Smoked Beef Tenderloin Pellet Grill Recipe

If you want to impress your guests, this Smoked Beef Tenderloin recipe on the pellet grill is always a show stopper and great for your next special occasion.

Whether it is barbeque season, holiday season, or one hungry day or evening, this smoked tenderloin recipe is the way to go.

Made with barbeque best meats, dry rub, and more, this recipe is a “how-to” on making the most mouthwatering tenderloin you’ll ever bite into.

Looking for more show-stopping recipes for the holiday season? Check out some favorites like Smoked Turkey Wings, Pellet Grill Smoked Baked Beans, and Pellet Grill Ham with Bourbon Orange Glaze

Smoked beef tenderloin on a cutting board sliced medium rare

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Whether you want to make Smoked Filet Mignon or thinly Sliced Beef Tenderloin Sliders smoking your beef tenderloin on the pellet grill is a super easy method that everyone will absolutely love.

The best part is, this is not an all-day recipe. You only need a few hours and a good beef rub.

Before you know it, you’ll be cutting into the most tender piece of meat you’ve ever tasted!

Now, I am not going to lie to you … tenderloin can be an expensive cut of meat. However, its rich flavor and beautiful smoke ring are the perfect centerpieces for your next holiday dinner!

beef tenderloin sliced on a cutting board

Smoked Beef Tenderloin Ingredients

Beef Tenderloin: For this recipe, you will need 5 lbs of beef tenderloin, cleaned and trimmed. Check out your local grocery store, meat counter, or butcher shop because you can buy a beef tenderloin trimmed if you don’t want to trim it yourself. I recommend buying a tenderloin that is at least 5 pounds because you’ll lose some of the weight when trimming.

Beef Rub: Make your own or buy your favorite store-bought beef rub! Either way, you will need 2 tbsp beef rub to season your tenderloin with.

Oil: I prefer using avocado oil, however, any cooking oil that you have handy will work just fine.

Butter: Use ½ stick of butter and baste with herb garlic butter is key because it will really add to that richness.

Garlic Cloves: Roasting the garlic in the butter infuses amazing garlic goodness into the beef that you definitely don’t want to sleep on.

Fresh Rosemary: Rosemary will give your steak an earthy flavor to the garlic herb butter.

Fresh Thyme: This is a great herb to infuse with garlic butter to add even more flavor to the beef tenderloin.

How to Make Smoked Beef Tenderloin

Preheat. Preheat your pellet grill to 200 Degrees F. place rosemary, thyme, garlic cloves, and butter in a heat-safe dish or cast iron. Place in the corner of the smoker to melt along with beef.

Prep the meat. Rub down tenderloin on all sides with avocado oil then season liberally with beef rub seasoning.

smoked beef tenderloin topped with sea salt and sliced scallions

Smoke the meat. Place Tenderloin on the pellet grill and smoke for about 1 hour.

Add butter. Brush with garlic butter after an hour of cooking then continue to smoke until the tenderloin reaches an internal temp of 125 degrees F.

Rest and then sear. Once tenderloin reaches internal temperature let the beef rest for 10 minutes while you raise the smoker temp to 400 degrees F. Sear the tenderloin on all sides cooking for about 2 minutes per side.

Add butter and rest again. Brush tenderloin a second time with remaining garlic butter and let the beef rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

sliced beef tenderloin garnished with diced peppers chives and scallions

Slicing Tip: Remove all of the butcher’s twine and start slicing. You can make thick slices for serving as Filet Mignon steaks or thin slices perfect for making sliders. It’s all up to you on how thick you prefer to cut the beef tenderloin roast.

Serving Tip: I like to sprinkle a pinch of coarse finishing salt over the filet to bring out that savory flavor. Kosher salt is fine as well if you have that on hand.

Trimming Beef Tenderloin Video

How to Make Homemade Dry Rub Seasoning

Seasoning with a dry rub is a popular way to season smoked beef tenderloin.

Now, when it comes to making a basic homemade beef tenderloin dry rub you will need a few ingredients like

Dried Thyme
Paprika
Dried Rosemary
Kosher Salt and Pepper

These ingredients really enhance the meat’s natural flavors.

If you are looking to add some heat to your tenderloin, this is a great time to add in cayenne pepper or chipotle pepper.

If you are looking to add some sweetness, this is a great time to add brown sugar to the rub.

What kind of wood pellets are best for beef?

I always go with one of the blends when I smoke beef, I don’t want anything with a lot of fruitwood, but a little bit in a blend is fine.

If you prefer a milder smoke flavor I would avoid Mesquite because it can be a little intense.

There are no rules with what flavor pellets to use, so try out different blends and see which ones you like best.

If you are using a charcoal grill, I would recommend hickory or oak wood chips.

Smoked Beef Tenderloin Cooking Tips

Slicing: Because beef tenderloin is so tender, it can be a little harder to slice, especially when it’s super rare. I like to smoke the tenderloin to about 135 internal temp whisk is closer to medium. It’s still incredibly juicy but easier to slice thin. Also, only slice what you intend to serve. Leave the rest of the tenderloin whole to slice as needed.

Seasoning: Filet Mignon doesn’t have the fat content that a prime rib or a strip steak has, so that’s why I think a good amount of seasoning and smoking the meat is so important. Don’t be shy with the beef rub; it can handle it. You can also add extra black pepper if you want to create an even spicier crust.

Resting: Because we smoked the beef at a low temp, you don’t need to rest the tenderloin as long as you would a chuck roast or a brisket. The higher the temp, the longer the resting time. If you are worried about the steak cooling down, you can tent it with aluminum foil and keep a digital thermometer in the meat to maintain the desired temperature.

Sauces: I think that tenderloin is at its best when served with a good sauce. My Horseradish Aioli is Classic, and my Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce is what you make when you want to really impress the guests. My personal favorite is my classic Steak Madagascar Sauce.

What sides should I serve with Smoked Beef Tenderloin?

My grilled french fries are always a hit, especially when you see them with my Mississippi comeback sauce.

Roasted new potatoes, crispy zucchini fries, or even smoked mac and cheese are all great sides with beef tenderloin too.

If you want to keep things low carb, please try my ricotta mashed cauliflower or ratatouille caprese.

If you are looking for a perfect sauce to serve with the tenderloin, make sure to check out my creamy horseradish sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are beef tenderloin and filet mignon the same thing?

Beef tenderloin normally refers to the entire cut, whereas Filet Mignon refers to an individual steak cut.

Why is beef tenderloin so expensive?

There are only two tenderloins on a whole cow, so it is not as plentiful as a roast that can be portioned into many cuts. It’s also the most tender making it highly valued by chefs and customers who enjoy that cut.

Is Smoked Filet Mignon The Same as Tenderloin

Filet Mignon is just the individual steak that is cut from a whole beef tenderloin. So yes, it’s the same cut of beef, just portioned into individual steaks.

Should I let the tenderloin come to room temperature before Smoking?

No, Because we are using the reverse sear method and smoking at a low temperature, we want to make sure the beef tenderloin roast is cold so it has time to absorb more smoke.

Do I need to put a water pan in the smoker while cooking?

Since this is such a short smoking process, there is no need for a water pan. If you want, you can fill the pan with beef stock, carrots, onions, and celery, along with any extra beef fat, and make a smoked au jus.

Should I use multiple temperature probes during the cooking process?

If you have the ability, it’s never a bad idea to measure the meat temperature from multiple points. Place one at either end of the roast and a second one in the center.

whole tenderloin smoked and sliced in half

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