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Have you been scoping smoked beef tenderloin recipes for the best one to impress guests? Ours is perfectly seasoned, slow-smoked until juicy and tender, and finished with a quick sear for that gorgeous crust that melts in your mouth. Paired with a tangy horseradish sauce, itโs a solid go-to for holiday dinners and celebrations!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Cheryl’s Note
The amazingness of this yummy beef tenderloin smoker recipe is that it can pair with SO many sauces to change up the tastes, for whatever occasion you have planned. Besides horseradish sauce, you can also serve this with creamy Bรฉarnaise Sauce, a deliciously savory Au Jus Recipe, or Chimichurri Sauce, which tastes incredible with grilled meats. Try them all!
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Once your tenderloin hits the smoker, you’re looking at about an hour of hands-off time while the smoker does the work. The active prep is minimal, but the results are absolutely spectacular. This will be a popular dish at the holidays, with both adults and kids!
- That smoky, wood-fired richness combined with a perfectly seasoned crust creates layers of tender, juicy flavor you just can’t get from an oven. The creamy, tangy horseradish sauce cuts through the richness beautifully, bringing everything together in an incredibly satisfying way.
- This beef tenderloin smoked recipe makes a stellar centerpiece, and it can go with so many incredible sides, such as Crockpot Swamp Potatoes, Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Instant Pot Broccoli with an Easy Lemon Butter Sauce, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Garlic Aioli, and Whole30 Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs. Your guests will not only be impressed, but completely satisfied.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Letting that seasoned tenderloin sit uncovered in the fridge for about 12 hours does two critical things: it helps the seasoning penetrate deeper into the meat, and it dries out the surface slightly, which means you’ll get a better crust when you sear. If you’re really pressed for time, even a few hours will help, but overnight is wayyy better.
- The tail end of a beef tenderloin is much thinner than the center, so tucking it under and tying the whole thing creates a more uniform shape. Use kitchen twine to tie it every 2 inches, making sure it’s snug but not so tight that you’re squeezing the meat. This ensures every section reaches your target temperature at roughly the same time, and you won’t end up with overcooked ends and an undercooked center.
- Look, I’m not exaggerating when I say that a probe thermometer is your most important tool for this recipe. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the tenderloin and monitor it throughout the smoking process. Pull it at 115-120ยฐF for medium-rare (it’ll rise to about 130-135ยฐF after searing and resting), or 125-130ยฐF for medium (will reach 140-145ยฐF).
- Smoked tenderloin beef has a mild, buttery flavor, so you don’t want to overpower it, so stick with milder woods like oak, cherry, or pecan. Avoid mesquite or hickory unless you really love bold smoke flavor โ they can dominate the natural taste of the beef. Soak your wood chips for about 30 minutes before adding them to help create that steady, consistent smoke.
Recipe Variations
Try it with Different Seasonings: Try a coffee rub (ground coffee, brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin) for a bold, earthy flavor, or go with a simple herb crust using fresh rosemary, thyme, and crushed garlic mixed with olive oil.
Try Different Wood Flavors: Experiment with applewood for a sweeter, milder smoke, or mix cherry and oak for a more complex flavor profile. Just avoid overly strong woods like mesquite that can overpower the delicate beef flavor.
Make it Bacon-Wrapped: For extra richness and protection from drying out, wrap the seasoned tenderloin in strips of bacon before smoking. The bacon will render and baste the meat as it cooks, plus you get crispy bacon as a bonus.
Reverse the Cooking Method: If you don’t have a smoker, you can roast the tenderloin in a 250ยฐF oven with a small pan of soaked wood chips on the lower rack (or use liquid smoke in your seasoning rub), then finish with the same searing technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan for about 1 hour of smoking time at 225ยฐF for a 4-pound tenderloin, but always rely on internal temperature rather than time. The exact duration depends on your smoker’s consistency, the thickness of your tenderloin, and how well it maintains 225ยฐF. Start checking the temperature around the 45-minute mark, and pull it when it reaches 115-120ยฐF for medium-rare.
