Prime Rib Injection Marinade

This incredible prime rib injection marinade will take your beef roast from good to stellar. By penetrating deep into the meat, this blend enhances its natural beefiness and infuses it with butter, garlic, and delicious umami flavor.

Whether you are grilling, smoking, oven roasting, or rotisserie spit cooking your rib roast, one thing is for sure: it will benefit from this flavorful prime rib injection marinade. What’s great about this recipe is its simplicity. It only takes a few minutes to make, and you can apply it the night before. We recommend using it in tandem with our Rosemary-Garlic Prime Rib Rub or our simple SPG for Beef. 

You will need a good-quality meat injector. This recipe makes enough marinade for one 10-14 pound, bone-in, prime rib roast.

Why this recipe works

• This injection marinade will flavor the beef roast from the inside out.
• It will keep your prime rib moist and juicy during cooking.
• This injection marinade is easy to make and calls for simple ingredients.
• It can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• It creates a flavorful au jus.
• This injection marinade can be used for other cuts of beef and game meats, like :
• Thick tomahawk steaks
• Eye of round
• Beef tenderloin
• Beef plate ribs
• Venison Tenderloin

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, Irish or European butter recommended
• Better Than Bouillon roast beef base (or your favorite beef base, beef stock or beef broth)
• Dry red wine (or red wine vinegar diluted with water)
• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce (use Tamari for a gluten-free option, or low-salt soy sauce)
• Garlic powder (sub with granulated garlic or onion powder)
• Black pepper (fine ground)

If you plan to pre-season your prime rib, either reduce the salt content used in your rub, or use low-sodium alternatives to make this injection marinade.

Steps to make it

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 
• Combine ingredients: Stir in beef base, water, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Simmer marinade: Let the mixture come to a light simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Let it cool: Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture to cool for 30-40 minutes. Mixture should be cool (not cold) to the touch, with no warmth remaining.

How to Use a Prime Rib Injection Marinade

• Secure prime rib: Tie prime rib with kitchen twine to secure it, then set it on a large baking dish or roasting pan.
• Injecting: Draw some of the prime rib marinade into the injector. Plunge the needle into the meat about 2 inches deep and release the liquid while slowly pulling the needle out. Do not inject the bone section.
• Backflow: Some liquid might spill out. That’s okay. Blot it away with a paper towel.
• Repeat the process every 2 inches around the roast. 
• Refrigerate overnight: Cover the prime rib with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
• Discard the remaining injection marinade.
• Bring the temp up: Take the roast out of the fridge 1 1/2 hours before cooking. Slather the rub onto the meat and let it stand at room temperature. Cook as directed.
• Make ahead: You can make this prime rib injection marinade up to 5 days before you intend to cook the roast. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before using it.

More injection marinade recipes!

• Beef Brisket Injection Recipe
• Best Pork Injection Recipes
• Chicken Injection Marinade

Prime Rib Injection Marinade

Whether you are grilling, smoking, oven roasting, or rotisserie spit cooking your rib roast, one thing is for sure: it will benefit from this flavorful prime rib injection marinade!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Marinades/Brines

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef marinade, brisket injection marinade, prime rib injection marinade

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 253kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Irish or Danish butter recommended
• 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon roast beef base
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons dry red wine or 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar diluted with 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce use Tamari for a gluten-free option
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in beef base, water, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Let the mixture come to a light simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Once all the ingredients are well combined, and the beef base has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat.
• Allow the mixture to cool until it reaches room temperature or when you can no longer feel the warmth radiating from the surface of the liquid.
• To use: Place your rib roast in a large baking dish.
• Draw some of the prime rib marinade into the injector.
• Plunge the needle into the meat about 2 inches deep and release the liquid while slowly pulling the needle out. Do not inject the bone section.
• Some liquid might spill out. That’s okay. Blot it away with a paper towel.
• Repeat the process every 2 inches around the roast.
• Cover the prime rib with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
• Discard the remaining injection marinade.
• Take the roast out of the fridge 1 1/2 hours before cooking. Slather the rub onto the meat and let it stand at room temperature. Cook as directed.
• Make this prime rib injection marinade up to 5 days before you intend to cook the roast. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg