Smoked Beef Tenderloin Recipe: How to Smoke Beef Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin is a larger cut of meat consisting of a cow’s entire tenderloin muscle. The tenderloin is a long muscle—ranging from eighteen to twenty-four inches—stretching from the loin primal to the sirloin primal. This muscle is near the cow’s backbone, so it hardly gets any exercise. Hence, the muscle fibers are small and extremely tender, yielding a fine-grained, lean piece of meat with very little connective tissue or fat—usually only a thin layer of silverskin that chefs remove before cooking.

Butchers and grocery stores may sell the whole muscle as beef tenderloin steaks or break it into smaller steaks, such as the filet mignon from the tenderloin’s front (loin end). The ultra-tender filet mignon is one of the most expensive cuts of beef.

Smoking beef tenderloin slowly over indirect heat infuses it with a rich, smoky flavor. Here’s how to do it:

1. 1. Trim the meat. If you purchased a whole beef tenderloin, trim it down to the center cut before smoking. This middle portion of the tenderloin, also known as the chateaubriand, has a uniform thickness that allows for even cooking. You can purchase a trimmed chateaubriand from your butcher or trim it yourself. Slice the ends of the tenderloin into steaks for grilling or pan-searing.
2. 2. Apply the dry rub. Beef tenderloin is a tender cut of meat that doesn’t require a long brining period. It does, however, benefit from some seasoning beforehand. Coat the tenderloin in salt and black pepper or your favorite BBQ seasonings and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. 3. Prepare the smoker. While you give the seasonings time to penetrate the tenderloin, preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. A tenderloin isn’t large, so it should fit on just about any meat smoker.
4. 4. Smoke the meat. Cook the tenderloin directly on the grates of the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees Fahrenheit, then let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
5. 5. Reverse-sear (optional). Reverse-searing is a technique used to achieve a dark-brown crust on meats cooked at a lower temperature. You can reverse-sear a smoked tenderloin by increasing the smoker’s temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or browning the meat in a hot oven or skillet. If you reverse-sear your tenderloin, pull it from the smoker when it reaches 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoking is an excellent method for cooking beef tenderloin since the low temperature prevents overcooking. Whether you’re a BBQ pro or breaking in your pellet grill for the first time, these tips will help you craft the best beef tenderloin possible:

1. 1. Choose the right wood. Whether you smoke with wood pellets, wood chips, or logs, always use hardwoods. Feel free to play around with the variety of wood. Fruit woods, like applewood and cherrywood, will infuse the meat with a milder flavor. In contrast, more intense wood chunks, like hickory and mesquite, will result in a more distinct smoky taste that could overpower the delicate tenderloin. Here’s how to choose the best wood for smoking.
2. 2. Cook the tenderloin to medium-rare. Due to its lack of fat and connective tissue, beef tenderloin tends to dry out quickly and tastes best when cooked to medium-rare doneness. Pull the meat from the smoker when it reaches 125 degrees Fahrenheit, or earlier if you choose to reverse-sear it.
3. 3. Let the meat rest. While it may be tempting to dig into your smoked beef tenderloin roast immediately, the resting period is pivotal for the overall juiciness of the dish. The juices will redistribute through the beef as it rests, resulting in moist, flavorful meat. When carving the tenderloin, slice off only what you’re serving and leave the rest of the tenderloin whole.
4. 4. Experiment with seasonings. You can easily customize smoked tenderloin with the seasonings and sauce of your choice. Change up your dry rub with additional spices and herbs, like smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, or brush on your favorite BBQ sauce toward the end of cooking for a glazed effect.