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I have a love hate relationship with this Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I realize that’s a really odd way to start out this post, but man I just have to be honest, taking photos of beef is not really my thing. Occasionally, I luck out and all goes well, but I swear if I never have to take another photo of beef again I’d be real happy. For all of you out there who think I don’t still sometimes struggle with my photography, I do, I do!

Obviously, I love this recipe or I would not have posted it. It’s easy, delicious, and will soon be my family’s Christmas Eve dinner. Photographing this recipe however? Well, as you can probably guess from the way I started out this post, that was just zero fun. It’s beef, it’s not the prettiest thing to take a photo of, but hey, it’s a great recipe, so let’s just focus on the key points.

It’s also a recipe that I have now tested over, and over again in my frustration to obtain better photos. Yes, my family has been eating beef tenderloin for a week straight. Thankfully they all love steak and are definitely not complaining…well except for my dad who has had onion breath the entire week (ah sorry mom?).

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

And moving right along.

Now that I have sufficiently vented (felt good, but still a little upset I couldn’t make this delicious recipe just a little yummier looking…not stewing on it or anything though), let’s talk holiday dinners!

In the last year, I’ve really enjoyed planning special occasion dinners/parties/holiday things. I have two coming out in the next few days that I cannot wait to share with you guys (sneak peek of my dinner with Camille Styles here). One of the keys to a great dinner party is obviously a great dinner. The thing is, it’s hard to be cooking and entertaining at the same time. If not done properly, it can be a little stressful, and a stressed hostess never makes for a fun party.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite easy, prep in advance, fancy…ish dinners that’s perfect for any holiday party you may be hosting this season.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

A roasted beef tenderloin is kind of like the creme de la creme of roasted beef. I almost only ever prepare it for my family for Christmas Eve dinner. I think it’s one of those meals they look forward to the entire year, probably even more so than Thanksgiving. Normally, I do more of a classic style roast with a cream sauce, but this year I had the idea to do this French inspired roast.

The beef is roasted very simple with a little garlic, thyme, and plenty of crushed peppercorns. It’s the sauce that’s really key here. It’s basically French Onion Soup. Not basically, it is French Onion soup that gets spooned over the perfectly roasted tenderloin. I can’t think of any other meal that is as perfect for such a special night meal. It’s savory, decadent, buttery, and so full of flavor.

What’s really great is that everything is all made in one pan. You can season the beef the night before, then the next day, just allow the meat to come to room temperature, add the onions to a roasting pan, add the beef on top with a pat of butter and roast. My family prefers their meat pretty rare, especially tenderloin, so I usually end up roasting my meat around thirty-five to forty minutes until it’s 120-125 degrees, but the cooking time is going to vary depending on the size of your meat and how you prefer it cooked. I highly recommend roasting the tenderloin with a meat thermometer to ensure you cook it to the perfect temp.

You’ll want the meat to rest for a few minutes before slicing, so while that happens, transfer the onions to the stove stop, finish caramelizing them with a little butter (of course), add some wine, and season it up.

Slice the meat. Spoon the sauce and onions over top.

DONE.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

It’s so simple and easy, but yet fancy and delicious.

People go crazy for this and it’s the perfect holiday entertaining recipe. I always love serving this with a side of cheesy potatoes (Gerard family classic), which I will be sharing with you tomorrow! If you need a potato recipe now though, these potato stacks are another favorite.

A side salad is great too…I love this one!

And now we have a complete meal. Oh wait, you need a cocktail. Okay, now it’s complete.

Who’s ready?

Cool. Cool. Let make a roast this holiday season!

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 316 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

French Onion Au Jus

Instructions

  • 1. Remove the meat from the fridge 1-2 hours before roasting. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
    2. Rub the beef with garlic, thyme, and season generously with peppercorns and salt. At this point, the meat can be stored in the fridge up to overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. 
    3. Arrange the onions in a large, oven safe skillet. Place the beef over the the onions. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the top of the beef. Transfer to the oven and roast until the beef registers 120 to 125 degrees F for medium-rare, for rare about 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of your roast. It's best to use a meat thermometer.
    4. Remove the beef from the skillet to a serving plate and cover with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
    5. Meanwhile, set the skillet with the onions over medium heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deep golden in color and caramelized, 5-10 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Remove the thyme sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    6. Slice the beef and serve with the French Onion Au Jus. 
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Roasted Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Au Jus | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

PS. Gerard fam? This is your Christmas Eve dinner.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Incredible! This was a huge hit this Christmas Eve. I was concerned about not searing the meet but it didn’t need it. Crust came out perfect.

    1. Hey Tiegan,
      I’m hosting dinner Christmas Day and will need about 7 lbs of beef for our meal. I’m wondering if I can sub prime rib? The price is a bit better but I am afraid to sacrifice flavor. I haven’t prepared many beef main dishes before so I’m nervous!

  2. This looks wonderful, question? Can this be put in slowcooker and what that time would look like?

    1. Hey Eliana,
      Thanks so much! Honestly, I don’t think I would make a beef tenderloin in a slow cooker. You really want those crispy edges! Let me know if I can help in any other way! xT

  3. Hello, can you send me a link to the cheesy potatoes recipe? I’d like to make them both tomorrow! They look fantastic.

    1. Hey Janey,
      Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT

    1. Hey Nicole,
      Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope it’s a hit! xT

  4. My beef tenderloin is very long. Can I use a sheet pan or roasting pan to cook this instead of a skillet? TY!

    1. Hey Laura,
      Sure, a roasting pan will be just fine for you to use! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT

  5. Hi Tieghan! This recipe looks amazing! I don’t have a meat thermometer. What would you suggest is the best oven temperature and timing for the tenderloin at medium doneness? Thanks! 🙂

    1. Hi there,
      I would follow the recipe as is and maybe say an hour for medium, but the meat thermometer is really key here as all meat sizes of different and ovens can differ too. I hope you love this recipe! xT

    1. Hey Billi,
      Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for our Christmas Eve dinner and it was perfect! This was my first attempt at a beef tenderloin, and this recipe made it so easy. Paired with the crispy parmesan thyme sweet potato stacks and our nine year old gave it 11/5 stars! We will definitely hold onto this recipe as a family favorite.

    1. Hey Eva,
      Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT

  7. 5 stars
    So I had my family of 12 over for Christmas dinner and I cooked only half baked harvest fare! This recipe was INCREDIBLE! Because it is such a nice cut of meat I was so scared to not do it justice and wow… this really blew my guests away and was so flavorful and simple. I prepped and tied the meat the night before (I did 2 6lb tenderloins) and chopped the onions in advance as well. I used a large roasting pan since they were so big and I had two of them. They cooked perfectly in about 50 minutes. The onions came together quickly while it rested and my husband sliced!

    I served this with the cheesy ritz cracker topped mashed, which was completely assembled the night before. I cooked it on the bottom shelf of the oven with the roast.

    When the roast came out, I baked the Brie and asparagus puff pastry (again completely assembled the day before) and heated the thyme honey butter up (which is SO GOOD).

    I also served the winter salad and I have to say… it was the best salad I’ve ever made.

    I know this praise seems like a lot, but it’s so well deserved. So happy I found Half Baked Harvest, thank you so much for making Christmas dinner such a success!

    1. Hi Stephanie,
      Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes. Merry Christmas!?? xT

  8. 5 stars
    So delicious! The sauce puts it over the top. Doesn’t matter what your photos look like — this is an easy way to impress family for a special dinner (Merry Christmas dinner this year!). Roasted our 3.5 pound tenderloin for 35 minutes — perfectly rare to medium rare. Thanks for sharing this recipe!