Beef Tenderloin Recipe: This easy recipe causes our guests to come running when they hear what’s on the grill. Using an incredible “rub,” this beef tenderloin will be the hero of your table!
Not only do I have to thank my husband for letting me share the rub recipe with you all, I need to thank the creator… the man the myth the legend… of the rub recipe. Mr. Braxton. With no doubt, this is the BEST Meat rub recipe AND Beef Tenderloin Recipe, we have ever used.
I really can’t take credit for the deliciousness that you’re about to see. Well… I guess I can take credit for the photos, but that’s about it.
Husband: Cooks the Beef Tenderloin
I: Take photos & eat beef tenderloin. That’s about it. 😉
The Best Meat Rub Recipe
You see, Mr. Braxton is the father of my husband’s childhood best friend. Somehow… my husband must have sweet-talked him out of the secret rub recipe, and our Sunday dinners have NEVER been the same. You all… you’ve never had a piece of meat until you’ve had meat that was smothered in The Braxton Rub.
We use and put this rub on evah-ree-thang.
Grilling… Baking… Smoking…
Beef Tenderloin… Pork Butt… Burgers…
Let me assure you… this “rub,” is NOT difficult. My husband and I only like to create dishes together, that are EASY… but delish. You simply mix up the spices and rub it on.
Beef Tenderloin Recipe: The Braxton Rub
Now… if you REALLY want to impress the heck out of your guests, you gotta use this rub on a beef tenderloin (like seen in the photos here.)
When we send out the group text on a Sunday morning, to all of our friends:
Grillin’ a beef tenderloin today. Better come over.
99.9% of the time, we get a response from everyone of:
On our way
There’s just no comparison, and we are COMPLETELY spoiled with this beef tenderloin and meat rub recipe. Find both recipes BELOW…
Meat Rub Recipe: “The Braxton”
The following amount covers a 4-5 lb tenderloin.
- 1/4 cup dried Thyme
- 3 Tablespoons Paprika
- 1/4 cup dried Rosemary
- 1/2 Tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
(Easily reduce, double, triple, quadruple, the batch as needed)
The BEST Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound beef tenderloin with the silver cut off
The Braxton Rub Spice Blend:
- 1/4 cup dried thyme
- 3 Tablespoons paprika
- 1/4 cup dried rosemary
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 450 degrees
- Rub all sides of the beef tenderloin with the Braxton Rub Spice Blend
- Sear the tenderloin over direct heat on the grill for 15 minutes
- Lower grill temp to 325-350, (we shut two burners off, and leave the other two on, placing the tenderloin on the side of the grill with no direct heat) and grill for another 45 minutes
- Pull the tenderloin off of the grill when the internal temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees fahrenheit.
- Remove from grill and let sit, wrapped in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
- This will result in a “medium-rare” cooked beef tenderloin
- This cooking time and process gives us thick middle parts that are medium rare, and the outside edges, a medium.
Nutrition
I so hope you enjoy this recipe. When you snag a big piece of meat like a beef tenderloin, you want to make sure you treat it right, right? It’s not the cheapest.
So when we say that this rub is one of the best, please know that we truly think it is one of the best, and we hope you enjoy it too.
What to Serve with Beef Tenderloin
If you’re cooking for a crowd, make sure you check out my other crowd-pleasing recipes when I’m in the kitchen.
I may only take the photos for this post, but you can usually find me in charge of the other recipe creations here on the blog, and that means EASY recipe creations.
So no fear… easy crowd-pleasing recipes are near:
Easy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
The BEST Guacamole Recipe
or
The BEST Punch Recipe
Pin it to Remember it:
It’s easy to lose track of your favorite recipes, so make sure you pint this to your favorite Pinterest board so you have it for later!
so when exactly do you wrap it in foil?
Hi Rhonda! Wrap it in foil, as soon as you take it off of the grill! 🙂 I hope that helps!
Can this be done in the oven? Directions please!
Pam
Yes it can, broil to sear 15 min watch and turn so it doesn’t burn, then roast at the 325 temp in oven until meat is at desired temp, 125 is my personal target temp. Remove from oven, cover in foil and let meat rest 10-15 min. Slice and serve.
This sounds great can’t wait to try it.
Thank you! I hope you get a chance too! Definitely one of our favorites!
Do you use fresh or dried spices?
Hi Carol! We use dried! We’ve tried fresh, and the dried works so much better!
What are the directions if you want to smoke it?
Hi Jessica! I’m not actually sure what the directions are for smoking this. We have only cooked it on the grill.
Can this be cooked in the oven? I only have a charcoal grill. Can’t regulate temp to well. What temp., if done in oven?
Hi Connie! We’ve never made it in the oven, but I’m sure it wouldn’t turn out bad! It’s hard to make this cut of meat & spice combo, turn out less than tasty! 🙂 Good luck, and keep me posted if you try it!
What can you substitute for the thyme? My husband can’t even stand the smell of it, even if you can’t taste it. Thanks!
I’m not sure what would be a good substitute for thyme. You could try leaving it out and seeing if it would have enough flavor still! We’ve never tried it without it, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. 🙂
basil or oregano are both excellent substitutes for the time and work well with the rosemary. I prefer basil. It’s a little milder.
Thank you Debbie!!! That’s super helpful!
This sounds amazing, might have to find a butcher that’s open today??
Haha!! Thank you! Yes you should, you should!! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for sharing your receipe.
How Long do you leave the rub on the meat
before grilling?
Mary
Hi Mary! Great question! He actually throws it on the grill right after he rubs it on, but it sure wouldn’t hurt to sit for a bit before grilling to really let that spice soak in! I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi there, how long do you cook it for medium well??
Hi Debbie! I found a GREAT resource for cooking temps here: https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/kitchen/doneness.php
As far as how long to cook it though, I’m not quite sure because we’ve never wanted to cook it that long. It may not hurt to check it for trial and error every 5 minutes or so after our cook time! I hope that helps!
When you turn the heat down to 350, are you also removing it from direct heat? Seems like it might burn unless in indirect heat?
Hi Brian! Great question, thank you! I actually just updated this recipe if you want to take a look. I believe it will answer your question. But if not, please feel free to let me know. 🙂 Thanks for asking, and I hope you love it!
Can you make this in a crockpot? If yes how long? Thank you
Hi Kerri! I’ve never made this in a crockpot, so I’m not sure how long it will take! I’m sorry!