Description
This Foolproof Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin is the easiest holiday centerpiece you’ll ever make.
The secret is roasting at two different temperatures: first, low and slow to gently cook the beef tenderloin to a perfect medium rare, then a quick blast of high heat creates a golden-brown herb crust.
It’s a melt-in-your-mouth show-stopper that’s flawlessly tender every single time—just add a dollop of creamy horseradish sauce and watch your table fall quiet in the best possible way. No one ever said holiday-worthy had to be hard!
Ingredients
Scale
- one 3 – 3 ½ pound whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (approx. 2 sprigs, or substitute with 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (approx. 16-20 sprigs, or substitute with 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into 8 small cubes
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Beef tenderloin prep (1 day before roasting): The day before roasting, prepare the beef tenderloin. Use paper towels to pat the entire surface of the beef tenderloin as dry as possible. Secure with butchers twine every 2-3 inches along the length of the beef tenderloin for even roasting. Drizzle olive oil over top, then rub to coat the entire surface of the roast. Generously season with kosher salt and ground black pepper; a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of beef. Sprinkle the finely chopped rosemary and thyme over top. Place the prepared roast on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, then transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
- Roasted beef tenderloin prep (day of roasting): 2 hours before you’d like to begin roasting your beef tenderloin, transfer it from the refrigerator to the kitchen counter, allowing it to come to room temperature for even cooking. When you’re ready to begin roasting your beef tenderloin, preheat the oven to 225 degrees F, ensuring a rack is situated in the center position of your oven. Dot butter over the top of the beef tenderloin.
- Roast the beef tenderloin (low temperature): For the most precise results, use a digital meat thermometer with a probe; insert the probe in the thickest part of the roast and set the digital thermometer on the countertop near the oven. Transfer the prepared beef tenderloin to the oven. Roast until the thermometer registers an internal temperature of 115-120 degrees F, about 60-70 minutes. (Alternately, you can use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness.) Remove the roasted beef tenderloin from the oven.
- Roast the beef tenderloin (high temperature): Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Once the oven comes to temperature, place the roast back in the oven and roast until the thermometer registers an internal temperature of 130 degrees F, about 10-15 minutes (for medium-rare doneness – refer to the recipe notes, below, for more guidance on different beef tenderloin temperatures).
- Rest, carve, and serve the roasted beef tenderloin: Once the beef tenderloin reaches your desired temperature, remove from the oven and tent with a piece of foil. Rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I like to trim off the butchers twine and slice the roasted beef tenderloin into 1 ½-inch steaks. We like to serve with a sprinkling of smoky finishing salt and creamy horseradish sauce, but a vibrant sauce like chimichurri is also fantastic. Enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient and Equipment Notes:
- Beef tenderloin: For roasting, I prefer using center-cut beef tenderloin roast. Compared to the butt or tail ends, center-cut tenderloin has a pretty uniform width across the length of the roast, making it more foolproof to roast to your desired doneness and slice into beautiful roasted filet mignon steaks for serving. If you buy a whole beef tenderloin that is not yet trimmed, you need to remove any fatty side pieces and the tough silver skin. Fold over the skinny tail ends in toward the center, creating an even thickness along the entire roast. Secure with butchers twine every 2-3 inches along the length of the beef tenderloin for even roasting.
- Checking for doneness: Beef tenderloin is a very lean cut, making it a little less forgiving – it will dry out quickly if overcooked. For most precise results, we highly suggest roasting your beef tenderloin with a digital meat thermometer with a probe. Doing so allows you to keep an eye on the display as the beef tenderloin roasts, pulling it out of the oven as soon as it hits the targeted temperatures in Steps 3-4. Alternately, you can use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Doing so is more precise than checking doneness by touch, but introduces a little more guess work than versions with a probe since you’ll need to open and close the oven to check the temperature, causing the oven’s temperature to fluctuate more. For more guidance on beef tenderloin doneness and temperatures, be sure to refer to the blog post, above.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
- Storage and reheating: Leftover roasted beef tenderloin will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Enjoy leftovers cold from the fridge, or reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, just until warmed through. Leftover creamy horseradish sauce will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
- Freezing leftover roasted beef tenderloin: You can also freeze leftover roasted beef tenderloin to enjoy later. To freeze, transfer cooled beef tenderloin to a freezer container or freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen tenderloin roast in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave as desired.