Beef Tenderloin

A true showstopper, this roast Beef Tenderloin is the perfect holiday or special occasion main dish. It's very easy to cook with just a few minutes of prep work, and you'll be rewarded with incredible flavor. It's perfect served with my Mushroom Cream Sauce and your favorite vegetable side dish from Mashed Potatoes to Garlic Roasted Carrots. It's naturally gluten free with a dairy free option listed in the recipe as well.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Author : Kari Peters

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 794kcal

Ingredients

4.5 pound beef tenderloin roast cut in half & tied, see notes
6 tbsp salted butter room temperature
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil to sear the roast

Instructions

Remove your tied roasts from the refrigerator to come up to room temperature for 1-2 hours before cooking, this helps it to cook evenly.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Then place the butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and 1/2 of the salt and pepper into a small bowl and mash to combine.
Sprinkle the tied roasts with the remaining salt and pepper. Then preheat a large 10" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add your choice of cooking oil to the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Then place both roasts side by side into the skillet.
Sear until well browned, about 4-5 minutes, then turn and brown the other side of the roasts, 4-5 more minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat source and pat / spread the herb butter as evenly as possible over the tops of the roasts and down the sides as much as you can.
Place the cast iron skillet into the oven and cook until your desired internal temperature is reached. Insert a meat probe if you have one before the roasts go into the oven, otherwise use an instant read thermometer.
My 4.5 pound roast registered 125ºF after 20 minutes of cooking, and 135ºF after resting. But use an instant read thermometer to make sure your temperature is correct. You also want to factor for 5-10ºF extra as the roast rests before slicing.
When your roast reaches your desired temperature, (remember the temperature will continue to rise as it rests) remove it from the oven.
Transfer the roasts from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Cut away the butcher twine, then slice the finished roast into 1" thick pieces.
Serve with your favorite sauce and side dishes!

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Notes

You want the roast to be cut in half and tied, you can ask at the meat counter of your store for the butcher to do this for you. Or you can refer to the video and photos in the blog post to see how to tie a roast.

Most beef tenderloin roasts come between 4-5 pounds. If your roast is smaller, cook for less time, or more time if it's larger. Refer to the temperature guide below, and use an instant read thermometer to get the perfect results every single time.

For example if you want your roast to be medium - remove it from the oven at 135ºF-140ºF, then cover and rest before slicing and it will rise to 145ºF.

Beef Tenderloin Temperature Guide:

Rare - 125ºF most of the meat will be red with a little pink around the edges.
Medium rare - 135ºF looks like the beef tenderloin pictured here with a good amount of red in the center, turning to pink, then brown near the edges.
Medium - 145ºF has just a bit of red in the center but is mostly light pink with brown edges.
Medium well - 150ºF

Nutrition