Easy Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce

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Nothing says the holidays like a showstopping, melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly cooked whole Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce.

Elegant and impressive oven-roasted tenderloin is a classic entrée for Christmas dinner or a special occasion. And when cut into medallions or bites, it makes a great appetizer or topping for canapes for a holiday or New Year’s Eve party.

A whole beef tenderloin sliced on a cutting board.

Like my recipe for Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin, this delicious and easy-to-make recipe with its tasty gorgonzola sauce is perfect for feeding a crowd. And it’s guaranteed to impress your family and friends!

It only takes a few minutes to prep, then you pop the beef tenderloin roast in the oven for under an hour, and your oven takes over the heavy lifting.

Not only is the make-ahead Gorgonzola dipping sauce for the beef tenderloin delicious, but it’s as easy to make as they come. First, you throw everything in your food processor and let it do its magic. Then, you can sit back and bask in the compliments!

For a more traditional twist, try this recipe for Creamy Horseradish Sauce.

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Ingredient notes:
How to prepare a beef tenderloin roast:
Beef tenderloin temperature chart:
How to trim and tie a beef tenderloin roast:
Recipe FAQs:
Sharon’s tips:
More beef recipes for special occasions:
📋 Recipe:

Ingredient notes:

A whole beef tenderloin plus ingredients, gorgonzola cheese, cream cheese and sour cream to make a dipping sauce.

Center-cut beef tenderloin roast – is the tenderest of all beef, and you can practically cut it with a fork. If your roast is trimmed and tied, it will cook more evenly.
Butter – is there anything more delicious than this popular condiment? It adds moisture and a delicious buttery taste to the beef.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper – season the tenderloin, which enhances its bold, beefy flavor.
Gorgonzola cheese – a type of salty, earthy blue cheese, is the main ingredient in the dipping sauce. You can substitute a different kind of blue cheese, such as Stilton or Roquefort.
Cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream – combine to form the base of the sauce, and each ingredient adds its unique flavor.
Worcestershire sauce – with its savory and tangy umami essence- contrasts with the other creamy ingredients.
Green onions – sometimes known as scallions add a lovely mild onion flavor and a pop of green.

How to prepare a beef tenderloin roast:

About an hour before you cook it, remove the trimmed and tied beef from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.

A whole beef tenderloin tied and trimmed.

Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Place beef on a wire rack on a baking sheet with sides. Rub butter all over the beef and season generously with salt and pepper.

A beef roast covered with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Insert a leave-in meat thermometer probe with an alarm into the thickest part of the beef.

A meat temperature probe inserted in a beef roast.

Bake until the meat thermometer registers five degrees below your desired temperature (see temperature chart below). It should take about 35-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tenderloin and its internal temperature when it goes into the oven.
Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let the meat rest for at least 10-15 minutes.
While the beef rests, make the gorgonzola sauce by placing all sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal s-blade.

A food processor bowl full of scallions, gorgonzola cheese, cream cheese and sour cream.

Process until smooth and creamy.

A food processor bowl full of processed gorgonzola sauce.

Slice the roast into half-inch or larger slices and serve with the gorgonzola sauce.

Slices of beef tenderloin on a cutting board with a dipping sauce in a bowl beside it.

Beef tenderloin temperature chart:

Beef tenderloin is one of the most expensive cuts of meat and is best served rare or medium rare.

While the beef rests, the internal temperature of the meat will increase by about five degrees, so it’s essential to remove it from the oven when it’s about five degrees below your desired temperature.

Rare – bright purple-red cool center: remove the roast from the oven at 120 °F to serve it at 125 °F.
Medium Rare – bright red, warm center: remove the roast from the oven at 130 °F to serve it at 135 °F.
Medium – rich pink center: remove the roast from the oven at 140 °F to serve it at 145 °F.

How to trim and tie a beef tenderloin roast:

When you purchase a whole tenderloin, you can ask your butcher to trim and tie it for you or do it yourself. Tying keeps the meat even all around and ensures that the roast is the same thickness and will cook evenly.

To do it yourself, first, use a sharp thin knife to slice or “trim” off any “silver skin” (a thick layer of silvery connective tissue) or any excess fat. I like to use a fish fillet knife.
Then use cotton kitchen twine or butcher’s string to “tie” the beef. The simplest way is to wrap the string around the roast and tie it snuggly about every one and a half or two inches until the entire thing is neatly tied and in a nice even cylinder. If your roast has a thin tail, fold it under and tie it to the tenderloin.

Recipe FAQs:

What to serve with it?

I like to serve this delicious special occasion entree with side dishes such as Baked Cauliflower with Gruyere Cheese, Baked Pineapple Cheese Casserole, Southern Sweet Onion Casserole, Ultimate Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin, Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin, or Twice Baked Potatoes.

A lovely salad, such as my Cornbread Salad, Apple Pecan Salad, Fall Harvest Salad, Romaine Wedge Salad, or Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Pecans, would round things out nicely, along with either my Cheesy Texas Toast Garlic Bread or my Southern Cheddar Biscuits.

For a scrumptious sweet ending, my Homemade Strawberry Sherbet, Pecan Pralines and Ice Cream, Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries, or my Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust would be perfect.

How much beef tenderloin per person?

Of course, it all depends on who you are serving, how many sides you will serve, and the appetites of your family or guests. You can figure roughly six to eight ounces of raw meat per person. You will lose about two ounces of that when it is cooked.

What grade of beef should I buy?

The standard grades of beef you will see in the grocery store are Prime, Choice, and Select, which relate to tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Choice has a little less marbling than Prime, but it is still high quality and it is what you are most likely to find in the grocery store.

Sharon’s tips:

For the best flavor, be generous in seasoning your tenderloin with salt and pepper. I like to use either kosher or sea salt.
Be sure to let your meat “rest” lightly covered with foil before you cut it. The beef will continue cooking, and the temperature will increase by about five degrees. This also gives the juices a chance to redistribute, ensuring your roast is juicy and tender.
This entree is best served rare or medium-rare. However, if you have family members or guests who like their beef medium well or well done, consider cutting off a separate piece and cooking it to the desired temperature.
Invest in one if you do not have a good instant-read meat thermometer. I like and use a DOT Oven Alarm thermometer with a temperature probe. I like it because I can insert the probe into the meat, place it in the oven or grill, and set the temperature. Then the alarm beeps when that temperature is reached.
Of course, there are lots of other instant meat thermometer options available. The important thing is to use one and test the thickest part of the roast!
The gorgonzola sauce can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving. It is best served at room temperature.