Beef tenderloin. Do those two words intimidate you? Beef tenderloin is less scary when it’s followed by the word “slider,” right? Sliders are so friendly and when they’re filled with beef tenderloin?
A beef tenderloin slider is something I have been making and taking to parties and family gatherings for years. And when you enter a room with a big platter of these tender beef sandwiches, you better put on a bumper suit because there’s bound to be a stampede.
This beef slider is the stuff that tailgates, the Big Game and Father’s Day are made for.
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Roasting methods for tenderloin sliders
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There are several schools of thought about roasting a filet of beef or beef tenderloin. Slow and low. Or fast and high. Or— a combo of each.
You can prepare beef tenderloin so many ways.
At the grocer, you might see whole tenderloins labeled as “prime” or “choice”. Prime is perceived as higher quality because it has better marbling. I have bought prime beef tenderloin and I have bought choice, but below is a pro tip my butcher shared with me.
Beef tenderloin typically is already of a high quality BECAUSE it’s beef tenderloin and is thought of as the best cut of beef. It’s going to be tender regardless of the quality or the technique used to roast it.
Unless it is overcooked – but don’t worry…I’ve got you! I will walk you through the seemingly overwhelming decision process and share all I’ve learned over the years roasting countless beef tenderloins.
The secret to the best beef tenderloin recipe
One word – thermometer. If you don’t have one, don’t make this recipe (or any other) without a good meat thermometer.
Here’s the old school skinny:
- Invest in a thermometer from a tried-and-true brand like Taylor, preferably without too many bells and whistles. You don’t need a digital or one that connects to your phone or talks to you. A classic thermometer with numbers and a hand is best because there’s less to break.
- Get a second thermometer because sometimes even the best malfunctions. I can’t tell you how many holidays I worked at Williams-Sonoma where customers would come in and say their beef and dinner were ruined because their thermometer broke.
- Test your thermometer- ideally before the big event.
Prep sliders beef for roasting
- For any roast, it’s crucial that the meat is trimmed, especially the silver strip in beef tenderloin. If your beef isn’t trimmed, ask your butcher to do it. Sometimes there is a surcharge, but trust me, it’s worth it so you don’t lose any of that pricey, beautiful meat. You want to eat it, not pitch it.
- Once you have your meat trimmed, pat it completely dry with paper towels.
- Season it well with salt and pepper.
- My butcher typically trusses the beef to even out the roast and give you nice even pieces when slicing. You can also do it yourself by tucking the narrower end under and tying it securely with twine. Cut off the excess twine.
How to roast and make beef tenderloin slider sandwiches
On to the preparing the slider. That’s what you’re here for, right?
Topping and serving
Layer one thick slice of beef on small potato rolls or mini ciabatta rolls and top with some arugula for some peppery flavor and a spread of horseradish sauce or homemade blue cheese dressing.
Beef tenderloin for 2
Pick up a smaller tenderloin at the market either packaged or have your butcher cut the amount you need. I have done 2 lb roasts and they make enough sandwiches for 2 beautifully and some leftovers. For a satisfying dinner, make a salad with the leftovers with a mix of crisp lettuce and arugula and some crumbled blue cheese and cherry tomatoes.
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Always Tender Beef Tenderloin Sliders
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Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb beef tenderloin
- 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup parsley, chopped, optional
- fresh arugula, washed and dried
- 1 batch horseradish mustard sauce
- 1 batch blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°
- Pat beef dry with paper towels. Place on baking sheet.1 3-4 lb beef tenderloin
- Meanwhile, mix softened butter and mustard together in a small bowl. Spread half of the mixture over one side of the beef with a spatula or spreader. You can use your hands but it gets messy and a lot of butter ends up on your hands and not the beef.3 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Season the first half with half of the salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley if using.1 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 cup parsley
- Turn the beef over. Repeat Steps 3 & 4.
- Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes until thermometer reaches 135° for medium rare. It might take a little longer depending on your oven. If you want rare, roast to 125° and medium 140°.
- Remove from oven and rest for approximately 15 minutes. The beef will continue to cook while it rests.
- Slice 1/4 to 1/2″ thick. For sandwiches, you can slice it thinner if you prefer.
- Layer beef on ciabatta, potato or slider rolls. Sprinkle on arugula. Serve with horseradish mustard sauce and/or blue cheese dressing.fresh arugula
Notes
- Clean your oven before roasting as this is a high heat. And i suggest opening a window so as not to set off a smoke alarm.
- So good with Horseradish Dijon sauce or my homemade blue cheese dressing.
- Don’t tent with foil too tightly so that the crust stays crispy.
- Make Ahead Tip: You can roast the beef the day before and bring to room temperature for serving. I usually assemble the sandwiches placing the beef on the rolls for a buffet and have guests add their sauce or spread of choice.
- Freeze. You can freeze beef tenderloin in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving at room temperature.
Starting this right now. New Years Day at home with the family. Yum.
Yay! Please let me know how you all enjoyed it! And happy New Year!🎊
Hello- planning to make for Christmas Day around lunch. Any suggestions for ahead prep.. need to make the day before in the morning due to other house visits.
Hi Barb! Is it possible for you to make it the morning of Christmas? Because it’s only an hour recipe, it doesn’t take much time and can be kept at room temperature. I’d cook it to rare because it’ll continue cooking as it sits. It’s such a pricey, special cut of meat and you’ll want it to be just right.
If the day before is the only option (and I haven’t tried this myself), then I’d roast it to rare (125-130˚). After cooking, I’d cool it for a bit in the pan before cooling completely on a rack (the bottom crust might get too soft if it sits in the pan too long once the pan cools). Wrap foil loosely around the whole roast (unsliced) and refrigerate. The next day, I’d bring it to room temperature and either slice and serve or I might broil it to crisp up the top (but don’t want to cook it anymore). Hope that helps! Let me know what you decide and a merry Christmas to you and yours!🎄
This looks delicious! Can you tell me what type of rolls you use with the beef? We’re making it for Christmas Eve dinner and my mom and I are wondering which type of bread/brand you use makes the best sandwiches with the tenderloin? Thank you!
For the sliders, I usually use a potato roll. You can also find slider rolls now at the store too and even better brioche slider rolls 😊. Please let me know if you have any more questions – always happy to help!!
Hi Kristen – great question and thanks for asking! For the sliders, I usually use a potato roll. You can also find slider rolls now at the store too and even better brioche slider rolls 😊. Please let me know if you have any more questions – always happy to help!!
I can’t find the recipe for the blue cheese spread. I can’t figure out what I’m missing but I see the tenderloin recipe and the mustard/horseradish recipe but I want to make both for a party this weekend and I just don’t see the blue cheese recipe.
Hi Darsee! I recently updated the recipe card totally missed linking it to the blue cheese dressing (also on my site). Thank you for letting me know…all corrected and I’m sorry for the confusion! Happy holidays!!
What can I substitute for the dijon mustard in the butter rub that goes on the beef? Have some mustard haters in the group:(. Can I just omit? Or should I sub in some sort of spice mix?
Hi Molly! I can’t recommend anything else to substitute for the mustard as it helps create a barrier and adds even more moistness to the meat/crust. The mustard haters (and I have a few too 😊) might barely know it’s there. (I do have some friends who do leave it out altogether so you could try that). The mustard adds a slight tang more than anything. The salt and pepper (because there is a lot) are tasted the most. Hope that helps!
Thanks for getting back to me! I think I’ll “sneak” it in!!
Lori,
I’m a big fan of sous vide. Would there be any downside to cooking the tenderloin sous vide, finishing it on a very hot grill and serving it with layers of thinly sliced meat (I have a vintage deli slicer)?
Thank you.
Lucky you to have a deli slicer! It’s all on preference for sure…I like tenderloin thick best so I can really appreciate the cut and how tender it is! Let me know how it works for you😊
Thanks!
