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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! And if you are looking for another beef tenderloin recipe to try, definitely try my Thyme Crusted Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre.
I can’t wait to see you all create this for your holiday meal!
Looking for a side? Pair this with my Bacon Brussels Crunch Salad!
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.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
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Do you recommend a specific type of white wine?
I usually cook with Sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
Made 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.
Made 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!!
Making this tonight for our Christmas dinner. Thank you for all your yummy recipes! Cant wait for your new cookbook to arrive at my doorstep!
This 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 😭.
WOW! 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!
Can I make this on a Traeger Grill?
I am not a pro on the traegar; however yes, I think that could work very well.
My 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?
Make 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.
Hi 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!
Is the horseradish sauce served cold or room temp on the side for each person? I have it ready for tomorrow!
Either way!! I prefer closer to room temp! But can be chilled.
Hi! I’m super excited to make this at home for the holidays. For the “prepared horseradish”, where do you usually find this?
Hi! it’s usually in the fridge section near the smoked salmon at the grocery store! or in the condiment aisle.
Hey 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!
I’ll be sharing a demo on my stories on 12/23!
What is a good way to make this recipe for two people?
I 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.