Exactly How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin - I Test 7 Methods [Pics] - Pantry & Larder (2024)

No one wants to waste an expensive cut of meat – especially a juicy beef tenderloin.

That’s why I decided to experiment with seven different ways to reheat a beef tenderloin to see which ones left me with tender, tasty, and not overcooked meat.

The best way to reheat beef tenderloin is in the oven. Let the meat come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 250°F (110°C). Wrap the tenderloin in foil with a few tablespoons of juices, stock, or water and place it on a wire rack. Heat a whole tenderloin for 20-30 minutes.

Note: all the reheating methods here will work for beef tenderloin, chateaubriand, and filet Mignot.

How I Tested Reheating Beef Tenderloin

I used portions of a whole tenderloin roast to try out my reheating methods, but your results may vary depending on the quality of the meat you use.

I tried 7 different reheating methods:

• In the oven: Best results overall and hassle-free.
• In a ‘sous vide’ water bath: Perfectly moist meat but slow.
• In the microwave: Evenly heated meat that stayed pink.
• In hot gravy: Good method if there’s plenty of gravy.
• In the air fryer: A bit drying and heats unevenly.
• In a skillet: Meat heats unevenly.
• By steaming: Okay results, but not the best.

Reheating beef tenderloin in the oven

Time:25-30 minutes
Rating:9/10

1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature while you preheat your oven to 250°F (110°C).
2. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of cooking juices or leftover stock over the meat and wrap the whole or sliced tenderloin pieces loosely in foil.
3. Place the meat directly on a wire rack and put it in the oven. Avoid using a baking tray because this will lead to uneven heating.
4. Heat until the internal temperature reaches 130°F (55°C) for a medium-rare finish. This should take around 25-30 minutes.
5. Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving so the juices can redistribute around the meat.

I’ve suggested a pretty low temperature to make sure you don’t end up overcooking your meat and ruining the texture. Resist the urge to increase the temperature to speed things up!

The extra juices you add to the foil package will help keep the meat moist. But wet meat doesn’t brown.

If you prefer a crispy, browned finish, then pat the reheated meat dry with a paper towel and heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet on high heat. You may want to add a little butter (1-2 teaspoons) to help with the browning process.

Wait for the oil to be smoking hot and then sear each side of the tenderloin for 30-60 seconds or until crisp (avoiding the cut sides).This method is sometimes referred to as a reverse sear.

Results: The oven is my go-to method because it produces good results every time with a minimum of fuss and hassle. The tenderloin was moist and tender, and you can heat whole cuts of meat or slices.

Reheating beef tenderloin in the microwave

Time:2-3 minutes
Rating:7/10

1. Cut your leftover beef tenderloin into slices.
2. Place the slices of meat on a microwave-safe plate (no more than 2-3 slices at a time).
3. Sprinkle the slices of tenderloin with a little water or stock.
4. Cover the meat with a damp paper towel and microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments.
5. Remove the tenderloin from the microwave when the meat feels warm to the touch. This should take around 2-3 minutes.
6. Allow the meat to rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Using 30-second intervals in the microwave is key to preventing the meat from starting to cook. And I suggest taking the meat out as soon as it’s warm to the touch to avoid overheating it. If you overheat the tenderloin, it will turn tough and chewy.

Results:If you’re careful and go slowly with the microwave, the results are fine. My meat was juicy, pink, and evenly heated. It wasn’t as nice as a freshly cooked tenderloin, but it wasn’t far off! However, if you chuck the meat in for 2 minutes on full power, you’ll be disappointed.

Reheating beef tenderloin in a water bath (sous vide)

Time:1 hour
Rating:8/10

1. Remove the tenderloin from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature.
2. Put the beef (sliced or whole) in a sandwich bag or a sous vide bag.
3. Remove all the air from the bag. You can do this by dunking it in the water before you seal it or by using a straw to suck the air out.
4. Heat a pot of water to 130-135°F (55-60°C) for a medium-rare finish. Or set your sous vide machine to this temperature.
5. Lower the beef into the water.
6. Maintain a constant water temperature and heat the meat until it is warmed through. Timings will vary depending on the size of your tenderloin, but on average, a whole one will take between 1-1.5 hours.
7. Remove the bag of meat from the pot of hot water and serve.

Hot tap water usually sits at or around 120°F, so you want the water slightly hotter than this. If you’re not using a sous vide machine, I recommend monitoring the temperature of the water with a thermometer.

You don’t need to worry about overcooking the meat with this method because it will never get hotter than the water. So I always err on the side of caution and leave the meat for 10-15 minutes longer than I think it needs.

Again, if you want crispy outer edges, you can sear the beef in a very hot pan just before serving to get the crust back.

