Beef Tenderloin Roast Recipe

This beef tenderloin roast is tender, juicy, and flavorful. It's also surprisingly easy to make!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Rest time 1 30

Total Time 2 15

Servings servings

Calories 216kcal

2 pounds beef tenderloin roast
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage

Remove the roast from the fridge an hour before you plan to start cooking it. Preheat the 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 spices, then use your clean hands to rub the beef all over with the mixture.
Place the roast on the wire rack. Set an oven-safe meat thermometer to 130°F (medium rare) and insert its probe into the thickest part. Place the roast in the oven and cook it for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until the thermometer beeps to alert you that the meat is ready, 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.

The USDA recommends cooking roasts to an internal temperature of 145°F with a three-minute rest time.
If your roast is larger than 2 pounds and you need to cook it for longer than 30 minutes, loosely cover its top with foil to prevent it from burning.
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.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the completely cooled leftovers in freezer bags. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
I prefer not to reheat the leftovers because I don't want to dry out the meat. One of my favorite lunches is slices of cold roast served with grainy mustard, fresh-cut vegetables, and pickles. However, if you'd like to reheat them, do so gently in the microwave at 50% power.