You simply must try this juicy Roast Beef Tenderloin, slathered with a delicious garlic butter!
Even better when served with a rich and rustic, easy to make red wine sauce (or jus), this ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ beef tenderloin roast will take your dinner to the next level.
As far as beef tenderloin recipes go, this masterpiece is most definitely our favourite. Much like our prime rib with a garlic herb crust, this roast beef tenderloin recipe is perfect for Christmas, New Years or a wholesome weekend dinner. Whether you prefer rare, medium or well done, this beautiful piece of meat can be roasted to your liking.
WHAT ARE BEEF TENDERLOINS?
Beef tenderloin is cut from the loin of the beef and is one of the most popular cuts thanks to its tenderness and mild flavour.
Whole tenderloins are sold as either:
- Unpeeled — the fat and silverskin remain.
- Peeled — the fat is removed, silverskin is intact.
- Peeled with silverskin removed and side muscle (chain) left on or off.
Unpeeled whole tenderloins are cheaper to buy but require more work to prepare for roasting. Beef tenderloin price varies based on the cut. The most expensive beef tenderloin cut is the third option. It requires less prep work with the fat trimmings already removed. Some butchers also tie it for you, ready for roasting straight away.
HOW IS TENDERLOIN BEST COOKED?
Should you sear beef tenderloin before roasting? YES! The best way to cook beef tenderloin is to first chuck it in a pan before popping it in the oven. Sear the beef tenderloin until you get the crispy, browned exterior without drying it out. Like our garlic butter prime rib and our grilled steak with browned butter, you want the inside of the meat to still be soft and tender.
If you want to elevate your beef tenderloin, try this rich, easy, red wine sauce. It’s completely optional and absolutely incredible. You will feel like a gourmet chef serving this roast beef tenderloin to your guests. The red wine jus also pairs well with our classic steakhouse steak.
HOW TO TRIM A BEEF TENDERLOIN?
SILVERSKIN: First, trim the Silverskin of the tenderloin if it has been left on (the thin, silver membrane that remains tough when cooked – see images below). Run a knife just under the membrane and carefully slice it off.
CHAIN: Your tenderloin may still have the chain attached, which looks like a fatty thin piece of meat running down the length of the tenderloin. You will need to remove this also. Reserve the chain and use it in our Slow Cooker Beef Stew.
HALVE: Cut the tenderloin in half to create two small roasts. Easier to roast than a whole tenderloin, allowing you to roast each one for different durations and consistencies. We roast one medium rare and the other well done, leaving it in the oven longer, which makes this roast perfect for families with different preferences.
HOW TO TIE A ROAST
Use kitchen twine to tie your roast firmly with 1-inch intervals. Be careful not to tie it too tight or the beef will lose its shape and bulge out. This helps to keep them compact while roasting, ensuring they cook evenly.
A whole beef tenderloin has a thinner, tapered end. Tuck it under before tying it up so it’s the same thickness.
HOW DO YOU COOK A WHOLE BEEF TENDERLOIN IN THE OVEN?
Pat tenderloins dry and refrigerate them, uncovered for 12 hours or overnight (if time allows). This is optional and helps get the crispy outer edge when searing. If you don’t have the time, don’t worry! You will still get good results.
Season the surface of the tenderloin with a thin layer of coarse salt and pepper. Salt brings out the beef flavour in the tenderloin.
Sear in a hot skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, then turn and repeat until browned all over. So all together, you need to sear it on 3 or 4 sides to get a nice colour all over (about 3 minutes per side).
Slather with a garlic, Dijon butter and transfer to the oven to continue roasting. If you don’t have an oven proof pan, transfer the roasts to a shallow baking dish or pan and continue on from there.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD YOU COOK A BEEF TENDERLOIN?
Beef tenderloin roasts at 430°F (or 220°C).
HOW LONG DO YOU COOK BEEF TENDERLOIN?
Use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Rare: 115°F – 120°F.
Medium-rare: 120°F – 125°F.
Medium: 130°F – 135°F.
Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise about 5-10 degrees while the meat rests. Let it rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing to let the juices redistribute and absorb back into the meat, guaranteeing the perfect slice of roast beef tenderloin.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH A BEEF TENDERLOIN
Tenderloin is very versatile and with a mild flavour profile, can be paired with just about anything like our crispy parmesan asparagus, our crispy garlic roasted potatoes or our honey garlic butter roasted carrots.
Looking for more steak or beef recipes? Try these!
