Grilled Beef Tenderloin Recipe

5 from 22 votes

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Recipe

Searching for the ultimate grilled beef tenderloin recipe? You've found it. If you think this cut is too delicate to handle the heat, think again! You’re about to make a perfectly cooked, incredibly tender, and flavor-packed beef recipe like a pro.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Resting Time10

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 565kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

For the grilled tenderloin

4 lbs Whole beef tenderloin
2 tbsp Kosher Salt
2 tbsp Oil olive oil, avocado, or canola oil all work
5 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp fresh Rosemary minced
1 tsp Fresh Thyme

To serve

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp compound butter

Instructions

Prep the beef tenderloin

Remove the beef tenderloin from the package and pat dry.
Tie with butchers twine, being sure to fold back the tail to secure and make an even uniform thickness.
Liberally season all sides with salt.
Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and air dry in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours.

Make the paste

Combine the oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl and mash with the tines of a fork to make a paste.
Rub it all over the roast and allow the roast to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Prep the grill

Meanwhile, preheat the grill by turning on all burners for 10 to 15 minutes.
Clean and oil the grill grates.
Create a two-zone fire by turning off 2 of the 4 burners or 2 of the 3 burners to make a cool side and a hot side of the grill. If using a smoker box to smoke on a gas grill, add it to the grill grates over the hot side of the grill now to allow the smoke to form.
Let the grill preheat to an even 300-325 degrees F.

Grill the beef tenderloin

After the grill has preheated, place the beef tenderloin on the cool side of the grill grates.
Close the lid and allow the beef to cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 105 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.

Sear the beef tenderloin

Using long grilling tongs, transfer it to the hot side of the grill, directly on the grill grates over high heat.
Sear all sides to form a crust, 2 to 3 minutes per side and until the final internal temp should be around 120 to 125 degrees F.

Rest and serve

Transfer the grilled beef tenderloin to a clean cutting board, top with a few slices of homemade compound butter, and tent with foil.
Allow the beef roast to rest for 10 minutes. As the tenderloin rests, it will continue to cook, with the internal temperature increasing another 5 to 10 degrees. Beef tenderloin is best served medium-rare, 130-135F.
Finally, remove the butchers twice and slice the grilled tenderloin into 1″ thick portions.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper, and garnish with minced parsley and serve hot.

Notes

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:

Prep the beef tenderloin as directed in the recipe card. And when ready to grill, set up your charcoal grill for a two-zone fire. Do this by arranging lit charcoal on one side of the grill. If using smoking wood, add it now to give the smoke time to burn clean (known as blue smoke).
Nestle the grill grate back on and cover the grill with the lid. Adjust the air vents to allow the grill to preheat to 300-325F.
When ready to sear, remove the lid to allow maximum oxygen to build a hot fire with the coals. Once the coals are ripping hot (around 450 to 500 degrees F), sear the tenderloin directly over the hot side of the grill.
We use Cowboy Charcoal and Jack Daniel’s wood chips for this recipe. See all of our favorite fuels and tools in our shop.

FOR A PELLET GRILL:

For a pellet smoker, the reverse sear method can be a little more tricky. Prep the beef tenderloin as instructed in the recipe card and set the pellet grill to 325 degrees F.
Smoke the tenderloin as instructed.
When it reaches 105F, remove it from the grill and turn your pellet smoker to sear.
Allow it to preheat, and then finish the grilled beef tenderloin by searing all sides with that perfect crust before resting to serve.
We use Jack Daniel’s charcoal pellets to add that signature smoky flavor when grilling with our pellet smoker.

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