Results: The meat reheated beautifully using this method, but it’s not the fastest method and it’s pretty fiddly if you don’t have a sous vide machine. Overall I think it’s too much effort for most people.

Reheating beef tenderloin in hot gravy

Time:3-4 minutes
Rating:7/10

1. Remove the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
2. Slice beef into thinnish slices about a 1/4 of an inch wide.
3. Make some gravy or heat leftover gravy in a pan until it’s just simmering.
4. Take the gravy off the heat and submerge your slices of beef tenderloin into the gravy.
5. Heat for 2-3 minutes before serving.

You’ll get the best flavor using tenderloin beef juices to make the gravy, but any gravy will do. If you’re struggling, you can even use stock as a last resort.

Don’t heat the gravy to boiling point as this will be too hot and you’ll end up cooking the meat instead of just warming it.

Results: This is a great way to reheat slices of tenderloin. The meat was really tasty and moist (and would be amazing in a sandwich)! It wasn’t piping hot though, just warm.

Reheating beef tenderloin in the air fryer

Time:10 minutes
Rating:5/10

1. Preheat your air fryer to 225°F (110°C).
2. Slice your beef into fairly thick slices, about 1 inch thick.
3. Wrap your beef tenderloin slices in foil with some leftover juices drizzled over them.
4. Heat the beef for around 10 mins.
5. Test the temperature of your slices before serving.

Slicing your meat is best when heating beef tenderloin in an air fryer. A big chunk of meat won’t heat through evenly and will dry out on the outside before the inside is hot.

Results: Air fryers aren’t the best option for reheating beef tenderloin because they’re so abrasive and it’s easy to overcook the meat. Mine ended up being a little tougher than the rest of my experiments.

Reheating beef tenderloin in a skillet

Time:3-5 minutes
Rating:7/10

1. Take the beef tenderloin out of the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
2. Slice the meat into thin pieces.
3. Heat some oil or fat in a pan on very high heat.
4. Place the slices of meat in the pan and sauté quickly, just enough to sear the surface.
5. Remove from the pan and serve.

Be careful not to use too much oil because this will make the slices greasy and unappetizing. And makes sure the oil is hot enough before adding the meat, it needs to sizzle when you add something to the pan.

Results: Although the outside of the meat browned significantly and was pretty hot, the inside remained pink and was only lukewarm. In retrospect, I should have used thinner slices. Overall the meat tasted alright, but I wasn’t a fan of the added oil so would use a different method if I had a choice.

Reheating beef tenderloin by steaming

Time:3-5 minutes
Rating:7/10

1. Take the beef tenderloin out of the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
2. Cut it into slices.
3. Make up a poaching liquid of stock and herbs and heat until simmering in a steamer.
4. Place the slices into the steamer basket and steam for 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove the beef and serve hot.

Steam is very hot, so it doesn’t take long to warm up slices of beef tenderloin. Thinner slices work better here because they heat through quickly so the outside doesn’t end up overcooked.

Results: This method kept the meat juicy and tender. It did cook the meat a bit on the outside, but not so much that I minded. Overall a decent method, but something like the oven is easier.

How to store beef tenderloin

To store leftover beef tenderloin, let it cool to room temperature before wrapping it in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerating. It’s best to store the tenderloin whole, so avoid slicing too much meat for your meal. Use the meat within 24-hours for best results.

When unsaturated fats in the meat mix together with free iron and oxygen, this causes the meat to oxidize, which releases chemical compounds that give your meat a cardboard-like, off flavor – also known as warmed-over flavor.

This is why it’s important to keep the meat uncut and in airtight wrapping. Ideally, you should eat the meat within 24 hours for the best flavor, but it will stay good for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze beef tenderloin?

You can freeze leftover beef tenderloin just as you would any cooked meat, but it won’t be as moist once you defrost and reheat it. You can also freeze raw beef tenderloin.

How to freeze beef tenderloin:

1. Let the meat come to room temperature and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You want the wrapping to be as tight as possible.
2. If you have time, put the wrapped tenderloin in the fridge for an hour or two.
3. Wrap the tenderloin in another layer of foil.
4. Transfer the tenderloin to the coldest part of the freezer (at the back), and freeze for up to 6 months.

The tight wrapping is to ensure the meat is protected from freezer burn which could give it a funny taste.

If you know you won’t want to use all the leftovers in one go, then it’s best to portion out the meat before you freeze it because multiple freeze-thaw cycles will dry it out. You can separate slices with parchment paper to stop them from sticking together.

How to thaw beef tenderloin

For the best results, defrost your tenderloin in the fridge overnight. A whole tenderloin can take up to a day to defrost depending on its thickness. If you’re in a hurry, you can hold the meat under cold running water. Don’t try and reheat the meat straight from frozen.

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