The BEST Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Rub Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which cooking method is best for beef tenderloin? ›

One of the easiest methods of cooking Beef Tenderloin is in the oven. With minimal prep and our easy-to-follow guidelines, you'll present a juicy and tasty roast to guests in no time. For best results, make sure the Tenderloin roast is completely thawed.

Rub beef with oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides over direct heat until caramelized, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer beef to indirect heat, and grill, covered, turning occasionally, until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 20 to 30 minutes.

For best results, season and trim the meat and allow it to rest at least overnight uncovered in the refrigerator to improve seasoning, browning, and texture.

Plan on about 15 to 20 minutes per pound of meat with a low temperature and an additional 15 minutes of resting time. Remove the tenderloin when it has reached an internal temperature of 125 degrees F. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

To sum up: Filet mignon is part of a beef tenderloin, but a beef tenderloin is not a filet mignon. Instead, it houses the filet mignon, which comes from the end portion of the tenderloin. The rest of the tenderloin can create other steak cuts or a delicious tenderloin roast to feed the family.

Bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes or until thermometer reads at least 140°F. Cover beef with tent of aluminum foil and let stand about 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 145°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5°, and beef will be easier to carve.)

Let your meat sit and get up to room temperature. Follow this chart for cooking times and meat temperatures of whole beef tenderloin (filet). Ideally beef tenderloin should be cooked at 135 to 140 degrees for perfect flavor and temperature.

Place the beef tenderloin, fat side up, on the grill rack over the drip pan ($10, Target). Cover and grill 45 minutes to 1 hour for a 2- to 3-pound roast (135°F medium rare) or 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 4- to 5-pound roast (135°F medium rare).

Curl the small end towards the middle to create an even thickness from end to end so that meat cooks evenly. Use kitchen twine with tie tenderloin into 1 inch thick sections. Rub salt and pepper all over tenderloin and place onto rack in a roasting pan and let rest uncovered in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

How many does a 5 pound beef tenderloin serve? ›

The tenderloin itself, once trimmed and cooked, serves about 2-3 people per pound as part of a larger meal, so often anywhere from 12-16 people for a whole one.

Low-Temperature Roasting

Low-heat roasting— 225°F to 300°F, or 200°F to 275°F in a convection oven—will produce a roast with rosy interior that's evenly cooked all the way through, but you won't get much in the way of a well-seared crust.

It's actually fairly easy to figure out how much you need to buy: Simply purchase 8 ounces (1/2 pound) of meat per person. So if you're feeding 6 people, you'll need three pounds of meat. For a larger crowd, say 12 people, you'll need closer to 6 pounds of meat.

Medium-rare filet mignon typically takes about five minutes on each side to sear over high heat. However, you may need to move the steak to a low-heat area of the grill for another 2-5 minutes to ensure the proper internal temperature.

Accepted methods for cooking beef tenderloin

The food web and a great many cookbooks (very many of them highly reputable) recommend blasting a tenderloin in a hot oven, 450–500°F (232–260°C), for a relatively short time to cook it, followed by a counter rest.

Beef tenderloin roast is best served rare or medium-rare with an internal temperature at between 125°F and 135°F, respectively. Use a meat thermometer to determine if the roast is done, and remember that the temperature of the meat will rise under the broiler and as it rests before serving.

A beef tenderloin is an excellent choice for the broiler, just like filet mignon. You can add some olive oil and your choice of spices to the meat before broiling to allow it to get a crispy sear in the oven.

High-Temperature Roasting

If you're in a hurry (and you're a confident cook), high heat roasting—400°F and up, or 375°F and up in a convection oven—gives you a gorgeously browned crust with a distinct eye of rare to medium-rare meat in the center.