Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipe

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This is the Best Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipe you will ever make! My recipe for garlic thyme beef roast is melt-in-your-mouth delicious but is also so easy to make. Everyone at the table will love this show-stopping holiday recipe. You’ll be asked for the recipe and guests will be taking home leftovers—if there are any!

Jump to:

• Whole Beef Tenderloin
• Whole Beef Tenderloin Ingredients
• How to Cook Beef Tenderloin
• Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipes Tips
• Beef Tenderloin Seasoning Ingredients
• How Long to Cook a Tenderloin Roast
• Beef Tenderloin Temperature
• How to Tie Beef Tenderloin to Roast
• How to Trim Beef Tenderloin
• Horseradish Sauce for Beef Tenderloin
• Beef Tenderloin Recipes FAQ
• How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin
• Beef Tenderloin Recipes
• Side Dishes for Beef Tenderloin
• Beef Tenderloin Leftover Recipes
• 📌 Pin it for later!
• 📋 Recipe

Whole Beef Tenderloin

Along with prime rib, beef tenderloin is one of my favorite roasts to make for the holidays. It’s so juicy and tender, with the most amazing buttery beef flavor. My family loves this dish, especially alongside a dish of garlic-roasted potatoes and horseradish sauce!

I guarantee you’re going to love this roast beef tenderloin for the holidays. Trim it, tie it, and roast it to perfection with a simple seasoning that brings out the best flavor in the beef. It’s truly luscious!

Whole Beef Tenderloin Ingredients

• Whole Beef Tenderloin roast, trimmed
• Kosher salt or sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Dried thyme leaves
• Garlic powder
• Olive oil

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin

1. 4 hours (or more) before you plan on cooking the roast, prepare your rub by mixing salt, pepper, dried thyme, and granulated garlic in a small bowl. Coat the beef with the spice mixture, then wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the spices to pack into the meat.
2. When ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 450°F. While the oven is preheating, unwrap the roast and place it on a rack in a small roasting pan or a small baking sheet with sides. Drizzle olive oil over the roast.
3. Place your roast in the oven. When 15 minutes is up, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
4. Continue cooking to the degree of doneness you desire. I like mine medium-rare, so I roasted mine for 35 minutes until it reached the internal temperature of 125°F.
5. Remove your roast from the oven and tent it with foil. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipes Tips

• Trim your tenderloin roast: Always trim your tenderloin roast. It’s a necessary, but thankfully super easy, step!
• Tie your tenderloin roast: Beef tenderloin roasts have a skinny end that should be tucked underneath the roast. Tie your whole beef tenderloin to ensure it stays together as it roasts. This helps make sure it roasts evenly. Your butcher can help you with this step if you don’t feel comfortable doing it. See the post for tips on how to tie a roast.
• Use a rack: Make sure you use a rack and a shallow baking pan or roasting pan. Using a rack to roast tenderloin will help the warm air of the oven circulate around the roast for more even roasting.
• Use a meat thermometer: Always use a meat thermometer to make sure you cook your roast to the desired temperature.

Beef Tenderloin Seasoning Ingredients

Simple seasoning is all you need for great beef like this recipe. Just salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and dried thyme highlight the natural flavors of the beef perfectly.

For my other tenderloin recipes, I’ve also tried a rosemary sea salt rub that is absolutely delicious. I recommend giving that a try, too!

How Long to Cook a Tenderloin Roast

Follow these beef tenderloin cooking times to achieve your desired degree of doneness after the initial 15-minute sear.

• 3 lb. roast: 30 minutes
• 4 lb. roast: 40 minutes
• 5 lb. roast: 50 minutes
• 6 lb. roast: 1 hour

These cooking times will give you a medium-rare roast. For a more well-done temperature, roast for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Beef Tenderloin Temperature

For best results, always use a meat thermometer to check for the desired doneness. We love using this handy guide for the perfect We make it easy to follow with our easy-to-follow Beef Tenderloin Temperature Chart.

How to Tie Beef Tenderloin to Roast

Tying your whole roast helps it cook evenly by evening out the thickness of the roast. Trim your roast first, then tie it.

Your butcher will tie the roast for you if requested, but if you forgot to ask or want to learn how to do it yourself, it’s easy to do!

1. Using a kitchen string, loop one end of the beef and tie it into a tight knot.
2. Loop the string around your hand, then pull the loop over the beef.
3. Continue to make loops about 1 inch apart from one another. Make sure each is snug against the beef.
4. Tie the end with a knot once you have an even amount of loops.

How to Trim Beef Tenderloin

You will need to trim the silver skin. It’s a fibrous connective tissue that’s shiny and easy to spot.

Thankfully, getting rid of that skin, and the excess fat you’ll also want to trim away, is so easy!

1. Lay your beef flat. Carefully cut just under the connective tissue with your knife. Keep the knife close to the meat, without removing too much of the meat itself. Make sure to always cut away from yourself.
2. Using your free hand, pull the tissue tightly against the blade for a clean cut.
3. Cut through the tissue, facing away from the meat, until you trim it off completely. Do the same for any excess fat, which will appear as large white sections on the meat.

Horseradish Sauce for Beef Tenderloin

I love topping off my tenderloin with a homemade creamy horseradish sauce! It’s so easy to make and adds so much flavor to this dish!

Here is what you will need:

• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup prepared horseradish
• 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon White vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tablespoon fresh chopped chives plus extra for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix together in a medium-sized bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. You get the full instructions on making homemade horseradish sauce step by step from the link above.

Beef Tenderloin Recipes FAQ

How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin

To reheat, use low heat so the roast does not cook any further and becomes well done. If you freeze your leftover roast, you’ll have to thaw it first.

1. Wrap in foil with cooking juices or sauce (like au jus) so it retains moisture.
2. Carefully reheat in the oven at low heat (225˚F) until a meat thermometer inserted into the beef reads 150˚F.

Beef Tenderloin Recipes

Our other favorite way to prepare a tenderloin is by grilling or cooking it sous vide (in a water bath).

• Grilled Beef Tenderloin: Free up oven space by grilling, instead! Easy, so delicious, and ready in only 30 minutes.
• Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin: One of my favorite ways to prepare it! If you’re not familiar with sous vide, it refers to cooking food in a water bath to ensure the perfect degree of doneness every time.

Side Dishes for Beef Tenderloin

• Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
• Gluten-Free Au Gratin Potatoes
• Smashed Sweet Potatoes
• Green Bean Almondine
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Our best side dishes for roast beef are also perfect!

Beef Tenderloin Leftover Recipes

• Make sandwiches with remoulade sauce
• Add slices of leftover tenderloin to a Vietnamese Beef Salad
• Beef Sandwich with Caramelized onions is just amazing
• Creamy Penne Pasta Though the recipe calls for prime rib, it works just as well with sliced tenderloin! Give it a try!

Did you try our recipe? We would love to hear from you! Leave us a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think.

📋 Recipe