There is really nothing quite as iconic as a beautiful Beef Tenderloin during the holiday season — and this Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce is definitely iconic.
Here is a recipe that I know you all are going to just love. I’ve crusted a beef tenderloin in beautiful herbs and roasted it with a bit of white wine. The end result is absolutely juicy, tender, and extremely flavorful. It’s the perfect impressive dish to make any time you are hosting a fancy little gathering — during the holidays or not!
Now, I know that cooking such a large, beautiful, and expensive cut of meat can be intimidating — I mean, no one wants to screw up a beef tenderloin! However, I have one major tip for you: GET A GOOD THERMOMETER! I recently got the Yummly thermometer and *really* love it. It’s super user friendly and you just tuck the wireless/digital thermometer into the meat, plug in what you are cooking into the app, tell it what “doneness” you want, and then it will tell you *exactly* when your tenderloin has reached the temperature so that you can take it out and let it rest. I am very impressed with it and really think it’s a great purchase for the kitchen and take the guesswork (and stress) out of knowing when your meat is cooked through properly! You can most certainly use an instant stick thermometer and check around 18 minutes to see where you are at — but I just think poking the meat one time and letting it tell you when it’s ready is pretty epic.
Now back to the flavors of this Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin, while it is perfect in my opinion, what sets it over the top is pairing it with my Horseradish Sauce. Even if you don’t think you like horseradish, I promise you will love this. Perfectly tangy from the horseradish and creamy with the sour cream, it’s a great pairing with the beef. It also pairs perfectly with my Caramelized Onion Scalloped Potatoes — YUM!
I can’t wait to see you all create this for your holiday meal!
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients
For the Horseradish Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream sub dairy-free sour cream
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives
For the Herb Mixture:
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
For the Beef Tenderloin:
- 4 lb beef tenderloin *ask the butcher to trim for you if not already trimmed
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine, divided
Instructions
Make the Horseradish Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine the sour cream, mustard, horseradish, mayonnaise, lemon juice white vinegar, salt, white pepper and chives. Place in fridge while you prepare the tenderloin.
Make the Herb Mixture:
- In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic, olive oil and dijon mustard. Stir until well combined and set aside.
Prepare the Beef Tenderloin:
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Cut your tenderloin in half to make it two pieces (vertically, right down the center-- this helps it all fit in one skillet) and secure with kitchen twine if it is not already. *A beef tenderloin is a long cut of beef that comes to a point at one end. In order to get the beef to cook evenly-- tie it up and make it as uniform in shape as possible. I simply cinch the meat in two-inch intervals with kitchen twine.
- Next, pat the tenderloin dry and season all over with the salt and pepper, pressing/rubbing it into meat.
- Place a large, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.When the oil is shimmering, carefully place one half of the tenderloin into the skillet. Brown each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside while you brown the other tenderloin.
- Once both tenderloins are browned, turn off the heat and set the skillet aside.
- Using a pastry brush, evenly distribute the herb mixture over all the sides of each tenderloin. Carefully place the tenderloins back into the skillet then pour ¼ cup of the wine around the tenderloins into the skillet.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 18-25 minutes until you reach your desired doneness (see Temperature Note below. I cooked mine Medium-Rare for reference), flipping the tenderloin halfway through (about 10 minutes into the cook time) and adding another ¼ cup of wine around and over the tenderloin.
- Once desired temperature is reached, remove from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The Horseradish Sauce can be made ahead and keeps well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
- Pre-chop your fresh herbs! This takes awhile and will help save you time when making the recipe day of. I store the freshly chopped herbs in a zip-top bag or air-tight small container and in the fridge.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
53 Comments
SJ
December 25, 2022 at 10:40 pmWell, Alex, you did it again! What a hit. I made this for Christmas Lunch and everyone was thrilled with the outcome! Thank you for always providing such incredible recipes for us! Merry Christmas!
Alex
December 27, 2022 at 9:29 pmSo glad it was a hit!
