Smoked Beef Tenderloin 

Beef tenderloin is a stunning dish perfect for special occasions and holidays. Smoking elevates this tender cut, adding incredible wood-fired flavor and freeing up valuable kitchen space when you’re entertaining.

This easy-to-follow recipe for perfectly smoked beef tenderloin removes the guesswork, guiding you step-by-step to achieve juicy, medium-rare slices with a flavorful herb crust and gorgeous smoke ring.

Ingredients for smoking a beef tenderloin

• Beef tenderloin roast – We used a USDA Choice Snake River Farms Tenderloin Roast for its rich marbling and buttery texture. Look for a center-cut roast for even cooking and easy slicing.
• Homemade steak rub – A simple blend of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, ground white pepper, and garlic powder. This mix enhances the natural flavor of the meat without overpowering the smoke.
• Butter – Use room-temperature salted butter for better flavor absorption. Opt for high-quality, grass-fed butter if possible—it makes a noticeable difference in richness and depth.
• Fresh herbs – A mix of rosemary, parsley, and thyme adds brightness and aroma to the compound butter, creating a beautiful herb crust as the roast smokes.

Equipment you’ll need

• Pellet Smoker – Gives you precise control to hold a steady low temp during the smoke and easily ramp up the heat to finish the roast—no need to transfer to another grill or oven.
• Wood pellets – Use oak, cherry, or pecan pellets for a balanced smoke flavor.
• Filet or boning knife – you’re going to want a sharp and flexible knife to trim the roast. 
• Butcher’s Twine – Essential for tying the roast into a uniform shape, which helps it cook evenly and hold together during smoking. It also makes for neater slices when serving.
• Meat thermometer – I recommend a probe thermometer for tracking the temperature of the roast accuarately. I used a Meater Plus. 
• Wire rack and baking sheet – I used a cast iron baking sheet with a fitted wire rack for the roast to sit on. This will keep your pellet smoker clean, and you can use the drippings to make gravy or pour over the sliced roast before serving. 
• Food service-safe disposable gloves – are very helpful when handling the roast (especially during the butter step), and disposable gloves keep your hands clean!
• Slicing or carving knife

What to look for when buying a beef tenderloin

When picking out a tenderloin, I recommend going for the one that has a wider center, which is where most of your slices will come from. This part of the tenderloin is also known as Chateaubriand.

The Chateaubriand is the cut used for beef Wellington, and cut into steaks for a filet mignon.

I also look for a tenderloin with minimal hard fat, which makes trimming easier and ensures you’re paying for quality meat—not excess fat.

For this recipe, we’re using a 4.8 lb USDA Choice tenderloin from Snake River Farms. Their cuts are consistently well-trimmed and high quality, making prep quick and straightforward.

How to how to reverse sear beef tenderloin on a smoker

This method combines low-and-slow smoking with a high-heat finish for edge-to-edge medium-rare perfection, just like our holiday smoked prime rib. It’s a proven technique that locks in flavor, builds a rich crust, and ensures juicy, evenly cooked tenderloin perfect for your holiday dinner or Christmas roast.

1. Trim the beef tenderloin

The beef tenderloin I used from Snake River Farms came pre-trimmed. Most tenderloins will require some trimming.

Lay your tenderloin out on a cutting board, and use your hands to pull away any loose fat or silver skin.

Then, run your fingers along the side to locate the chain, a muscle that runs alongside the tenderloin.

Pull it apart with your hands and run a sharp knife until it’s completely separated. 

Trim the silver skin off the top of the tenderloin by running your knife underneath and pulling away.

Finally, cut the butt and the tail off. You can use these as roast, cube up for stir fry, or make skewers. 

2. Truss your tenderloin for even cooking

Tuck the thin tail ends underneath to create a uniform, cylindrical shape for even cooking. Lay out 4–5 strands of butcher’s twine (about 2 feet each) across your prep surface.

Place the tenderloin over the twine, making sure it’s centered and the tucked ends are held in place. Tie one knot at each end and a couple more near the middle—especially around the chateaubriand section—to maintain a consistent shape.

Tie snugly but not too tight—you want the roast to hold together without squeezing and distorting the texture.

And remember the old saying, if you can’t tie a knot, tie a lot!

3. Season with our homemade steak rub

Make the homemade steak rub by combining cracked pepper, ground pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

Season the roast on all sides and the ends.

4. Compound butter

Add the minced rosemary, thyme, parsley, homemade steak rub, and butter to a bowl and mix until well combined.

Spread the compound butter all over the roast, ensuring the tenderloin is completely covered. 

5. Fire up the smoker 

Fire up the smoker to 225°F. I used my Traeger Grills Timberline XL, with a blend of hickory wood pellets, which give great flavor to the beef.

While the smoker is warming up place the roast on a wire rack over a baking sheet. I like using a wireless probe when smoking expensive cuts like tenderloin.

6. Smoke the tenderloin

Place the roast in the pellet smoker and smoke for two hours. This will create a base temperature for the roast.

After two hours or when the tenderloin reaches 115°F internally, remove the roast and let it rest while you increase the smoker’s temperature to 375°F.

Roast the tenderloin for 30 minutes or until the roast reaches 125°F internally. This will break down the muscles and bring out the juices!

Remember that while the tenderloin rests, it will continue to cook another 5-10 degrees.

7. Rest slice and serve

Because beef tenderloin is a large cut of meat, proper rest is crucial at the end of cooking. I suggest letting it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it.

Remove the twine and carve into ¼ inch slices that resemble a disc.

You can drizzle some of the juices in the pan on top of the slices or serve with extra compound butter. 

Smoked beef tenderloin recipe

It doesn’t get any easier, or more flavorful than this Traeger smoked beef tenderloin. If you tried it and loved it, remember to rate it and leave a quick comment below. Your feedback means a lot and helps others find our recipes too!