Make a slow roasted beef tenderloin with creamy mushroom sauce for your next holiday meal or special occasion. An elegant meal that's sure to impress, this beef tenderloin is perfectly cooked and tender, with a flavorful mushroom sauce.

Slow roasted beef tenderloin sliced into servings.

Beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce is an outstanding meal that's sure to impress your guests and family. The creamy mushroom sauce brings this tenderloin recipe to the next level - it is rich, flavorful, and an absolute must!

Slow roasted in the oven until tender and pink on the inside, you'll reverse sear your tenderloin using the broiler to make a crunchy, browned crust. The prep work involved is well worth the effort!

While beef tenderloin is an expensive cut of meat, it's the perfect main course for celebrating holidays and special occasions. Serve an elegant beef tenderloin at your next holiday meal, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter. An excellent alternative to the traditional turkey or ham!

What cut of meat do I need?

For this recipe, you'll need a whole beef tenderloin.

A whole beef tenderloin includes three parts. The butt end, which is the thickest end, usually has a "wing" piece to one side.

The center cut is the most tender part of a beef tenderloin. This is what you'd slice up to make filet mignon. Left whole, this cut is also called a chateaubriand or filet mignon roast.

The tip end is the thin, tapered end of your tenderloin. We will be folding the tip end in on itself to create a more uniform shape and size for roasting.

For this recipe, you'll be looking for a whole beef tenderloin that contains all three parts - not just a center cut tenderloin or chateaubriand.

Helpful videos

If you've never worked with beef tenderloin before, I recommend watching the provided list of videos before beginning.

Your beef tenderloin will need to be prepped and tied for this recipe, and these videos are a great visual of what you'll need to do.

Preparing your beef tenderloin

Beef tenderloin before and after roasting.

Your beef tenderloin will need some prep before it's ready to go in the oven. This is going to be the most time consuming (and important!) part. I promise, it is worth the effort.

First, trim off any excess fat, silver skin, and the chain muscle of your tenderloin.
Next, wrap the thin tail end underneath, shaping your tenderloin to be more even in size.
Wrap your tenderloin in butcher twine, using the twine to help make the tenderloin as even in size as possible.
Generously salt and pepper your tenderloin.
Store your prepared tenderloin for 24-48 hours on a baking sheet in the refrigerator, uncovered. Seasoning and resting deepens the flavor your meat. Drying the outside of your meat also translates into a nice brown crust when roasted.

Mushroom sauce ingredients

White or brown button mushrooms will work just fine in this recipe.

Heavy cream is a must for this sauce. Using a thinner dairy product, like milk, will result in a very thin sauce.

Parmesan cheese needs to be freshly grated from a block, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-clumping powders. When melted, these powders make your sauce grainy.

I do not recommend skipping the parmesan! It does not make your sauce "cheesy," but instead adds a savory and salty flavor.

Beef broth can be substituted with chicken broth or vegetable broth for a different flavor (for instance, if you'd like to serve this sauce with chicken or pasta instead of beef).

Making your mushroom sauce

Making creamy mushroom sauce in a saute pan.

Your mushroom sauce doesn't contain any thickening agents, like flour or cornstarch, and will look quite thin. Once you've added your heavy cream, you'll reduce your sauce for several minutes.

The addition of parmesan cheese not only adds a savory, salty flavor, but also helps to thicken your sauce slightly. A few minutes off the heat will also help your sauce thicken even more.

This sauce is very rich and flavorful - a little goes a long way! Each slice of beef tenderloin should be served with a spoonful of sauce on top.

Beef tenderloin tips and tricks

My most important tip: use a meat thermometer to test your tenderloin for doneness.
Bring your tenderloin to room temperature before placing it in the oven. A cold tenderloin will take significantly longer to cook through, and will cook unevenly (the outside will be done long before the center).
Since this cut of meat is so large, it can be difficult to sear on the stove top. Using the broiler is a great alternative to pan searing.

Slice of beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce.

Leftovers

Have a few leftover slices of beef tenderloin? No worries! Leftover beef tenderloin can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container.

If your beef tenderloin has been sliced into thick, one inch or larger steaks - bring your steaks to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, give them a quick sear, about 1 minute on each side. Plate and serve!

You can also cube leftover tenderloin and toss into a beef stroganoff. Or, thinly slice and reheat, adding to a hoagie roll with onions and cheese for a quick steak sandwich.

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