Jessie
December 22, 2022 at 11:17 pmHi! What type of pan for the oven? What would happen if you left it whole? I’m making this for 20
Alex
December 23, 2022 at 12:42 pmI cut it in half so it fits in the pan and cooks evenly. I use this pan by Made In, but a cast iron could also work.
You can absolutely cook it whole, it would just take longer to cook.
Karli
February 7, 2022 at 6:03 pmHi! If cooking and making for 2, should I just cut the meat amount in half? What about cook time? Thanks so much!
Alex
February 8, 2022 at 8:45 pmHi, yes!! and the cook time should be the same (you can see that I cut the tenderloin in half before cooking it anyway and cook 2 separate large hunks of meat!)
Mariana
January 9, 2022 at 11:31 amHi!! Do you recommend this recipe on pork tenderloin?? Thanks!!
Alex
January 10, 2022 at 1:15 amI am sure it’d be delicious with a pork tenderloin– cook time will just vary a bit!
Blaire Music
December 28, 2021 at 5:10 amDo you recommend a specific type of white wine?
Alex
December 29, 2021 at 6:50 pmI usually cook with Sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
Cathy
December 26, 2021 at 8:38 pmMade this Christmas day along with the scalloped potatoes. Both were outstanding and really straightforward to make. Would highly recommend this combo for a wonderful holiday or celebratory meal.
Mary Kay Viscounty
December 26, 2021 at 5:51 pmMade this for Christmas dinner last night! Delicious preparation and everyone loved it! I seared the beef about an hour before baking and it worked out well! A meat thermometer is key as well! Thanks for another great recipe Alex!!
hannah
December 25, 2021 at 11:19 pmMaking this tonight for our Christmas dinner. Thank you for all your yummy recipes! Cant wait for your new cookbook to arrive at my doorstep!
Brooke
December 26, 2021 at 7:47 pmThis was truly exceptional! Restaurant quality and so easy! I actually made the full herb marinade the day before and it was perfectly delicious next day. If anything it was easier to spread bc the olive olive had hardened in the fridge. Thank you Alex! I made your full holiday menu and everything was perfect 😭.
Kara
December 25, 2021 at 2:04 amWOW! Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a big hit. Absolutely delicious. I paired it with the scalloped potatoes and I’m not sure which everyone loved more!
beth hagewood
December 20, 2021 at 8:27 pmCan I make this on a Traeger Grill?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 10:08 pmI am not a pro on the traegar; however yes, I think that could work very well.
Kelsey
December 20, 2021 at 8:25 pmMy store has me selecting how “thick” I would like it (3/4-1 inch, 1.25 inch, or 1.5 inch?)! What do you recommend?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 10:15 pmMake sure he isn’t cutting down the beef tenderloin into filets… It sounds like they are asking you how thick you want the filets so just be sure.
I say the thicker the better though for a beef tenderloin if they are in fact asking about the tenderloin itself. so I’d opt for the 1.5 inch.
Erica
December 20, 2021 at 5:43 pmHi Alex, is it possible to cook this on the grill or does it need to be done in the oven? Planning to make this for Christmas Eve! Thanks!
Bronwen
December 24, 2022 at 7:36 pmIs the horseradish sauce served cold or room temp on the side for each person? I have it ready for tomorrow!
Alex
January 1, 2023 at 11:11 pmEither way!! I prefer closer to room temp! But can be chilled.
Jayna
December 19, 2021 at 9:35 pmHi! I’m super excited to make this at home for the holidays. For the “prepared horseradish”, where do you usually find this?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:33 pmHi! it’s usually in the fridge section near the smoked salmon at the grocery store! or in the condiment aisle.
Danae Quick
December 19, 2021 at 4:45 pmHey Alex! I see several comments about the cutting and how to tie the meat. I have the same questions. Can you send me instructions or video? I looked and couldn’t find anything. Thanks!
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:44 pmI’ll be sharing a demo on my stories on 12/23!
Abby
December 21, 2021 at 6:54 pmWhat is a good way to make this recipe for two people?
