Make an impression with this Garlic Roast Beef Tenderloin Recipe. Super easy to prepare, yet tastes like a million bucks!
We love to make this special cut of meat for the holidays because it’s perfect for feeding a large amount of people and doesn’t require a ton of work. With just a little bit of prep, a good skillet and a probe meat thermometer, you’ll have a juicy cut of roast beef tenderloin that’ll make you close your eyes, do a little dance and smile with each bite.
What Is a Beef Tenderloin?
Beef tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and it is located within the loin. This is where we get filet mignon, which is made from the very tip of the pointy end of the tenderloin. There is also very little fat within the tenderloin, making it a very lean cut. Because of all that, beef tenderloin is one of the most expensive cuts of beef.
When properly cooked, it will melt in your mouth. And let’s face it, when you’re paying a pretty penny for some meat, you’ll want to make sure you’re cooking it right.
How To Prepare Beef Tenderloin
- TRIM: Start by trimming your beef tenderloin if it is not already trimmed for you. I purchased mine from Costco and it came trimmed. To trim the beef tenderloin you’ll want to remove the “silverskin” that runs down the length of the tenderloin. Run your knife gently underneath while pulling it up with your other hand. Trim off any other excess fat around the outside and remove “the chain” which is just a fatty strip along the outside as well.
- TIE: A beef tenderloin is a long cut of beef that comes to a point at one end. In order to get the beef to cook evenly it’s important to tie it up and make it as uniform in shape as possible. Using butcher’s twine you can easily tie it up. Tuck the long pointed end up into the thicker part of the tenderloin creating a uniform cylinder shape.
- CHILL: To give your tenderloin a delicious crust on the outside, you can leave it in the fridge overnight unwrapped. This will dry out the surface, helping it to gain a gorgeous browned crust when seared. This step is optional, so if you don’t have time, don’t worry, you’ll still get great results.
How To Cook Roast Beef Tenderloin
- SEASON: Coat the outside with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. This will help to cook the insides evenly.
- SEAR: Heat some olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet and sear the beef tenderloin on all sides for about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Since the beef tenderloin is a long piece of beef, I’ve cut it in two manageable roasts that can easily fit into my 12″ skillet.
- SLATHER: Create a simple garlic and herb butter and slather it all over the seared beef. Insert your probe thermometer.
- ROAST: Cook the beef tenderloin at 425 degrees F. until the desired internal temperature is reached. This will only take about 20 to 25 minutes!
What Temperature To Cook Beef Tenderloin?
We’re roasting our beef tenderloin at a high temperature of 425 degrees F after we’ve seared it in a skillet. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet yet, you can sear the beef tenderloin and then transfer it to an oven safe dish to finish cooking.
How Long To Cook Beef Tenderloin?
Searing the outside of the beef tenderloin should take about 12 to 15 minutes (about 3 to 5 minutes per side), followed by 20 to 25 minutes in the oven for a total of about 40 to 45 minutes. After it’s finished cooking, you’ll want to let it rest for about 15 minutes, where it’ll still rise in temperature but allow the juices inside to settle and redistribute.
What Temperature Should Beef Tenderloin Be?
The worst thing you can do is overcook a pricey cut of beef. Ideally you should cook it to a nice medium-rare or medium. The higher the internal temperature, the more tough the meat will become. My biggest suggestion is to use a digital probe thermometer for accurate cooking.
Here is a good chart to go by.
- RARE – 115°F – 120°F
- MEDIUM RARE – 120°F – 125°F
- MEDIUM – 130°F – 135°F
PRO TIP: Keep in mind that the internal temperature will continue to rise about 5 to 7 degrees after being removed from the oven.
What To Serve with Beef Tenderloin
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Toss some fresh green beans and mushrooms in the same skillet that the beef tenderloin cooked in and sauté them over medium heat until tender – so good!
More Beef Recipes To Try
Helpful Products To Make Recipe:
Million Dollar Roast Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 lb. Beef tenderloin, trimmed, cut in two pieces and tied.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, salted, softened
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp horseradish, prepared or dijon mustard
- 1 tsp rosemary, minced or thyme
Instructions
The Day Before Cooking (*optional):
- Trim the beef tenderloin if it's not already, then cut in half to make two pieces. Tuck the long end under and use butcher's twine to tie the tenderloin. *Watch video in blog post for demonstration
- Season all over with salt and pepper and leave in fridge, uncovered overnight, or at least 10 hours. *not necessary, but helps to give the tenderloin a great crust.
Day Of Cooking:
- Tie up tenderloin and season with salt and pepper if you did not do this the day prior. Remove from fridge and set on counter for about 2 hours prior to cooking, to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place oil in a large cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Sear the beef tenderloin on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, creating a nice golden-brown crust.
- Meanwhile combine the softened butter, garlic, horseradish and herbs in a small dish and mix. Slather the seared tenderloin with the butter mixture and then insert a probe thermometer. If using the skillet, place in preheated oven, or transfer to a baking dish and place in preheated oven. Roast until desired internal temperature is reached, about 20 to 25 minutes. *see notes for temperatures.
