Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
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This beef tenderloin looks fancy, but it couldn’t be easier to make. It cooks up perfectly every time, and the rich red wine sauce takes it over the top. A total showstopper for any special dinner.
This beef tenderloin recipe is my #1 go-to for holidays and special occasions. It never fails to impress, and my foolproof method ensures perfectly cooked beef every time, with no guesswork. The tenderloin is paired with a red wine reduction sauce made by simmering wine, broth, and aromatics until the flavors concentrate, then finished with butter for a silky, gorgeous sauce that rivals anything you’d order at a fine restaurant. Yes, it’s fancy!
A great bonus is that the sauce can be prepared mostly in advance, so there’s very little fussing at the last minute. Similar to my pork tenderloin, this recipe is truly the best of both worlds: simple to prepare yet incredibly delicious.
“Voted best Christmas dinner ever!”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
- Beef tenderloin: The most tender and expensive cut of beef, this is the whole piece before it’s sliced into steaks, which are known as filet mignon (great for recipes like steak au poivre or pan-seared steaks). As a general rule, plan for about ½ pound per person for a generous serving. Your tenderloin may be tied with butcher’s twine near the tapered end to keep it evenly thick; leave the string on until after it is cooked. If it’s not tied, no worries—no tying is necessary.
- Butter: A portion is used for sautéing shallots, while the rest is combined with flour to create a beurre manié, which thickens the sauce.
- Shallots: Adds a mild onion flavor to the sauce.
- Red wine: Adds rich, fruity flavors and depth of color to the sauce. Any variety, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Red Zinfandel, will work. When cooking with wine, choose an inexpensive bottle that’s still enjoyable to drink. Avoid supermarket “cooking wines,” which often contain salt and additives.
- Beef broth: Provides a savory base for the sauce; also used to deglaze the pan after roasting the beef.
- Thyme sprigs: Adds earthy, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- All-purpose flour: Mixed with butter to create a beurre manié, a thickening agent for the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the shallots over medium-low heat until soft. Add the wine, broth, thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes until reduced by half. In a small bowl, mix a few more tablespoons butter with flour to form a paste. Gradually whisk the paste into the sauce and simmer until thickened. The sauce can be made a few days ahead up to this point.
Sear & Roast the Beef Tenderloin: Season the beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t be shy with the seasoning; it needs a lot!
Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook until well browned with a nice crust on all but one side. Turn the tenderloin so that the un-seared side is down and transfer the skillet directly to a 400°F oven. I recommend using a leave-in meat thermometer with a remote monitor to keep an eye on the roast. These are ideal for cooking pricey cuts like tenderloin (they’re great for other dishes too, like turkey).
Roast until cooked to your liking, keeping in mind that the the internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees after being removed from the oven—this is known as carryover cooking.
Rare: 115°F-120°F
Medium Rare: 120°F-125°F
Medium: 130°F-135°F
Medium-Well: 140°F-145°F
Well Done: 150°F and above
Finish the Sauce and Carve the Beef: Set the pan on the stovetop, add the broth, and bring to a boil, deglazing by scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add this flavorful broth to the wine sauce and bring it to a simmer.
Carve the roast into slices and serve, passing the red wine sauce at the table. The tenderloin is wonderful served over mashed potatoes with a simple vegetable, like French green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts.
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Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ¾ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2 to 3 large shallots
- 1¼ cups red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Beef
- 1 (2 to 3 lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast
- Kosher salt (½ teaspoon per pound of beef)
- Freshly ground black pepper (¼ teaspoon per pound of beef)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup beef broth
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
- While the liquid is reducing, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and soften in the microwave, if necessary (it should be soft but not melted). Add the flour and, using a small spoon, mix into a smooth paste.
- Once the wine mixture is reduced, reduce the heat to low and remove the thyme sprigs. Whisk the flour-butter paste, a tablespoon at a time, into the simmering liquid, and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Set aside. (The sauce can be made up to this point and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.)
