This Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin is a stunning centerpiece for your Christmas table. It’s quick, easy, SO impressive, and served with the most incredible red wine sauce! While this can be expensive to put together, it is truly worth every penny. This is a no-stress meal, and with my help you’ll end up with a perfectly roasted beef tenderloin every time!
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The Perfect Alternative to a Turkey or Ham During the Holidays
While Thanksgiving my have a monopoly on turkey and ham, this herb roasted whole beef tenderloin is so perfect for Christmas! It’s a show stopper of a dish that all your guests will love.
Having been a restaurant chef for almost 10 years, I’ve cooked my fair share of steaks! A steakhouse is actually the one type of restaurant that I almost never visit because I know a great steak dinner can be accomplished at home.
A quick sear in a hot skillet, a brush with an herby butter mixture, and then a quick jaunt in the oven will yield perfectly cooked beef tenderloin every time. Then, we’ll make a heavenly French-inspired red wine sauce with the pan drippings.
This herb roasted beef tenderloin with red wine sauce is a truly magical dish!
Ingredient Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Whole beef tenderloin. Beef tenderloin comes from the back half of the cow between the loin and sirloin. It’s an exceedingly tender and lean piece of meat, and when cut into medallions it becomes filet mignon! If you’ve ever had great filet mignon, you know it’s melt in your mouth tender. Imagine a whole piece of all that tender meat!
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. A generous amount of salt and pepper are necessary to flavor the beef tenderloin.
- Butter. I like using salted butter for extra flavor, but unsalted will also work. If you’re looking for a dairy-free recipe, you can swap in olive oil for butter.
- Garlic. I always grate my garlic on a microplane so that it’s very fine and mixes with the butter without big chunks that burn in the hot oven.
- Fresh Herbs. I like a mixture of rosemary and thyme for this tenderloin. You could also add herbs like sage, chives, etc.
- Dijon. A bit of dijon in the butter adds a nice savory note that goes so well with the beef.
- Shallot. I love the delicate onion flavor that shallot provides, but any finely minced onion could be used in place of shallots.
- Red wine. I like a nice flavored red wine, like a pinot noir or a cabernet sauvignon. Nothing too heavy, but something you’d still want to drink.
- Madeira. This is an optional ingredient, but it adds a really great flavor and sweetness to the sauce. If you’d rather skip the madeira, replace it with an equal amount of red wine.
How to Select the Best Beef Tenderloin
You need a 4 to 4 ½-pound whole beef tenderloin for this recipe. You could also buy two 2-pound center-cut tenderloins (also known as a chateaubriand cut). Tenderloins can be purchased untrimmed or trimmed.
To save yourself time and energy, ask your butcher to trim the roast of any extra fat and silver skin. You can also ask your butcher to tie the roast with twine. (And yes, tying with the twine is necessary to ensure even cooking!)
How to Cook a Whole Beef Tenderloin in the Oven
- Prep the tenderloin. A beef tenderloin naturally tapers at the ends; I like to trim the ends and save them to make my restaurant-worthy steak tartare for an easy appetizer! If there’s silverskin on the beef, trim it too and then tie up the roast with kitchen twine. (Note that you can ask your local butcher to do all of this for you too!)
- Liberally season with salt and pepper. When cooking premium cuts of beef such as a beef tenderloin, you really don’t need any additional seasonings besides kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Jenny’s Tip: For a deep sear and to ensure even cooking, let the beef tenderloin sit at room temperature for a full hour before cooking it.
- Sear the beef. Always pat your beef dry with clean paper towels before searing so it develops a gorgeous golden crust. After searing, slather the beef with garlic herb butter (recipe below) and insert a probe thermometer into the center of the roast.
- Roast until it registers 125-130ºF for medium / medium rare. This will take 15-25 minutes in a 425ºF oven, it really just depends on how thick your beef is. This is why cooking beef tenderloin with a probe thermometer is so important!
- Rest before slicing. Just 15 minutes will do it. Loosely tent the beef with foil to prevent it from cooling completely.
- Meanwhile, make the red wine sauce. Use the same pan you cooked the beef in to make the red wine sauce — those drippings are packed with flavor! Add the shallots and cook until they’ve softened and browned, then add the red wine and madeira. Once the sauce has reduced by half, whisk in the cold butter (this is what makes the sauce so silky!).
- Slice and serve. I like to slice my beef tenderloin into 3/4-inch slices, then sprinkle each portion with flaky sea salt before drizzling with the red wine sauce.
