Beef Tenderloin Recipe and Tips
This Beef Tenderloin Recipe and Tips is a perfect main dish choice for holiday celebrations or special occasions. This entree combines the tender, buttery texture of beef tenderloin with the bold flavors of garlic, rosemary, and perfectly balanced seasonings.
This beef tenderloin recipe is surprisingly simple to prepare (grab the easy tips!), making it ideal for both seasoned cooks and those trying their hand at tenderloin for the first time. We love it served with potatoes and veggies that are in season!
Beef Tenderloin Recipe and Tips
The meat is roasted to juicy, medium-rare perfection and is sure to be the centerpiece of your dinner party. Serve it alongside your favorite sides for an unforgettable holiday meal.
We’re sharing our easy tips on how to make this amazing beef recipe. Dry rubs are a cinch, and if more people know how simple it was to cook a tenderloin, I think they’d do it. Personally, it’s way easier than our Best Prime Rib (which we love).
Why I love this recipe
- I love this recipe at Christmas and New Year’s.
- Easy to make for a dinner party.
- Great recipe for a “first time” tenderloin cook.
Gather these ingredients
- Beef tenderloin – trimmed and tied into 2-inch sections
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic cloves – minced
- Rosemary – chopped
- Lawry’s Salt
- Black pepper– ground
- Sea salt
How to make Beef Tenderloin (tips and recipe)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Spray with cooking spray.
- Pat the tenderloin dry using paper towels.
- Trim away some of the fat to remove the silvery cartilage underneath. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don’t want to take every last bit of fat off–not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor. (Hint: you can also ask the butcher to do this trimming for you if it seems intimidating).
- Wrap the twine underneath and around one end of the beef tenderloin and tie a double knot. Once the end is tied, move your finger one inch above the first knot and wrap a long tail of the twine underneath and around the tenderloin.
- Combine (in a small bowl) the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, Lawry’s Salt and black pepper.
- Add the seasoning mixture all over the tenderloin gently pressing the mixture into the meat with your fingers to ensure it adheres well to the meat. Make sure to push it all over the meat.
- Sprinkle more sea salt and cracked black pepper on all sides of the meat (it depends on your taste, but be sure to season liberally).
- Place the seasoned tenderloin onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Insert a meat thermometer lengthwise into the meat. Place it in the oven until the temperature reaches an internal temperature of 125 F to 130 F degrees or medium-rare, about 1 hour or more, or until desired doneness. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing to redistribute the juices.
Tips & substitutions
- A 5-pound beef tenderloin feeds about 10 people, based on 8 ounces per guest. Plan 3 pounds for 6 people or 6 pounds for 12 people.
- Cook beef tenderloin to 125 F – 130 F for medium-rare or 135 F – 140 F for medium. Let it rest to rise an additional 5 F to achieve your ideal doneness.
- We bought our beef tenderloin at Costco. It was 5 pounds and cost around $130. It’s spendy, but worth it once a year!
- Use your favorite herbs–we love rosemary, especially at Christmas.
- Trim away some of the fat to remove the silvery cartilage underneath. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don’t want to take every last bit of fat off–not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor. (Hint: you can also ask the butcher to do this trimming for you if it seems intimidating).
- TIE IT UP: Wrap the twine underneath and around one end of the beef tenderloin and tie a double knot. Once the end is tied, move your finger one inch above the first knot and wrap a long tail of the twine underneath and around the tenderloin.
- Don’t leave your kitchen towards the end of baking–you want to be vigilant about checking on the thermometer so the internal temperature doesn’t get too hot (Don’t overbake!)
Serving suggestions
Serve & enjoy after resting for 10 minutes. Slice and serve immediatley.
Serve Beef Tenderloin Tips without favorite Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole and Green Beans. Give our Buttermilk Rosemary Rolls a try, too. And how about our Candy Cane Pie for a dessert?
Storage
Store any leftover beef tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Any leftovers (if you have any) can be frozen, too. Defrost and chop up for enchiladas. Delish!
Check out these other holiday meats while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Beef Tenderloin Tips
Ingredients
- 1 5-lb beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied into 2-inch sections
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon Lawry’s Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean. Spray with cooking spray.
- Using paper towels, pat tenderloin dry.
- Trim away some of the fat to remove the silvery cartilage underneath. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don’t want to take every last bit of fat off—not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor. (Hint: you can also ask the butcher to do this trimming for you if the process seems intimidating:)
- Prepare the beef with twine: Wrap the twine underneath and around one end of the beef tenderloin and tie a double knot. Once the end is tied, move your finger one inch above the first knot and wrap the long tail of the twine underneath and around the tenderloin.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, Lawry’s Salt and black pepper.
- Now add the seasoning all over the tenderloin gently pressing the mixture into the meat with your fingers, to adhere well to the meat. You want it pushed in all over.
- Next, randomly sprinkle more Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper on all sides. (It depends on your taste, but be sure to season liberally.)
- Place tenderloin onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Put a meat thermometer lengthwise into the meat. Place it in the oven until the temperature reaches an internal temperature of 125F to 130F degrees or medium-rare, about 1 hour or more, or until desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing to redistribute juices.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
