Beef Tenderloin
cooking times
The answer
40 min – 1 hrat 425°F
At the most common temperature, 425°F, a whole beef tenderloin runs about 40 min – 1 hr at 4 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 145°F internal.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·beef tenderloin row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
USDA safe zone — 145°F and above
Done is a temperature, not a time. Every figure on this page is a planning range; the green band is the only part that decides. For a whole beef tenderloin it opens at 145°F and a 15-minute rest.
Source—USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperatures—doneness bands per standard cooking references—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Anchor. Start from what USDA FSIS publishes for a whole beef tenderloin — its safe minimum internal temperature of 145°F, and the FSIS roasting timetable where one exists for this cut.
- Rate. Convert the anchor into a planning rate at 425°F: 10–15 min/lb, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 4 lb piece lands at 40 min – 1 hr; the range is widened to cover source disagreement rather than averaged into false precision.
- First check. The first thermometer reading is set at 85% of the low end of the range — early enough that an under-reading costs nothing and a late one cannot cost the meal.
- Gate. The time is only a plan. It is not done until a food thermometer reads 145°F in the thickest part, then rests about 15 minutes. Time never overrides temperature on this site.
- Round. Every printed figure is rounded to the nearest 5 minutes; precision beyond that would be invented.
plan_low = weight_lb × 10 min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × 15 min/lb
first_check = plan_low × 0.85
DONE ⟺ internal_temp ≥ 145°F AND rest ≥ 15 min
(USDA FSIS — the gate, not the clock)
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·safe minimum for this cut·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Pick your temperature
Every temperature this chart room holds for a whole beef tenderloin, each with its own worked ledger.
The whole cut, temperature by temperature
| Oven temp | Time for a 4 lb beef tenderloin | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 400°F | 50 min – 1 hr 5 min | 12–16 min/lb |
| 425°F | 40 min – 1 hr | 10–15 min/lb |
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
When it is actually done
145°F internal
The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 145°F, followed by a rest of about 15 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·beef tenderloin row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Doneness temperatures
| Doneness | Internal temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120–125°F | below the USDA minimum |
| Medium-rare | 130–135°F | below the USDA minimum |
| Medium | 135–145°F |
USDA FSIS recommends a minimum of 145°F with a 15-minute rest for whole cuts. Rare and medium-rare sit below that guideline — a personal choice many cooks make with fresh, well-handled meat, listed here because these are the temperatures cookbooks and restaurants use.
SOURCE·Standard published cooking references·doneness bands·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the ledger does not tell you
- Tenderloin is the least forgiving roast in this book — lean meat gives no fat safety margin, so use a leave-in probe if you own one.
- Fold the thin tail end under and tie it so the roast is an even cylinder; otherwise the tail is grey by the time the centre is rare.
- Cooking past medium wastes this cut — there is no collagen to melt, only moisture to lose.
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