- Remove tenderloin from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing into 1" slices.
Video
Notes
- RARE – 115°F - 120°F
- MEDIUM RARE – 120°F - 125°F
- MEDIUM – 130°F - 135°F
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Honey Glazed Chicken Skillet
Mitomopa
Just curious as to which cooking temperature I should use to roast a 6 lb. whole beef tenderloin. Your recipe calls for medium rare to roast until temperature reaches 120-125 degrees F, but the ThermPro meat thermometer you recommend on your page to help make recipe says that for medium rare results to reach a temperature of 145 degrees F. I’m confused at which roast chart I should use. Thank you!
Shawn
Great question! I personally always cook on the more rare side, because you can always cook it more, but you can’t cook it less. 130 degrees is the ideal temperature for medium rare. If you remove the beef before it reaches that temperature and let it rest, it’ll still rise a little to reach that 130 degrees. 145 degrees is more like medium-well done.
Dave J
I will echo comments here. Followed the recipe and the tenderloin turned out just right w just a bit of crust on it. Everyone loved it!
Thank you
Dawn K
I don’t usually review recipes but this was the first time making a beef tenderloin and it was awesome!! My friend that barely has teeth really enjoyed the melt in your mouth tenderloin. My kids and grandkids loved it too.
Sandy Buffa
We have prepared this recipe 4 or 5 times and each time it is amazing! I don’t eat a lot of meat, but this is truly a wonderful exception. Thank you!
Amsterdam, NY
Wonderful recipe; followed exactly and results were perfect! Thanks for posting.
Brian Bauer
Awesome
Mary martin
I cooked this meet until the temperature was 130 and it was blood red when cut. Very disappointed. I was having company and I had to put some slices in the microwave to serve it
Shawn
Hi Mary. I’m sorry you didn’t like the temperature of the meat when you cooked it. Sounds like either you’re not super familiar with how red meat should look when prepared or possibly you didn’t take an appropriate temperature reading? I hope you give it another try soon.
Susan Johnson
It was spot on!!! Will definitely make again!
Maria
I’m planning on making this for Mother’s Day and I have one question, do you cover the tenderloin during the resting period.
Cary Varela
This recipe has turned out perfectly delicious every time! I made it for Passover when family and friends felt safe to get together again after Covid. I wanted something special (yet simple) and this did not disappoint! It is the requested main dish now and I wanted to thank you for sharing it as I prepare my list for our annual gathering. Peace.
Apologies for this posting as a response to another comment and the four stars. It is definitely five and my only excuse is I’m on my phone.
Nikki
I’ve made this recipe several times and it always comes out fantastic! I made it for Christmas and it was such a hit that it’s been requested again for Easter. I’ve shared this recipe with several friends who have also made it and said that it’s come out great every time. I follow the recipe with putting it uncovered overnight and use the horseradish vs the mustard. I also use her creamy horseradish recipe for dipping.
Barbara
This recipe is outstanding! I have always made a delicious roast that i was proud of but this stepped up my game! Easy and delicious!
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Alicia
Followed your recipe exactly, along with your creamy horseradish recipe. Oh my goodness, DELICIOUS! My family loved it! They are all now requesting it for their Birthday dinners. Going to have to stock up when the tenderloins are on sale. Thank you for sharing your awesome recipe.
Cary Varela
This recipe has turned out perfectly delicious every time! I made it for Passover when family and friends felt safe to get together again after Covid. I wanted something special (yet simple) and this did not disappoint! It is the requested main dish now and I wanted to thank you for sharing it as I prepare my list for our annual gathering. Peace.
linda h rhodes
Absolutely delicious!!
Denise Jager
Best I’ve ever had. All my guests said it was over the top.
Anonymous
Cooked this for Christmas dinner. Smoke billowed throughout the kitchen. I could only guess it was cooking the butter at 425 degrees which is above its smoke point.
The meat turned out nice, a tad under seasoned.
Anna Collings
I found your recipe online and could not have been more pleased!! Simple and worked out perfectly!
Thank you!
Chaz Rico
Temp will rise much more than 5-7 when you pull. I pulled at 105 for rare / med rare and it climbed to 132. I suggest planning on a 25 degree increase after you pull. Will try again next week with my suggestion otherwise was good!
Sharyn
I made this recipe for Christmas dinner and it was amazing! I’m a decent cook but I’ve only made a filet roast one other time. This was super easy and turned out perfect. The filet was tender, flavorful and nice and red. I would definitely make it again and this will be my go to recipe.
Monica
Delicious. I did omit the horseradish and rosemary. My tenderloin was only about 2.5 pounds. I seared and cooked 15 min in the oven, turned out perfect.
Lee Ann
Made this tonight, first time cooking a tenderloin. It was fabulous! Since it was just two of us, I had a small tenderloin, 1.3 pounds. I adjusted the seasonings, then added more for our taste. I will definitely be using
this recipe again, thank you!
