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Complete with flaky puff pastry and flavorful mushroom duxelles, my Simple Beef Wellington Recipe is more than just easy - it's show-stopping! I'll show you how to make beef Wellington so memorable that everyone at the table will ask you for the recipe.
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Recipe for Beef Wellington
I used to think beef wellington was the type of recipe you could only get at a fancy restaurant. I thought it would be too difficult to prepare at home. Then, I finally tried making my own beef Wellington recipe, and realized making beef wellington is much easier than it seems!
Looking at the steps and ingredients, you might feel intimidated. I did, too! No one wants to waste a beautiful beef tenderloin or filet mignon. But trust me, you won't have to worry about that with my recipe for beef wellington!
Follow my step-by-step instructions on how to make beef wellington, and you will be able to make a gorgeous restaurant-quality beef wellington right in your own kitchen.
What is Beef Wellington?
Beef Wellington is a famous English dish, typically prepared using seared filet steak or beef tenderloin, prosciutto, and mushrooms. It's typically wrapped and baked in puff pastry before serving with espagnole sauce.
Beef Wellington Ingredients
Filet Mignon Wellington
- Beef: For beef wellington, you want to use either beef tenderloin or filet mignon, cut into steaks.
- Prosciutto: Salty and flavorful prosciutto is wrapped around the beef for amazing flavor.
- Dijon Mustard: Tangy and earthy Dijon mustard makes the perfect addition to beef wellington. You can also use stone-ground mustard or brown mustard, but avoid using yellow mustard.
- Puff Pastry: Simple puff pastry sheets are all you need.
- Egg: This is for making the egg wash that helps the outside of the wellington brown.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is a great choice.
- Salt and Pepper: I recommend using kosher salt or sea salt flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Mushroom Duxelles: See the ingredients for mushroom duxelles below. Duxelles are a French dish of chopped mushrooms and shallots with herbs, and they're served as part of a beef wellington.
Mushroom Duxelles
- Mushrooms
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Beef Wellington
Preparing Steak Wellington
- Preheat oven to 400°F. While heating, set the beef tenderloin out to come to room temperature. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, pat the beef dry, then sear for 2 minutes per side until browned.
- Remove beef from the heat and let it rest. Do not clean the skillet - you will be using it to make the duxelles!
Preparing Mushroom Duxelles
- In the same skillet you used to sear the beef, melt butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add finely diced shallots and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, then cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates.
- Stir in parsley and cook for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Wrapping Beef Wellington in Puff Pastry
- Once the beef and mushrooms have cooled completely, take a large piece of plastic wrap and lay the prosciutto on top of it. Spread Dijon mustard evenly over top.
- Place cooled beef tenderloin on top of the prosciutto. Then, spread a layer of the mushroom mixture over the top.
- Using the plastic wrap, wrap the beef tenderloin tightly with the prosciutto and duxelles, and repeat the process with the second layer of beef.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into squares, or rectangles, large enough to wrap around each portion of beef.
- Create an egg wash by beating an egg with a little water. Remove plastic, then wrap each piece of beef in puff pastry. Brush the egg wash around the edges to help it seal.
- Finally, place the beef wellingtons on a lined baking sheet, seam side down.
- Brush the pastry with egg wash, coating all of it well.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the beef reads 135°F internally using a meat thermometer.
- Remove from the oven, let rest, then slice and serve with espagnole sauce or horseradish sauce for steak!
Beef Wellington Recipes Expert Tips
- Be careful not to overcook the meat. Remove it from the oven as soon as the internal temperature reaches 135°F or just below, then let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Make sure to cook all of the moisture out of the mushroom duxelles, and keep the layer of mushrooms thin. If it's too thick or there's too much liquid, it will make the puff pastry soggy.
- Do not skip the prosciutto layer - this guards the beef from releasing too many juices into the rest of the layers.
- Don't skip searing the meat. This is an important step for cooking a juicy, tender beef wellington.
- Always let the ingredients cool first. You must let the mushroom duxelles and beef tenderloin cool before wrapping them in puff pastry, or it will ruin the texture of the beef in Wellington.
