Hi friends! Today I’m thrilled to welcome Elaine, author of the ever chic blog OMG Lifestyle who is sharing one of her favorite (and mine!) recipes with you; it would make a perfect Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner. Happy Holidays to all of you! xo
It’s a pleasure to be guest posting for Lydi Out Loud today. I’m excited to be sharing my Foolproof Beef Tenderloin Recipe. It’s one I have made dozens of times and it truly is foolproof with the help of my favorite kitchen gadget.
Beef Tenderloin is an ideal entrée for the holidays yet many people shy away from it for fear of not knowing how to prepare it. There is no need to be intimated in preparing such an expensive cut of meat. I have perfected making this delicious roast and am happy to share with you my simple recipe and tip on how to cook it to the desired temperature each and every time.
My Delicious & Easy Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Items needed to prepare tenderloin:
- Whole Beef Tenderloin, Trimmed
- Paper Towels
- Kitchen Twine
- Foil lined pan or roasting pan with rack
- Cooking Spray or Olive Oil
- External Meat Thermometer with Probe (see below)
- McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
Remove tenderloin from packaging and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place beef tenderloin on a roasting rack or foil lined pan. Tie tenderloin as needed with kitchen twine wherever there are loose parts.
Let the tenderloin sit at room temperature a minimum of 45 minutes before roasting.
Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees 15 minutes prior to roasting.
Spray the meat with either canola oil or rub some olive oil over it. You don’t need much. The purpose of this step is to allow the seasoning to stick to the meat.
Heavily season the roast with McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. If you haven’t tried this seasoning, it’s the perfect blend of coarse salt, pepper and garlic.
Insert a meat thermometer halfway into the thickest part of the roast. Set the thermometer to your desired temperature. (I cook it until it reaches 125º for medium rare, as shown in the photo).
That’s the only prep needed! It doesn’t get any easier!
Roasting the Tenderloin
Cook the roast at 500 degrees for the first ten minutes. By starting the roast at a high temperature, it sears the meat. Be sure to set a timer so you don’t forget the next step!
After the initial ten minutes, drop the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reaches your desired temperature. As mentioned above, our preference is to cook the roast until it reaches 125 degrees which is medium rare.
Once the tenderloin has reached your desired temperature, let it sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. It needs to rest so that the juices remain in the meat and not on the cutting board. It’s best to cut the roast on a cutting board that has grooves to collect any juices.
Beef Tenderloin cooked to internal temperature of 125 degrees
For suggestions on accompaniments for the tenderloin as well as garnishing the platter, click here for some great ideas.
Beef Tenderloin is the perfect meal for a dinner party as the only last-minute prep you need to do is slice the meat, allowing you and your guests time for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
My Key to the Perfect Roast
What makes this recipe foolproof as I mentioned earlier? My all in one meat thermometer and timer is the key to the perfect roast! I’d be lost without it.
The thermometer has a heat proof probe that you stick in the thickest part of the roast. The cord attached to the probe is long enough to extend outside of the oven where it plugs into the timer. Set the timer to the internal temperature you prefer. Make sure the sound is turned on so that you can hear the alarm. The timer will beep when its time to take it out of the oven.
There you have it. A simple yet delicious recipe for beef tenderloin. Print the recipe here!

Foolproof Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole Beef Tenderloin Trimmed
- Cooking Spray or Olive Oil
- McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
Instructions
- Remove tenderloin from packaging and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place beef tenderloin on a roasting rack or foil lined pan. Tie tenderloin as needed with kitchen twine wherever there are loose parts.
- Let the tenderloin sit at room temperature a minimum of 45 minutes before roasting.
- Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees 15 minutes prior to roasting.
- Spray the meat with either canola oil or rub some olive oil over it. You don't need much. The purpose of this step is to allow the seasoning to stick to the meat.
- Heavily season the roast with McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning. If you haven't tried this seasoning, it's the perfect blend of coarse salt, pepper and garlic.
- Insert a meat thermometer halfway into the thickest part of the roast. Set the thermometer to your desired temperature. (I cook it until it reaches 125º for medium rare, as shown in the photo).
- Cook the roast at 500 degrees for the first ten minutes. By starting the roast at a high temperature, it sears the meat. Be sure to set a timer so you don't forget the next step!
- After the initial ten minutes, drop the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reaches your desired temperature. As mentioned above, our preference is to cook the roast until it reaches 125 degrees which is medium rare.
- Once the tenderloin has reached your desired temperature, let it sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. It needs to rest so that the juices remain in the meat and not on the cutting board. It's best to cut the roast on a cutting board that has grooves to collect any juices.
I’d love for you to visit my blog, OMG Lifestyle where I share food, fashion, decor and travel inspiration. You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I look forward to connecting with you.
Thank you Lydia for the opportunity to be on your wonderful blog. Happy holidays to all!
Lynn says
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was so simple and delicious! I will make this again.
Lydia says
Hi Lynn, I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! Happy New Year!
Lydia says
That’s great Lynn! I’m so glad you liked it! Happy New Year!
Beth says
Made this for Christmas it was delicious and super easy! The meat came out so tender and flavorful! I will add that it should be removed from the oven 5/10* before it reaches the desired internal temperature. It continues to cook while it rests.
Lydia says
Yay Beth I’m so glad to hear you liked it! We had it for Christmas, too! 🙂 That’s a great suggestion and very true!
Licia says
Stunning, the guests will be impressed!
Lydia says
Thanks Licia! 🙂
Sue says
Hi Lydi,
I am having company of 10 people, but not all eat their meat medium rare, some want it fairly well done, is it still possible to do this with
the same roast?
Lydia says
Hi Sue! We had this exact same situation at Christmas this year and it worked just fine. What I did was cut off a section that would be be for the well done portion and when I took the rest of the roast out to rest I just left the other portion in the oven for another 10 minutes. If not many want it well done, the more narrow ends will automatically be cooked more so you can do that without even changing a thing. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Noreen says
We want to cook a 5 lb. tenderloin a day before the party, then refrigerate overnight. Next day how long should it be out of frig to bring it to room temp?
Thanks!
Lydia says
Hi Noreen! It takes about 1 – 1 1/2 hours for it to come to room temperature for a raw tenderloin and it’s still slightly cold inside. If you want the inside to not be cold maybe try 2 hours but only if it will be served right away, you don’t want to leave it out much longer than 2 hours. Have fun at your party and happy holidays! 🙂
Betty Jo Warner says
Approximately how long do you cook a beef tenderloin to get the medium rare temp. Curious to know for the sides
Lydia says
Hi Betty Jo! It’s hard to say exactly because it all depends on the size of the roast. Because I bring the meat to room temperature before placing in the oven, it cuts down on the cooking time. For a 5 lb. roast, it may take 35-40 minutes, +/- to cook and then add 15 minutes for resting. A meat thermometer is key though and I would start checking internal temperatures after 30 minutes. Oven temperatures vary so much and it’s key to not overcook. I hope that helps!
Carolyn says
Absolutely simple, delicious and impressive!
Lydia says
I agree Carolyn! 🙂
Maria Christine says
Looks delicious!