This Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin recipe will give you the juiciest, most tender steaks ever. Not only is it easy to make, but it delivers mouthwatering results every time! Simple enough for a weeknight dinner but show-stopping enough for a special occasion.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: This Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin is super simple to make with just a few basic ingredients. Plus, no fancy tools needed – just a skillet and your stove!
- Absolutely Delicious: If you’re looking for the most tender, juicy and flavorful steak – this recipe is the ticket.
- My Kids Love It: I would describe my daughters as carnivores – they LOVE steak. When I make this beef tenderloin, they’re always saying “More!”. If you’re looking for more recipes for your little carnivores, definitely try Southern Style Pork Tenderloin, Moroccan Chicken or even Air Fryer Steak.
The Ingredients
- Beef Tenderloin: We prefer grass fed beef whenever possible. Luckily for us, we have an incredible butcher shop in our neighborhood that almost exclusively sells grass-fed beef!
- Olive oil: To get that perfect sear all around.
- Kosher salt: I opt for simple seasoning to let the steak shine, feel free to add fresh cracked pepper or other seasonings you love it you prefer.
- Butter: This adds flavor and is used to baste the tenderloin to keep it all juicy and delicious.
How to Make Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly sprinkle tenderloin with salt (and pepper if desired) on all sides.
Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium/high heat. Sear each side of the steak for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Remove pan from the stove, place in the preheated oven and cook for 6-8 minutes for medium rare and 10 minutes for medium. Remove steak from the oven. Place a tablespoon of butter in the pan, swirl to melt and spoon over the steak.
Step 4: Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature: If possible, remove your steak from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. This will help it cook more evenly.
- For Different Doneness: If you want to cook the steaks to varying doneness levels, cut the beef tenderloin into 4 even filets before cooking. This makes it easier to customize cooking times for each steak.
- Use a Meat Thermometer: For perfectly cooked filets, aim for 130°F for medium-rare and 140°F for medium. A good meat thermometer will be your best friend!
- Use an Oven Safe Skillet: If you own a cast iron pan this is the time to use it as they’re oven safe and leave a beautiful sear on the outside of the tenderloin. If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, you can sear it in a sauté pan then transfer to an oven safe dish to finish cooking.
- Let It Rest: Skipping this step can cause the juices to run out, which is no good! Allow the beef to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with These Sides: I love serving this tenderloin with Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes or Air Fryer French Fries for a steak frites vibe and some sort of veggie like crispy broccoli, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Grilled Lemon Asparagus.
FAQs
I love this recipe for cooking beef tenderloin. The quick sear on the pan gives it a nice crust, then finishing it in the oven makes sure it remains juicy and doesn’t over cook!
I actually prefer to keep leftover steak cold and serve it on a steak salad the next day. But, if you prefer warm, I would gently reheat it in a skillet over low heat with a little butter or olive oil. Avoid the microwave – this will just give you chewy, overcooked steak.
It doesn’t get any easier than this recipe! You’re going to want to make this one a lot for that reason. Grab your skillet, whip up this Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin, and enjoy every juicy bite. I’d love to know what you think when you make it – leave a comment and rating below!
Want more Weelicious? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for all the newest recipes!
Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef tenderloin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ground pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly sprinkle tenderloin with salt (and pepper if desired) on all sides.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium/high heat. Sear each side of the beef tenderloin for 2 minutes.
- Remove pan from the stove, place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes for medium rare and 10 minutes for medium. (See below for internal temperatures and approximate cooking times for each.)
- Remove steak from the oven. Place a tablespoon of butter in the pan, swirl to melt and spoon over the steak.
- Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Very rare: 120-125 degrees (in the oven for 4 minutes)
- Medium rare: 125-130 degrees(in the oven 5-6 minutes)
- Medium 135-140 degrees (in the oven 6-7 minutes)
- Medium well 145-150 degrees (in the oven 8-9 minutes)
- Well done: 160 degrees (in the oven 10 minutes plus)
Simple, hassle-free and yummy! Catherine, you work magic with your recipes!!!
In the Midwest our cattle start off as grass-fed and brought in to be corn fed before going to the butcher and there is no comparison to grass-fed cattle. I’ve eaten the grass fed cattle when traveling and can’t wait to get back home for Midwest beef again.
I will have to try this recipe. It looks very good and easy to do. Thanks
This beef tenderloin is perfection in a pan!!!
Made it this weekend for dad-in-law…IT WAS PERFECT!! Subbed in high-quality sirloins to save a little $$, and heated the oven w/ a couple glass pie plates in there while I pan seared, then transferred my seared steaks right into the hot pie places in the oven–perfect. Stand time is essential to allow the center to finish perfectly, I think. Even thick steaks were ideal, and I always have a prob w/ that. Yet another keeper. THANKS!!!!
Thank you for this recipe. We love grass fed beef and try to incorporate into our weekly menu plan at least 1 or 2x per week. Great quality red meat and it’s saturated fat is so good for the little ones developing brains and bodies! I would love to see more red meat recipes, this one was fabulous!
oh, this looks soooo good. I think i’ll put that on the menu for next month. I am totally in agreement with the grass-fed (also no hormones/antibiotics) on the animals. But, the butcher we go to is a good 45 minute drive, so we only go once a month. But I will make sure to add this to my order. thanks for posting!
We have the exact opposite situation at our house. My carnivorous husband tries to get my veggie daughter to eat the steak, which she promptly throws off of her plate. 🙂
My 3 year-old just gobbled this up, along with the cucumber salad. We also had it with the mushroom barley, which he wouldn’t touch. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad!
Mashed potatoes and edamame
what is the menu for your tenderloin? is it mashed potatoes and lima beans? looks great!
Yes, you can easily transfer it to a baking sheet 🙂
Can you transfer it to a different dish if you don’t have an oven safe saute pan?
Now, this is what I’m talking about Catherine!