Name: Beef Tenderloin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 3 lb beef tenderloin; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp butter (unsalted, melted); 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 4 cloves garlic (minced); 3 springs thyme; 1/2 cup Greek yogurt; 1/4 cup sour cream; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp horseradish; 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

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!

overhead shot of beef tenderloin cut into slices in a skillet garnished with thyme

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.

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!

Ingredients

Beef tenderloin – I’m using 3 lb of beef tenderloin today.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning and to taste.
Olive oil – For searing purposes.
Butter – Unsalted and melted.
Balsamic vinegar – I like to use a nice one for this cut of beef!
Garlic – 4 fresh cloves, minced. Remember the golden rule; 1 1/2 teaspoon of jarred garlic is equal to 1 fresh clove.
Thyme – 3 sprigs for garnish and taste!
Dijon mustard – Any brand will work, so choose your favorite!

Yogurt sauce:

Greek yogurt – Choose your favorite!
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!

process shots showing how to make beef tenderloin roast

How To Cook Beef Tenderloin

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 degrees.
Sear the tenderloin: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet and sear the tenderloin on all sides until browned.
Create sauce: 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.
Create yogurt sauce: In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish, and salt and pepper, 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!

horseradish yogurt sauce plus 2 slices of filet mignon with green beans on a white plate

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 evening 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

sliced up beef tenderloin on a cutting board

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.

closeup of slices of beef tenderloin in a skillet

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:

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.

overhead shot of sliced up beef tenderloin on a cutting board

More Delicious Beef Recipes Here:

Comments

Kate Walls says

February 17, 2020 at 2:16 pm

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.

Douglas Berman says

December 26, 2019 at 3:32 pm

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.

Tina Hammer says

December 25, 2019 at 9:27 pm

Easy and delicious! Only made the tenderloin glaze and served with mashed potatoes. Keeper!!!