Tips for the Perfect Sear
Searing the beef is one of the most important ways to add flavor to this oven roasted beef tenderloin! A nice hard sear and a brown crust enhances the beef flavor and makes this recipe even more delicious. Here are my best tips for getting the perfect sear:
Room temperature meat sears more easily. Pull your tenderloin out of the fridge 1-2 hours before cooking. Season and tie up the meat and let it sit.
Pat as much moisture as possible from the surface of the meat. Moisture is the natural enemy of a good, hard sear. Use paper towels to dab the beef really well all over to remove extra moisture before you season with salt and pepper.
Choose the right oil. Because this is high-temperature cooking, you need an oil that will stand up to high heat. Canola, avocado, and grapeseed oils are my favorite for searing at high temperatures. Avoid olive oils as they burn and become acrid at high temps.
Resist the urge to move the steak too often. To get a nice browning on the outside, don’t move the steak around! Let it sit in one position for 3-4 minutes before rotating to brown the other sides.
How to Avoid Overcooking Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin is best served medium-rare or medium. Once it’s overcooked, you can’t un-cook it and since it’s an expensive cut of meat, you don’t want to leave the cooking to chance. Invest in a dependable probe thermometer any time you’re cooking beef.
Keep in mind that the temperature of the meat will rise 5 degrees or so as it rests. For best results, pull at 120ºF for medium-rare and 130ºF for medium.
If you have guests who absolutely demand well-done meat, I recommend simmering a couple of the slices in the red wine sauce until they’re no longer pink. This ensures that the beef doesn’t dry out and stays flavorful.
What to Serve on the Side
If you’re throwing a dinner party or just want a nice dinner to enjoy, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with roasted whole beef tenderloin.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Holiday-Worthy Beef Dinner Recipes
- Beef Wellington for Two
- Steak au Poivre
- Red Wine Braised Beef
- Herb Crusted Prime Rib
- Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
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Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- 4 – 4 1/2 lb whole beef tenderloin
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Red Wine Sauce
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 1/4 cup red wine, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1/4 cup madeira (optional)*
- 4 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, diced,
Instructions
- Prep the tenderloin. If you purchased a whole tenderloin, you'll notice that the tenderloin tapers at one end. I like to trim the ends off and use them to make steak tartare. What you're left with should be about 3 3/4-4 lbs. Depending on the length of your tenderloin, you may want to cut it in half so that it will fit in your skillet. Make sure to trim away any silverskin. Tie the beef tenderloin up with kitchen twine at intervals of about 1 inch.
- Season the beef tenderloin. Liberally season the prepared tenderloin all over with salt and pepper. Let the beef tenderloin sit out at room temperature for an hour or two before cooking.
- Make the herb butter. Mix the butter, garlic, chopped herbs, dijon, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper with the butter until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat an oven to 425ºF.
- Sear the beef tenderloin. Preheat a large (12") cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Pat the seasoned beef tenderloin dry with paper towels and drizzle the oil in the pan. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, place the beef tenderloin in the skillet and sear 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Insert the probe thermometer into the center of the beef, slather the beef with the herb butter, and transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Roast the meat. Roast the beef until it registers 125-130 F on the probe thermometer for medium/medium-rare. This process can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and lightly tent with foil. Let the beef rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
- Make the red wine shallot sauce. Place the skillet that you cooked the beef in over medium heat. Be sure to handle the pan with an oven mitt! Add the minced shallots to the pan and use a rubber spatula to coat them in the butter and pan drippings. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and browned. Add the wine and madeira and reduce by half. Whisk in the cold cubed butter a couple of pieces at a time, until the sauce is silky and the butter is melted. Season to taste.
- Slice and serve. Slice the beef tenderloin into 3/4" thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and drizzle with the red wine sauce.
Storage Instructions
- Leftovers are more than welcome, because honestly it tastes just as good the following days! To make things easier, I’d slice them into pieces while it’s still juicy and fresh. It’ll make reheating a lot easier.Alternately, you can leave the tenderloin whole and slice it while chilled to make the most incredible roast beef sandwiches.In the fridge: Store leftover sliced in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.In the freezer: If you’re wanting to save a few slices past a week, freeze them! Make sure to let the sliced meat cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in freezer safe bags, and squeeze all the air out. This helps prevent freezer burn. It’ll last for up to three months in the freezer.To reheat: If the meat is frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, pop it in the microwave for a minute or two, until it’s warmed through.
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