For the Tenderloin
- Let the beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Season the beef all over with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook, turning with tongs, until well browned on all but one side, about 10 minutes total. Turn the tenderloin so that the un-seared side is down, and transfer the skillet directly to the preheated oven. (If your pan isn't oven-proof, transfer the beef to a lightly oiled roasting pan.) Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 120°F to 125° (49°C to 52°C) for medium rare, about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking (115°F to 120°F/46°C to 49°C for rare, 130°F to 135°F/54°C to 57°C for medium). Keep in mind that these temperatures account for the fact that the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees while the meat rests.
- Transfer the meat to a carving board (preferably with a well for collecting juices) and let it rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. Place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle of the roasting pan to remind yourself that it's hot.
- Meanwhile, carefully discard the fat from the roasting pan (remember that the handle is hot!). Set the pan on the stovetop and add the ¼ cup (60 ml) of broth. Bring the broth to a boil and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the fond, or brown bits, from the bottom of the pan. Add the flavorful broth to the red wine sauce, and then bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Carve the tenderloin into ½-inch (13-mm) thick slices. Serve the beef, passing the red wine sauce at the table.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made the roast beef Tenderloin with the red wine sauce. It was outstanding and the Red wine sauce went well with the mashed potatoes too. I will for sure be making this again!
After I had made this once, we fell in love with the red wine sauce. Now I use it when I make your burgers for a fancier weeknight supper.
I made this last week and it was the most amazing tenderloin I’ve ever eaten. The sauce was perfect as well – just the right accompaniment for the beef.
I made this for Christmas dinner. Admittedly, I was a little nervous because there are a few tough food critics in the family. I made the red wine sauce the day before and then finished it off after the meat was cooked. It was outstanding and even my very picky brother in law loved it. I doubled the sauce recipe and have half in the freezer to use at a later time.
Thank you! I was too afraid to make this at Christmas, and instead invited two couple friends over for a special meal, and let them know they were my guinea pigs! I made the sauce the night before because it’s quite detailed. I paired the tenderloin with your mushrooms and asparagus and my own garlic mashed potatoes. It was PERFECT! I will SOOOO be making this again. One question: Because of the awkwardness of the tenderloin, I wasn’t able to leave a section UNSeared. How does this affect the outcome? No one in our group likes rare or even medium rare. So there was a little pink in the middle and the ends were just right crusty!!
Hi Patti, so glad you enjoyed this! No worries about searing all sides of the tenderloin; it has no impact on how the meat turns out. It’s just a timesaver (because if not seared on the stove, it gets “seared” while in the oven). Hope that clarifies!
I made this for Christmas dinner and it it was delicious! My family loved it, and I will definitely make again. The sauce was easy to make and added great flavor to the meat.
I just made the Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce tonight. It was scrumptious! The directions were so easy to follow! I’m glad I found this site. Thanks!
I was nervous because this beef tenderloin was the most expensive hunk of meat I have ever purchased. The meat was completely perfect (rare in centre, medium rare on edge), and the red wine sauce stole the show. Cooking the sauce was a dream and it filled the house with the most amazing smells! Even the children like the sauce, and they are usually quite opposed to eating anything with onion-type objects.
Holy cow, this was good! Currently having the leftovers from last night’s dinner.
The boyfriend and I wanted something a little different for Christmas dinner this year. Something a little special, but not overly extravagant since it was dinner for just us two. FYI, I caught the stomach bug that’s been passing through around here *ON CHRISTMAS DAY* which knocked me out, so I didn’t get to have our Christmas dinner until yesterday. After a full day’s work in the office plus teaching two one-hour exercise classes, cooking this dinner appeared daunting. It really wasn’t! Super easy recipe, knockout delicious, and fooled the boyfriend in to thinking I was a star chef.
This is fabulous!! I made it for Christmas Day (with the roasted brussel sprouts – the balsamic/honey ones) and it was the best tenderloin I’ve ever made and possibly ever eaten! Made the sauce a couple of days before and it just made this dish. Highly recommend!!