Good point! Think I’ll try it both ways with the bleu cheese….
I’ll let you know my preference if you’d like.
T.K.
Please do! Hearing from you all what works only makes the site and recipes better – have a great day! 😊
I made these for my wife’s birthday and everyone raved! Such a great tenderloin slider. I made BOTH sauces, but I think the blue cheese was my fave!
We are simpatico, John! Blue cheese hands down is my favorite – especially with beef tenderloin!
If you’re making ahead of time, do you slice it before you refrigerate or after. Thinking of bringing on a boating trip and don’t want to ruin. Thanks!
Hi Ashley! Great question! I would do whatever is easiest for you. If you have a kitchen area on the boat, cool the tenderloin completely and wrap in plastic and foil and slice it on-site. Another option (and prob what I would do to make my life easier) would be to slice the beef and assemble the sandwiches, wrapping them individually in plastic. Make sure the beef is cooled before wrapping so you don’t accidentally steam the bun or they’ll be wet. Keep them in a cooler until ready to serve and bring the sauces in containers. A boat trip sounds so fun! Enjoy!
Lori, what’s the smallest but you would get for 2 people? Butcher just told me that I had to get at least 5lbs but yikes we can’t eat that much 😳 You May text me as well as I’m back in car doing last minute food shopping 🤣🤔
Hey Marg! They do shrink down a tich so 2-3 lbs? Have the butcher cut it for you! My local store sells small ones of that size. My suggestion would be to call ahead! Texting you this too..make sure to request it be trimmed as well! Let me know how it works!
Hello! My oven isnt the greatest – do you think this recipe would work if I roast it at 400-425 instead and just roast it longer?
Hi Jolien – I think if you could do the 425˚ that would be better than the 400˚. You just might not have as toasty of a crust but definitely you can just roast it and get your thermometer to the internal temp of 135˚. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it works out for you! Thanks for asking!!
Your beef tenderloin and horseradish mustard sauce has been our family go-to for decades!! Always a crowd pleaser! Site looks beautiful and so many great ideas! Merry Christmas ❤️🎄
Thanks Cindy! It’s one of our favs too – I think if I didn’t serve it on a holiday, there might be some definitely sad faces!
Such a delicious and easy meal. The horseradish mustard sauce pairs perfectly.
Thanks Alison! That sauce takes them over the top for sure!
Beef and bread are an AMAZING combo! I’m super stoked to have found such a wonderful recipe along with all the delicious sauces I can use to give it extra flavour. Thanks!
Totally agree! And definitely a crowd pleaser!
This is what I want for dinner every night forever — so good!
My husband would totally agree with you!! Thank you so much Tara!
These beef sliders are the best! The meat is so tender and full of flavor. Perfect for when I have guests over 🙂
Thank you Emily! So happy you enjoyed them…and yes def perfect for guests!
This sounds perfect for our holiday party! Do you have any suggestions for sides? Salads?
Hi Natasha! It is awesome for a holiday party! I have a salad coming up tomorrow that is a Butternut Squash, Apple and Kale Salad with a Warm Pancetta Dressing. It’s really easy and so gooood esp for a crowd! Let me know if you make the sliders. Oh…and my Mac ‘n Cheese would be good with it too!
These sound so yummy! I will be including these in our Christmas Eve buffet. Do you recommend assembling ahead of time or are they better assembled by the guest? I want to avoid soggy rolls if done ahead of time. Any suggestions?
Merry Christmas Dawn! Great question – I usually make the beef either earlier the same day or the day before I plan to serve the sandwiches. I then refrigerate the meat and bring it to room temp before I assemble the sandwiches. If you serve the sauces on the side, you shouldn’t have any sogginess issues. Let me know how it works for you or if you have any more questions! And thank again!
Your photographs are awesome and making me hungry!!!!
thanks Stacey! I can’t take credit for these though – had some awesome help!! 😉
the best tailgating food!
It’s good stuff, right? Better than chips and dips (although that’s pretty darn good too!)