Ultimate Beef Tenderloin is flavorful, rich, and the easiest tenderloin ever! You’ll love the rich taste of this simple meal! Try today!
Indulge in the culinary delight of our fabulous Beef Tenderloin recipe, a showstopper that effortlessly combines simplicity with elegance. This recipe highlights the yummy flavors of beef tenderloin combined with a simple blend of softened butter, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper. The result? A mouthwatering masterpiece that’s both tender and succulent on the inside, with a beautifully seared crust on the outside. The preparation is straightforward, making it accessible for home cooks of all levels, while the final result boasts the sophistication worthy of the grandest family gatherings and celebrations. Just like our holiday favorite Prime Rib, this tenderloin steak recipe comes out with wonderfully tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. It’s the perfect Dinner Recipe for a special occasion or holiday.
If you love steak but have never made it yourself then this fool-proof recipe is the perfect place to start. Just prep the beef with kitchen twine then pop it in the oven for roasting. As long as you use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked to at least 135 degrees F, then let it sit before slicing, it should be perfect. Beef Tenderloin is great to serve to a crowd around the holidays because the roast turns out to look impressive and restaurant-worthy, but it doesn’t take that much work.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Beef Tenderloin Recipe
This Roast comes out perfect with just a 25-minute cooking time. It’s such an easy way to cook up tenderloin for a simple, yet elegant holiday meal. The tenderloin turns out wonderfully buttery, delicate, and bursting with delicious flavor. Plus, the total time for this Beef Tenderloin is just 30 minutes. It’s one of the easiest Beef Recipes ever, but the results are truly delicious.
This accessible recipe begins with trimming and tying the meat for even cooking. A buttery rub and seasoning create a flavorful crust during high-heat roasting. The result is a succulent masterpiece, tender inside and seared outside. With historical roots in upscale dining, it’s a timeless favorite suitable for family dinners and grand holiday parties.
Can Beef Tenderloin Be Made Ahead of Time?
While it’s best to roast the Beef Tenderloin just before serving for the freshest taste and texture, you can prepare some parts ahead of time. Trim the silver skin and other connective tissue off and tie the beef a day ahead, season with salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of butter for flavor melding, and preheat your skillet or pan in advance. However, remember to do the final roasting just before serving to ensure optimal quality.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Beef Tenderloin: Beef tenderloin, known for its tenderness and mild flavor, is the star of this dish. Its lean, well-marbled meat ensures a melt-in-your-mouth experience. You can substitute with other cuts like ribeye or sirloin.
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness and helps create a luscious crust during roasting.
- 2 tablespoons Kosher Salt: Kosher salt enhances the meat’s flavor and promotes better seasoning penetration. Avoid using table salt, which can make the dish overly salty due to its finer texture.
- 1 tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Coarse ground black pepper provides a subtle heat and adds texture to the beef’s crust. Freshly ground pepper is preferred for the best flavor.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Large Oven-Safe Skillet or Baking Pan: You’ll need a sturdy, oven-safe skillet or baking pan to roast the beef tenderloin. A cast iron skillet is an excellent choice as it retains heat well and provides a great sear for a perfect brown crust. Ensure it can withstand high oven temperatures.
- Kitchen Twine: Kitchen twine is essential for tying the beef tenderloin. It helps maintain an even thickness across the meat, ensuring uniform cooking.
- Meat Thermometer: A digital probe thermometer is crucial for achieving your desired level of doneness. It allows you to monitor the internal temperature of the beef tenderloin accurately. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone or fat.
How to Make Beef Tenderloin
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Prep
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Trim any tough connective tissue. Use kitchen twine to tie the tenderloin to ensure the meat is the same thickness all the way across. Once the meat is tied up rub the beef tenderloin with softened butter and season it with salt and pepper.
- Roast
Place the tenderloin in a large oven-proof skillet or baking pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 22-25 minutes. This will make a medium-rare loin. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 135 degrees. You can up the cooking time depending on the doneness you want the meat.
- Serve
Once the meat has been oven-roasted let the meat rest for 10 minutes on a baking sheet with aluminum foil tented over it. Then slice the meat and serve.
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Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Check out our pro tips to ensure your Beef Tenderloin turns out perfectly every time! We invite you to share your own tips and tricks in the comments too!
- Use a Meat Thermometer for Precision: To achieve your desired level of doneness, rely on a meat thermometer. This ensures you hit that sweet spot between rare and well-done. For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of 135°F (57°C).
- Rest the Tenderloin for Juicy Slices: After roasting, resist the temptation to slice immediately. Let the beef tenderloin rest, tented with foil, for at least 10 minutes. This allows the juices to be redistributed, resulting in moist and flavorful slices.
- Tying the Tenderloin is Key: Tying the beef tenderloin with kitchen twine ensures even cooking and a uniform shape. Don’t skip this step; it makes a significant difference in the final presentation.
- Preheat Your Skillet or Pan: Before searing the beef, make sure your skillet or pan is hot. A sizzling hot skillet start creates a fantastic crust. A cold pan can result in less desirable searing which will make it lose the golden crust.
- Carve Against the Grain: When it’s time to slice, remember to cut against the grain. This breaks up muscle fibers, ensuring each bite is tender and easy to chew.
How to Store Leftover Beef Tenderloin
To preserve the exquisite flavor and texture of your leftover tenderloin, place the pieces of meat in an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours of preparation. This prevents moisture loss and helps maintain freshness. Roast Beef Tenderloin will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Best Ways to Reheat Beef Tenderloin
For optimal results, reheat your Beef Tenderloin gently. Use an oven at a low temperature, around 250°F (120°C), until warmed through. This gradual reheating prevents overcooking and preserves its tenderness.