Alex
December 22, 2021 at 3:21 amI would just get a smaller cut of beef tenderloin (approx. 1.5-2 lbs– you’ll likely have leftovers– but you won’t want to small of a cut of meat here). Your steak may also be done a bit faster depending on how many lbs you go with– but a good thermometer will help you know when it’s done!
I’d also cut the herb/seasoning mixture in half + the wine.
Shelby
December 17, 2021 at 4:31 amJust to clarify in regards to the temperatures you gave for rare/medium rare/medium/etc.. is this the temp you should remove the meat from the oven or what the meat should end up at after it rests? Thanks!
Alex
December 17, 2021 at 5:54 pmI remove it from the oven when it is that temperature, then let it rest.
Christi Neill
December 16, 2021 at 5:59 pmFor the horseradish sauce the amount of sour cream isn’t listed. It just says to add the sour cream.
Christi
December 16, 2021 at 6:01 pmOops I see the first ingredient !
Amy
December 14, 2021 at 12:02 pmcannot wait to try this! just curious, it seems you really use 1/2 c. wine divided? it says “add another 1/4 cup on and around the tenderloin” at the end of the recipe. I am assuming that is wine?
Alex
December 14, 2021 at 12:44 pmyou are so right, just fixed that error thank you!!
Melissa Wagner
December 11, 2021 at 8:05 pmSame process for single piece (2lbs)? Also, tips for minimizing oven splatter?????
Alex
December 13, 2021 at 5:15 pmyes, just expect lower cook time! Mine really didn’t splatter much in the oven!
Brenda C
December 25, 2021 at 11:09 pmI made this last night for dinner. My whole family loved it. So delicious!! Thank you for the recipe.
Rachel
December 10, 2021 at 9:11 pmDefinitely would love to see an image of the tenderloin cut in half…which way? And tied with twine, how exactly? I struggle with these things! LOL. Thanks Alex!
Jennifer
December 9, 2021 at 6:20 amCut in half vertically or horizontally?
Alex
December 9, 2021 at 12:12 pmvertically
Amy
December 8, 2021 at 10:18 pmI would also love some more pictures! It cut in half and it with the twine would be super helpful! Planning to make.
Thanks!
Sherrill
December 9, 2021 at 2:55 amI second this! I understand that you cut in half so that you have 2 pieces to fit into the pan (you mentioned this on the live feta/olive call tonight) but I’m uncertain what the twine is for. Thanks!
Mari Salazar
December 10, 2021 at 7:59 pmI am also confused cutting vertical long wise or the other way around. It’s a simple dish to cook, but would love some clarification on cutting it in half and using twine. Alex, can you record an insta stories on this recipe please???
Pat
December 15, 2021 at 11:34 pmSeems like using the wine will braise the meat instead of roasting. Does the wine/liquid affect the texture? Thank you. 🎄
Blaire Music
December 28, 2021 at 5:09 amDo you recommend a specific type of white wine?
Leah
December 19, 2021 at 10:04 pmAgree! I’m having trouble visualizing the twine method, and I don’t want to mess it up for Christmas!
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:34 pmI am going to do a DEMO on my stories for this on 12/23 (as I am making it for my parent’s!)
Mari
December 20, 2021 at 3:42 pmAwesome! Can’t wait to watch. Thanks Alex
Linda
December 8, 2021 at 8:45 pmThis sounds delicious! Do you cut the tenderloin in half horizontally or vertically (to make two long strips)? Would love to watch a video of you preparing a beef tenderloin. 🤗
V
December 8, 2021 at 2:04 amLooks like the perfect holiday meal! I love all your recipes! Where can I find that Caramelized Onion Scalloped Potatoes?
Alex
December 9, 2021 at 12:20 pmI have it linked now! 🙂
Lynn Nielsen Gordon
December 7, 2021 at 11:38 pmWhat about the Au Gratin Potatoes? Do you have a recipe for the ones in the photo?
Alex
December 9, 2021 at 12:20 pmI just added the link, sorry about that!