it reaches 55–57 °C / 131–135 °F. Count one hour of chilling before it goes in, and one hour of work.
What time should I start the roast?
Work back from serving time: the roasting time, plus the rest (30–60 minutes for a rib, 15–30 for a tenderloin), plus 10 minutes of searing and a 30–45 minute buffer. Enter the hour you serve and the calculator writes the schedule.
Where the numbers come from
- Amounts, times and temperatures come from our own articles: Prime rib, Beef tenderloin roast, Beef Wellington, the Christmas beef roast: choosing and planning guide and Resting steak. They cite the IMPS specifications, USDA FSIS and the cookbooks behind each figure. The 20–30 % for leftovers and the 30-minute buffer are the guide’s planning allowances.