Roasted Beef Tenderloin is a showstopper! This tried and true method is easy (no marinating required), and produces melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful beef. Pair it with creamy horseradish sauce for an unforgettable dinner.

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This is a special occasion recipe, perfect for a date night in or Valentines Day. It is on the same level as our popular Filet Mignon in Cream Sauce, succulent Broiled Lobster Tails or the ever impressive Prime Rib.
Roasted Beef Tenderloin Video
Classic Beef Tenderloin Recipe
A filet of beef is a pricey, but don’t let that intimidate you. We’re sharing everything from how to trim, tie and how to cook beef tenderloin. Watch the video and you will realize how easy it is to achieve restaurant quality results.

Ingredients for Roasted Beef Tenderloin
This beef tenderloin is fork tender and every bite has fantastic flavor from the garlic herb crust.
- Beef Tenderloin – we used a 2 lb beef tenderloin. You can use a larger one but definitely trim and tie the thin end as described below for even roasting and use an oven-safe thermometer to acheive a perfect doneness.
- Prepared Horseradish – Adding horseradish to the rub adds another subtle layer of memorable flavor (don’t skip it!). It’s the same ingredient for making our famous Horseradish Sauce.
- Garlic – use fresh cloves for the best flavor
- Herbs – we used fresh herbs, but you can substitute dried herbs if needed. As a rule of thumb, use 1 part dried herbs for every 3 parts fresh.
- Butter – adds flavor and acts as a base to spread on the garlic and herbs.
- Salt & Pepper – simple seasonings are all you need.

How to Trim Beef Tenderloin Roast
If you see shiny “silver skin” on your beef tenderloin, you will want to trim that away as it is fibrous and chewy connective tissue that won’t allow flavor to penetrate your tenderloin.
- Slide tip of knife just under connective tissue
- Keep knife tip close to surface of the meat to minimize meat loss
- Use your other hand to pull connective tissue tight against the blade
- Slide the knife angled away from the meat until it exits
*Also trim away excess fat from tenderloin – unlike most steaks, fat is unnecessary on beef tenderloin.

How to Tie a Beef Tenderloin
Tying a tenderloin is important for even cooking. It makes the thickness more uniform and if you have a thin end on one side, you can tuck it under the tenderloin and tie to secure it in place, otherwise one end will be raw and the other over-cooked. A butcher can do this for you. Watch the video recipe for a full demonstration.
- Use a kitchen string to loop around one of the tenderloin and tie a snug knot
- Loop the string around your left hand and pull that loop over your tenderloin
- Repeat the loops, spacing 1-inch apart and tightening each one snugly
- Tie off the end with a knot after 5-6 loops

When is my Beef Tenderloin Done?
Since the roast will continue to rise in temperature as it rests, Remove the roast from the oven 5 to 10 degrees before it reaches its final doneness temperature. For example, I remove it from the oven at 130˚F for medium doneness and it reaches a final doneness temperature of 138-140˚F.
See the temperature doneness chart in the recipe card notes below to determine the perfect temperature to remove your roast.
Serve Beef Tenderloin With
Roasted beef tenderloin is such a versatile roast – you can pair it with just about any side dish.
- Whipped Mashed Potatoes – rave reviews, always!
- Homemade Creamy Horseradish Sauce – restaurant quality
- Roasted Asparagus with parmesan and lemon
- Caesar Salad with homemade croutons and dressing

Make this and you will be known for your beef tenderloin!

