Beef Tenderloin
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This whole roasted melt-in-your-mouth Beef Tenderloin is such a classic once-a-year-celebratory dish! Beautifully cooked medium-rare beef from edge to center with a perfectly browned and flavorful crust!
Perfect Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Now don’t be intimidated by its beauty (and size!). Beef tenderloin is actually really easy to make and it will be melting in your mouth in no time! I know this cut of meat can be quite expensive, but I’m telling you, it will easily serve a crowd and be way less than what that crowd would pay at a restaurant. Oh yes, you’re going to make this as good as any restaurant version!
Beef tenderloin doesn’t require much in the way of seasoning or spicing because the meat shines all by itself! Be generous with the salt and pepper and simply let it do its thing! However, I love serving this with a delicious horseradish yogurt sauce, because horseradish and steak truly are a match made in heaven.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Tenderloin
- Juicy Tasty Tenderloin! When seared and roasted, tenderloin comes out juicy and tender in a few easy steps. And the balsamic dijon glaze in this recipe just adds to the amazing flavor.
- Simple Recipe! Roasting beef is a pretty simple process that doesn’t require special skills or equipment. Once the meat is seasoned and seared, the oven does the rest of the work.
- Wow Appeal! This juicy beef tenderloin recipe with fresh yogurt sauce is impressive and restaurant quality good. Your family will think you spent hours in the kitchen cooking away!
- Beef tenderloin – I’m using a 3 pound beef tenderloin today.
- Salt and pepper – For seasoning and to taste.
- Olive oil – For searing purposes.
- Butter – Unsalted butter and melted.
- Balsamic vinegar – I like to use a good quality balsamic vinegar for this cut of beef!
- Garlic – 4 fresh cloves, minced. Remember the golden rule; 1.5 teaspoons of jarred garlic is equal to 1 fresh clove.
- Thyme – 3 sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish and taste!
- Dijon mustard – Any brand will work, so choose your favorite!
Yogurt Sauce
- Greek yogurt – Choose your favorite but make sure it’s plain yogurt!
- Sour cream – Any brand will work here!
- Lemon juice – Preferably from a fresh lemon!
- Horseradish – A key element in our sauce for some added heat!
- Salt and pepper – To taste!
This roasted beef presents beautifully but is so easy to make! Once the beef is seared it needs no attention as it cooks in the oven, which gives you plenty of time to focus on your sides. This makes roasted tenderloin recipes ideal for Christmas dinner!
Prep The Beef
To begin, you need to make sure the tenderloin is at room temperature so take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting. Next, you need to trim any silverskin from the meat and then tie the whole length of the tenderloin well with butcher’s twine. Then pat the meat dry with paper towels so that it forms a better crust when seared. Now, generously season the tenderloin on all sides with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
Preheat The Oven
Before you begin cooking you need to preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). It needs to be super hot so that once the meat is seared you can pop it right in the oven. You do not want the oven temperature to be too low or the meat will not cook as well.
Sear The Tenderloin
Forming a good sear adds lots of delicious flavor! To do this, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Then add the tenderloin to the pan and sear it on all sides until it’s well browned. Each side will take a few minutes to form a nice crust. If the meat is sticking to the pan at all it just means that the crust is still forming on that side.
Make The Glaze
With the beef now seared you make the yummy glaze. Combine the melted butter, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, and thyme together in a small bowl. Then brush the mixture all over the tenderloin making sure it’s evenly covered on all sides.
Roast Beef Tenderloin
Now that the beef is seared and glazed, transfer it to the oven still in the oven-proof skillet and roast it for 25 minutes for medium rare. When it’s ready an instant-read thermometer will read 130°F (54°C) when inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin to check the internal temperature. However, if you like your meat to be more well done just keep baking it in the oven for a few more minutes. Also, if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet just transfer the whole beef tenderloin to a roasting pan before putting it in the oven.
Make The Yogurt Sauce
While the meat is roasting to perfection in the oven you can make the yogurt sauce! So add the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Then whisk everything together well and then place the sauce in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.
Rest And Serve
Once the roast tenderloin is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a cutting board. Now, cover it with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to lock in the juices. Then slice the tenderloin and serve it topped with yogurt sauce and fresh herbs!
What Is Tenderloin?
Beef tenderloin is basically the name of the large cut of beef, before it is sliced into steak. Once it is cut into steaks, those steaks are typically known as “filet mignon”. Beef tenderloin is found in the loin of the cow and is regarded as the most tender cut of beef, also one of the most expensive!
How To Tie Tenderloin
This recipe requires the beef tenderloin to be tied so you’re going to want to have some kitchen twine on hand! Mine already came tied, and usually you can ask the butcher to tie it for you, however if you need to do it yourself, here’s a great article explaining how to do it.
It’s important to tie your roast though because this will ensure even cooking.
What Temperature Should I Cook Beef Tenderloin To?
