Recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the Oven (2024)

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This recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven is the only recipe for Beef Tenderloin that you will ever need! It includes a delicious herb mix that’s full of flavor! Make sure to save this so you can make it year after year.

Beef Tenderloin is a delicious cut of meat that is often the star of many celebratory meals. It’s tender, full of flavor and can be perfect for feeding a lot of people. But because beef tenderloin is so special it can be a little costly making it intimidating for people to make. However, my no fail recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven will be one that you don’t have to worry about. It’s incredibly delicious and will be a go-to for special celebrations.

What is beef tenderloin?

Beef tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef on the cow. It’s the same cut of meat that Filet Mignon is made from making it a tender, premium cut. As long as it is cooked properly, it should almost melt in your mouth. This recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven will tell you how to get it right each time.

How to prepare beef tenderloin

Trimming

When you get the loin, make sure it is trimmed. If not, you will have to trim it by removing the silverskin and excess fat around the outside. If you buy your beef tenderloin from a butcher, which I highly recommend, they can do this for you. Mine was just over 4 lbs. and the butcher took care of all of that for me.

Drying & Room temperature

To help form a nice crust you want the surface of the meat to be relatively dry. You can do this in two ways. 1. You can leave the beef tenderloin uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. 2. You can pat it dry before you begin the prep work. No matter which way you chose, you have to take the meat out an hour or two before serving to allow it to come to room temperature. This will help it to cook more evenly.

Tying

The next thing you have to do to prepare beef tenderloin is to tie it. Beef tenderloin is a long cut from the loin area and it will come to a point at the ends. Tying it together will ensure that the meat is closer to the same thickness all the way around and it will cook more evenly because of this step. You can use butcher’s twine to help tie up the ends of the roast. Click {HERE} to see a video of me doing this in a fast TikToc video with some quick instructions. Basically, you want to tie one end with the butcher’s twine and then wrap that around your hand to make a loop. Then take that loop and pull the meat through it. Pull tightly and repeat the process. (P.S. This is the time you want to preheat the oven.)

Seasoning

Seasoning is going to make all the difference in this recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven. You must season it well. That means salting it well. I use sea salt in my recipe to really give it a nice flavor and a garlic salt to help round out the flavors from the other herbs I include. My herb mix is a combination of Sea salt, Fresh cracked black pepper, garlic salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley. Then after it sears and before it goes into the oven, I’ll add a garlic smashed butter over the top.

Searing

Searing is an important first step when it comes to this recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven. You want to sear it in an oven safe pan. In this case I used my large Lodge Cast Iron Pan for our’s and it just fit. If you don’t have a pan larger enough because the beef tenderloin is too long, you can cut the beef tenderloin in half. (But please do this before tying it together above.)

The Beef Tenderloin should sear for 3-5 minutes per side over medium to high heat. Before adding the beef to the pan, heat a thin layer of olive oil or your preferred oil in it until just before it’s smoking point.

ROASTING

The final step in preparing this recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven is roasting it. Unlike the my Prime Rib recipe {HERE}, which cooks at a lower temperature for a longer time, Beef Tenderloin does not need a long time to roast after searing. Cook the beef tenderloin at 425 degrees in the oven until it is at your desired temperature. It is recommended to cook Beef Tenderloin to 135 – 140 degrees, which is medium rare. You can use However, you need to pull it out earlier because it continues to cook while resting.

Resting

Resting this recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven is important because it will continue to cook. Tent the beef with foil when it comes out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 – 20 minutes. The temperature will increase by about 7-10 degree during this time. So, if you want the final temperature to be around 140, remove the beef from the oven when it’s at 130 degrees.

Beef Tenderloin is considered best served medium rare to medium. Our meat pictured is within that range. I took it out at 130 degrees. It becomes redder over time (see the first cut photos verses the final, more staged ones) because it starts to oxidize a bit when it is exposed to air. Your’s will do the same. Don’t be alarmed as long as the thermometer reads the correct temperature when it comes out of the oven. To get the most accurate temperature use a meat thermometer that can be left in the meat and connects to the oven. Something like this {HERE} should work well.

Doneness Temperature Reminders

As a note, the USDA says meat is “done” when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. However, that will make your meat well done. The below are the temperature standards for Rare – Well done. Again, while Prime Rib is considered best at medium rare, cook your meat to the temperature you are most comfortable with.

• For Rare: Remove the Prime Rob when the thermometer reads 110 degrees. Once rested it will be 117 – 120 degrees. This will give you a bright red center with pink outer edges.
• For Medium Rare: Remove it from the oven when the temperature is at 120 degrees. Once rested, the temperature will rise to 127- 130 degrees. This is the temperature mine in the photos was removed at. It has an outer ring of brown and then is a pink/red towards the center.
• For Medium: Remove the Prime Rib when the internal temperature reads 130 degrees. Rested it will be between 137- 140 degrees and include a light pink center with a brown outer rim.
• For Medium Well: Remove the meat at 140 degrees. It will be rested at 147-150 degrees with no pink in the center.
• For Well Done: Remove the Meat at 150 degree. It will be rested between 157- 165 degrees.

Tips for my recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven

• Have the Butcher do all of the trimming for you. You can also ask them to do the tying so that you don’t have to worry about that part. However, if it is a long roast that can’t fit into a pan, you might even want your Butcher to slice it into two roasts to make cooking easier.
• Remember to season the roast well. This is going to make all the difference in the end flavor. I’ve included my rub ingredients and measurements in the recipe below.
• Preheat the oven when you begin tying and seasoning so it’s ready to go the second you’re done searing.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness. Do not overcook or you will have chewy, rough meat.
• Don’t forget that the meat temperature will rise while resting.

Sauces for Beef Tenderloin

The two sauces for Beef Tenderloin that are most often made include a Red Wine Sauce and Béarnaise Sauce. I’ll include both of them below. The Red Wine Sauce is made from the drippings of the Beef Tenderloin recipe.

The Béarnaise Sauce is a classic French Sauce that’s made of egg yolks, butter, vinegar, tarragon and shallots. It’s perfect over this Beef Tenderloin recipe in the oven, but also over asparagus, salmon and more!

Looking for more holiday or celebratory recipes?

Try these recipes for other holiday ready recipes or side dishes and appetizers to serve with your meal.

• Mussels in White Wine Sauce {HERE}
• Smoked Salmon Carpaccio {HERE}
• French Onion and Roast Beef Pinwheels {HERE}
• Salmon with Goat Cheese & Herbs {HERE}
• Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes {HERE}
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies {HERE}
• Pizzelle Cookies {HERE}
• Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip {HERE}

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! I hope that you love this recipe for Beef Tenderloin in the oven. The full, printable recipe for the tenderloin and the sauces is below.