Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin makes an elegant centerpiece for any holiday meal! Slather beef tenderloin in a mixture of fresh herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and spices, chill, then bake until medium rare. This tender cut of meat soaks up the flavors of the Mediterranean herbs as it cooks. Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin makes a stunning centerpiece for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday dinners and more!
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I knew I wanted to make a beef tenderloin for Easter this year, but I’m not going to lie to y’all: When I stood in the checkout line at the grocery story, I was freaking out.
In case you’ve never purchased beef tenderloin before, let me just say this: It’s expensive, and there’s a good reason for that.
As I stood in line, I knew if I screwed up cooking this beef tenderloin and had to make the recipe more than once, I was out nearly $120 on beef alone.
That’s a lot, y’all. (Duh.)
This Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin isn’t a normal weeknight dinner. It’s something special, and it deserves to be treated as such. It goes without saying that you want to get it right, which is why I had a minor meltdown while purchasing said beef.
In the past, I’ve always left the beef tenderloin to someone who has a solid track record while I took on the side dishes.
However, for this Easter spread, it was on me, and I wanted to get it right.
So with my mother, who’s cooked many a beef tenderloin for celebrations throughout the years, there are support, I tried my hand at cooking beef tenderloin for the first time ever.
And I’m so glad I was because this recipe turned out perfectly.
Why I love this recipe:
Even though this Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin is intimidating, it’s well worth the trouble… and I’m going to walk you through the steps so you don’t have a meltdown like I did. 😉
The well-seasoned exterior of the beef, full of fresh parsley, oregano, rosemary and thyme, makes the beef so much more flavorful. No marinade or sauce necessary. No fancy herb butter, either, or even a wire rack to roast it upon.
We enjoyed this so much that I’m going to go out on a limb and state this is a new holiday favorite of ours. So should you ever celebrate Easter (or Christmas or birthdays, etc.) with us, there’s a good chance this beauty will be the centerpiece on our table.
More steak recipes my family loves: Steak Alfredo | How to Broil Steak | Garlic Butter Steak | Grilled Skirt Steak
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Rimmed sheet pan or baking sheet
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus juicer
- Zester
- Large bowl for mixing
- Digital meat thermometer (or a metal oven-safe one)
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get from the grocery store:
- Beef tenderloin — if you can, seek out a beef tenderloin that has a similar thickness all the way throughout so that it can cook more consistently.
- Garlic cloves — fresh cloves from a head of garlic will provide better flavor than jarred garlic.
- Fresh herbs — we use a combination of fresh parsley, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme to make the herb coating for this beef. Make sure you wash them well before patting dry and mincing finely.
- Lemon — you will need a whole lemon, both for its juice, as well as its zest. Don’t skimp on this or skip it, as it adds beautiful brightness.
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is what I keep in my kitchen. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) You can use a similarly sized sea salt. I do not recommend replacing this with table salt.
- Black pepper — freshly cracked pepper adds a lovely punch.
- Red pepper flakes — a little goes a long way.
How to roast the perfect beef tenderloin:
Make the herb rub. Chop the herbs, and set aside. Mine the garlic, then set aside. Combine in a large bowl, and zest the lemon directly on top. Squeeze in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.
Prepare the beef. Place the beef on a platter or sheet pan. Remove any silver skin or additional fat on the outsides of the beef tenderloin. I always ask my butcher do this, if necessary.
DID YOU KNOW?
The beef will roast inconsistently if one side is thinner or smaller than the other.
If this is the case with your beef tenderloin, tuck it under to be the same thickness so the beef can cook evenly throughout. The butcher should be able to help with this, too.
Season the beef. Use your hands to generously coat it in the prepared herb rub. Transfer into the refrigerator, and let it hang out for 30-45 minutes. Let this sit on the countertop at room temperature so that the beef comes to temperature and roasts more evenly.
Preheat the oven.
