Beef Tenderloin Recipe

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My delicious beef tenderloin recipe is a flavorful and easy-to-prepare beef roast, that will definitely impress your guests and elevate your status as home chef! My foolproof recipe will help you create a perfectly cooked roasted beef tenderloin, every time.

Sliced beef tenderloin recipe is served on a white platter.

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Seasoned with fresh herbs and spices, and cooked in less than an hour, our roasted beef tenderloin is the centerpiece for your next dinner party, holiday season, or special occasions.

But don’t wait for Christmas dinner to make this flavorful roast; it’s too good not to enjoy, year-round.

Sliced roasted beef tenderloin on a white platter.

Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking a whole beef tenderloin. My easy recipe will have you creating a restaurant-style dinner in your own home in less than an hour.

If you love roasted beef, make sure to check out our prime rib roast and top-round roast beef recipes.

Ingredients

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my beef tenderloin roast recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

If your local grocery stores don’t stock whole tenderloins, try the local big box stores, like Sam’s Club or Costco. They will also be less expensive at those locations.

What Is a Beef Tenderloin?

The Tenderloin comes from the back half of a steer and is cut from the loin and sirloin primal. It’s a long cut of beef that you can use for a roast, Beef Wellington, or slice into small steaks which are commonly referred to as a filet mignon steak.

This cut of beef has very little fat, making the steaks lean. Although it doesn’t have the robust beef flavor of other cuts, it’s the most tender cut of meat, and the most expensive cut of beef you’ll ever cook.

Why should I use sumac in the seasoning mixture?

Sumac has been a staple in our house when it comes to roasting or grilling beef. The acidity of sumac cuts through the heavy richness of the meat, balancing the flavors and enhancing the natural flavors.

If you don’t have any sumac on hand or would rather not use it, you can replace it with your favorite seasoning, or simply leave it out.

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin

Follow along with my detailed instructions to see how to cook beef tenderloin in your own kitchen.

Remove the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator at least a half hour prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

Pat dry the tenderloin with paper towels, then remove any excess fat, sinew, and connective tissue from the roast.
Using a boning or fillet knife, gently slide the blade under the silver skin and strip it away in thin layers

If I was serving individual steaks, I would remove the remaining fan and clean the tenderloin more completely. For this recipe, it’s not necessary

Collage showing how to prepare seasonings for recipe.

Add the olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary to a small bowl.
Mix to combine the ingredients.
Add the kosher salt, black pepper, sumac, and ground mustard powder to the olive oil mixture.
Mix thoroughly until fully combined.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Image showing how to apply seasoning mixture.

Rub the seasoning mixture onto the whole tenderloin and let it sit for the remainder of the 30 minutes.
*This will give the beef time to marinate in the seasonings and letting the roast come to room temperature will let it cook more evenly.
Place a meat thermometer in the center of the meat.

Place the beef tenderloin on the wire rack and place the roasting pan on the center rack of the preheated oven.
Cook the tenderloin at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F. and continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees.
Remove the pan from the oven and tent the roast with aluminum foil. Let the beef rest for 20 minutes before slicing to allow the juice to redistribute back into the roast.

Slice to the desired thickness and serve with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes, green beans, or your favorite green vegetable.

Serve the roasted beef tenderloin with au jus made from the pan juices and creamy horseradish sauce.

Store any leftover beef tenderloin refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Recipe FAQs

What temperature should I roast a whole tenderloin to?

Roast until a meat thermometer registers 130 degrees F. for medium-rare or 140 degrees F. for medium. After removing the roast from the oven, it will continue to cook, increasing the finished temperature by 7-10 degrees.

Should I cover the tenderloin while roasting?

No, keep it uncovered during the roasting process. When you remove the roast from the oven, then you can tent it with aluminum foil, during the resting period.

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