Tender Grilled Beef Tenderloin
This tender Grilled Beef Tenderloin has a rich buttery-soft texture and is the perfect meal to impress your friends and family.
You can make this easy beef tenderloin recipe in about 30 minutes on your grill.
Get ready to sink your teeth into the juiciest, best grilled beef tenderloin roast recipe you’ve ever tasted!
A hot grill beautifully sears a beef tenderloin, leaving it caramelized and full of smoky flavor. And, no matter how big your beef tenderloin roast happens to be, a grill or smoker can handle it.
It’s also nice to cook your beef tenderloin on the grill since it frees up the oven for other dishes that are part of the meal.
Whether you’re celebrating something special or just treating yourself to a fancy feast, our grilled beef tenderloin is the ultimate star of the show.
4 Reasons to Love Beef Tenderloin
- Beef tenderloin is a very special cut of juicy and flavorful beef. It doesn’t need much more than a dry spice rub (or even just salt and pepper!) to make it fantastic on the grill.
- Serving beef tenderloin at a party is the easiest and most delicious way to grill “steaks” for a group.
- We love grilled beef tenderloin. Beef tenderloin roasted in the oven, beef tenderloin sliders, and beef tenderloin sandwiches are a favorite for our friends and family.
- Cooking beef tenderloin on the grill frees up your oven for making the perfect side dishes!
Ingredients
- Olive oil – Rub the tenderloin with a light coating of olive oil. You can substitute vegetable or canola oil.
- Beef Tenderloin Rub – I love a dry rub with a hint of sweetness to complement a smoky grilled beef tenderloin. Beef tenderloin is also delicious when seasoned simply: just use salt and pepper!
- Beef tenderloin roast – 4-5 pounds is great for serving a group of 8 plus leftovers to eat later
How to Grill Beef Tenderloin
Before grilling the beef tenderloin, remove it from refrigeration and uncover it. Let the tenderloin rest on the counter for one hour before you begin the cooking (grilling).
I like to allow a 4-5 pound tenderloin for about an hour on the counter (uncovered) before it ever reaches the smoker or grill.
Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels.
Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, using your fingertips to rub it all over the roast.
Assemble your dry rub. If you don’t have your own dry rub recipe, use this beef tenderloin rub.
Season the tenderloin using 4-5 tablespoons of dry rub, again using your fingertips to massage the rub down into all the nooks and crannies of the meat.
The other option for applying dry rub is to spread some dry rub onto a work surface (such as a cookie sheet as pictured below), then roll the oiled tenderloin into the rub.
Be sure to press the rub into the ends of the beef tenderloin.
Prepare your outdoor charcoal, gas grill, or pellet smoker. Preheat for direct, high heat, about 425-450 degrees F. for a charcoal grill, prepare for both direct heat and-direct heat areas.
If desired, use kitchen string (butcher twine) to tie the tenderloin crosswise, spacing the string ties about 1 1/2-inches apart down the length of the tenderloin roast.
You don’t have to tie the beef tenderloin. You can cook it just “as is” once you unwrap and season it.
If desired, you can rub the tenderloin with oil and season it with a dry rub. See below for how to rub a beef tenderloin.
Then, scrape the grill grates as desired in preparation for the tenderloin.
Place the seasoned tenderloin onto the preheated grill. Place it onto the direct-heat side if using a charcoal grill.
Close the lid and grill (smoke) the tenderloin until it is nicely caramelized on all sides. Turn the beef, if needed, about 10 minutes of cooking time.
For a gas grill or pellet smoker, reduce the heat to medium, allowing the tenderloin to stay right where it is.
For a charcoal grill, turn the tenderloin and move it to the grill’s cooler, non-direct heat area.
Close the lid, grilling the tenderloin for 15-20 minutes or until the roast registers 115-120 degrees F. at the center. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to confirm this.
Transfer the tenderloin to a large cutting board and cover tightly with foil. Let the tenderloin rest for 15-20 minutes so residual heat can raise the final internal temperature to 125-130 degrees for medium-rare.
Slice the tenderloin crosswise into about 3/4-inch (or even 1-inch) thick slices, snipping the strings on the tenderloin.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve at once. Serve the delicious tenderloin with a creamy horseradish sauce or a compound herb butter.
Recipe Tips
The shape of an untied tenderloin will be more rustic and take on the shape of a roast (more flattened out than perfectly round), but don’t be fooled! It’s still a tenderloin and no matter the shape, the meat will still be tender and delicious.
If you tie your beef tenderloin, you can do so up to 1 day ahead, keeping it covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to grill.
The best thing you can do for a delicious beef tenderloin is to ensure you do not overcook it. Beef tenderloin is best when cooked to rare or medium rare.
How long do you grill beef tenderloin on a gas grill?
If you start a 4-pound beef tenderloin at 425 degrees F on a gas grill so it can caramelize on the exterior, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, it will finish cooking in about 25-30 minutes.
This will make a medium rare doneness, providing the meat was not ice cold when you began grilling.
Remove the tenderloin to a platter and cover it with foil so it can continue to cook from residual heat, raising the finished temperature to 125-130 degrees at the center for medium rare.
How long do you grill beef tenderloin on a charcoal grill?
A 4-pound beef tenderloin over direct coals at 425-450 degrees F. on a charcoal grill, it will take 5-10 minutes to brown and nicely caramelize on the exterior, turning it as you go.
Next, move the tenderloin to an area of the charcoal grill where it is not directly over the coals, or indirect heat.
Then finish cooking around 325-350 degrees F. for approx. 20-25 minutes, or until it is 115-120 degrees F. at the center of the tenderloin.
Remove the tenderloin to a platter and cover it with foil so it can continue to cook from residual heat, raising the finished temperature to 125-130 degrees at the center for medium rare.
Beef Tenderloin on a Pellet Smoker
Yes. Our pellet smoker reaches a high temperature (425-450 degrees F.) perfect for caramelizing the beef tenderloin, then we turn the smoker down to 350 degrees F. to continue to cook (smoke) the beef on the smoker.
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How to Tie a Beef Tenderloin
I always opt for the simple method of kitchen string (butcher twine) cut into 5-6 equal-length pieces, tied around the beef tenderloin at about 1-inch intervals running the length of the roast.
Why tie beef tenderloin before cooking?
Tying a beef tenderloin keeps the meat uniform in size and holds its shape while grilling or roasting. Both ensure that the meat cooks evenly and doesn’t spread out while cooking.
When to remove the strings on a beef tenderloin?
I usually remove the strings as I’m slicing the beef tenderloin to serve it. I find the strings super helpful for acting as my guide for slicing the tenderloin.
How much beef tenderloin should I buy?
As a good rule of thumb, I estimate 10 ounces (just over 1/2 pound) of raw tenderloin meat per person.
A good beef tenderloin will only shrink by 1-2 ounces per serving as it cooks, providing a very satiating, generous serving.
How to serve beef tenderloin?
We have discovered that serving a big beef tenderloin for a group of people is much easier than grilling steaks!
A beef tenderloin grilled to medium rare and sliced into fat “steaks” will delight and tantalize your guests.
It is much easier to manage ONE piece of meat on the grill than an individual steak for each guest. It is also much less expensive.
Is beef tenderloin expensive?
Beef tenderloin goes for about $17.99 per pound here in NE KS, making a 4 pound roast cost right at $72.00. That will generously serve 8 people, plus leave you a bit for leftovers (usually), making the tenderloin cost per person right at $9.00. This is a great value since there is little fat and no bone in a slice of tenderloin – you can enjoy the entire thing!
Here in our neck of the woods, you cannot purchase steak at $9.00 per person that would even begin to compare to a delicious slice of beef tenderloin.
Should I trim beef tenderloin?
We don’t trim our beef tenderloin unless there is an extremely fatty area. We feel like the fat adds lots of extra flavor as the meat cooks and a lot of the excess fat can drip away as it grills, too.
Once the beef tenderloin is fully cooked, trimming any excess fat is easy.
So far, we have never grilled a beef tenderloin where trimming fat was needed.
What temperature to grill beef temperature to?
We like to grill beef tenderloin at a high temperature (425 degrees F.) to start.
Once the tenderloin is nicely browned and caramelized on all sides (about 10-15 minutes), reduce the grill temperature to 350 degrees.
Continue to cook the tenderloin until it’s medium-rare or rare at the center. If you’re grilling a 4-pound tenderloin, it will need to grill for about 10-15 minutes longer.
Beef Tenderloin Temperature Chart
- RARE – 115°F – 120°F
- MEDIUM RARE – 120°F – 125°F
- MEDIUM – 130°F – 135°F
We cook our beef tenderloin just until it reaches an internal temperature of 115-120 degrees F., immediately followed by a 10-20 minute covered rest.