Roast the beef. Place tenderloin on a metal baking sheet and insert a metal thermometer into the center of an end of the tenderloin if you want to be able to check the internal temperature throughout the roasting time. Place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
Steak Temperature Guide
Steak continues to cook after it’s removed from heat, so pull it 5–10 degrees before your ideal temperature. Use an instant read meat thermometer* (affiliate link) to check.
| Rare | Cool red center | 125°F (52°C) |
| Medium rare | Warm red center | 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | Warm pink center | 145°F (63°C) |
| Medium well | Warm pink center | 150°F (66°C) |
| Well done | Fully cooked through | 160°F (71°C) |
Eating raw or undercooked meat may increase your risk of food-borne illness.
Let it rest. Rest the beef 15-20 minutes on the countertop covered lightly in foil. The beef will continue cooking after removing from the oven. We want the internal temperature to rise to 135°F for a perfect medium rare.
Slice and serve after the beef has rested for the optimal amount of time. Enjoy warm with your favorite sides.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This beef tenderloin is one of my all-time favorite recipes to serve for holidays and celebrations because it feels special.
If I were serving this to share, here are a few things I might do…
- Make the Greek-style herb rub early and keep it cool in the fridge. This way, all you have to do is coat the meat, let it rest and then roast as opposed to chopping everything.
- Double or triple the recipe if feeding a crowd.
- Purchase pre-chopped herbs. This will cut down on your hands-on prep time.
- Get the butcher to help you with the silver skin (if necessary), as well as tying any smaller pieces of the beef to ensure it roasts consistently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take the temperature of the beef at the thickest point. If it’s within 5 degrees of your ideal temperature, remove it from the oven and cover lightly with foil for 10-15 minutes before slicing to perfection.
While I’m sure you could, I like roasting the beef tenderloin whole and slicing it down for each member of my family.
What to pair with this recipe:
Pair this beef with some classic steakhouse side dishes, like Spinach Madeline, Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Tomatoes.
Enjoy it with something more unique, like Wild Rice Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds, Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes and Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Lemon Vinaigrette.
You could even pair this with Greek-inspired dishes, like pita bread, Homemade Tzatziki Sauce and Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus.
Now who’s ready to make some BEEF?
Scroll on down to see how I made mine…
Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb. beef tenderloin
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 lemon zested
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
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Instructions
Make the Rub
- Chop the herbs, and set aside. Mine the garlic, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 6 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme and the minced 4 garlic cloves. Zest the 1 lemon directly into the bowl, then add the 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Using a spoon, stir the rub together until combined.
- Set aside.
Prepare the Beef
- If it hasn’t been done already, remove any silver skin or additional fat on the outsides of the beef tenderloin. (I always have my butcher do this because it means less work for me.)
- Place the 1 ¾ lb. beef tenderloin on a rimmed sheet pan. If one end of the beef is thinner than the other, tuck it under to be the same thickness so the beef can cook evenly throughout. (This is another thing your butcher can help with.)
- Using your hands, generously coat the beef in the prepared rub. You want it to be entirely coated. The rub will be thick.
- Let the beef come to temperature and marinate in the herb rub for 30-45 minutes on the countertop at room temperature.
Cook the Beef
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Insert a metal thermometer into the center of an end of the tenderloin if you want to be able to check the internal temperature as it roasts. (For the record, I think this helps.)
- Place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Check the beef’s internal temperature, and remove from the oven when the temperature reads 130°F. (This took 39 minutes in my ancient oven.)
- Rest the beef 15-20 minutes. The beef will continue cooking after removing from the oven. We want the internal temperature to rise to 135°F for a perfect medium rare.
- Once the beef has rested for the optimal amount of time, slice and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you ever had a cooking-related freakout before?
Have you ever cooked beef tenderloin?
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Wow! This looks seriously amazing!!
This looks incredible.
I’m salivating looking at your photos…that crust is to die for!
So now I’m rethinking our usual ham, because this looks incredible!
The blend of herbs sounds amazing! This is one gorgeous beef tenderloin!
The texture of this beef tenderloin is perfect!
I think I would cry if I messed up the tenderloin too! You are brave…and it paid off. This looks amazing!
Ugali will make a good side dish for this recipe.
Yes! I think ugali would go nicely with this beef tenderloin. Thanks for the comment, Dannie.