Name: Exactly How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 portion beef tenderloin

Table of Contents

Although my family loves beef tenderloin, there always seems to be a few portions leftover from my whole tenderloin roasts, Chateaubriand’s, and luxurious filets.

A well-butchered tenderloin has a very delicate flavor and very little fat, so the meat is soft and easy to ruin if over-cooked.

That’s why I decided to try out various ways to reheat my beef tenderloin and finally decide which method produced the best results without overcooking the meat in the process.

So, here’s what I did.

A note on my experiment

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.

With this experiment, I tried 7 different reheating methods:

In the oven (best overall, hassle-free)
In a ‘sous vide’ water bath (best quality result but time-consuming)
In the microwave (acceptable results if you’re in a rush)
In hot gravy (good method if there’s plenty of gravy)
In the air fryer (avoid!, too easy to overcook)
In a skillet (not worth it, heats unevenly)
By steaming (okay result)

If you’re pushed for time and need to feed your hungry family, then reheating tenderloin in the oven is a great option.

My tenderloin was pink, delicious, and heated right through. In fact, it was almost as good as when I first cooked it.

Ensure that you don’t over-cook the meat, which can be challenging, as slices tend to heat up pretty quickly.

Reheating beef tenderloin in the oven

Allow your tenderloin to reach room temperature and preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Wrap the meat in foil after drizzling 1-2 tablespoons of meat juice or stock over it. Heat until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F (55-58°C), which will take 10-15 minutes. Allow the meat to rest before serving.

How to reheat beef tenderloin in the oven:

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 250°F (110°C).
Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of cooking juices or leftover stock over the meat and wrap the whole or sliced tenderloin pieces loosely in foil.
Place the meat directly on a wire rack and put it in the oven (don’t forget to put a metal tray underneath to catch the drips).
Heat until the internal temperature reaches 130° (55°C) (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Avoid overcooking the meat by setting a lower temperature in your oven.

Resist the urge to try and speed things up as you will ruin the texture and flavor.

Keep track of the internal temperature using a probe or by sticking a sharp knife into the meat to ensure it’s heated evenly.

Slices will heat up more quickly than a whole piece of tenderloin, so you should be extra vigilant.

Wet meat doesn’t brown, so if you prefer a crispy, browned outer edge, then pat the meat dry with a paper towel. This method is sometimes referred to as a reverse sear.

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 until crisp (avoiding the cut sides).

Searing takes about 30-60 seconds per side.

My verdict

This is my go-to method as it produces good results every time with a minimum of fuss and hassle.

Placing the meat directly on the wire rack prevents the meat from absorbing extra heat from a baking tray causing the meat to heat unevenly.

So, instead of an even pink color throughout, you’ll end up with an overdone outer layer and a pink inner portion.

The uneven heat gradient resulting from using a baking tray will cause your meat to lose its flavor and texture as there isn’t enough fat in this cut of meat to absorb the extra heat.

Heating the tenderloin in the oven resulted in moist and deliciously soft meat. This method is suitable for whole pieces of meat or slices.

Reheating beef tenderloin in the microwave

Slice leftover beef tenderloin into thin pieces and place on a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle with some water or stock. Cover the meat with a damp paper towel and microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments. Remove when the meat feels warm to the touch and allow the meat to rest before serving.

How to reheat beef tenderloin in the microwave:

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

To avoid the microwave from cooking the meat, I always use very short time intervals of 30 seconds or less each time.

I know when my tenderloin is ready, as it feels warm to the touch, any hotter and I find the meat starts to cook and loses its moisture and texture.

This results in rubbery, tasteless pieces of meat.

To ensure that your meat heats evenly, don’t put more than 2-3 slices into the microwave at one time.

And definitely don’t try to heat a large chunk of meat.

I tried that, and the results were not great at all!

My verdict

Using the microwave to heat 2-3 slices of tenderloin at a time produces good results.

If you keep track of time and test the meat’s temperature, you’ll be able to easily repeat my tried and tested process.

I managed to avoid overcooking the tenderloin.

It stayed juicy and pink with no evidence of ‘browning’ of the cut edges.

The meat was an even temperature throughout, with a great flavor.

Reheating beef tenderloin in a water bath (sous vide)

Allow the meat to reach room temperature and then place in a sandwich bag. Remove all the air from the bag. Heat a pot of water to 120-130°F (50-55°C). Lower the bag of beef tenderloin into the water and heat until the beef is warmed through. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on thickness.

How to reheat beef tenderloin in a water bath (sous vide):

Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
Put the beef in a sandwich bag.
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).
Heat a pot of water to 120-130F (50-55°C).
Lower the beef (sliced or whole) into the water.
Maintain a constant water temperature and heat the meat until it is warmed through.
Remove the bag of meat from the pot of hot water, and serve.

To speed things up, you can use hot tap water initially as it’s usually at or around 120°F.

You can maintain that temperature over the course of heating your tenderloin.

I used a thermometer to test my water temperature just to be on the safe side.

The time it takes to heat your tenderloin will depend on the quality of your cut of beef and the thickness of the meat.

Slices will heat much quicker than a chunk.

My slice took around 10 mins.

If you want to have crispy outer edges, then you can sear the beef in a very hot pan to get the crust back.

