Holiday meals are highly anticipated during the most wonderful time of the year.
We’ve made a traditional balsamic roast beef tenderloin for years and it’s become a tradition. So today, I will share the simple recipe with you.

My festive recipe for balsamic roast beef tenderloin
You’ve struck gold as far as roast beef tenderloins go because this recipe will ensure a flavorful and juicy roast.
Now if you are a little roast shy, don’t be because I will step you through the whole preparation process and then give you tips to create a fabulous, succulent roast!
The roast size prep is for a 2-pound beef tenderloin roast and it will serve 4.
As you know, you can easily double the recipe by doubling the size of the meat and then doing the same with the ingredients for the balsamic marinade.
For those that prefer medium rather than rare meat, you’ve again, struck gold as your host can easily adjust the cooking time to match your beef preference, and I’ll share that below.
Balsamic vinegar really?
Years ago, when visiting my cousins in Italy (Sicily) I learned to use balsamic atop my meats before cooking.
We were headed out to visit the countryside and my cousin put meat in a bag and balsamic vinegar, zipped it tight, placed it in the fridge and we left.
I was definitely hesitant to put my fork to that meat, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the meat was fork-tender and so tasty!
Balsamic roast beef tenderloin will turn out much the same, as balsamic vinegar acts as a tenderizing agent to the meat.
The acid in balsamic vinegar actually works to break down the proteins and the fats in the meat, thereby producing juicy and tender meat that you will LOVE.
As an additional bonus of using balsamic vinegar on your roast beef tenderloin, you’ll find a tastier, ‘sweeter’ flavor with no sugar added!
Do you need a side with this meal? Try my Holiday Green and Red Potatoes!
Kitchen essentials for balsamic roast beef preparation.
As always I have kept the kitchen essentials simple as well as the ingredients.
You will need the following items:
- parchment paper
- rimmed baking tray (I use this set, it’s reliable)
- whisk (this is my favorite one)
- knife
- cutting board
- foil
Cooking Time Will Differ But Is Easy To Manipulate
To each his own, right? Well in the case of balsamic roast beef tenderloin that is very true.
While you will initially cook all the meat to at least rare from there, you can provide, by the slice personalization of Rare to Well with ease.
For those that love their meat rare, slice the beef after it is roasted, and has reached the rare temperature, then remove those slices.
However for those that want their roast medium rare, continue cooking those slices separately (think Prime Rib), and so on for those that prefer medium.
I do not suggest well done for this meat cut as it will ruin the flavor and quality of the balsamic roast beef tenderloin overall.
Just in case you are wondering, your cook time for rare is 20 minutes, Medium Rare 24 minutes, Medium 26 minutes.
Ingredients You Will Be Using For The Holiday Roast
To create the great marinade or fabulous holiday roast that just oozes with flavor once the beef is roasted, you will be using:
- shallots
- thyme
- pepper
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- olive tapende
- beef tenderloin roast
Don’t skimp on the mustard for your holiday roast
There are very few recipes where I will tell you not to skimp on a product, nor to change the brand, but this is one of the ones I will take a stance on.
Why? Been there, done that!
You’ll want to buy the best dijon mustard you can find because its quality, combined with the balsamic dressing will make the taste sail or sink.
I only use this dijon mustard and I never vary, this way my recipe is reliable.
If you have dijon mustard that you love, use it but don’t change it, in other words, stay true to the process so that your balsamic roast beef tenderloin is amazing when roasted!
One last note on the dijon mustard, I do love a dijon that has the old-style grain in it for a bit of texture, so that is a great one to seek out as well!
Since I have not always been able to find that, I then revert to my favorite dijon mustard, time after time as it is tested and true!
Big + Important Roasting Tip for the balsamic roast beef tenderloin
To ensure a flavorful, juicy balsamic roast beef, remove beef from the oven at least 5 degrees less than your desired final temperature.
This will allow the beef to continue to cook during the resting period.
Additionally, the resting time also allows the meat juices to be reabsorbed into the meat fibers keeping them nice and juicy.
Balsamic Roast Beef Tenderloin Recipe ↓↓↓
Balsamic Roast Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 2 lb beef tenderloin cleaned and trimmed
- 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms
- 6-8 shallots halved
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive tapenade
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheathe oven to 475 degrees F .
- and line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece ofparchment paper.
- Place the beef tenderloin in the center of the prepared baking sheet and arrange the halved shallots and mushrooms around the tenderloin.
- Season beef, mushrooms, and shallots with salt and pepper to taste.
- In asmall bowl, add olive oil, Dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive tapenade, and thyme;whisk until smooth.
- Spoon the olive tapenade down the center of the beef. B
- Brush the balsamic mixture allover the beef, mushrooms and shallots.
- Place in the oven to roast until thebeef is cooked to desired temperature, exactly 24 minutes for medium rare.
- Remove from the ovenand cover the beef lightly with a piece of aluminum foil and let it rest oncounter for 15 minutes ** see note in blog post
- Slice and serve warm, garnished with fresh thyme sprigsand additional tapenade if desired. Enjoy!
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