The BEST & Easiest Beef Tenderloin You’ll Ever Eat.

Recipe updated on September 27, 2026.

This beef tenderloin recipe is too easy for how decadent and fancy you’ll feel when you serve this to your friends and family!

When people ask me “What is your favorite thing to make?” I have two answers. Angry Lasagna and Beef Tenderloin.

If there is ONE recipe I want you to master before the holiday season, it’s this Beef Tenderloin.

I’ve been making this recipe for years—for Christmas dinners, birthdays, celebrations, and dinner parties—and it continues to be one of the recipes people ask me for over and over again.

And while a whole beef tenderloin certainly feels impressive when you bring it to the table, my favorite thing about this recipe has nothing to do with the beef.

It’s the 90 minutes it gives you back.

You’ll season your tenderloin simply, broil it until beautifully browned, cover it tightly, and let it rest while you get on with everything else.

Set the table. Finish your side dishes. Clean up the kitchen. Get yourself dressed. Light the candles. Pour a drink. Welcome your people.

Instead of hovering over an expensive piece of beef while everyone else is having fun, you actually get to enjoy the gathering you worked so hard to create.

That is why this recipe has remained one of my absolute favorites.

It’s simple enough to master, special enough for Christmas dinner, and dependable enough that once you learn the method, you’ll come back to it every time you need a showstopper.

Let’s make it!

And, honestly, I haven’t posted this recipe because I’ve liked keeping it “secret.” But it’s time to let the world know how easy this fancy shmancy meal is. This is where my cooking “prowess” and pride go right out the window. You will never believe just how stinkin easy this recipe is. Promise me you will try it!?

Beef tenderloin is a special meal. It’s the meal for celebrations. Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas. It’s the meal both my brothers choose for their birthday dinners! And while it’s a fancy meal, it is about the easiest recipe I make. Seriously! Don’t be intimidated! This is not me being “chefy” and saying something is easy, when it has ten gazillion steps. This has all of three steps? Maybe?? It is hands down the easiest recipe for beef tenderloin. You can stop searching for others — you have found the one and only you’ll ever need!

Why You’ll Love This Beef Tenderloin Recipe

This isn’t a complicated roast that requires you to stand over the oven all afternoon. It’s actually one of my favorite recipes to make when I’m hosting.

Here’s why:

• The cooking method is surprisingly simple. A hot broiler does most of the work.
• You get a huge hosting window. Once the tenderloin is covered and resting, you have about 90 minutes to work on everything else.
• It’s made for celebrations. Christmas dinner, New Year’s Eve, birthdays, anniversaries, dinner parties—this is the recipe I pull out when dinner needs to feel special.
• You can practice it before the holidays. Please don’t let Christmas Eve be the first time you cook an expensive beef tenderloin! Make it for Sunday dinner or invite a few friends over and learn the method now.
• It looks far more difficult than it actually is. Which is exactly the kind of party trick I like.

Once you master this method, you have one of those back-pocket recipes that makes hosting a special dinner so much easier.

What Kind of Beef Tenderloin Should I Buy?

If you’ve never purchased a whole beef tenderloin before, don’t let the meat counter intimidate you.

For this recipe, you’re looking for a whole beef tenderloin. Depending on where you shop, you may find one that has already been trimmed and prepared, or you may find a whole untrimmed tenderloin that needs a little work before cooking.

If you’d rather not trim it yourself, ask your butcher to trim the tenderloin for you. There is absolutely no prize for making hosting harder than it needs to be.

If you buy the whole tenderloin and want to break it down yourself, I have a complete tutorial for How to Cut a Whole Beef Tenderloin that walks you through the process.

And don’t throw away those smaller pieces! The extra pieces from trimming a whole tenderloin are perfect for Beef Tenderloin Steak Tips.

How Much Beef Tenderloin Per Person?

A good rule of thumb is to plan on approximately 6–8 ounces of uncooked beef tenderloin per person, depending on what else you’re serving.

If you’re serving a full holiday meal with appetizers, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and dessert, you can usually stay toward the lower end of that range.

And if you end up with leftovers? Lucky you. Cold beef tenderloin makes an incredible sandwich the next day.

Now, you’ll trim your filet… Watch this video, you can do it! Don’t have your butcher do it, just do it yourself. Once you do it a couple times, it gets real easy.  Leave the filet portion whole (Or I slice it in half, so it fits into a 9×13 for broiling), don’t cut it into steaks. The other parts you can freeze and use for other meals. While this meal is expensive, you get a few different meals out of it. So, it’s worth the $$$$$. I make Beef Bourguignon with it, it’s great for simple beef stew, or just PW’s Steak Bites. With your leftover Beef tenderloin shank, make these Beef Tenderloin Steak Bites!

The Easy Beef Tenderloin Cooking Method

Here’s what makes this recipe different: we’re using the broiler to create a beautifully browned exterior, then giving the beef a long, covered resting period.

That resting time is the magic for a host.

Once the tenderloin is covered, you have about 90 minutes when the beef does not need your attention.

Use it!

This is when I finish the side dishes, tidy the kitchen, set out serving pieces, get myself ready, light the candles, and do all those little things that make dinner feel special.

Your dinner should not require you to disappear into the kitchen the second your guests arrive.

Before You Start

Take a minute to read the entire recipe card before cooking—especially when you’re making this method for the first time.

Because broilers and ovens can vary, I also recommend having an instant-read meat thermometer nearby. When you’re cooking an expensive cut of beef, knowing the internal temperature gives you much more useful information than simply relying on the clock.

And remember: the beef will continue to change temperature during the resting and finishing process, so follow the full method before slicing into it.

Sweetpea’s Hosting Tip

Practice this recipe before you need it.

If you’re dreaming about serving beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner, make one for a smaller Sunday supper first.

Learn how YOUR oven broils. Learn how long YOUR tenderloin takes. Decide what doneness YOUR family likes.

Then when the big celebration arrives, you’re not experimenting.

You’re just making your beef tenderloin.

And that is a completely different feeling.

Easy Hash Brown Casserole with Sour Cream would make an excellent side dish for this decadent dinner. And to keep with the easy theme, you can make it a couple of days in advance!

That’s it, folks! Best part??? This recipe gives you an HOUR to make the other dishes! An hour!!!! Set the table. Mix the drink. Pour yourself a drink or two. Clean your bathroom.

Slice this baby up, and serve!

I usually serve this with either mashed potatoes or baked potatoes and a salad. Super simple. Be sure to save a couple slices for sammies the next day… OUT OF THIS WORLD.

These are the Best Sides for Beef Tenderloin!

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