Depending on the size of your roast, you can serve this for a crowd, or it’s also perfect for a date-night-in (Think Valentine’s Day!). Enjoy this my friends. I hope it becomes your go-to method for making a perfect Roasted Beef Tenderloin.
Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients
- 2 lb beef tenderloin , trimmed and tied
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp prepared Horseradish, strained
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Remove tenderloin from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Trim and tie beef tenderloin. Preheat Oven to 500˚F with a rack in center.
- Coarsely chop 2 garlic cloves then strip 1/2 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves and 1 Tbsp of fresh rosemary. Finely mince together the garlic and herbs. Transfer them to a small mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp horseradish, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Use a fork and mash to combine.
- Pat tenderloin dry with paper towel and spread the garlic herb rub evenly all over the tenderloin and transfer to a roasting pan or oven safe skillet. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest portion of your tenderloin and roast in a preheated oven at 500˚F for 28-30 min for medium doneness (*Remove it at 130-135˚F for a final resting temperature of 138-140˚F).
- Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board, tent loosely with foil and rest 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2” thick slices, and serve right away.
Notes
Beef Tenderloin Temperature Chart:
*The chart below has final resting temperature ranges. It’s important to note that the temperature of the roast will continue to rise 5-10 degrees as it rests so remove it from the oven a little before it reaches its final resting temperature.- 22-23 min for rare (120-125˚F),
- 24-26 min medium-rare (130-135˚F)
- 28-30 min for medium doneness (138-140˚F) – what we aim for.
- 30-32 min for medium-well doneness (140-145˚F) – USDA recommends 145˚F.
- 33-35 min for well done (150˚F) – don’t do this to your meat
I am cooking the beef tenderloin Friday for 8 friends. I bought a 6 lb tenderloin and am planning in using your recipe adjusting for size. I am a little concerned about roasting time although I’m thinking if my meat thermometer is in the thickest place , it will take longer but is done at 140-145 degrees. Hints?
Hi Sarah, I would definitely recommend tieing and overlapping the thin end on itself for a more even roasting. I think you’re on the right track with having the meat thermometer. That is going to be your best gage for doneness if using a larger tenderloin.
For the rub that goes on the tenderloin before cooking, is it 1 tablespoon of the horseradish sauce that you linked the recipe to or just regular prepared horseradish? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Danielle, for the rub, it is prepared horseradish. The linked Horseradish Cream Sauce Recipe is to serve with the finished tenderloin.
I’m surprised this is not seared first. Would you recommend that as an option if you like meat a little charred on the outside?
Hi Janet, with the rub, it doesn’t work well to sear but I have tried that method as well. This roasted method is also easier and skips the searing step which is fine by me. I hope you give it a try!
I am serving 12 people. What would your size reccomendation be on the tenderloin and how long to bake for med rare? Last year I overcooked it. I mean not burnt but I have some that prefer med rare and some med well. Thanks for your help
Hi Lauren, we have the recipe slider allowing you to choose the number of servings on the printable portion of the post. Simply click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the blog post. I hope that helps.
How do you make beef tacos
Hi Rhonda, we have one of our favorite Beef Taco Recipes here. I hope you give it a try soon!
I was thinking of using an eye round roast instead of tenderloin especially for the first time since tenderloin is so expensive it isn’t even carried in our regular grocery stores. Don’t you think it would work with your method. I like mine rare so I would follow that timing using the thermometer of course.
Hi Kathy, I honestly haven’t tried that with this method so you will have to experiment and let me know how you enjoyed it. It seems that it would work fine and I’m glad you have a thermometer to double-check for doneness.
I am having 20 for Christmas. How many pounds would I need?
Hi Sally, it depends how many meats are on your menu. We have the serving size in the recipe card and if you click on the serving size you can scale it up or down which might help with planning.
This Thanksgiving was my first time making a tenderloin.15 family members all used to phenomenal dishes so the pressure was on. Natasha’s recipe was easy to follow and the result was delicious. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Bill! Thank you for that great feedback!
I’m curious if anyone has tried a quick sear (in a good skillet or on a grill), and then cooking longer over indirect heat? I suspect that method may not work with this particular rub. ALso, since I often have people who vary in how they like their meat cook, I personally do not see a need to always get totally even done-ness– it can be useful to have smaller pieces that are more done than the inner pieces. It depends on your guests!
Hi Kirk, with the rub, it doesn’t work well to sear but I have tried that method as well. This roasted method is also easier and skips the searing step which is fine by me. I hope you give it a try!
very nice
This was the easiest dinner to make. The tenderloin was awesome! I need more, a lot more, practice on how to tie the beef!
This will be my main course for Thanksgiving!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Planning to make this tonight. But please explain the purpose of tying the roast if you aren’t folding the narrow end under to keep it even.
Hi Karen, The chefs in the class I took on preparing a tenderloin tied even small portions that didn’t have the narrow tail end. It keeps the roast in a round shape rather than oval as it naturally lies and it roasts more evenly.
Can you make the rub ahead of time like a marinade day before?
HI Ellen, it isn’t necessary but you could rub this the day before.
I am having 12 for dinner and would love to serve as this.
Advice Please
Hi Joanne, I would suggest doubling the recipe and setting it into a large enough roasting pan that the tenderloins are not touching. The bake time should be pretty close to the same but double-check the temperature of the meat with a thermometer to assure you reached the desired temperature.
I made this Beef Tenderloin last night for dinner. It was fabulous! Love this recipe and definitely will make again…
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Cooked A 6.5 lb tenderloin for Thanksgiving for family of 15. The problem was I tripled the recipe and the butter from the rub caused a tremendous amount of smoke. I had to open all the doors and windows in the house. Butters smoke point is 350 so I’m not sure how that was suppose to work when cooking temp is 500? I couldn’t even see the tenderloin due to all the smoke building up inside the oven. I ended up turning the oven completely off, oven door shut, and just let it sit till appropriate temp. Any comments on what went wrong are welcomed.
Hi Kristi, The higher heat could be causing the smoking. I do get a little bit of smoke, so I turn on my fan above the range before I pull it from the oven. It may help to reduce the heat to 450˚F and bake slightly longer (testing with a thermometer to ensure doneness).
I have a 3.5 lb tenderloin. Any advice on adjusting cook time / temp?
Disregard! I noticed my question has been asked and answered before!
I’m glad you found your answer, Jodi!
My tiny store didn’t have the horseradish so I had to buy the prepared horseradish sauce. I put a little extra in to try to make up for it not being “pure”. Oh my, the final taste was amazing! The horsey sauce gave the crust a new flavor…just a hint of something different, something tasty….we loved it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Deb!
My son is allergic to dairy (among other of the top 8).
Can I sub olive oil for butter in the rub? It’s not always easy to find a safe butter or margarine that avoids all his allergens.
Would it be possible to make the run with olive oil instead of butter????
Hi Toby, I haven’t tested that since the butter stays in place while the oil may run off with the rub, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Does it have to be tenderloin cut?
Hi Ana, for this particular recipe, yes. Most any other cut would require modifications in the cooking method/time.