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Get ready to try the beef tenderloin recipe of your dreams! This whole roasted beef tenderloin is a garlic thyme beef roast that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Everyone at the table will love this show-stopping holiday roast, and best of all, it's easy to make even for beginners!
Jump to:
- Beef Tenderloin Roast
- Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipe Ingredients
- How to Roast Whole Beef Tenderloin
- Filet Mignon Roast Tips
- Beef Tenderloin Rub
- How Long to Cook a Tenderloin Roast
- Beef Tenderloin Temperature
- How to Tie Beef Tenderloin to Roast
- How to Trim Beef Tenderloin
- Whole Beef Tenderloin FAQ
- How to Freeze Beef Tenderloin
- How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin
- Beef Tenderloin Recipes
- Side Dishes for Beef Tenderloin
- Beef Tenderloin Recipe
- Whole Beef Tenderloin
- Reviews
Made for the first time and it was sooo delicious! New fam favorite. Splurging on a high price cut of meat was worth it for Christmas dinner! Super easy to cook and not time consuming. - Dee's Sweet Finds
Beef Tenderloin Roast
Along with my prime rib recipes, beef tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat to serve over the holidays. It's juicy and tender, with the most amazingly buttery beef flavor.
My family loves this whole beef tenderloin recipe, especially alongside garlic-roasted potatoes and horseradish sauce. It's gorgeous, and even total beginners to cooking beef tenderloin can make it without any trouble!
Trim it, tie it, and roast it to perfection with a simple roast seasoning that brings out the best flavor in the beef. It's truly so luscious, you'll be wishing for more leftovers!
Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipe Ingredients
- Beef Tenderloin: You will want a whole beef tenderloin roast that has been trimmed. I have a guide to trimming beef tenderloin below; all you have to do is trim away the silver skin (a fibrous connective tissue that is shiny and easy to spot).
- Salt: Kosher salt or sea salt work best!
- Black Pepper: I recommend using freshly cracked black pepper if possible.
- Dried Thyme Leaves: Thyme is the perfect seasoning for whole beef tenderloin.
- Garlic Powder: Balances out and adds a delectable flavor to the simple seasoning.
- Olive Oil: For drizzling over the roast before it cooks.
How to Roast Whole Beef Tenderloin
- Four 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.
- 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.
- Place your roast in the oven. When 15 minutes is up, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- 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.
- Remove your roast from the oven and pack it with foil. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Filet Mignon Roast 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 Rub
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.
I've also tried a rosemary sea salt rub that is delicious and have used my prime rib seasoning on this recipe too. I recommend giving that a try, too!
I love topping off my tenderloin with a homemade creamy horseradish sauce! It's so easy to make and adds flavor to this dish!
How Long to Cook a Tenderloin Roast
Follow these beef tenderloin cooking times to achieve your desired doneness after the initial 15-minute sear.
- Three lb. roast: 30 minutes
- Four lb. roast: 40 minutes
- Five lb. roast: 50 minutes
- Six 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!
- Loop one end of the beef using a kitchen string and tie it into a tight knot.
- Loop the string around your hand, then pull the loop over the beef.
- Continue to make loops about 1 inch apart from one another. Make sure each is snug against the beef.
- 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!
- 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 always to cut away from yourself.
- Pull the tissue tightly against the blade with your free hand for a clean cut.
- 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.
Whole Beef Tenderloin FAQ
It is the area cut from the loin and is lean, succulent, and elegant, with a mild flavor. You may also hear this cut referred to as Chateaubriand. I use a 4 lb. trimmed whole beef tenderloin roast to make this dish, as well as a blend of seasonings and olive oil. You won't believe how melt-in-your-mouth tender this cut of beef is!
Filet mignon and tenderloin are from the same cut of beef; however, tenderloin is the whole cut, while filet mignon refers to steaks.
How to Freeze Beef Tenderloin
1. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap.
2. Add the plastic-wrapped beef to a zip-lock freezer-safe bag. Squeeze all of the air out and make sure it's sealed tightly.
3. Place the bag in the back of the freezer to reach freezing temperature more quickly.
Enjoy your leftover holiday roast no more than two months after freezing, and do not re-freeze after thawing. Make sure to label it with the freezing date!
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 must thaw it first.
- Wrap in foil with cooking juices or sauce (like au jus) so it retains moisture.
- 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 unfamiliar with sous vide, it refers to cooking food in a water bath to ensure the perfect degree of doneness every time.
- You will also love my Easy Beef Wellington.
Side Dishes for Beef Tenderloin
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Gluten-Free Au Gratin Potatoes
- Green Bean Almondine
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Beef Tenderloin Recipe
I love this whole beef tenderloin - if I could make it all of the time for Sunday dinner, I would. It's juicy, buttery, and packed with flavor. What's really surprising is how simple it is to make! I'd love to hear how your beef tenderloin dinner goes. Leave a comment and a rating below to let me know!
Whole Beef Tenderloin
Video
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Roasting rack
- Small roasting pan or baking sheet with sides
- Kitchen string (if tying the roast yourself)
Ingredients
- 4 pound Whole Beef Tenderloin roast, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- 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 tenderloin 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.4 pound Whole Beef Tenderloin roast, trimmed,2 teaspoons Kosher salt,2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper,1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves,1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- When ready to start cooking beef tenderloin, 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.1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Place your roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 450°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Continue cooking beef tenderloin 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. Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of your roast.Remove your roast from the oven when done, and tent with foil. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Trim your roast: Check the post instructions for how to trim your roast. It's a necessary, but thankfully super easy, step!
- Tie your 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.
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