Roxy V.
How do you slice the roast after it’s cooked & has rested? I want pieces that look like filet mignon. Do I cut straight down or on an angle? Also, don’t understand what it means when people say to cut with the grain or against the grain. Can you explain. I want tender filets.
Memee
Same as others. I made for Christmas Eve family meal. Turned out superbly. Used leave-in meat thermometer to 125 degrees. Video on how to tie up the meat to keep it uniform in size was very very helpful.
Bob Beier
Hello.
When you say cut in half are you cutting it the long way in half then tucking small end into the big end?
Thank you
Bob
Mike
I made this for Christmas dinner and it came out wonderfully. I used a probe thermometer set to 125 degrees. I served it with mashed potatoes and creamy horseradish sauce and both my kids had three helpings. Thank you for this recipe!
jill O'Brien
excellent recipe!!
William Dyer
Pulled it out at 125 temp for around a medium 135, temperature is registering at 142 degrees. It was placed on a wooden cutting board uncovered after it came out of the oven. In the notes it mentions a 5-7 degree rise in temp while resting, it exceeded.
Sam
What can I do if I don’t have twine?
Csandst1
Maybe unwaxed dental floss. Tying it isn’t necessary. It’s more for presentation and offers some assistance with even cooking. I’ve roasted tenderloin untied and it was fine.
Jill Mckinney
I used aluminum foil rolled into a rope and it worked really well
MINE
My butcher at Publix gave me some for free!
Susan
Made this for our holiday party in early December and guests are still raving about it.
Kelleigh Burnam
H!
Do you use fresh rosemary or dried?
Can’t wait to try this for Christmas Eve!
Lauren
Hands down THE BEST thing I’ve ever made for Xmas dinner. Got the beef tenderloin from Costco and made it just like this. Everyone loved it! I’ll make it every year from here on out.
Colleen
Can I omit the butter and just use olive oil with the herbs
Cara
Did you try this with olive oil? I’m having someone over with a dairy allergy and want to know if it turned out okay.
PMarzipan
Cara, You can try with ghee or clarified butter- no dairy.
M
Hi when cooking in the oven with a cast iron skillet do you cover with foil?
Nicole Giaquinto
Made this last Christmas and saved the recipe! Family specifically asked for this again. One question though, I can’t recall if I did this last year, but can I prepare the butter spread in advance then take out to soften. Basically same time I prep tenderloin can I make butter mix? Also, can the tenderloin stay in the fridge for longer then 10 hours. Say 24 hours.
Thank you!
Lauren
Yes! I made the butter ahead of time this year as we celebrated early. Just took it out of fridge the morning of so it could come to room temp. I salted the meat and left on open tray for about 24 hrs in fridge. It was spectacular.
Elisebeth
I’m not the author of this recipe but I am able to reply. Yes, the butter can be made a day in advance then brought to room temp. Also, I’ve left many tenderloins, prime rib, chicken etc uncovered with salt, pepper etc for up to 24 hours with no issues. In my opinion, 10 hours is the minimum to achieve the purpose. I haven’t gone longer than 24 hours though. Happy eating! – Elisebeth
Emily
Hi Shawn,
I have a 6lb beef tenderloin I am cooking for Christmas Eve, what do you suggest the cook time for that be? We prefer medium rare.
Shawn
Hi Emily, since all beef tenderloins are different sizes, the best advice I can give you is to use a digital thermometer to read the temperature of the tenderloin. This will give you the best results when cooking it. For a medium rare temperature, you’re going to want to cook it to 120-125 degrees F. Enjoy!
Kim H
I have a guest who has a garlic allergy. What other seasoning would you recommend in place of the garlic?
Shawn
You can omit the garlic and it’ll be just fine. Enjoy!
Lee Ann
You could try finely diced onions.
ssktx
After doing this for Thanksgiving last week, I would adjust the following: searing for 5 minutes is way too long and caused the meat to really overcook on the outside. I would stick to 2-3 minutes instead of 3-5 as suggested in the recipe. It was tough and inedible on the outside.
Also, it was very underseasoned. Next time, I’d add a lot more salt and herbs versus what is described in this recipe. Only 1 teaspoon or rosemary/thyme for a 5lb roast is definitely way too little. I’d up the dijon by 5x as well. Lastly I’d suggest using some finishing salt after it’s rested and sliced for presentation (but I probably suggest that since the way it was prepared was very bland!)
Shawn
Hi there! I’m sorry you didn’t have amazing results with this recipe. It sounds like you just had a difference in taste than what this recipe calls for. If your beef was on the smaller side or your pan was extremely hot, then searing it longer could result in the outside getting tough. As for the flavor, feel free to adjust the amount of salt and herbs to your taste preference. Everyone had different levels they like and it’s perfectly ok to season with extra to your liking.
Rebecca Commons
Thank you for the tips! That would have made me very sad if it came out that way.