Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin Recipe

Why I love this recipe and why you will too:

1. Only five ingredients with easy prep, and then your oven does all the hard work.
2. With an instant or leave-in meat thermometer and the doneness guide listed below, you are guaranteed a perfectly cooked piece of beef.
3. This recipe is incredibly versatile and can be served in various ways. Whether you’re looking for an elegant main course for a dinner party, a date night meal, or a family gathering, this restaurant-quality recipe is perfect.

Ingredient notes:

Center-cut beef tenderloin—You will want a 1 ½ to 2-pound cylinder-shaped center-cut beef tenderloin. You can also use a whole tenderloin or just the head or tail, but with these options, the meat is uneven and harder to wrap, and cook evenly.

In addition, you need regular sliced bacon (do not use thick sliced), Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder. That’s it!

How to make Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin:

1. Take the beef from the fridge for about 30 minutes before roasting it to let it come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. If your tenderloin is tied with kitchen string, remove it. Dry the meat with a paper towel. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

3. On a piece of parchment paper, lay eight slices of bacon vertically, side by side, with a slight overlap. Place the tenderloin horizontally at the short end of the strips.

4. Slowly roll it up, jelly roll style. Lift the parchment paper to help hold the bacon in place as you roll the tenderloin until the beginning of the strips is folded under the beef. Continue rolling until the tenderloin is wrapped securely in the bacon.

5. Place the wrapped tenderloin bacon seam down on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. If you have a leave-in meat thermometer, insert the probe into the open end of the meat until the tip reaches the center.

6. Roast for approximately 30 minutes or until the beef is about 5°F below your desired degree of doneness as measured by a meat thermometer and the bacon is a light golden brown.
7. Remove the meat from the oven, cover it lightly with foil, and let it rest for about 20 minutes. *Note: Your beef will continue to cook while it rests.
8. Slice and serve with complementary side dishes.

Note: The tenderloin in this picture was cooked to medium because that’s how my husband prefers it. However, I highly recommend that you cook it to medium-rare instead for maximum flavor.

Serving suggestions:

Bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin pairs well with just about any side dish, but I like to serve it with my Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes or Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes, and Classic House Salad or Spinach Strawberry Salad, plus Texas Toast Garlic Bread.

For dessert, my Homemade Chocolate Pudding, Old Fashioned Strawberry Pie, or Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce would round out the meal nicely.

Expert tips and tricks:

• Meat is expensive, so don’t try to guess when your meat is done. You can’t rely on cooking times; there are too many variables.
• Always use an instant-read or leave-in meat thermometer to ensure your meat is cooked to the desired temperature. Thermometers are inexpensive; you can find them online or at most grocery or kitchen supply stores. I use a DOT Simple Meat Thermometer with an alarm and a leave-in probe.
• The amount of bacon you need will depend on the length of your tenderloin. Mine was nine inches long, and it took eight slices of bacon. If yours is longer or shorter it will take more or less bacon.