This beef tenderloin roast is tender, juicy, and flavorful. It's also surprisingly easy to make.
Simply rub the beef with olive oil and spices, roast it in a 500°F oven to crisp up the outside, then finish cooking it in a moderate 350°F oven. Perfection!
Beef tenderloin roast is perfect for special occasions. My simple method of cooking the beef in a hot oven, then finishing it in a moderate oven, produces a tender, juicy, and flavorful roast.
Much like ribeye roast, this is not a roast I make very often because it's pricey, but it's a huge success when I do. More affordable options include tri-tip roast, pork tenderloin, and pork roast.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Beef tenderloin roast: I usually get a small 2-lb. roast. If your roast is bigger, you'll need to increase the cooking time.
- Olive oil: I love the flavor of olive oil. But if you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil.
- To season: I use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried sage.
Variations
- You can use avocado oil or melted butter instead of olive oil.
- The spice combination that I use here is excellent. But sometimes, I use a different combination of garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin. I like both!
Beef Tenderloin Roast Instructions
This is a surprisingly easy recipe, considering it's such a fancy cut. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- You start by bringing the roast to room temperature. This will help it cook more evenly.
- In a small bowl, prepare a mixture of olive oil and spices. (Photos 1-3).
- Pat the beef dry, then rub it all over with the mixture. (Photo 4).
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the roast's thickest part. Cook it for 15 minutes in a super hot (500°F) oven. (Photo 5).
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and keep cooking until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 130°F. Using a small 2-lb. roast, this should take 20-30 minutes. The only way to know for sure is to use a meat thermometer.
- Let the roast rest before slicing it to prevent the juices from escaping when you cut into it.
- Gently remove the butcher twine, then slice the roast. (Photo 6).
Expert Tip
I usually get this roast at Whole Foods. The butchers are always happy to cut me a small roast and tie it with butcher twine.
So just ask! It's not difficult to tie it yourself, but it's best to let the professionals do it for you.
Recipe FAQs
No. The tenderloin is an elongated cut from near the cow's rear. It's an area that doesn't get exercised by the animal, which is why it's so tender.
Filet mignon is not a whole roast. It's a steak that comes from the part of the tenderloin that goes into the short loin. Each tenderloin can produce just a few filet mignon steaks, which are the cow's most tender parts. 
There's no need to sear it. The 15 minutes it spends in a superhot 500°F oven allow it to nicely brown, saving us the extra step of searing.
You should cook it uncovered. You want it to get browned. This is achieved by leaving it uncovered.
When cooking roasts, one of the best tools you can use is an oven-safe meat thermometer that you can set to alert you when the meat reaches your desired temperature.
You don't want to overcook an expensive roast, and you also don't want the middle to remain completely raw. Ideally, you want the inside to be medium-rare, 130°F. (The USDA recommends cooking roasts to an internal temperature of 145°F.)
It's important to allow the roast to rest for 30 minutes before slicing it. The rest time allows the temperature to stabilize and the juices to redistribute and settle.
Cut into the roast too early, and you will lose some of those yummy juices, leaving you with drier meat.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve beef tenderloin roast with one of the following side dishes:
Sometimes I serve it with brown butter sauce. To make brown butter, melt 4 tablespoons of salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking until it slightly browns, then remove it from the heat. After slicing the roast, drizzle the brown butter over the beef slices.
Storing Leftovers
The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I prefer not to reheat them because I don't want to dry out the meat.
But if you'd like to reheat them, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
One of my favorite lunches is slices of cold roast beef served with grainy mustard, fresh-cut vegetables, and pickles like these pickled red onions.
More Beef Recipes
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Recipe Card
Beef Tenderloin Roast
Ingredients
- 2 lb. beef tenderloin roast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (not fine table salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
Instructions
- Remove the roast from the fridge an hour before you plan to start cooking it.
- Preheat your oven to 500°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and fit it with a wire rack.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. If one end is thinner, tuck it underneath and tie it with a butcher's twine to ensure the roast cooks evenly. You can also ask your butcher to tie it for you.
- Mix the olive oil and the spices, then use your clean hands to rub the beef all over with the mixture.
- Place the roast on the wire rack. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into its thickest part. Place it in the oven and roast it for 15 minutes in the 500°F oven.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until the thermometer registers 130°F (medium-rare), 20-30 more minutes.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Loosely cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
- Gently remove the butcher twine (you can cut it with kitchen scissors and then gently pull it out of the meat), slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition info is based on CalorieKing.com.
- The USDA recommends cooking roasts to an internal temperature of 145°F with a three-minute rest time.
- Optional brown butter sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking until it slightly browns, then remove it from the heat. After slicing the roast, drizzle the brown butter over the beef slices.
- The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I prefer not to reheat them because I don't want to dry out the meat. But if you'd like to reheat them, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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