Smoked Beef Tenderloin Recipe

Nothing represents the holidays more than a special occasion dinner like smoked beef tenderloin!

Although this large, tender cut of beef is often sliced into filet mignon steaks, whole tenderloin is available as a special treat and can be marinated and smoked on your pellet grill or big green egg to add to the festivities.

Traditionally, a whole beef tenderloin is browned in a pan and roasted in the oven, then cut into medallions, but there is nothing stopping you from smoking or grilling a beef tenderloin.

The muscle of beef tenderloin is extremely tender because it contains no connective tissue like traditional smoked cuts of meat.

It looks like a small log of beef and is found in the loin area, which is soft and wonderfully tender. For this reason, our smoking time will be brief, just to add a wonderful smoke flavor to the meat, and we’ll finish it off by searing the outside over high heat for a delicious golden brown crust.

You also have the option of marinating the beef in this festive maple shallot marinade, which I created for the Horseshoe Bay Food & Wine Festival and wanted to share with you as a Thanksgiving or Christmas-themed punch of extra rich flavor! It’s insanely delicious.

This marinade is a sweet celebration of all the flavors of fall and winter. Maple syrup gives the beef a whisper of sweetness, fresh herbs like aromatic sage and thyme for a nostalgic holiday aroma, and shallot and garlic for that professional touch that really makes the steaks taste like they came from a fancy restaurant.

But you can also smoke your tenderloin simply using your favorite beef rub, or a simple seasoning of olive oil, kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and herbs.

This recipe will guide you through the smoking process and the reverse sear method, but all seasoning and marinade options are free for you to fine-tune to your liking.

Leave it sealed and it will stay bright and rosy red until you open the package and begin the marinade.

You can also purchase from your favorite butcher shop. Make sure to tell them how many people you intend to feed so that they can help you select the right size.

The marinade is easy to make, you’ll just add all of the ingredients to an aluminum tin or a zip lock bag and toss the tenderloin in. Refrigerate the tenderloin turning it every 12 hours.

We have tested this recipe for up to three days in the marinade and the longer it sits the sweeter it becomes. For just a whisper of flavor, I recommend 24-48 hours. You’ll find the beef changes from rosy red to a richer brown, and that’s perfectly normal.

We cut the tenderloin in half for maximum surface ratio to marinade, and also because it is easier to handle with tongs when it’s time to place it on the barbecue smoker. You may also choose to leave yours whole and wrap with butcher’s twine for stability, but this is optional.

The center of the roast will be the most rare with the meat outside the center gradually more well done, so keep this in mind when determining what temperature you would like to cook to.

Pull the smoked tenderloin 10 degrees cooler than your intended target to allow for reverse searing.

Reverse searing can be done over hot charcoal or a gas grill, or simply in a hot cast iron pan. The idea is to season the exterior with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, or beef dry rub, and then sear it over high heat, 3-4 minutes per side to get a nice brown sear.

After searing place the meat on a cutting board to rest. Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing individual steaks.