Beef Tenderloin (with Garlic Butter Sauce)
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Beef Tenderloin – It’s the most tender cut of beef and it’s the highlight of any celebratory meal. Here it is roasted low and slow then reverse seared for a beautiful browned crust, and it’s finished with a rich garlicky butter sauce to make it undeniably delicious!
Perfect Beef Tenderloin
Yes beef tenderloin is expensive because it only makes for a small percentage of the meat yield from a steer (or heifer), so that rarity along with it’s highly sought after demand makes it a pricey cut of meat.
But of course during the holidays it’s worth the splurge. It’s buttery tender and doesn’t get better than this! The tenderloin (or filet mignon when cut into individual portions) has the best texture (it’s ruined many cheap cuts of roast for me because it’s so superior).
Here we follow a straight forward method to prepare and cook it, it’s seriously easy and hard to mess up. It is however almost imperative you have a key piece of kitchen equipment. You’ll need a trusty probe oven thermometer (I highly recommend the Chef Alarm I own a few and they work well. Other cheaper options are available online as well).
If you are going to spend that much on a cut of meat you don’t want to ruin it. The cook time will vary based on thickness of the roast and desired doneness, so it’s best to take out all the guess work and risk and use a thermometer that will monitor the temp the entire time and alert you when it’s ready to your desired target temperature.
It’s understandable though if you don’t already own one and you just have an instant read food thermometer. If going this route you’ll just want to start to check the temperature at about 1 hour then continue to closely monitor it, while taking the temp quickly and don’t let heat escape the oven for long.
Note that you can purchase beef tenderloin peeled of silver skin and other tough connective tissue that’s ready to cook (you’ll pay a bit more per pound), or you can peel it yourself and save some money (just keep in mind you’ll need a 6 lb roast here rather than 5).
What to Serve with It
If you are wondering what to serve with this, I know this may be repetitive, but everyone seems perfectly pleased by the classic meat and potatoes combo especially over the holidays. Whether it’s scalloped potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, a roasted potato veggie blend, parmesan mashed potatoes, or just baked potatoes you can’t go wrong with comfort food classics.
Salads and the typical bright greens go well too. Steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts.
And make it a completely homestyle meal with homemade rosemary dinner rolls, then fancy it up with my favorite vanilla bean cheesecake to finish for dessert. I’d call it the perfect meal!
Beef Tenderloin Recipe Ingredients
- 5 lb. peeled beef tenderloin
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 6 single sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 single sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed (can add a few more to taste)
Preparing Beef Tenderloin
- Halve the beef tenderloin into two equal portions.
- Tie each piece snuggly with strands of kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals, while tucking thinner tail end under if there is one to create a roast with even thickness.
- Season each portion liberally with kosher salt (I use 2 Tbsp, but season to your preference).
- Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let rest in refrigerator uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. (Resting with salt infuses flavor, helps with moisture, and a better crust).
How to Cook Beef Tenderloin
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Insert an oven probe thermometer into one of the tenderloins (if one is smaller in width test this one first, then after test for doneness of the second portion as the smallest will finish first).
- Transfer roast on wire rack to a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet covered with aluminum foil (the first likely just has juices now that will burn up so I like to start with a clean one). Sprinkle all sides with a fair amount of pepper (1 to 2 tsp total).
- Bake in oven until probe thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium in center (this will take about 1 hour to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on thickness of the tenderloin you used and desired doneness. Cuts vary in thickness especially tail end vs. head end). Test both portions.
- Remove tenderloins from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
Finishing (Reverse Searing) Beef Tenderloins
- Preheat vegetable oil a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Dab each tenderloin dry with paper towels. Transfer both to skillet and sear about 1 to 2 minutes per all 4 sides until well browned. Once you turn to the 4th side add the butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the skillet around the tenderloins.
- Remove the tenderloins to a cutting board and let the butter cook in skillet 1 minute longer if it hasn’t yet browned and the garlic isn’t toasted. Then transfer butter to a small dish so it doesn’t continue to cook and burn, remove the herbs.
- Cut and remove twine. Slice tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick slices, then remove herbs from garlic butter and drizzle it over the beef. Season lightly with salt and pepper as desired.
How Much Beef Tenderloin Per Person
I recommend planning on an average 6 oz. raw beef tenderloin per person (this weight will shrink a bit once cooked), especially if there are several sides to serve with it. If those you’re serving to love meat plan on 8 oz. per person, then for kids 4 oz. should be enough.
Reheating Beef Tenderloin
- Of course it’s at it’s absolute best cooked fresh but leftovers are too pricey to toss (and it’s better to reduce food waste anyway).
- To reheat warm portions in 300 degree oven wrapped in foil until heated through (approximately 10 minutes), you can also add a splash of stock to prevent drying.
- If you are in a rush and you cooked meat to rare or medium rare you can quickly sear slices in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, about 1 minute per side.
More Tasty Beef Recipes to Try
- Best Steak Marinade
- Filet Mignon (with 4 sauce options)
- Grilled Steak
- Pan Seared Steak
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 5 lb. peeled beef tenderloin
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 6 single sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 single sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (can add a few more cloves to taste)
Instructions
- Halve the beef tenderloin into two equal portions to make two roasts.
- Tie each piece snuggly with strands of kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals, while tucking thinner tail end under if there is one to create a roast with even thickness so it cooks evenly.
- Season each portion liberally with kosher salt (I use 2 Tbsp total, but season to your preference).
- Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let rest in refrigerator uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Insert an oven probe thermometer into one of the tenderloins (if one is smaller in width test this one first, then after test for doneness of the second portion as the smallest will finish first).
- Transfer roast on the wire rack to a clean rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Sprinkle all sides with a fair amount of pepper (1 to 2 tsp total).
- Bake in oven until probe thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium in center (this will take about 1 hour to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on thickness of the tenderloin you used and desired doneness). Test both portions.
- Remove tenderloins from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
- Preheat vegetable oil a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Dab exterior of each tenderloin dry with paper towels. Transfer both to skillet and sear about 1 to 2 minutes per all 4 sides until well browned. Once you turn to the 4th side add the butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the skillet around the tenderloins.
- Remove the tenderloins to a cutting board and let the butter cook in skillet 1 minute longer if it hasn't yet browned and the garlic isn't toasted. Then pour butter into a dish so it doesn't continue to cook and burn.
- Cut and remove twine. Slice tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick slices, then remove herbs from garlic butter and drizzle it over the beef. Season lightly with salt and pepper as desired.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Note that the FDA recommends a beef internal temperature of 145 degrees for food safety.