Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
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An oven roasted Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin is a show-stopping dinner recipe! It’s incredibly flavorful, the presentation is beautiful, and it’s actually really easy to make following my simple recipe and tips. Serve it with a mouth-watering creamy gorgonzola sauce for even more impressive flavors!
Table of contents
I often get asked what my favorite recipe is on the blog. And while I can’t pick just one, this beef tenderloin recipe is definitely in the top 5! Over the past 7 years, I’ve made this recipe many times, sharing it with friends and family.
And over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to make the perfect beef tenderloin every time. After all, with such an expensive cut of meat, you want to make sure that it’s perfect the very first time, which is why I’m sharing my tested and perfected recipe with you!
A beef tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and when sliced into steaks it becomes a filet mignon. In this recipe, I rubbed the beef tenderloin with a balsamic herb rub then finished it with a horseradish herb butter.
Roasting the herb crusted beef tenderloin in the oven low and slow allows the flavors of the balsamic herb rub to cook into the beef. You’re also able to gauge the internal temperature of the beef tenderloin better when cooking at a lower temperature, so you’re less likely to overcook it.
After about an hour roast in the oven, it’s ready to be sliced and served. I added an amazing horseradish gorgonzola cream sauce on the side to add even more impressive flavors to this recipe.
While the sauce is an optional addition, it’s so good that my husband and I literally ate it straight from the skillet with a spoon. I started doubling the recipe over the years so we’d have enough. It’s truly that good!
This herb crusted beef tenderloin is so tender, juicy and flavorful! It’s melt-in-your-mouth goodness, then you top it with that amazing cream sauce and WOW, everyone at your dinner table will be beyond impressed!
Ingredients
- Center cut beef tenderloin – for this recipe you’ll want a 2-3 pound beef tenderloin. This is also called a chateaubriand, beef tenderloin roast, or filet mignon roast. You’ll want to use a center-cut beef tenderloin, if possible. That means it’s cut from the center and generally the same size and shape on each end of the meat. If you use an end-cut, one side of the beef tenderloin will be much skinnier than the other side. Ask your butcher if they are able to cut this for you, if you don’t see it on the meat aisle at the grocery store. You can also purchase a whole beef tenderloin and cut the center tenderloin roast yourself. I’ll show you how to do this in the next section.
- Kosher salt and black pepper – to season the beef.
- Olive oil – this will be used as the base for the rub on the outside. It will help the beef achieve a beautiful brown crust on the outside.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh rosemary – dried rosemary and thyme can be substituted in the rub, if fresh isn’t available.
- Fresh thyme
- Garlic – I recommend fresh crushed cloves for the best flavor.
- Butter – you’ll want to use unsalted butter for this recipe. This way you can control the amount of salt added to the dish.
- Horseradish – for this recipe you’ll want prepared horseradish from a jar. You do not want cream horseradish.
How to cut a whole beef tenderloin
Purchasing a whole beef tenderloin is generally more economical than purchasing a center-cut tenderloin, and sometimes it’s the only option available. A whole beef tenderloin is usually priced $5-$10 less than a center-cut beef tenderloin.
If you end up with a whole beef tenderloin, it’s easy to cut it into a center-cut tenderloin at home. You’ll want to cut off the “tenderloin tail”. The small end of the tenderloin gets super thin and will become overcooked if you cook it with the center piece of the tenderloin.
You’ll also want to remove the thick piece of the top, this is known as the “tenderloin butt”. For this recipe, we’ll be using the center piece of the tenderloin. Of course, you don’t want to waste the tail or the butt, because this is still tender, delicious beef!
For the tail, I like to slice it up and use it in beef stroganoff or beef stir fry. For the butt, I use butcher’s twine to tie it so that it’s an even shaped roast, and roast it just like the center-cut tenderloin. It doesn’t make as pretty of slices, but it’s still really delicious!
How to roast a beef tenderloin
I recommend removing the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator an hour before starting this recipe. Letting the meat come up to room temperature means that it will cook more evenly at a low temperature in the oven.
- Season the beef tenderloin. Place the tenderloin on a wire rack, over a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper evenly over the entire surface of the beef tenderloin. Let it rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the balsamic herb rub.
- Prepare the rub. In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil together. Add chopped fresh rosemary and thyme, and crushed garlic. Rub this mixture on all sides of the beef tenderloin.
- Bake. Place the beef tenderloin in a preheated 225°F oven. Cook, uncovered, for 60-90 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches between 120-125°F. For a 3 inch diameter beef tenderloin, it took 70 minutes to come up to 120°F. For a thicker tenderloin, it will take longer. Remove the beef from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Switch the oven from bake to broil on low. Arrange a rack in the oven 6 inches from the top.
- Butter and broil. Place a medium skillet on the stove over high heat. Add butter to the hot skillet. Once the butter is bubbling, add chopped thyme, rosemary, and horseradish. Simmer 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and spoon the herb butter over the tenderloin and return it to the oven under the broiler for 2 minutes. This will brown the beef and give it a wonderful crust on the outside.
- Let it rest. Remove the beef tenderloin from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it into 1 inch thick slices for serving.
How to make gorgonzola cream sauce
If you’d like to make this rich, creamy gorgonzola horseradish sauce to serve with the herb crusted beef tenderloin, you can prepare it in the 10 minutes while the beef is resting.
- Cook shallots and garlic. Pour olive oil in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add minced shallots and cook for 30 seconds. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Make it creamy. Stir in half and half and simmer for 1 minute. Add prepared horseradish and gorgonzola crumbles. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the gorgonzola cheese melts into the sauce.
