Beef · oven
Beef Tenderloin
Beef Tenderloin
cooking times
40 min – 1 hr 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.
When is it 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.
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.
Worth knowing before you start
- 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.