This beef tenderloin recipe is roasted to perfection, then served up with a creamy red wine mushroom sauce and a savory panko gremolata. It’s such a beautiful and delicious main dish to serve for Christmas, Easter, or any special occasion. Make this for your next holiday dinner and serve with you favorite side dishes!
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Holiday Beef Tenderloin
This oven baked beef tenderloin recipe makes such a great holiday main dish! It looks good, it tastes good, and it feels extra special without being overly-complicated to make.
The beef tenderloin is accompanied by a mushroom sauce and gremolata. Both add so much extra flavor and texture to the dish. Serve this with all your favorite sides, like mashed potatoes and green beans!
Why You’ll Love this Easy Beef Tenderloin Recipe:
- TENDER AND FLAVORFUL: Beef tenderloin is such a tender cut, and it’s expertly roasted here to create a juicy, flavorful main dish!
- HOLIDAY DINNER: This dish is just as beautiful as it is delicious, which makes it ideal for a holiday feast. It will fit nicely at the center of your Christmas or Easter table!
- DELICIOUS SAUCE: The wine and mushroom sauce is so creamy, savory, and flavorful. It pairs perfectly with beef, and you’ll want to eat it with everything!
If you’re a fan of this mushroom sauce, you’ll love this Crockpot Chicken Marsala Recipe too!
How to Make Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Prep: Tie, season, and refrigerate tenderloin up to 24 hours ahead of cooking.
- Roast: Cook beef at 250F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until it reaches your desired doneness (see below).
- Mushroom Sauce: Cook mushrooms and other ingredients in a skillet. Then stir in wine and cream, and boil sauce to finish.
- Gremolata: Combine ingredients and cook briefly.
- Serve: When it’s done cooking, let the meat rest. Then slice and serve beef tenderloin with the mushroom sauce and gremolata. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- The mushroom sauce and gremolata can be made while the beef roasts. Set them aside and rewarm if needed when ready to serve.
- Cook until beef reaches your desired doneness. Internal temperature should read as follows: Medium Rare 130-135F, Medium 140-145F, Medium Well 150-155F.
- The cooking time for a 6 pound tenderloin will range from 2 ½ to 3 hours.
All the Holiday Sides
60+ Holiday Side Dish Recipes
This holiday season be sure to check out our sides guide for all the recipes PLUS tips and tricks for entertaining.
Beef tenderloin usually has a thinner end (the “tail end”) that needs to be tucked under to ensure even cooking (and it just looks nicer). So use cooking/kitchen/butcher’s twine, and tie around the tenderloin at 1-2 inch intervals. Then you’ll tuck and tie the thin end underneath.
I typically estimate about 1/3-1/2 pound of beef per person. So once cooked, each pound would feed 2-3 people.
Beef should reach an internal temperature of at least 140F before consuming. When cooking, the temp will rise after removing it from the oven, so take it out 5-10 degrees before your desired temperature and let it rest. See above (or check the recipe card) for specific temperatures.
To freeze leftover (cooked) beef tenderloin: First, let it cool to room temp, or in the fridge. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Lastly, place it in freezer safe bags or containers. It will keep up to 3 months (for best results). And of course you can freeze the tenderloin uncooked, and it will keep up to 1 year.
Serving Suggestions
This beef tenderloin recipe comes along with a couple of its own sides: the creamy mushroom gravy and crispy panko gremolata! But of course there’s room for a few more side dishes, especially if you’re serving this for the holidays. Here are some favorites!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Red Wine Glazed Carrots
- Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
- Cheesy Roasted Vegetables
Or try any of these Christmas sides or Thanksgiving sides if you’re preparing a holiday feast!
Tips!
- The mushrooms are key to this amazing sauce. I used a mix of white button, baby bella, and cremini mushrooms, but you can use any type you prefer.
- Broiling the beef at the very end will add a beautiful color and the perfect texture.
- The red wine mushroom sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and reheated in the oven.
Can I skip refrigerating the beef?
While this step isn’t necessary, refrigerating beef tenderloin for 8-24 hours does improve the overall taste. It gives the salt time to penetrate the meat, which just makes it more flavorful.
If you skip this step, the final result will still be delicious! But I do recommend giving it at least a couple of hours in the fridge, or however much time you can allow.
What is a gremolata?
Gremolata is basically a fancy garnish that you’ll actually want to eat! It’s sometimes referred to as a dressing or sauce, and it’s typically served alongside meat dishes. It’s made with butter, parsley, garlic, and a few other things.
I also added panko breadcrumbs here to make it a little crunchier and even more delicious. It adds such a nice texture and flavor to the beef!
What kind of wine should I use in the mushroom sauce?
I recommend using a Madeira wine (it’s a fortified wine made in Portugal), but you can substitute another fortified wine, like port or sherry. You can also use any dry red wine, but do not use a sweet red for this recipe.
More Easy Beef Recipes We Love
- Garlic Butter Prime Rib
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Crockpot Beef Tenderloin
- Sheet Pan Christmas Dinner with Beef
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
The Best meat thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!
This beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce and gremolata is just the perfect holiday dinner. But I know you’ll enjoy it no matter when you serve it!
More Christmas Dinner Recipes to Try:
- Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
- Copycat Honey Baked Ham
- Pork Tenderloin with Honey and Herbs
- Beef Wellington for Two
- Honey Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Cranberry Ham
- Red Wine Pot Roast
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beef Tenderloin
- 6 pounds beef tenderloin trimmed
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted, divided
For the Mushroom Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms white button, baby bella, and cremini
- 1 medium shallot diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
- ½ cup Madeira wine, dry port, or red wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the Panko Gremolata
- 3 cups dry Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried chives or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon dried chervil optional
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
For the Beef Tenderloin
- Line a rimmed baking sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack inside the pan. Spray the wire rack with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Tie the tenderloin with cooking twine at 1-2 inch intervals, being sure to tuck and tie the tail end underneath by 3-5 inches to create a more even shape. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper.6 pounds beef tenderloin, Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
- Center the beef on the rack and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- 30 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven to 250°F. Remove the beef from the refrigerator. Set aside while the oven heats.
- Place the tenderloin on the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and pour half of the melted butter over the tenderloin.½ cup unsalted butter
- Return the beef to the oven and cook until the middle of the tenderloin registers 130-135°F (medium-rare), 140-145°F (medium), or 150-155 °F (medium well). The cook time can vary anywhere between 1 ½ – 2 hours.
- While the tenderloin cooks prepare the mushroom sauce and Panko gremolata.
- Remove the beef from the oven and set the oven to broil.
- Brush the remaining melted butter over the tenderloin and return it to the oven to brown. Watch the beef closely so it doesn’t burn and cook it just long enough to add a little color.
- Remove the beef from the oven, tent it loosely with foil and allow it to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Remove the twine, and cut into ¾-inch slices, and serve with mushroom sauce (below) and Panko gremolata (below).
For the Mushroom Sauce
- Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel or cloth, cut off the ends of the stems, and quarter the mushrooms.1 pound mixed mushrooms
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, spreading them out evenly. Cook the mushrooms, without stirring, until browned on the bottom then use a spatula to flip them over.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter and continue cooking the mushrooms until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and thyme.1 medium shallot, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Madeira. Stirring to combine.½ cup Madeira wine, dry port, or red wine
- Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat and add the heavy cream. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and rewarm when ready to serve.½ cup heavy cream
For the Panko Gremolata
- In a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat, toast the Panko breadcrumbs for about 3 minutes, stirring often once the breadcrumbs begin to brown.3 cups dry Panko breadcrumbs
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, stirring often.4 garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the parsley, chives, chervil, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons dried chives, 1 teaspoon dried chervil, ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
