When you’re ready for INSANELY good flavor in a dish that’s easy and impressive, check out this Smoked Beef Tenderloin. Imagine meat so tender it practically melts in your mouth. With a sweet and boozy marinade and the subtle smoke flavor, this is a restaurant-worthy dish you can make on your back deck, and you can trust me, Chef Jenn, to show you how!
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Smoking usually takes hours and hours, but the tender nature of this cut of meat makes the process a whole lot shorter. In fact, when starting from room temperature, it only takes about 2 hours for this roast to take on a lovely smoky flavor and be cooked to perfection.
I use my Traeger pellet smoker for this job. It gives everything a lovely flavor and lets me control the temperature at the same time.
I promise you – invest in this cut of meat and smoke it. You’ll never look back!
What you’ll love about this recipe
- It’s easy and impressive – perfect for special occassions
- Beef tenderloin is melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy when smoked
- Leftovers are great served chilled in sandwiches, on a salad, or in apptizers
Tools You’ll Need to Make Smoked beef Tenderloin
Ingredients to Make Easy Smoked Beef Tenderloin
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs tenderloin roast – see my tips below about how to buy a beef tenderloin
- Brown sugar
- Brandy, whisky, or cognac
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic
How to Buy Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin is expensive, there’s no doubt about it. BUT, there are ways to make this a bit cheaper.
- Purchase beef tenderloin when it’s on sale. Beef tenderloin often goes on sale around the holidays. Buy it when it goes on sale and wrap it tightly in foil then put it into a freezer-friendly zipper-top bag and freeze it for up to six months.
- Buy beef tenderloin whole and butcher it yourself. Not only is this the most economical way to buy a beef tenderloin, but you get the added bonus of having all the amazing beef tenderloin to work with, including prized filet mignon steaks.
- My favorite way – buy the WHOLE tenderloin when it is on sale. I’ll buy a few of them this way, and they’re cryovaced so they’ll freeze fine for quite a few months.
How To Make Traeger Beef Tenderloin
- Combine the Dijon, minced garlic, brown sugar, whisky, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
- Coat the beef tenderloin with the mixture and put it on the smoker that’s preheated to 180-F.
- Smoke the beef at 180-F for 1-2 hours until it comes to an internal temperature of 125-F. Use a good digital thermometer to get an exact reading – you don’t want to overcook this king of all meats!
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Do not freestyle this smoked beef recipe without a digital thermometer. There’s nothing that’ll make me cry faster than overcooking a beef tenderloin roast.
- Pull your roast out to rest when it hits 125-F for medium rare, or 130-F for medium. I don’t recommend cooking this roast beyond 130-F.
- Don’t reheat this roast if you have some leftover, as it’ll probably overcook.
What To Serve with Easy Smoked Beef Tenderloin
With all the work being done by the smoker, you are freed up to make some killer sides. And, you’re working with the king of meats, so go all out with fancy sides like these au gratin potato stacks, creamed corn, Parsnip Puree, or smoked asparagus. Cobb salad is another favorite of mine with this recipe.
Is This Easy Smoked Beef Recipe Freezer Friendly?
Well, you can freeze it, but smoked beef tenderloin doesn’t heat up as nicely. You run the risk of overcooking it. So, if you freeze it, let it thaw in the fridge and serve chilled, or just enjoy this dish fresh without freezing it.
You can roast beef tenderloin or grill it, but my favorite way is to smoke beef tenderloin!
No! Some meats need to be covered to help them cook, especially if there’s a lot of fat or connective tissue. But this lean cut of meat needs dry heat with little moisture to make it nice and tender.
You bet! It’s not hard to smoke this majestic cut of beef. The biggest errors come in overcooking it, or not letting it rest long enough before serving. If you can nail both of those, you’re all set!
Like This? Also Try:
Smoked Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pound beef tenderloin roast
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp whiskey
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Remove the beef tenderloin roast from any packaging and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour before smoking.
- Mince the garlic and combine it with the Dijon, brown sugar, whiskey and Worcestershire sauce.
- Rub the mixture all over the beef tenderloin roast.
- Preheat the smoker to 180-F. Smoke the roast at 180-F for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the internal temperature comes to 125-F for a medium rare roast.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Do not freestyle this smoked beef recipe without a digital thermometer. There’s nothing that’ll make me cry faster than overcooking a beef tenderloin roast.
- Pull your roast out to rest when it hits 125-F for medium-rare, or 130-F for medium. I don’t recommend cooking this roast beyond 130-F.
- Don’t reheat this roast if you have some leftover, as it’ll probably overcook.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