During the resting time, the meat will continue to cook from residual heat, raising the internal temperature to about 125-130 degrees F. which is a perfect medium-rare doneness.
DO NOT OVERCOOK BEEF TENDERLOIN. This is very important! As with meat, there’s no going back once it’s overcooked. It’s better to undercook it and add more cooking time than to overcook it and feed it to the dogs!
Remember that meat will continue to cook from residual heat once it is removed from the cooking source and covered. During that covered resting period, the meat will raise another 5-10 degrees as the final internal temperature.
Is beef tenderloin better than rib eye?
Well, that depends! If FLAVOR is your goal, choose the ribeye steaks. If you want a “steak” (a slice of beef tenderloin) that is buttery-soft and succulent, go for the tenderloin.
And if you’re asking about a rib eye roast (aka prime rib), it’s still the same premise: A rib eye roast will be more flavorful and rich, while the meat from a beef tenderloin will be softer and more succulent.
Slice Beef Tenderloin into Steaks to Serve
YES!!! However, remember that you are then back to having to tend to each steak on the grill (or smoker), which is a lot more work than managing a whole tenderloin roast as it cooks.
Do you marinate grilled beef tenderloin?
Some cooks choose to marinate beef tenderloin when grilling, but we typically use a dry rub.
Marinating and also applying a rub to any meat cut is unnecessary.
This is because marinating or applying a rub essentially accomplishes the same goal – it adds flavor, tenderizes the meat, and helps the meat to caramelize. Doing both does not enhance the effects.
Beef tenderloin is such a good cut of meat, sometimes we even just season it with salt and pepper only – so delicious!
Best Sides to Serve with Beef Tenderloin
Yep, beef tenderloin will always be the star of the show, for sure. That said, it’s a good idea to pair it with some amazing side dishes alongside.
We love Creamy Horseradish Sauce with any of our beef and it complements this grilled beef tenderloin perfectly.
Beef tenderloin pairs well with Creamy Orzo Pasta with Rosemary. Creamy Mashed Potatoes Supreme with French Fried Onions is also quite delicious as a side dish with beef tenderloin.
Baked Yum Yum Potato Wedges have a melted-cheese topping that makes them delicious paired with beef tenderloin.
And if you happen to be a sweet potato fan, you’ll be thrilled to see how yummy Creamy Au Gratin Sweet Potatoes are with any beef dish.
Grilled Beef Tenderloin
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Ingredients
- 4 pound beef tenderloin roast
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for rubbing the roast
- 1/4 cup your favorite dry rub seasoning blend
Instructions
- One hour before you want to grill the beef tenderloin, remove it from refrigeration and uncover. Let the tenderloin rest on the counter for one hour before you begin the cooking (grilling) process.4 pound beef tenderloin roast
- If desired, you can go ahead and rub the tenderloin with oil and season with the dry rub, or season with salt and pepper.1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for rubbing the roast, 1/4 cup your favorite dry rub seasoning blend
- Prepare your outdoor gas grill or pellet smoker: Preheat for direct, high heat, about 425-450 degrees F.
- If desired, use kitchen string (butcher twine) to tie the tenderloin crosswise, spacing the ties about 1 1/2-inches apart down the length of the tenderloin roast.
- Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, using your fingertips to rub it all over.
- Season the tenderloin all over with 4-5 tablespoons of dry rub, again using your fingertips to get the rub down into all the nooks and crannies of the meat.
- Place the seasoned tenderloin onto the grill (the direct-heat side if using a charcoal grill). Close the lid and grill (smoke) until the tenderloin is nicely caramelized on all sides, turning the beef, if needed, about 10 minutes time.
- For a gas grill or pellet smoker, reduce the heat to medium, allowing the tenderloin to stay right where it is. For a charcoal grill, flip the tenderloin and move it to the cooler, non-direct heat area of the grill.
- Close the lid and grill for 15-20 minutes longer, just until the tenderloin registers 115-120 degrees F. at the center when inserting an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Transfer the tenderloin to large cutting board and cover tightly with foil. Let the tenderloin rest for 15-20 minutes so it can raise to a final internal temperature of 125-130 degrees for medium-rare.
- Slice the tenderloin crosswise into about 3/4-inch thick slices, snipping the strings on the tenderloin as you go.Transfer to a serving platter and serve at once. Tenderloin is delicious served with a compound butter or creamy horseradish sauce.