My verdict

In my opinion, this was the best result by far. Although it was a bit more fiddly and quite a hassle getting the air out of the bag and maintaining the correct water temperature, it was worth it.

A quick way to check your water temperature is to dip your finger into it.

If you can keep it in for a second before having to remove it, the water is at the right temperature.

If you can run your tap water to the right temperature, you can place the bag of meat in a bowl under the running tap or keep adding water whenever the temperature starts to drop.

Reheating beef tenderloin in hot gravy

Remove the beef tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Slice the meat into thin pieces. Heat some gravy in a pan so that it’s simmering and then remove from the heat. Place the slices of beef into the gravy for 2-3 minutes, pouring gravy over the top of each piece.

How to reheat beef tenderloin in hot gravy:

Remove beef tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
Slice beef into thinnish slices of about a 1/4 of an inch wide.
Make some gravy or use leftover gravy from the day before.
Heat gravy in a pan so that it is barely simmering.
Take gravy off the heat.
Add slices of beef tenderloin to the gravy and heat for 1-2 mins.
If the meat is not completely covered, pour gravy over the top of the meat.
Remove slices of tenderloin from the gravy and serve.

I got the best results from using the tenderloin beef juices, but any gravy will do. If you are struggling, use stock as the last resort.

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

My verdict

This was a great way to reheat slices of tenderloin. It produced a particularly tasty result as the gravy infused the meat with flavor without it being piping hot.

My tenderloin was pleasantly warm and really moist.

If I was going to serve reheated beef tenderloin with gravy, I would use this method again, especially if I had a large number of people to prepare for.

The secret lies in not allowing the gravy to get too hot!

Reheating beef tenderloin in the air fryer

Heat the air fryer to 225°F (110°C). Remove the beef from the refrigerator and place in the air fryer basket, wrapped in foil with some leftover juices. Heat the slices for 5-10 minutes, being careful not to overheat the meat. Remove from the air fryer and allow it to rest before serving.

How to reheat beef tenderloin in the air fryer:

Preheat your air fryer to 225°F (110°C).
Slice your beef into fairly thick slices, about 1 inch thick.
Wrap your beef tenderloin slices in foil with some leftover juices drizzled over them.
Heat the beef for 5-10 mins, depending on the thickness of your slices.
Test the temperature of your slices before allowing them to rest and then serve.

Slicing your meat is best when heating beef tenderloin in an air fryer.

If you place a chunk of meat in the air fryer, it will not heat evenly right through.

My verdict

Air fryers aren’t the best option for reheating beef tenderloin because they’re so abrasive.

It’s easy to overcook the meat. Mine ended up being a little overdone in the end and tougher than the rest of my experiments.

I do not recommend that you use your air fryer to reheat beef tenderloin.

Reheating beef tenderloin in a skillet

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

My verdict

Be careful not to use too much oil as it could make the slices greasy and unappetizing. The oil needs to sizzle when you put in the meat.

Although the meat browned significantly and was pretty hot, the inside remained pink and was only lukewarm. In retrospect, I should have used thinner slices.

I don’t recommend using a pan to reheat your beef tenderloin as I prefer a method that reheats them more evenly.

Reheating beef tenderloin by steaming

Take the beef tenderloin out of the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Slice it into strips. Make up a poaching liquid of stock and herbs and heat until simmering in a steamer. Place the beef strips into the steamer basket and steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove the beef and serve hot.

My verdict

The steam is very hot, so it doesn’t need a long time to warm up the slices of beef.

Thinner slices heat more quickly, so they don’t end up being cooked too much on the outside.

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.

How to store beef tenderloin

After allowing your meat to cool to room temperature, place your beef tenderloin in an airtight freezer bag and refrigerate immediately. It’s best to store the tenderloin whole, so avoid slicing the meat into pieces. Use the meat within 24-hours.

When unsaturated fats in the meat mix together with free iron and oxygen, they cause the meat to oxidize, which releases chemical compounds that give your meat a cardboard-like, off flavor.

To counter this, store your cooked meat uncut and in an airtight wrapping. Vacuum sealing is the preferred method of storing meat as it allows you to remove most oxygen from the packaging.

Reheat and eat your meat within 24-hours to avoid inedible meat.

Can you freeze beef tenderloin?

Yes, beef tenderloin can be frozen raw. If the beef is not vacuum-packed then remove the tenderloin from its packaging and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Alternatively, place in a freezer bag and remove the air. Store in the coldest part of the freezer, preferably on the bottom shelf.

How to freeze beef tenderloin:

Remove raw beef tenderloin from its packaging.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or, alternatively, place it in a freezer bag.
Remove the air from the freezer bag or ensure that the plastic is wrapped tightly to exclude as much air as possible.
Store the tenderloin in the coldest part of the freezer, preferably on the lowest shelf.

Freezing beef does not adversely affect its quality.

In fact, aged steak improves in flavor and texture and can be left frozen for up to a year.

As long as you avoid freezer burn by removing all the air around the meat, it will freeze well.

However, it’s best to use your beef tenderloin within 6 months, as the longer it remains frozen, the greater the risk of freezer burn.

How to thaw beef tenderloin

For the best results, defrost your tenderloin in the refrigerator. Your tenderloin can take up to a day to defrost depending on its thickness. Remove the packaging after 12 hours and pat the meat dry. Place the meat in the refrigerator with a container to catch any drips until it is fully defrosted.