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Sliced whole beef tenderloin.
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Smoked Beef Tenderloin

A smoked beef tenderloin takes a melt-in-your-mouth, fork-tender, cut of beef and adds incredible smoky flavor! Rub it in a basic rub, and throw it on the smoker (a pellet grill works great), and let it work its magic. You'll finish it off by reverse searing the meat to create a beautiful crust and lock in all the juices!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Diet Diabetic
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 108kcal
Author Amy

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef tenderloin
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon peppercorns (see note)
  • 1 clove garlic (see note)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (see note)

Instructions

  • Make a beef rub in a food processor or blender. Process peppercorns until coarse. Add garlic and rosemary leaves (only the leaves) and process until the garlic is minced. Add salt and process again. Set aside. (see note below if you don't have a food processor)
  • Trim excess fat from the tenderloin being careful to not trim the meat off. If there is any silver skin trim it off. We're going to smoke the center cut of the tenderloin because it's the most uniform. If you bought a whole tenderloin cut the tail (the skinny part) and the butt end of the roast off. Save them for later. (If you want to cook the whole tenderloin you'll need to tie it off to keep it even. See post for details)
  • Rub the tenderloin with olive oil. Evenly, sprinkle the prepared rub over the tenderloin.
  • Tightly wrap the tenderloin in plastic wrap and refrigerate the tenderloin for 1-2 hours.
  • Remove the tenderloin from the fridge and let sit at room temperature while you preheat the smoker to 250° Fahrenheit.
  • Put the tenderloin on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 120° F, which is medium rare. Remove from the smoker and tent with foil. Depending on the size of the roast this will typically take between 45-60 minutes. The best way to monitor the temperature is to buy a temperature probe that you can read outside of the smoker so you don't have to lift the lid. I like to double check the temperature with my instant-read thermometer.
  • After removing the meat from the smoker, turn the heat on the smoker on the smoker/grill to 450 degrees (or high heat). It needs to get screaming hot so we can reverse-sear the tenderloin.
  • As soon as the smoker is to high heat add the tenderloin back to the grill grates. cook for a couple of minutes on each side. I recommend pulling the steaks off the grill when they are 5-10 degrees under the desired doneness temperature. Watch it close because you don't want it to overcook! It usually takes about 2-3 minutes per side. The temperature of the steaks will rise about 5 degrees while they rest. I highly recommend between medium rare and medium, which is a finished temperature of 130 degrees, so remove from the grill at about 125°.
  • Wrap the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Save any juices that collect in the foil and drizzle over the sliced meat. Slice and serve with garlic herb butter! Trust me! It's the thing to do!

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Peppercorns: Use 1 Tablespoon of course black pepper
  • Fresh Rosemary: Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried rosemary leaves
  • Garlic Clove: Use 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, or 2 teaspoons of garlic paste.
To make sure that your tenderloin roast turns out perfectly and isn't over, or undercooked you'll need a meat thermometer. It's one of the most used tools in my kitchen and completely worth the investment. I love my Thermoworks instant-read thermometer.
Peppercorns:
If you don't have a food processor you can add peppercorns to a plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pen to until they are coarse.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.003g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg