Our flavorful and juicy Smoked Beef Tenderloin is a delicious option to share with family and friends at any special occasions! It is the best combination of smoke flavor and crispy seared outside. Our whole family loves making a perfect beef tenderloin roast for a holiday dinner!
Last year during the holiday season we perfected a Roasted Beef Tenderloin in the oven that can be served with the most dreamy pan sauce. This year it was time to use our Traeger pellet grill to cook a classic beef tenderloin with lots of smokey flavor. The end result is out of this world amazing! This beef tenderloin recipe is definitely a more decadent dinner option, so we like to save it for a special occasion and serve it alongside all our favorite sides at our holiday table.
Looking for More Ways to Cook Beef Tenderloin?
If you love beef tenderloin as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Grilled Beef Tenderloin + Creamy Mushroom Sauce!
What You Will Need
- whole beef tenderloin – you should be able to find this expensive cut of meat at the meat counter of your local grocery store or butcher shop.
- kosher salt & black pepper – simple seasoning that is always a must when cooking any piece of meat.
- cooking twine – simply tie this around the entire beef tenderloin to hold everything together, so much easier this way!
- butter – a little bit in the skillet to get the perfect sear on the outside of the tenderloin.
- fresh thyme or rosemary – adding some fresh herbs to the searing process will add some great flavor!
- herbed butter – serving a slice of smoked beef tenderloin with a dollop of herbed butter on top is just the cherry on top!
- horseradish sauce – a simple, yet flavorful sauce that you can make right at home.
How To Smoke Beef Tenderloin
The first steps to smoking a tender beef tenderloin are to let the meat come to room temperature. Then using butcher’s twine to tie around the tenderloin and hold it all together. Simply follow this video tutorial or follow our photo tutorial here. Place the twine under one end of the tenderloin and secure with a knot. Now, hold your hand over the meat and wrap the twine around your wrist one time.
Next, use the hand that has twine wrapped around it to grab the whole tenderloin at the end you are starting on. Use your other hand to pull the twine over and around the meat.
Tighten to secure each tie and continue this process several times down the length of the tenderloin, about 1-2 inches apart. When you reach the end, measure to see how much butcher twine down the length of the tenderloin plus 2 inches. Cut the twine and loop it around each piece of twine on the backside. Now the twine is back where you started and you can tie it to the piece of twine that is hanging off the very first knot.
Season all sides of the room temperature beef tenderloin with salt and pepper.
How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Beef Tenderloin
Place tenderloin directly on the grill grate of the hot smoker. Close lid and let smoke until the internal temperature of the meat reaches approx. 122 degrees F. Roughly it will take close to 1 1/2 hours, but this really depends on the size of the tenderloin and so many other variables. Therefore, it is very important to use a dependable instant-read thermometer or probe to track your internal temp.
While the beef tenderloin is smoking, this is the perfect time to mix up the garlic butter and creamy horseradish sauce (which is one of two of our favorite sauces for beef tenderloin).
How Do You Sear Beef Tenderloin After Smoking
Once the smoked tenderloin reaches an internal temp of 122 degrees F, carefully remove it from the smoker. Bring a large skillet to a medium high heat, melt butter in the hot pan, and mix in the fresh herbs. Now place the tenderloin in the hot skillet to sear for about 2-3 minutes on each side. This will give it a nice crust. Searing meat at the end of the cooking process is called the reverse sear method.
Finally, let the meat rest for about 10-15 minutes on a cutting board with the goal of reaching a target temperature of 130-135 degrees F. Option to cover with aluminum foil, if you want. This should result in a perfectly juicy tenderloin that is medium rare. Cut into individual steaks and serve.
Best Way To Serve Smoked Beef Tenderloin
When we serve a traditional beef tenderloin for the holidays, we typically serve it with potatoes au gratin gruyére and candied carrots! But there are so many side dish recipes you can serve, like garlic green beans, slow cooker mashed potatoes, maple bacon brussel sprouts, or a simple house salad! Just make sure you enjoy with that herbed butter and horseradish sauce!
Recipe FAQ
That is a tough question! Both are pretty amazing and it just depends on your taste. We do have an amazing Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib) recipe, a Grilled Prime Rib and Smoked Prime Rib. A prime rib tends to be larger and probably better for a bigger crowd, but beef tenderloin is just so tender. Too hard to choose!
Typically there will be a flat end piece that you will want to trim off the tenderloin before cooking. Which is perfect, because we have the most amazing recipe for making Beef Tenderloin Steak Tips! It only takes a minutes to cook these steak tips right on the stovetop!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Smoked Beef Tenderloin
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Resting Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST smoked beef tenderloin recipe! Delicious, decadent, and option to serve with herbed butter, horseradish sauce or chimichurri!
Ingredients
Smoked Beef Tenderloin
- 3–4 pounds of beef tenderloin, ends trimmed
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- cooking twine
- 2–3 tablespoons butter
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
Herbed Butter:
- 3–4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- pinch of salt
Horseradish Sauce:
- 2–3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep Beef Tenderloin: Season tenderloin with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Tie beef tenderloin with kitchen twine (see video tutorial here or photo tutorial above within body of post). Let come to room temperature (approx. 1 hour).
- Prep Smoker: Ensure grill grates are clean and preheat smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Smoke Tenderloin: Place tenderloin directly on the smoker. Close lid and let smoke until the internal temperature reaches approx. 122 degrees F at the thickest part of the tenderloin. Use a dependable internal meat thermometer or probe to track your internal temp.
- Sauce Prep: Meanwhile, combine the Herbed Butter ingredients in a small bowl; stir to combine and set aside. Combine the Horseradish Sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir and place in the refrigerator.
- Sear: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add thyme and move around pan. Sear smoked beef tenderloin on each side for 2-3 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 127 degrees F.
- Rest + Serve: Remove from cast iron skillet and let rest 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise while resting. (The final temperature of a medium-rare beef tenderloin is 130-135 degrees F). Slice and serve with herbed butter, horseradish sauce or creamy mushroom sauce, candied carrots and potatoes au gratin gruyere.
Notes
- Serving Sauces: we love the horseradish sauce, but a chimichurri sauce is also amazing here! Or if you have leftover pan juices – make a Beef Tenderloin Sauce!
- Cook Time: there are so many variables that go into the total cook time on a smoker such as wind, humidity, hot spots, etc. Use an internal meat thermometer to track your internal temp.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.9 g
- Protein: 37.8 g
- Cholesterol: 130.5 mg
Erin says
Turned out perfect for Christmas dinner!