Freezing Beef Tenderloin
You can also keep the Beef Tenderloin in the freezer for 2-3 months. Freeze leftover Beef Tenderloin in an airtight container. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Ideas to Serve Beef Tenderloin
- Classic Presentation: Arrange sliced tenderloin on a white platter. Serve warm green beans and red wine sauce or creamy horseradish sauce or Blue Cheese Dressing. The tender beef will soak up whatever sauce you pair with it for a delicious, juicy taste in every bite.
- Surf and Turf Delight: Pair Beef Tenderloin with lobster tails. Serve both hot with garlic butter mixture and lemon.
- Beef Tenderloin Salad: Slice beef over mixed greens, serve cold with balsamic vinaigrette, blue cheese, and candied pecans.
- Family-Style Platter: Present the whole roasted tenderloin on a wooden board. Serve warm with a variety of sauces for customization.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Grilled Beef Tenderloin
Grilling imparts a smoky flavor and beautiful grill marks. Marinate the tenderloin, then grill over medium-high heat. It’s a fantastic option for outdoor cooking enthusiasts. Benefits: Grilling adds a smoky essence and a delightful char to the beef, enhancing its overall flavor and appearance.
Instant Pot Beef Tenderloin (Pressure Cooking)
Pressure cooking in an Instant Pot is a time-saving method. Sear the tenderloin first to give it a nice browned crust, then cook it with broth and seasonings under high pressure for 20 minutes. Benefits: The Instant Pot creates tender beef in less time, making it ideal for busy days.
Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) Beef Tenderloin
Slow cooking in a Crock Pot involves placing the tenderloin with seasonings and liquid, then cooking it on low and slow for 4 to 8 hours. Benefits: The slow cooker results in incredibly tender and flavorful beef that practically melts in your mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While the recipe calls for beef tenderloin, you can substitute with cuts like ribeye or sirloin. Adjust cooking times based on the cut’s thickness and marbling.
If you don’t have kosher salt, you can use sea salt as a substitute. Keep in mind that table salt is finer, so use it sparingly to avoid oversalting the dish.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. For medium-rare, aim for 135°F (57°C). Letting it rest for a couple of minutes (at least 10 minutes) after roasting ensures the juices redistribute for perfect slices.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 5 pounds beef tenderloin , trimmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- Tie tenderloin with kitchen twine so it is an even thickness all the way across.
- Rub the tenderloin with softened butter and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Place into a large oven-safe skillet or baking pan (a cast iron skillet works great for this).
- Roast for 22-25 minutes for medium-rare (135 degrees), then let rest for 10 minutes (tented with a sheet of foil) before cutting slices against the grain to serve.
Nutrition
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Beef Tenderloin Variations
- Seasoning: There are plenty of seasonings you can add to the meat along with the salt and pepper before roasting the tenderloin. Try adding minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and basil.
- Seared: If you’d like the tenderloin medium-well or more well done you can first sear the meat in a skillet on a stovetop until browned, then put it in the oven.
- Red wine sauce: For a delicious sauce to serve with Roasted Beef Tenderloin whisk together an easy wine sauce. Here’s a step-by-step guide for making a rich red sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add ¾ cup sliced shallots to cook on medium-low heat. Continue to cook until translucent then add 1-¼ cups red wine, 3 cups beef broth, 6 fresh thyme sprigs, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid by half. Combine 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix in the flour mixture and serve the red wine sauce over the tenderloin and enjoy!
Photos used in previous versions of this post.
This was so easy and delicious! I made this for dinner with family and everyone raved about how good it was! I will definitely use this recipe from now on.
Horseradish sauce receipe pls
I shouldn’t rate this recipe because I mainly have a question.
I’m probably the only person that wants this, but you always have suggestions after your recipes. Is there a way to print the suggestions that you have at the end of the recipe (after the nutritional information) without having to copy and paste them into a word program? They are always very helpful. Please let me know.
Fabulous! So incredibly tender. Beautifully browned on the outside, and rare inside.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Debbie.
Hello Sabrina!
Wishing you a BLESSED & JOY
filled Christmas & New Year!
Wow you happen to habe a recipe for a brown pan sauce to prepare with your Beef Tenderloin recipe?
Thank You,
DEE DEE CATO ?
I have since posted a lot of beef sauce recipes, I hope one of them would work for you. I hope you had a good holiday season!
Hi Sabrina! So we got a 3.5 lb tenderloin to make for Christmas Day. If you cook a 5 lb one for 22-25 mins, how long do you suggest I cook mine for? Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!!
I am just seeing this tonight. I am sure the recipe has long been cooked/or not but I still want to try to help. It would be a similar amount of time unless the roast is very thin.
If you make one this size again I’d check it at 18 minutes.
Today I roasted a 2# tenderloin and I started the time at 15 minutes but it wasn’t quite right so I added an additional 7 minutes and it was a perfect medium rare. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to pan sear it on all sides in the cast iron skillet before roasting it. The color was not as appealing without the sear. The finished product was, however, sooo tender and delicious ?
I am in love with your take on food!!!!!!
Thanks so much, Sue.
Do you cook the tenderloin the same amount of time for 2 1/2 pounds. There is only two of us.
I’m so sorry, I know your meal is long gone now. No, a different cut of meat would have different cooking times.
I want to serve the blue cheese sauce with the roast but all I find is the blue cheese dressing on your web page. Is this what I would use?
I’m still working on that recipe. It needed more testing to get it just right.