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.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin Sliced into medallions on a cutting board

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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.

Up close slices of roasted beef tenderloin

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.
Ingredients for beef tenderloin recipe with filet of beef, garlic, butter, horseradish sauce, thyme and rosemary

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.

Step by step tutorial for how to trim beef tenderloin with a knife

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
How to tie beef tenderloin with kitchen string tutorial

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.

How to serve roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce

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

Beef tenderloin sliced from a whole filet of beef on cutting board

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

4.98 from 112 votes
Author: Natasha of Natashaskitchen.com
A garlic and herb crusted beef tenderloin with an easy, tried and true roasting method. No marinating required and for melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful beef. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 people
  • 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
*Timings can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of your tenderloin, so always check for desired doneness using an oven-safe meat thermometer.

Nutrition Per Serving

452kcal Calories1g Carbs27g Protein36g Fat15g Saturated Fat116mg Cholesterol666mg Sodium465mg Potassium145IU Vitamin A1.9mg Vitamin C15mg Calcium3.7mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Amount per Serving
Calories
452
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
36
g
55
%
Saturated Fat
 
15
g
94
%
Cholesterol
 
116
mg
39
%
Sodium
 
666
mg
29
%
Potassium
 
465
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Protein
 
27
g
54
%
Vitamin A
 
145
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
1.9
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
15
mg
2
%
Iron
 
3.7
mg
21
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef tenderloin, filet of beef
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$$$
Calories: 452
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.98 from 112 votes (64 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Stacy Siegmund
    November 24, 2020

    Thank you so much Natasha!! This recipe is perfect. I just made this beef tenderloin with the creamy horseradish sauce. I’m a dicey cook at best, but this was fool proof. I watched the video and followed your directions to a T. You should have seen me tying up this roast. LOL It was scary looking at best, but the finished product was beautiful, and tasted divine. Now I’m going to start checking out the rest of your recipes. Happy Thanksgiving and much love to you and your family.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      November 24, 2020

      Hi Stacy, I am so happy to hear you loved the beef tenderloin recipe. Thanks for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Barry Ramer
    November 7, 2020

    Hi Natasha.. May I recommend that you try Chef John’s Béarnaise sauce with this as an alternative to horse radish sauce. I find his recipe to be the best one I have found, and you can make it easier using the same technique of blender hollandaise. Béarnaise and tenderloin is a marriage made in heaven’s kitchen.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 7, 2020

      Thank you for that recommendation Barry!

      Reply

  • Tina Sheppard
    November 2, 2020

    I found a less expensive tenderloin at Aldi and I wanted to try it not on a holiday, just in case it wasn’t very good. This was a great recipe. Because I’m a herb nut, I used parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives, and a little mint, all from my garden. The recipe and video were very helpful, especially for tying up the tenderloin! The horseradish sauce was amazing. My husband told me he’d pay $39 in a high end restaurant for this meal! I would totally make this for Christmas dinner with a more expensive cut! As usual Natasha, you rock!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 2, 2020

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Tina!

      Reply

  • Lesleigh
    October 30, 2020

    Hi there, why do you tie a string around a roast? I have never done it that way before? Should you do it for all roasts?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      October 30, 2020

      Hi, tieing a beef tenderloin roast helps to make it uniform in size while roasting.

      Reply

  • Ronda
    October 22, 2020

    Do I cover my roasting pan while cooking. I had a trimmed tied beef round tip roast. Would I cook this the same heat and time?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 22, 2020

      Hi Ronda, I recommend reading through the recipe notes and watching the video, we did not cover that pan while cooking for this recipe. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Rebecca Mahoney
    October 16, 2020

    I would love to kNow what roasting pan you recommend. I don’t have one and would love to get one for all the amazing roasted recipes out there!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      October 16, 2020

      Hi Rebecca, I used a heavy cast iron pan to roast this. Cast iron is my go-to for roasting. A good dutch oven works well for roasting also. We have our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon affiliate shop.

      Reply

  • Marybeth
    October 14, 2020

    What type of roasting pan did you use? Can I use a cast iron skillet?