Pan Seared Garlic Butter Steak & Mushroom Cream Sauce
Garlic Butter Grilled Steak & Shrimp
Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
TENDERLOIN:
- 5-6 pounds beef tenderloin trimmed
- 3 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cracked pepper black
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic large and minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
RED WINE SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 onion or brown shallots, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups dry red wine Merlot or Pinot Noir
- 2 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
BEEF TENDERLOIN
- Slice tenderloin in half crosswise to create 2 smaller roasts. If roast is untied, fold ends up against the centre/thicker part of each roast and tie with kitchen twine spaced about 1-inch apart. Make sure each halve is even in thickness.
- Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 hours (if time allows).
- Let beef stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours before roasting.
- Arrange oven rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 430°F (220°C).
- Season each beef tenderloin roast all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Sear roasts on all four sides for about 3 minutes each side (about 12 minutes total), turning with tongs until well browned.
- Combine butter, garlic and Dijon (if using) together in a small bowl while roasts are searing. Set one half of the butter mixture aside to use later for the sauce.
- Slather remaining garlic butter over each roast (about 2 tablespoons each).
- Transfer skillet into the hot oven. (Alternatively: Transfer roast to a lightly greased roasting pan or baking dish.)
- Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120-125°F for medium rare (about 20-25 minutes). *Or cook to your liking: 115-120°F for rare130-135°F for medium(Temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees while the meat rests.)
- Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Keep the juices in the pan to make the sauce (see below).
- Carve the beef tenderloin into ½-inch-thick slices and serve the beef tenderloin with the optional red wine sauce.
RED WINE SAUCE
- Skim fat off the remaining juices in the pan (if any).
- Heat oil in the same pan with remaining pan juices over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes until lightly browned and softened, scraping up any browned bits left from the beef.
- Add thyme/rosemary and season with pepper. Continue cooking for a further minute or so while stirring often.
- Pour in red wine and cook until reduced by half.
- Add in beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove the sprig of thyme or rosemary.
- Season with salt to taste and whisk in reserved garlic butter. Pour in any juices left over from the resting steaks just before serving.OPTIONAL FOR A SMOOTH AND SILKY SAUCE: strain sauce through a sieve and discard the onion before serving.
Notes
- Tuck the tapered end of your beef tenderloin into the twine while tying to ensure the roast is the same size throughout.
- Sear beef tenderloin before popping it into the oven.
Jham says
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe, Glad to found this recipe, i’m going to prepare this Roast Beef Tenderloin on my Sister’s birthday i hope that i made it good and deliciouse and hope they like it.
I am looking forward to see more such type of recipe.
Tatiana says
I made it today and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Mary E Batson says
Our family loved it from the first bite until the last. Believe it or not the men at the table wanted not just seconds but a few more bites. The Red wine sauce was a perfect delight and enjoyed by all. Thank you for making our dinner a joy, everyone is still talking about it this afternoon. Mary
Irene says
I skipped the drying in the fridge, but it turned out to be delicious, and the four other family members agreed. Many thanks!
Shannon says
I had planned to prepare your Garlic Prime Rib for Christmas lunch since prime rib is my mother’s favorite cut of meat; however, when you live in a small town, you can’t always find what you want. I was able to find tenderloin and it was fabulous. My whole family enjoyed the meat. The red wine gravy/sauce is a must have. My future son-in-law believes it can be served with anything … beef, pork, chicken, eggs, as a soup. It may well have been his favorite part of the meal.
Thank you for your great recipes.
Bill says
This recipe looks wonderful. I intent to use for our Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Jessie K. says
This is by far, the best tenderloin I’ve made. I found searing and cooking it hot for a short amount of time is far better than a slow roast. Do not skip the wine sauce; it is fantastic! Don’t change anything about the recipe, it is perfect.
Terry Foss says
This was AMAZING! The whole family loved it! My daughter said “Dad, This. Is. Your. Best. Yet! She wants to eat that every night. I don’t think the budget will allow that however:)
Seriously, the wife and kids licked their plates! Served it with your easy creamy mashed potatoes and broiled asparagus.
Karina says
Terry that’s AWESOME! Thank you for sharing!
Gail Ulrich says
I’ve cooked a lot of tenderloins in my 62 years and this was as good as any. I missed the uncovered drying in the frig, but browned beautifully and the taste is what you expect from an expensive piece of meat. Was cooked medium rare with very little overdone ends.
The sauce needed a but more mustard to keep it from being so greasy, but had great flavor.
Karina says
Hi Gail, it is good to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Merry Christmas!
Dee says
Karina,
I’m going to prepare your Best Beef Tenderloin recipe for Christmas along with your Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan.( excuse me, did a little drooling there!) The pan you used to brown your prime rib, what kind is it? It ‘s exactly what I need; having a handle with a long arm and then a helper smaller lip on the other side to aid with picking up the pan. My strength in my arms are weakened and I need something to sear my meats and then go from stove top to oven with the use of both my hands in lifting. Thanks for your help!