Start by seasoning your tenderloin and letting it rest uncovered in the fridge overnight. Tie it with kitchen twine every 2 inches for uniform cooking. Preheat your smoker to 225ยฐF with mild wood like oak or cherry. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part, smoke until it reaches 115-120ยฐF (about 1 hour), then finish with a quick sear in a hot cast iron skillet with butter. Let it rest 15 minutes before slicing.
For medium-rare (the most popular and recommended doneness), pull the tenderloin from the smoker at 115-120ยฐF. After searing and resting, it’ll reach about 130-135ยฐF. For medium, pull at 125-130ยฐF (will reach 140-145ยฐF after searing). Remember that the temperature will continue to rise during the sear and rest, so always pull it before your final target.
You can, just roast the seasoned tenderloin at 250ยฐF on a wire rack over a baking sheet, with a small pan of soaked wood chips on the rack below for smoke flavor. You can also add a teaspoon of liquid smoke to your oil rub. The cooking time will be similar โ about 1 hour or until it reaches 115-120ยฐF internally.
This is why a probe thermometer is essential. Insert it into the thickest part of the tenderloin and monitor the temperature. There’s no reliable “touch test” for a whole tenderloin like there is for steaks, and cutting into it to check will release all those precious juices.
Season the tenderloin and let it rest uncovered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before smoking. The horseradish sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. On the day of cooking, just tie the tenderloin, smoke it, sear it, and serve. The actual hands-on time is minimal.
Store leftover sliced tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat without overcooking, place slices in a covered baking dish with a splash of beef broth and warm in a 250ยฐF oven for about 15 minutes, or just until heated through. You can also enjoy leftovers cold on sandwiches or salads.
More Tasty Recipes for Entertaining
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Beef Back Ribs in the Oven
- Whole30 Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Gravy (Paleo)
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast
- Reverse Sear Prime Rib
- Chicken Francese
- Crockpot Turkey and Stuffing
- Easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken with Crispy Skin
- Chicken Vesuvio
- Sous Vide Chuck Roast
- One-Pan Cranberry Rosemary Chicken
- Sous Vide Flank Steak with Homemade Chimichurri
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Smoke Tenderloin Beef with Horseradish Sauce
Equipment
- smoker
- Probe thermometer
- kitchen twine
- cast-iron skillet
- Sheet pan with wire rack
Ingredients
For the Horseradish Sauce
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- ยฝ cup full-fat mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
For the Beef Tenderloin
- 1 whole beef tenderloin about 4 pounds
- 2 tablespoons seasoning blend of choice or 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the Horseradish Sauce
- Combine 1 cup sour cream, ยฝ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons horseradish, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and ยฝ teaspoon salt in mixing bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Prepare Beef Tenderloin On Smoker
- Place 1 whole beef tenderloin on sheet pan with wire rack. Rub entire surface with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons seasoning blend liberally over entire tenderloin, covering all sides.
- Place seasoned tenderloin in refrigerator uncovered for 12 hours or overnight.
- Remove tenderloin from refrigerator 30 minutes before smoking.
- Fold thin tail end under main body of roast. Secure with kitchen twine.
- Continue tying entire tenderloin with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals along length.
- Preheat smoker to 225โ and add wood chips.
- Insert probe thermometer into center of thickest part of tenderloin.
- Place tenderloin on smoker grates and close lid. Smoke about 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 115 to 120โ for medium-rare.
- Preheat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter to hot skillet.
- Place smoked tenderloin in skillet and sear 60 to 90 seconds on each side, rotating to sear all sides evenly, until deep golden-brown crust forms.
- Remove tenderloin from skillet and transfer to cutting board.
- Let tenderloin rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Remove kitchen twine and slice tenderloin into ยฝ to ยพ-inch thick medallions.
- Serve immediately with chilled horseradish sauce.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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