    Reply

  • Bev Titmus
    September 20, 2020

    So a 6 lb tenderloin takes longer than 30 mins. Dang.

    Reply

  • Raquel
    September 20, 2020

    Decided to do this for my parents and it was a total success! thank you! Expensive piece of meat but it was just so tender and the taste was perfect.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 20, 2020

      Hello Racquel, so glad it was a success! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.

      Reply

  • Marla
    September 19, 2020

    I am using a convection oven. Is the temp. still 500F? I use a convect roast option….
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 19, 2020

      Hi Maria, we have only tested this in regular mode, not convection so I cannot advise. If you do test it on convection please let us know how you like that!

      Reply

  • Ashleigh
    September 5, 2020

    Thank you 🙏🏼. This was the best beef I ever had

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 5, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that Ashleigh! Thank you for sharing this great review!

      Reply

  • Jeffrey Brown
    August 6, 2020

    Hi Natasha, I have a larger crowd that I will be cooking the Garlic and Herb crusted beef tenderloin and horseradish sauce recipe for…I have a 6.6lb tenderloin do I just multiply your ingredients X3?…Do I cook under the same temp and time? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 7, 2020

      Hi Jeffrey! Yes, you can multiple the recipe by 3 but also if you use our recipe serving slider, slide it over to 20 servings and you’ll notice the ingredient amounts will change for you. As far as cooking, you will want to give it more time but that will also depend on its thickness so I would watch it closely but also use the packaging instructions as a good for doneness.

      Reply

  • Charlie
    July 19, 2020

    500 degree for 20 mi was a way to much

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2020

      Hi Charlie, I’m happy to troubleshoot if you had any issues with that temp. Keep in mind all temps are in Fahrenheit on our blog. Also, if your oven is not calibrated it may run hotter than it needs to.

      Reply

  • Robert backus
    July 1, 2020

    Thank you I never cooked beef tenderloin befor your instructions
    Worked great ” I was a little confused about how too prepare the horse radish but figured I out
    Looking forward to more of easy
    Recipe “. Thabks agin Natasha.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 1, 2020

      You’re very welcome and thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

  • Marie O.
    May 12, 2020

    This was SO easy and DELISH!!! Hardest part was tying string on roast and that was not hard either. Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 12, 2020

      You’re welcome, Marie. Thanks for giving this recipe great feedback!

      Reply

  • DW
    April 29, 2020

    Where is this serving slider you mentioned? I looked everywhere and can’t find it

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 29, 2020

      Hi DW, scroll down to the printable recipe card. Where is says “servings: 6 people” Click the red “6” and that will make a slider appear allowing you to slide left or right to the number of servings desired. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Chrissy
    April 8, 2020

    Hello Natasha, many thanks for the recipe. I will not find the horse radish, what can I use in its place ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 8, 2020

      Hi Chrissy, the horseradish does add a unique flavor that is hard to match, but you can omit it and use a tad more butter instead. It will still be delicious. You might add an extra garlic clove or two.

      Reply

  • Addie Calvitt
    February 19, 2020

    The nutrition information given does not include the serving size. I am guessing about 3-1/2 ounces per serving?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2020

      Hi Addie, I have that info in the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe post. This recipe serves 6. It can also depend on how many meats you are serving.

      Reply

      • Krissy
        June 22, 2020

        I’m excited to make this. I adjusted the slide to 15 people. I see the ingredients adjusted, but does that change the cooking time? Thank you.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          June 22, 2020

          Hi Krissy, only the ingredient measurements in the ingredient list will be adjusted. There’s no way to adjust the written instructions at this time. I would highly recommend using an oven-safe thermometer.

          Reply

  • Lynne
    February 19, 2020

    Love your recipes. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2020

      That’s so awesome!

      Reply

  • Casey Coleman
    February 12, 2020

    Made this at Christmas and LOVED it! Then, LOST IT and have been searching for 30 minutes…. finally found it! I could have hugged the computer haha

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 12, 2020

      Haha glad you found the recipe again, Casey! Happy cooking.

      Reply

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