This beef tenderloin is the perfect main course to serve for Christmas or any holiday feast; every bite will blow your guests away. The meat is roasted without searing, making the cooking process seamless and straightforward. The result is the most tender slices of beef, with a browned crust and a perfectly pink center. Served on the side is a creamy horseradish sauce that adds the perfect touch of flavor!
Beef tenderloin is one of my favorite beef recipes! For many reasons. It’s far less intimidating than your typical rib roast, and the results are just as decadent and indulgent – but with half the effort!
Serve this filet alongside your favorite holiday side dishes and enjoy the most outrageously delicious meal you’ve ever made at home. This recipe is pure elegance and one your family & guests will rave about!
Recipe Highlights
SIMPLE ELEGANCE. This recipe is true elegance when it comes to cooking. It’s an expensive cut of meat, so it’s perfect for special occasions and holiday meals.
SURPRINGLY EASY. While beef tenderloin’s filet is elegant, it is one of the simplest fancy recipes to prepare. My favorite thing about this recipe is there are no fussy preparation or technical cooking instructions; it’s straightforward and achievable for any home cook.
TENDER & IRRESISTIBLE. The results when this tenderloin is finished are simply divine. Once cooked, the beef is mouthwateringly tender and juicy. You barely need a knife to cut it! It’s impressive, elevated, and a meal your guests will never forget.
Ingredients
One of the best things about beef tenderloin is the ingredients are few! The meat alone has so much tenderness and natural flavor, but you’ll need a handful of simple ingredients to make it shine with the true flavor it deserves.
Beef tenderloin: this special cut of beef is what filet minion is from, making it the most tender piece of beef you can get. I recommend having your butcher trim the fat and tie it for you!
Butter: soft butter is used and adds flavor and a browned crust to the outside of the tenderloin.
Herbs: fresh rosemary is used to add beautiful herbed flavor to the beef.
Garlic: a few gloves of garlic finely minced will enhance the flavor outside of the beef with the butter and herbs.
Salt & pepper: a generous amount of salt & pepper is needed to flavor the beef, as well as bringing flavor to the herbs, garlic, and butter.
How to Make Beef Tenderloin
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1
Dry the tenderloin. Use paper towels to dry the tenderloin of any moisture or liquid.
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2
Mix the butter and herbs. In a small bowl, mix together the soft butter and chopped rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic.
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3
Butter and season the beef. Next, use your hands to spread the herb butter all over the tenderloin. Then evenly sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
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4
Roast, then let it rest. Next, roast the tenderloin at 500F on a roasting pan for 25 minutes for medium-rare. (If making the horseradish sauce, prepare this while the beef is roasting). When the filet is done, remove it from the oven and cover with foil for 10-15 minutes. Then use scissors to cut the strings, before carving into 1-inch thick slices. Serve the beef slices right away with the creamy horseradish sauce!
What to Serve it With
Beef tenderloin is absolutely delicious all on its own, but a few things pair beautifully with it. Such as…
Sauce. We personally love to serve tenderloin with a creamy horseradish sauce (see recipe card) or the au jus made from pan drippings. Other popular choices are red wine sauce or mushroom sauce!
Sides. Our favorite side dishes to serve alongside tenderloin are cheesy scalloped potatoes, sauteed Brussels sprouts, roasted seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, pomegranate apple salad, or this pear and gorgonzola salad. For some homemade bread, this meat would pair perfectly with our rosemary and garlic bread!
Filet of Beef Tenderloin
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 3 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat and tied
- 5 Tablespoons softened salted butter
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Horseradish Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 teaspoons horseradish
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustrard,
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500F. Make sure your oven is clean before preheating to prevent any smoking.
- Pat the beef dry: Use paper towels to dry any liquid from the beef tenderloin.
- Mix the butter and seasonings: in a small bowl, mix the soft butter with the minced garlic, salt & pepper, and chopped herbs.
- Spread the butter on the beef. Use your hands to spread the butter and herb mixture over the tenderloin, covering every part.
- Roast. Next, place the tenderloin on a baking or roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes for medium rare. Both a whole and a half tenderloin cook in the same amount of time, so if you use a roast bigger than 3 pounds there is no need to adjust the cooking time.
- Make the horseradish sauce. While the beef is in the oven, make the horseradish sauce. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then season with a healthy pinch of salt and black pepper. Refrigerate the sauce while the roast finishes.
- Rest the meat. When the meat is finished roasting, you can use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part. It should be around 125F for medium rare when pulling it out. Remove the tenderloin from the oven and cover with foil. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes. When finished, the internal temperature should reach 130-135F, a perfect medium rare.
- Carve and serve. Remove the foil and use kitchen scissors to cut and remove the strings. Then, use a sharp carving knife to slice the beef into 1-inch thick slices. Serve right away with the horseradish sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with leftover beef tenderloin? Make a really elegant roast beef sandwich. Slice the beef thinner for this, then layer it on bread with your favorite sandwich toppings.
Is beef tenderloin filet mignon? Filet mignon is part of the tenderloin cut, so they are often seen as one and the same.
How many people does a tenderloin feed? You’ll want a whole tenderloin that will feed approximately 8-10 people generously for a holiday meal. A good rule of thumb is 1/2 pound per person. This will also depend on how many side dishes your guests will be filling up on too! For a smaller family meal, ask your butcher to cut a piece that is around 2 1/2 pounds in weight.
I made this for my husband’s birthday dinner and it was absolutely amazing!! Started with a 3lb PEI beef tenderloin and cooked it for about 28 minutes to medium rare.
This was so tender I could cut it with an utter knife!
So good.
Definitely making this again.
Judy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the tenderloin!! What an amazing birthday dinner! appreciate you sharing how this went 🙂
I made this for my husband’s birthday dinner and it was absolutely amazing!! Started with a little lb PEI beef tenderloin and cooked it for about 28 minutes to medium rare.
This was so tender I could cut it with an utter knife!
So good.
Definitely making this again.
I’m excited to try this for our Christmas Eve dinner tonight. One question…does the beef tenderloin need to be at room temperature before I put it in the oven? Other recipes mention that it should sit out at room temperature an hour before cooking. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, sorry I’m late to answering this question! I typically take it out 20-30 minutes before roasting but it’s not a deal breaker! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
This beef tenderloin looks incredible! The creamy horseradish sauce is perfect. Just like the Argentine asado, check out https://argentineasado.com/. Can’t wait to try this!