BEST Beef Tenderloin Recipe
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This Beef Tenderloin recipe makes a decadent celebratory roast that’s tender and juicy with a delicious brown crust. Our time-tested recipe and simple tips result in the best beef tenderloin recipe you’ll love for holidays and special occasions!
Perfectly cooked Beef Tenderloin is absolutely delicious! It’s a costly cut of beef that always takes center stage and is usually served for Christmas, holidays, and special celebrations. My recipe uses two ingredients, so the secret to its delicious results lies in the steps and tips I share to prepare it. Those steps result in the best beef tenderloin that seems to melt in your mouth like butter!
BEST Beef Tenderloin Recipe
This recipe makes the best Beef tenderloin with just two ingredients and simple preparation, this beef tenderloin recipe couldn’t get much easier!
It’s one of those meals that my entire family looks forward to eating all day long. It’s so simple and easy to prepare but delivers a big flavor that is sure to impress your family and guests. They’ll swear you were in the kitchen working away over it for hours.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe. This amazing beef tenderloin recipe is so easy! In summary, you season the beef, let it sit in the refrigerator to brine, roast it, and then slice, serve, and enjoy!
- Two ingredients. You’ll use my favorite house seasoning blend and beef tenderloin. That’s it.
- Tender, juicy, flavorful beef every time. A beef tenderloin that is melt-in-your-mouth tender and full of flavor in every bite!
Tip for the Best Beef Tenderloin
Dry Brining is my top tip! I use my Stone House Seasoning (which contains kosher salt) for the incredible flavor it adds to the tenderloin. But – if you don’t have the ingredients to make the seasoning, the most important thing to do is use kosher salt. I give steps to Dry Brine to follow.
Why Dry Brine?
- It seasons the beef before you cook it. It brings out the deliciousness of this cut of beef.
- Makes a delicious crust on the beef. It dries out the outside of the tenderloin, sealing moisture inside and allowing for a perfectly browned, flavorful crust.
- It naturally tenderizes the beef. The brine causes the muscle fibers begin to break down, making the meat tender.
How to Cook Beef Tenderloin
Our beef tenderloin makes such a delectable, memorable meal your family and guests will love!
Ingredients for Beef Tenderloin
- Whole Beef Tenderloin – Plan on two 2-inch filets per person. (If your grocer doesn’t keep beef tenderloin in stock, ask your butcher to order one so that you can pick it up a couple of days or so before you plan to serve it to allow for adequate prep time.)
- Stone House Seasoning – This is my family’s seasoning blend. It gives beef tenderloin incredible flavor and results in a showstopper dish. *You can use Kosher Salt ONLY instead of the Stone House Seasoning, or use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Kosher Salt is important in the prep of the beef tenderloin.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Dry Brine the Beef Tenderloin
Make sure beef is completely thawed. Pat dry all over with paper towels and place the tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet.
Season the tenderloin all over with Stone House Seasoning (or Kosher salt and/or freshly ground black pepper).
Once seasoned, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to four days before cooking.
I’ve found that the longer in this period I let the Stone House Seasoning rest on the beef, the more flavor the beef has once cooked!
Before cooking, remove from the refrigerator to allow the beef to stand for about an hour or so to reach room temperature.
The seasoning used to dry brine the beef forms a delicious crust on the tenderloin as it roasts that always impresses.
Cook the Beef Tenderloin
You can prepare my recipe in the oven or on the grill (or smoker or Big Green Egg if you desire a smokey flavor).
While the beef is standing to reach room temperature, preheat the oven or grill to 400 degrees F.
Place in oven and using an internal meat thermometer, allow to reach 140 degrees in the thicker areas and 145 degrees in the thinner areas, about 45 minutes. *See note to follow if you desire more rare beef.
Internal Temperatures for Beef Doneness
Note: If you desire your beef at a different doneness, consult the temperature chart and remove the tenderloin from the oven when the desired temperature is reached. Otherwise, follow the recipe as written.
- 115º F – 120º F for rare
- 125º F – 130º F for medium rare
- 135º F – 140º F for medium
- 145º F – 150º F for medium well
*There are thicker and thinner areas on beef tenderloin; check the temperature on both.
Then, remove the beef from the oven or grill, tent it with foil, and rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve the Beef Tenderloin
After the beef has rested for a few minutes, remove the foil tent and place it on the serving platter. I garnished my platter with fresh rosemary.
No further seasoning is needed as the Stone House Seasoning (or kosher salt and ground pepper) was applied during the dry brining process and has soaked into the beef for flavor.
Slice only the number of filets you need for serving immediately. This helps to maintain the most moisture in the beef. As a rule of thumb, I plan for two 2-inch servings per person.
My family enjoys this served with Horseradish Sauce on the side.
Storage Tips
To store: Store any remaining tenderloin in an airtight food container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Preheat oven to 350º F. Place slices on a rimmed baking sheet covered with foil. Bake until each filet is reheated to 145º F.
What to Serve with this Recipe
Baked Potatoes with your favorite toppings
Looking for more celebratory main dish recipes? I think you’ll also love my Prime Rib Recipe, Roast Turkey, and Baked Ham.
Here’s my Beef Tenderloin Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Beef Tenderloin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole beef tenderloin, Plan two 2″ filets per person
- 1 tablespoon Stone House Seasoning, *Or just Kosher Salt and/or freshly ground pepper in place of Stone House.
Instructions
- Place beef tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels and season both sides of the meat with Stone House Seasoning. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or up to 4 days before you plan on cooking and serving.
- Remove from the refrigerator, unwrap and allow to stand for about an hour to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, preheat grill or oven to approximately 400º F.
- Place tenderloin onto grill or in the oven. Allow the beef tenderloin to cook until it reaches 145º F when checked with an internal meat thermometer in the thinner areas and 140º F in the thicker area, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from grill and cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest on the carving board for about 15 minutes prior to carving and serving.
Notes
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- 115º F – 120º F for rare
-
- 125º F – 130º F for medium rare
-
- 135º F – 140º F for medium
-
- 145º F – 150º F for medium well
Storage Tips
To store: Store any remaining tenderloin in an airtight food container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat: Preheat oven to 350º F. Place slices on a rimmed baking sheet covered with foil. Bake until each filet is reheated to 145º F.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2010.
This looks amazing.
Seriously.
When are you having me over for dinner? Soon??
This recipe is a serious stunner! Love it!
I buy Beef Tenderloin at Costco. We love to have a group of 20 somethings from church over for dinner {and they LOVE this}. BTW, I bought my hubby a Big Green Egg for Christmas and he was SO excited! It just got delivered today and he’s lighting it for the first time as I type this. Tonight he’s going to try a whole chicken and smoking a rack of ribs. 🙂
A simple preparation for tenderloin that I know would taste great. Would love it over a great big green salad any day!
nomnomnom Looks goooooooooood!
We love using whole beef tenderloin. It’s often cheaper than purchasing cut steaks, and it’s tender and delicious. Love the recipe!
You are so right about it often being cheaper than buying cut steaks.
Goodness! I want it now!
Yum! I haven’t made tenderloin in a long time. I think I’ll puck one up this week!
Love tenderloin- looks amazing!
Mmmm delicious!!