How to cook beef tenderloin: a foolproof holiday roast

The short answer: beef tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and one of the easiest holiday roasts to get right: it cooks in under an hour and slices beautifully. The catch is the price, so know how much to buy and when to pull it.

• Guests 4: 2 pounds trimmed, or 3 pounds untrimmed
• Guests 8: 4 pounds trimmed, or 6 pounds untrimmed
• Salt it the night before, then sear and roast
• Temperature chart, four sauces and a Christmas Day timeline
• Next step: Plan it with the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99).

Beef tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef, and it's one of the easiest holiday roasts to get right. It cooks in under an hour, it slices beautifully and it feels like a special occasion. The catch is the price, so it pays to know exactly how much to buy and when to pull it from the oven. This guide walks you through buying, trimming, tying, seasoning, searing, roasting, resting and carving a beef tenderloin, with a cooking time chart and four sauces.

What is beef tenderloin?

The tenderloin is a long, tapered muscle that runs along the inside of the loin, under the backbone. It barely moves, so the meat is very tender and lean. USDA FSIS explains that cuts from the loin and rib are tender enough to cook with dry heat, such as roasting and grilling, rather than braising.

Some names you'll see:

• Whole tenderloin (PSMO): untrimmed, with the silverskin and the "chain" muscle still attached. Cheapest per pound.
• Trimmed tenderloin: ready to tie and roast.
• Center-cut roast (Chateaubriand): the even, thick middle section. Most expensive, but cooks evenly.
• Filet mignon: steaks cut from the tenderloin.

How much beef tenderloin to buy

Plan on about 1/2 pound of trimmed meat per person. With lots of sides and appetizers, 1/3 pound is enough. An untrimmed tenderloin loses about a quarter to a third of its weight in fat, silverskin and the chain, so factor that in when comparing prices.

USDA Prime beef is about 2% of graded beef and has the most marbling. Because tenderloin is already so tender, Choice grade is a good value for most families.

How to trim and tie a beef tenderloin

If your butcher won't do it, it takes about 15 minutes:

1. Pull off the chain. The thin, fatty strip along one side comes away mostly by hand. Save it for stir-fries or stew.
2. Remove the silverskin. Slide a thin knife under the shiny membrane, angle the blade up and cut it away in strips.
3. Trim large pieces of fat. Leave a little; it adds flavor.
4. Fold the tail. Tuck the thin end under so the roast is the same thickness throughout.
5. Tie it. Loop kitchen twine around the roast every 1 1/2 to 2 inches and knot each one snugly.

How to cook beef tenderloin: sear and roast

This method works for a whole trimmed tenderloin (4 to 6 pounds) or a center-cut roast.

1. Salt it the night before. Use about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound. Leave it uncovered on a rack in the fridge.
2. Temper. Take it out about 1 hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 425°F.
3. Season. Rub with oil, cracked black pepper and, if you like, garlic and chopped rosemary.
4. Sear. Heat a large skillet or roasting pan over high heat with a little oil. Brown the roast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, 8 to 10 minutes total. If it's too long for your pan, cut it in half.
5. Roast. Move the roast to a rack in a roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan. Roast at 425°F until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 5 to 10 degrees below your target (see the chart below).
6. Rest. Tent loosely with foil for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Slice. Remove the twine and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch slices.

Beef tenderloin temperature chart

Pull the roast before it reaches the final temperature. It will rise about 5 degrees while it rests.

A note on safety: the USDA FSIS safe temperature chart recommends cooking beef roasts and steaks to at least 145°F, then resting them at least 3 minutes. That is medium. Many families like tenderloin rarer, which is a personal choice. If you are serving young children, older adults, pregnant guests or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook their portion to 145°F. The thin ends of a tenderloin cook faster than the center, so you can serve those slices to guests who want it more done.

Beef tenderloin cooking times

These are estimates. Ovens, roast shapes and starting temperatures vary. Start checking with an instant-read thermometer 15 minutes early, and check in two places.

The reverse sear method

For edge-to-edge pink color, try the reverse sear. Roast the seasoned tenderloin at 250°F until it reads about 115°F to 120°F in the center, then rest it 10 minutes and sear it in a very hot pan with butter for about 2 minutes per side. It takes longer, but the window for perfect doneness is wider, which is helpful when you're juggling sides.

5 beef tenderloin mistakes to avoid

1. Skipping the thermometer. Tenderloin goes from medium-rare to medium in minutes. An instant-read thermometer is the best $15 you'll spend.
2. Not tying it. An untied roast cooks unevenly, with a thin end that dries out.
3. Cooking it cold. A roast straight from the fridge browns outside before the center warms.
4. Slicing right away. Rest it, or the juices end up on the board.
5. Overdoing the seasoning. Salt, pepper and a little garlic are plenty. Let the sauce add the rest.

Four sauces for beef tenderloin

1. Horseradish cream. Mix 1 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and chopped chives. Make it a day ahead.
2. Red wine pan sauce. Pour off the fat, add a chopped shallot, then 1 cup of red wine and 1 cup of beef broth. Reduce by half and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold butter.
3. Mushroom sauce. Brown sliced mushrooms in butter with garlic and thyme, add a splash of broth and cream, and simmer until thick.
4. Chimichurri. Finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil and chili flakes. Bright and fresh against rich beef.

What to serve with beef tenderloin

Tenderloin is mild, so the sides can bring flavor: roast or mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, popovers and a crisp green salad. See our full list of Christmas side dishes and our guide to mashed potatoes. If you'd rather go bigger, our guide to how to cook prime rib covers the other classic holiday roast. A cool cucumber salad recipe also cuts the richness.

A Christmas Day timeline for beef tenderloin

• 3 to 4 days before: buy the tenderloin. Raw beef roasts keep 3 to 5 days in the fridge, according to USDA FSIS.
• The night before: trim, tie and salt it. Make the horseradish cream and any make-ahead sides.
• 2 hours before dinner: take the roast out of the fridge. Put potatoes on.
• 1 hour before: heat the oven to 425°F. Sear the roast.
• 45 minutes before: roast. Warm sides on the stovetop.
• 15 minutes before: rest the roast. Bake rolls and finish the gravy or sauce.
• Dinner: slice and serve.

Write the timeline on your menu page so whoever's helping knows what's next. Our Christmas Budget and Gift Planner ($4.99) includes printable holiday menu and to-do pages, and our Meal Planner and Grocery List ($3.99) includes an aisle-sorted grocery list for the big shop.

Leftover beef tenderloin

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers. USDA says cooked beef keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Slice it cold for sandwiches with horseradish cream, or toss thin slices into a hot stir-fry at the last minute so they don't overcook. When reheating leftovers, bring them to 165°F.

Make it a family tradition

If this becomes your Christmas roast, write down what worked: the weight, the oven time and the sauce everyone loved. Our Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) has four recipe page layouts with room for the story behind each dish, so next year's roast is even easier.

Cooking for a smaller budget? A pork tenderloin gives you the same elegant slices for much less.