Smoked Beef Tenderloin

This smoked beef tenderloin recipe brings together the rich tenderness of beef tenderloin with the incredible flavor of wood smoke. With a horseradish garlic butter rub and a simple reverse sear technique, this smoked tenderloin is an indulgent centerpiece worthy of any special occasion.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to smoke beef tenderloin, smoked beef tenderloin, smoked whole tenderloin, smoking beef tenderloin

Servings: people

Ingredients

1 whole beef tenderloin trimmed (about 5-6 lbs)
Texas-style rub
Shake That All Purpose Seasoning or all-purpose seasoning of your choice

For the Horseradish Garlic Butter Rub:

4 tablespoons butter softened
3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon rosemary finely minced
salt and pepper

For the Basting Sauce:

½ stick butter
2 cloves garlic

Instructions

Preheat pellet grill or smoker to 200-225 degrees F with your choice of wood pellets.
Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels, then season all sides with a 50/50 blend of Texas Rub and Shake That All Purpose seasoning (or all-purpose seasoning of your choice). *Alternatively, you can place the tenderloin on a wire cooling rack set on top of a sheet tray and refrigerate overnight to dry it before seasoning.
Make the horseradish rub. Combine softened butter, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, mayo, garlic, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Mix together well.
Spread the horseradish rub in an even layer all over the tenderloin. *The recipe for the horseradish garlic butter rub is just the right amount for a 5-6 pound beef tenderloin. If your roast is smaller than that, you may want to adjust the recipe down.
Place the tenderloin directly on the grill grates and close the lid. Smoke the beef tenderloin until it reaches an internal temperature of about 100-105 degrees F. Then, remove the tenderloin from the grill. *This may take about 1½-2 hours, but total cooking time will depend on the size of your tenderloin and the temp of your grill.
While the tenderloin is smoking, melt ½ stick butter in a small bowl or saucepan with 2 cloves of minced garlic and set aside. This will be the basting sauce for later.
With the tenderloin off of the grill, increase the pellet grill temp to 450 degrees F. When the grill reaches that temp, place the smoked beef tenderloin back on the grill to sear until the internal temp reaches about 120-125 for medium rare, flipping every 2-3 minutes. As beef is searing, baste every 2-3 minutes with the melted butter and garlic. *If your pellet grill has an open-flame option, then adjust the baffle plate/diffuser to sear the beef over the open flame.
Remove the smoked beef tenderloin from the grill and let rest for about 15-20 minutes. The internal temp of the beef will continue to rise during this time, and may rise as much as 5-6 degrees, so be sure to account for that when temping the meat. After the resting period, slice into medallions about ½" – ¾ " thick, depending on preference. Serve warm with horseradish sauce or your favorite steak toppings.

Video

Notes

If you are smoking a whole beef tenderloin with the tail (the thinner end of the tenderloin), then use butcher twine to fold it over and tie in place so that the tenderloin is even in thickness. This helps the smaller tail portion not overcook.
You can also trim your whole tenderloin down to a smaller piece that is even in thickness (about 2 ½ to 3 lbs), and then cut individual filets to save and cook later.
We highly recommend our homemade horseradish sauce for serving: https://pelletsandpits.com/horseradish-sauce-for-prime-rib/

Nutrition