Beef Wellington Temperature Chart
The most important thing to do in this recipe is cook your filets to the perfect temperature. I always recommend using a meat thermometer and checking your Wellington every couple of minutes toward the end of the cooking time. This will result in the perfect Steak Wellington! You can also see my temp chart for beef for more info.
| Steak Doneness | Steak Temperature (°F) | Steak Temperature (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Rare steak temp | 125°F | 51°C |
| Medium-rare steak temp | 135°F | 57ºC |
| Medium steak temp | 145°F | 62ºC |
| Medium-well steak temp | 150°F | 65ºC |
| Well-done steak temp | 160°F | 70ºC |
Easy Beef Wellington FAQ
To prepare beef wellington ahead of time, cook the steak and duxelles the day before, then rest in the refrigerator. The next day, all you will have to do is wrap it in prosciutto puff pastry and bake.
When working with a recipe like beef Wellington, you should always use an instant-read meat thermometer. The only way to keep track of the internal temperature is with a meat thermometer.
For an easy Beef Wellington, it's best to choose a tender and relatively lean cut of beef. The traditional choice for Beef Wellington is a center-cut beef tenderloin, also known as filet mignon. I used filet mignon, a steak-cut beef tenderloin, to make it even easier.
Beef Tenderloin Recipes
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Simple Beef Wellington Recipe
Ingredients
Beef Wellington
- 2 6 ounce Beef tenderloin - or 2 Filet Mignon
- 2 slices Prosciutto
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ package Puff pastry
- 1 Egg - beaten
- Olive oil for searing
- Mushroom Duxelles - recipe included below
Mushroom Duxelles
- ½ cup Mushrooms
- 1 Shallot
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley - fresh
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparing Steak Wellington and Mushroom Duxelles
- Preheat oven to 400°F. While heating, set the beef tenderloin out to come to room temperature. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.2 6 ounce Beef tenderloin,Salt and pepper to taste
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, pat the beef dry, then sear for 2 minutes per side until browned.Olive oil for searing
- Remove beef from the heat and let it rest. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add finely diced shallots and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.1 Shallot,1 Tablespoon Butter,1 clove Garlic
- Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, then cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates.½ cup Mushrooms,Salt and pepper to taste
- Stir in parsley and cook for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.1 Tablespoon Parsley
Assembling Beef Wellington in Puff Pastry
- Once the beef and mushrooms have cooled completely, take a large piece of plastic wrap and lay the prosciutto on top of it. Spread Dijon mustard evenly over top.2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard,2 slices Prosciutto
- Place cooled beef tenderloin on top of the prosciutto. Then, spread a thin layer of the mushroom mixture over the top.Mushroom Duxelles
- Using the plastic wrap, wrap the beef tenderloin tightly with the prosciutto and duxelles, and repeat the process with the second layer of beef.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into squares, or rectangles, large enough to wrap around each portion of beef.½ package Puff pastry
- Create an egg wash by beating an egg with a little water. Remove plastic, then wrap each piece of beef in puff pastry. Brush the egg wash around the edges to help it seal. Finally, place the beef wellingtons on a lined baking sheet, seam side down.1 Egg
- Brush the pastry with egg wash, coating all of it well.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the beef reads 135°F internally using a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven, let rest, then slice and serve with espagnole sauce!
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the meat. Remove it from the oven as soon as the internal temperature reaches 135°F or just below, then let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Make sure to cook all of the moisture out of the mushroom duxelles, and keep the layer of mushrooms thin. If it's too thick or there's too much liquid, it will make the puff pastry soggy.
- Do not skip the prosciutto layer - this guards the beef from releasing too many juices into the rest of the layers.
- Don't skip searing the meat. This is an important step for cooking a juicy, tender beef wellington.
- Always let the ingredients cool first. You must let the mushroom duxelles and beef tenderloin cool before wrapping them in puff pastry, or it will ruin the texture of the beef wellington.
Glynda Jahay says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Isabel Laessig says
Thank you very much, Glynda! My pleasure!