Cooking temperatures for the beef
I recommend cooking a beef tenderloin to medium-rare. This is such a tender cut of beef, you don’t want to overcook it. If you’d like to cook it to another internal temperature, follow the chart below.
- For rare – remove the beef tenderloin from roasting in the oven at 120°F. After the sear under the broiler at the end, and the 10 minute rest time, the internal temperature will rise approximately 7 degrees for a finished temperature of 127°F.
- For medium-rare (recommended) – remove the beef tenderloin from roasting in the oven at 125°F. After the sear under the broiler and the rest time, the internal temperature will rise approximately 7 degrees for a finished temperature of 132°F.
- For medium – remove the beef tenderloin from roasting in the oven at 133°F. After the sear under the broiler and the rest time, the internal temperature will rise approximately 7 degrees for a finished temperature of 140°F.
- For medium-well – remove the beef tenderloin from roasting in the oven at 142°F. After the sear under the broiler and the rest time, the internal temperature will rise approximately 7 degrees for a finished temperature of 149°F.
What to serve with it
Herb crusted beef tenderloin is a delicious main dish for a Christmas dinner, but it’s easy enough to make any time of the year. It makes for an impressive meal for friends or family, celebrations or birthdays. I love to serve it with a side of potatoes and vegetables. Try it with any of these scrumptious side dishes!
Storage and reheating
Store leftover beef tenderloin in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. My favorite way to reheat the tenderloin is in a sous vide. Using this method reheats the beef without overcooking it.
To reheat the beef in a sous vide, only slice as much beef tenderloin as you’re serving in one setting. Place the remainder of the beef tenderloin in a zipper bag, or in a vacuum sealed bag. Heat a sous vide water bath to 133°F.
Place the beef tenderloin in the bag in the water bath for 30 minutes. Remove the beef from the water bath and the bag. Place it on a wire rack, over a baking sheet and under the broiler in the oven on low for 2 minutes. This step is optional, but will give you a tasty crust on the outside once again! Slice the beef and serve.
To reheat the beef tenderloin in the oven, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place slices of beef tenderloin on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
To reheat the beef tenderloin on the stove, heat a large skillet on the stove, over medium-high heat. Pan-sear slices of beef for 2-3 minutes per side.
More beef recipes
There are so many easy and delicious ways to cook different cuts of beef. Check out all of these popular recipes!
If you’re excited about making more beef tenderloin recipes, be sure to check out my recipe for Beef Wellington!
Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
- 2-2.5 pound center cut beef tenderloin, see the notes section below
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary , divided
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme , divided
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
Horseradish Gorgonzola Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ tablespoon prepared horseradish
- ½ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Instructions
Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
- Preheat the oven to 225°F.
- Place the beef tenderloin on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Season on all sides with the salt and pepper, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar and olive oil together.
- Add 4 sprigs of the rosemary, chopped, 4 sprigs of the thyme, chopped, and the crushed garlic to the balsamic olive oil mixture. Rub this mixture on all sides of the beef tenderloin.
- Place the beef tenderloin in the oven, uncovered, for 60-90 minutes, or until a thermometer reaches between 120-125°F in the center of the beef. For a 3 inch diameter beef tenderloin, it took 70 minutes to come up to 120°F. For a thicker tenderloin, it will take longer.
- Remove the beef tenderloin from the oven and let it rest while you prepare the herb butter.
- Turn the oven from bake to broil on low.
- Add the butter to a medium skillet on the stove over high heat. Once the butter is bubbling, add the remaining 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped and 1 teaspoon horseradish. Simmer 30-60 seconds.
- Remove the herb butter from the heat and spoon it evenly over the beef tenderloin.
- Place the beef tenderloin back into the oven, 6 inches under the broiler for 2 minutes. Always watch the beef while it's under the broiler to make sure that the garlic and herbs don't start to burn.
- Remove the beef tenderloin from the oven and rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1 inch thick slices.
Horseradish Gorgonzola Sauce
- While the beef tenderloin is resting, prepare the horseradish gorgonzola sauce by adding the olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is heated, add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds, add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in the half and half and simmer for 1 minute, add the horseradish and gorgonzola, simmer, stirring constantly until the gorgonzola is melted into the sauce.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and serve drizzled over the sliced beef tenderloin, or on the side.
Notes
- Center cut beef tenderloin – for this recipe you’ll want a 2-3 pound beef tenderloin. This is also called a chateaubriand, beef tenderloin roast, or filet mignon roast. You’ll want to use a center-cut beef tenderloin, if possible. That means it’s cut from the center and generally the same size and shape on each end of the meat. If you use an end-cut, one side of the beef tenderloin will be much skinnier than the other side. Ask your butcher if they are able to cut this for you, if you don’t see it on the meat aisle at the grocery store. You can also purchase a whole beef tenderloin and cut the center tenderloin roast yourself. Refer to the blog post above for instructions on how to do this at home.
- If using dried rosemary and thyme, you’ll want 1 tablespoon dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves for the rub. You also need 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves for the herb butter to finish the dish.
- I recommend ⅓ to ½ pound of beef per person. Depending on how many sides you plan to serve with the tenderloin and how much meat you expect each person to eat.
- The instructions above will result in a medium-rare beef tenderloin. If you’d like to cook the meat to another internal temperature, refer to the blog post above for the different temperatures.
Nutrition Facts
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2 Comments on “Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin”
Love this recipe but had a question I want to make a hole tenderloin can u tell me would it be the same time and degre
Hi Heather, this recipe is for a 3-4 pound beef tenderloin, which cooks for 60-90 minutes. If you have a larger tenderloin, I’d recommend adding 15-20 minutes of cooking time per pound and to continue checking the internal temperature, until it reaches between 120-125°F. Enjoy!