Whole Beef Tenderloin Steak Recipe

Whole Beef Tenderloin Recipe made in a cast-iron skillet is perfect for entertaining and is very easy to make. Whole tenderloin steak is seared then roasted to perfection. 

Beef tenderloin steak served on Christmas has been a tradition in my husband’s family before I was ever a part of the family.

My mother-in-law made beef tenderloin in the oven Christmas night. Everyone looked forward to this delicious steak dinner. Even though my mother-in-law is no longer with us, we continue this tradition each year, taking turns hosting this special get together. 

It’s in my nature to research the heck out of a special meal, making sure every detail is covered. I may or may not obsess a bit about the details.

Because of all this info I’ve gathered on the topic of how to perfectly cook tenderloin steak in the oven, I’m excited to share it with you today.

For those of you who like to watch to learn, check out the video on the best way to cook tenderloin steak. Otherwise, keep reading for step by step instructions.

Beef Tenderloin Steak In Oven

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Place whole peppercorns into a ziplock bag, then crush with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. Set aside.
3. Place trimmed beef tenderloin onto a cutting board or clean large surface and season liberally with the seasoning salt and the salt. Watch the video to get a better idea.
4. Turn the ends of the tenderloin into itself so the thinner ends are now in the middle of the tenderloin.
5. Place 3-4 pieces of cooking twine under the tenderloin and tie into knots, trimming the ends, so that the ends stay put and the meat is not wrapped into a nice rectangular shape that will fit into a skillet. 
6. Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in an oven-safe skillet. 
7. Using tongs, place the tenderloin into the pan. Sear for 3 minutes, then turn. Repeat until all 4 sides are seared.
8. Place seared tenderloin onto your oven’s roaster pan. Spread the crushed peppercorns onto the steak, place butter cut into chunks over the steak, and place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the steak.
9. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 140 degrees. 
10. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing
11. Make sure to slice against the grain for tender slices of steak. 

To get started, gather your ingredients, you don’t need many for this easy steak recipe.

Beef tenderloin is the most expensive cut of meat on the steer. A trimmed center-cut tenderloin can run you as much as $25 to $30 per pound, but there are ways to minimize that cost.

One way is to buy the tenderloin whole and untrimmed, bring it home, and trim it yourself. For instructions on how to trim a beef tenderloin at home head here.

Not up to this task?  Me either. I have the butcher at the store do it for me. I often find that the butcher is happy to do this free of charge.

Pro Tip: Watch for sales on Beef Tenderloin around the holidays. This cut of beef is very expensive, but it’s often on sale this time of year.

My favorite part of this recipe is the flavor from the crushed peppercorns, if you’re not sure about this ingredient, trust me, it’s amazing.

To crush whole peppercorns, place them into a Ziploc bag then crush with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. It’s a great way to get out some of that holiday stress…

Once you’re ready to make the beef tenderloin steak, start by getting an oven-safe skillet heated over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Next, get out a large cutting board or sheet pan and place the steak on it.

Pro Tip: Generously season both sides of the steak with your chosen spice blend. Remember that the steak will be sliced thinly – you want the seasoning to coat all parts of the steak, so go heavy on your seasoning.

Once seasoned, wrap the ends inward to that they are tucked into the middle. This helps to cook the steak in the oven evenly. It also makes searing the steak a lot easier. 

Cut 3 to 4 pieces of kitchen twine and slide it under the steak, then tie. Trim off the extra. The beef tenderloin steak is now ready to cook. 

To your hot skillet, add olive oil and butter.

Using tongs, place the beef tenderloin steak into the pan to sear. Sear each side about 3 minutes, turning to sear all 4 sides. 

Pro Tip: Searing provides a nice crust on the outside of the steak and adds an amazing flavor that roasting alone cannot provide.

Once you have all sides of the steak seared, place it onto your oven roasting pan…you know that pan that came with the oven that you never use?! 🙂 It works great for steak in the oven! 

Next, spread the crushed peppercorns over the whole beef tenderloin steak, then place chunks of butter on the steak, and place an oven-safe thermometer into the steak. 

Pro Tip: Make sure that the thermometer does not touch the rack above in the oven. It will melt the thermometer (I speak from experience!). 

Roast whole beef tenderloin in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. This takes about 15 minutes.

How To Cut Beef Tenderloin After Cooking

Slice the beef tenderloin across the grain. Slicing a steak incorrectly results in chewy, hard to eat steak.

Check out the photo above and pay attention to the arrows showing the grain and then where to cut across this grain.

If you’d like more info on why it’s important to cut against the grain check out this video that explains why it’s important to cut against the grain. 

What to serve with Beef Tenderloin 

•  Cheesy Potatoes
• Crockpot Potatoes
• Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
• Brussels Sprout Salad,
• Mexican Corn Salad
•  Brussels Sprout Soup
• Caramelized Butternut Squash

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below! Then follow me on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. I love seeing what you come up with! 

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Beef Tenderloin Steak Recipe

The Best Whole Beef Tenderloin Steak recipe made in the oven.  Tender beef tenderloin is seared then roasted to perfection for this special holiday meal idea. 

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

4.1 from 10 votes

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 20

Ingredients

• 1 whole beef tenderloin 4- 5 lbs, trimmed
• 3-4 tbsp. whole peppercorns
• 1/2 stick butter or more to taste
• olive oil
• Old Bay seasoning salt or Lawry's seasoning salt
• coarse ground sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Place whole peppercorns into a ziplock bag, then crush with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. Set aside.
• Place trimmed beef tenderloin onto a cutting board or clean large surface and season liberally with the seasoning salt and the salt.  Watch the video to get a better idea.
• Turn the ends of the tenderloin into itself so the thinner ends are now in the middle of the tenderloin.
• Place 3-4 pieces of cooking twine under the tenderloin and tie into knots, trimming the ends, so that the ends stay put and the meat is not wrapped into a nice rectangular shape that will fit into a skillet.
• Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in an oven-safe skillet.
• Using tongs, place the whole tenderloin into the pan.  Sear for 3 minutes, then turn.  Repeat until all 4 sides are seared.
• Place seared tenderloin onto your oven's roaster pan.  Spread the crushed peppercorns onto the steak, place butter cut into chunks over the steak, and place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the tenderloin.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 140 degrees.
• Let thetenderloin rest for 10 minutes before slicing
• Make sure to slice against the grain for tender slices of tenderloin.

Notes

Watch the video for step by step instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3mg