Since beef tenderloin is not a cheap cut of beef, you want to make sure you cook it correctly and at the correct temperature. The recommended doneness for beef tenderloin is medium rare and trust me that will give you melt-in-your-mouth tender beef.
A thermometer is the ONLY way to guarantee a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin just how you like it.
| 120º to 125º | Rare |
| 130º to 135º | Medium – Rare |
| 140º to 145º | Medium |
| 150º | Wel Done |
Slow Cooker?
Unfortunately cooking beef tenderloin in a slow cooker is not the most ideal way nor is it going to give you the results you’re looking for. Slow cookers are meant to cook meat all the way through, and with beef tenderloin this will create a well done and very dry result – which is not the goal here! If you’re looking for slow cooking roast options, some cuts of meat that work great in a slow cooker would be a chunk steak, round steak or a skirt steak.
Mistakes To Avoid
Beef tenderloin is a classic centrepiece for a holiday dinner or a special occasion. It’s also one of the most expensive beef cuts around, and because it is so, we want to make sure that we cook it perfectly and avoid some common mistakes.
- Trim the tenderloin properly. Usually tenderloin has a thick layer of a white connective tissue along its surface. This tissue needs to be removed, as it really won’t taste good if left on. This is something that your butcher can do for you. However, if you need to do it yourself, make sure you use a thin and flexible knife to remove all that silver skin.
- Tie it up! As mentioned above tying your roast is important for even cooking especially when your roast could be oddly shaped.
- Season it properly. Beef tenderloin is very tender, probably the most tender piece of meat you can buy, but having said so, it doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own. This is why it’s important to generously season it with salt and pepper and other herbs and garlic for lots of other great extra flavors.
- Do not overcook it! I always tell you that the best way to really cook any kind of meat, whatever cut it may be is to really use a thermometer as it’s the safest way to make sure it’s cooked properly. Refer to the table above for correct temperatures for desired doneness.
- Let it rest! I know this step is probably usually skipped but it’s very important to let your cut of beef rest. This will ensure that all those delicious juices will not leak out onto your cutting board but into your mouth. Nobody loves a dry, flavorless cut of beef.
How to serve
We enjoyed this beef tenderloin with some fresh bread and a gorgeous skillet of green beans!
You can also serve your beef tenderloin with any of these classic sides:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Potato Salad
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Greek Salad
- Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Slow Cooker Bread
- Classic Dinner Rolls
Leftovers
Fridge: Beef tenderloin will last in the fridge for 3 – 4 days when stored properly in an airtight container.
Freezer: To extend it’s shelf life I recommend placing it into the freezer, properly stored, and it will last up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight before warming in the oven.
Other Delicious Beef Recipes To Try
- Beef Wellington
- Easy Pot Roast
- Beef Teriyaki Skewers
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Korean Beef Rice Bowls
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Prime Rib Roast
- Roast Beef
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Beef Tenderloin
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef tenderloin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted, melted)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 springs thyme
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prepare tenderloin: If your tenderloin needs it, make sure to trim the silver skin and tie it properly with kitchen twine. Season the beef generously with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- Preheat oven: To 450°F.
- Sear the tenderloin: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet and sear the tenderloin on all sides until browned.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl combine the melted butter, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, and thyme. Next, brush the sauce over the tenderloin, ensuring all sides are evenly covered.
- Roast: Place the skillet into the oven and roast for about 25 minutes for medium-rare or until a meat thermometer reads 130°F indicating medium rare. Make sure you're inserting the meat thermometer into the most centre or thickest part of the tenderloin.
- Make yogurt sauce: In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish, and salt and chill until ready to serve.
- Finish and serve: Once cook time has finished, remove from the oven and place onto a cutting board covered with aluminum foil. Let the tenderloin rest for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve with yogurt sauce!
Notes
- A thermometer is the ONLY way to guarantee a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin just how you like it. 120º to 125º: rare; 130º to 135º: medium-rare; 140º to 145º: medium; 150º: well done
- Beef tenderloin will last in the fridge for 3 – 4 days when stored properly in an airtight container.
- To extend it’s shelf life I recommend placing it into the freezer, properly stored – and it will last up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight before warming in the oven.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
My first time cooking a beef tenderloin, and it was so delicious! This is a pricey cut of meat, but I wanted to make something special for our Christmas dinner. This is a great recipe, and a wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion!
Question: Do you use plain horseradish or a cream horseradish?
It’s just plain horseradish.
Amazing !!! Love it.
This recipe was amazing. It absolutely melts in your mouth. The sauce is a winner as well. I only used a 1 pound piece and followed directions except it was in the oven only 10 minutes. I normally cook beef tenderloin on the grill or in my smoker but because it was a very cold day it seemed like the perfect time to try this recipe. I am so glad I did.
This was delicious! I used the blue cheese mustard from Trader Joe’s and it was a hit. This was our Christmas dinner last night.
Easy and delicious! Only made the tenderloin glaze and served with mashed potatoes. Keeper!!!