Garlic Rosemary Beef Tenderloin
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Cooked low + slow, this is the most perfect (and only way to cook) tenderloin! So easy, so tender, so good.
Featured Comment
I know the holidays look a little different this year. But there’s no reason why you still can’t make a banging tenderloin recipe for your holiday dinner this year.
why make beef tenderloin at home
- Simple, elegant and easy. With the easiest, most effortless prep and short ingredient list, the tenderloin will be the star of Christmas (or any holiday) dinner with its beautiful presentation. Not to mention, the tenderloin is the most tender cut of meat available.
- Quick cook time. Because the tenderloin is a relatively small cut of meat, it cooks very quickly (about 1 hour in the oven).
- Leftovers make for great sandwiches. Leftover cold beef tenderloin, believe it or not, taste even better the very next day when tucked into some Hawaiian rolls with the leftover horseradish cream sauce.
tips and tricks for success
- Go to a reputable butcher. Cooking such a large cut of meat can be costly and daunting! We recommend purchasing a tenderloin that is preferably grass-fed and organic. The butcher can also trim the excess fat.
- Patience. Cooked low and slow at 275 degrees F, the beef tenderloin will be perfectly cooked straight through.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are key here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Tie up the meat. Using oven-safe kitchen twine, tie up the tenderloin, tucking the narrow ends underneath to form a consistent round. This will ensure a uniform shape for even cooking throughout the tenderloin, bringing it all to one even temperature.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 130-135°F for medium rare. The meat will still continue to cook once removed from the oven so we recommend cooking 5–10°F below your desired doneness.
- Let your meat rest. As with any large cuts of meat, let your tenderloin rest for at least 10 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
what to serve with tenderloin
Garlic Rosemary Beef Tenderloin: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Trimming the tenderloin of excess fat and silver skin (cartilage) underneath is key here. The butcher can also help with this.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
This really depends on personal preference. We recommend medium rare (130-135°F) but you can also cook to rare (125°F), medium (145°F), medium well (155°F) or well done (165°F, 30 minutes per pound).
Here is a foolproof step-by-step video guide for a stress-free beef tenderloin!
Garlic Rosemary Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied into 2-inch sections
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the horseradish cream sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- To make the horseradish cream sauce, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish and chives; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.
- Using paper towels, pat tenderloin dry. Drizzle with olive oil; season with garlic mixture, gently pressing to adhere.
- Place tenderloin onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees F for medium-rare, about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately with horseradish cream sauce.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this for Christmas dinner and it was perfect!
I went back and forth trying to decide how to cook a tenderloin for Christmas dinner. I decided on this one, even though I’ve used many others in the past. This was by far the best and super easy too. Our tenderloin was tapered so it was perfectly cooked for medium rare on one end and medium on the other. Excellent recipe! Thank you!
Made this for Christmas dinner. It was PERFECT! Very easy too!!
Do you salt the tenderloin on this recipe the day before and refrigerate overnight?
I need to feed 16 people. Can I make 2 of these at one time? If so, how long do I cook them? Thanks.
Love the seasoning on this! We have made it for the last few years as the main entrée for Christmas dinner. We buy a 5-5.5 lb beef tenderloin from Costco and cook at 300 degrees for 45 minutes for medium rare, cut the tenderloin in half, then cook half for an additional 15 for medium/medium well. It is always a huge hit!
It was absolutely melt in your mouth perfect!!!
I am going to make this for Xmas Eve.
We like medium. I got a 4lb filet. How long do you think I should cook it
I am wanting to make this for Christmas dinner and would like to serve it with those potatoes in the picture as well. Could you please provide a link for the recipe on those as well?
LOOKING FOR THE OVEN TEMPERATURE? SORRY, IF IT’S THERE ANE I DID’T SEE IT.
never mentions what size? Pounds? nothing regarding the meat?
The recipe specifically states 1 (4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied into 2-inch sections.
This is simple and super tasty… horseradish cream is a winner!
Perfect for Christmas dinner.
Made this for Christmas Day dinner and it was a huge hit! Although it did take longer to cook at 275 than we thought (1.5 hours). In addition, we did not tie the beef as we forgot but it still came out great!
Disclaimer: I’m not a great cook. But this recipe made my family think I am! We had it for Christmas last year and we’re making it again this year. It’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Perfection.
My guests and family love this recipe. It is so tender and I get to use the rosemary from my garden 🙂
Fantastic!! I made this without the sauce and it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!. I am not very skilled at cooking meats so they are “just right” but I impressed myself. I bought 1.5 lbs of beef tenderloin steaks, seared each side with the olive oil herb mix and then put them in the oven at 300 for 20-25 minutes. I coated once with the left over olive oil and herb mix. Turned out medium and just so tender 🙂 Best meal prep ever! Thank you for the amazing recipe! I am a fan of yours 🙂
Kim
We made this beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner and followed your recipe exactly. It was exquisite!!!!!! Better than we’ve had at any fine restaurant!!!
We made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it came out delicious! Followed the directions exactly, though our roast was a little larger so the cook time was a little longer. We did use a digital thermometer and watched it carefully so as to not overcook it. The horseradish sauce was also a hit and tasted good on the potatoes and green beans too. I was nervous about making such a costly roast for the first time but this recipe was perfect so thank you very much!
This was simply divine. Followed directions exactly.