My first “big girl” job was working in marketing for a wealth management firm. One of my core responsibilities was organizing quarterly client appreciation events, most of which involved a wine tasting. We always hired the same caterer, and every single event, I looked forward to these beef tenderloin crostinis. They’re so good, y’all. I finally got the courage to actually ask for the recipe and immediately recreated these shockingly easy beef appetizers for a holiday cocktail party of my own. As expected, they were a huge hit, and now that we live in Missouri (and beef is aplenty), I make them every chance I get. If you’re looking for easy holiday appetizers for a crowd, keep reading for the step-by-step recipe, including a handy recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Beef Tenderloin Crostinis 

As much as I love throwing together a gorgeous cheese board or crudités platter, guests always appreciate something a bit more substantial when no formal meal is being served. I learned this the hard way at our wine tastings. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for easy beef appetizers that double as holiday finger foods. They have to be easy to eat, somewhat filling, and, of course, they have to pair nicely with wine. These beef tenderloin appetizers check all the right boxes!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make around 50 beef tenderloin crostinis, which’ll serve around 25 guests–

• 1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied and brought to room temperature– For reference, beef tenderloin trimmed and tied is also known as filet mignon, trimmed and tied. Just ask your butcher, and he’ll get you the right cut of meat.
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 french baguettes, cut into 50 1/2-inch slices– Note that you may need only need 1 baguette if you slice your crostinis thinner.
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• microgreens, for garnish

Substitutions

If some of the ingredients for these beef tenderloin crostinis aren’t available (or if you’re looking to save time and/or cut costs a bit), here are some substitutions you can try–

• Alternative cuts of beef– If a 1-pound cut of beef tenderloin is out of your price range (and no shame if it is– it’s a pricey piece of meat!), you can also use London Broil or flank steak trimmed of excess fat. 
• Store-bought horseradish sauce– I absolutely love this homemade horseradish sauce, but if you’re looking to save a little bit of time/energy before a big party, store-bought horseradish sauce, such as Zatarain’s or Inglehoffer, will work just fine.
• Store-bought crostinis– Most grocery store cheese departments and bakeries sell pre-made crostinis! They’re typically ultra crispy, though, with a similar texture to crackers. So, if you prefer yours lightly toasted (like I personally do), it’s definitely worth making your own.

Beef Tenderloin Crostini Recipe

If you’ve never cooked filet mignon before, don’t worry– there’s a very small margin of error when you use The Food Network‘s foolproof approach. Also, I mean… it’s beef tenderloin. It may be slightly under or over cooked, but it’ll be delicious regardless. Still, I’ve broken this recipe down into 4 simple steps–

Step One: Roast the Beef Tenderloin

Start by removing the tenderloin from the fridge and allowing it to sit at room temperature for 40-45 minutes before roasting.

Then, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place the beef tenderloin on a baking sheet, drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper, making sure to rub oil and seasoning evenly over all sides of the tenderloin. Roast the tenderloin for 20 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads 125F for rare to medium-rare meat. Remove the tenderloin from the oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let the beef tenderloin rest while you prepare the crostinis and horseradish sauce, about 20 minutes. 

Step Two: Bake the Crostinis

Next, to make the crostinis, turn down the oven to 400 degrees F. Thinly slice your baguettes into 1/2-inch slices, yielding around 50 crostinis (give or take, depending on the width of your slices and size of the baguette). Organize the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Depending on how thinly you slice, you may need to use two baking sheets.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for about 7-8 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. Note: For extra crunchy crostinis, reduce heat to 350F and bake, rotating baking sheet(s) halfway through, for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Once they have reached your ideal texture, remove the crostinis from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.

Step Three: Make the Homemade Horseradish Sauce

While the meat and crostinis are cooling, make the horseradish sauce. Combine the sour cream, horseradish, and minced chives in a medium bowl and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. If the horseradish sauce is too runny, add in 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. If the horseradish sauce is too strong, add in 1-2 tablespoons of applesauce. 

Step Four: Assemble and Serve the Beef Tenderloin Crostinis

Finally, remove the tented foil from the beef tenderloin, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and thinly slice. Note: The answer to how to slice beef tenderloin (at least as thinly as you’ll want it for this) is to use your sharpest slicing knife. If the meat is cooked rare to medium rare, the blade will cut through like butter.

Then, spoon a dime-sized dollop of homemade horseradish sauce onto each toasted crostini, followed by a thin slice of beef tenderloin and topped with another dime-sized dollop of horseradish sauce. Add some microgreens on top for garnish– and bon appetit! 

Beef Crostini Storage

What good are easy holiday appetizers for a crowd if you can’t prep them ahead of time and/or enjoy the leftovers? I don’t recommend roasting the beef tenderloin until you’re ready to serve it, but it does keep really well and tastes amazing in second-day sandwiches and salads. Here are my recommendations for prepping/storing all the components–

• Beef tenderloin- Place leftover beef tenderloin into a shallow airtight container (you can also wrap the leftover tenderloin tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh) and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
• Crostinis– Once the crostinis are fully cooked and cooled, store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature, preferably in a cool dark spot.
• Homemade horseradish sauce– Transfer the homemade horseradish sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5-6 days.

Continue to Content

Easy Beef Tenderloin Crostinis

Yield: 50 crostinis

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Total Time: 53 minutes

These easy beef tenderloin crostinis are the perfect holiday party appetizer for a crowd! Made with mouth-watering beef tenderloin, homemade crostinis, and a tangy horseradish sauce, they're guaranteed to be a hit-- and a hotly requested dish at future parties. Also, if beef tenderloin isn't in your party budget, you can also use London Broil or flank steak trimmed of excess fat instead.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied and brought to room temperature
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 french baguettes, cut into 50 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 1-2 tablespoons chives, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Microgreens for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500F. Place the beef tenderloin on a baking sheet, drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper, making sure to rub oil and seasoning evenly over all sides of the tenderloin.
2. Roast the tenderloin for 20 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads 125F for rare to medium-rare meat. Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let the beef tenderloin rest while you prepare the crostinis and horseradish sauce, about 20 minutes. 
3. Turn down the oven to 400F. Thinly slice your baguettes into 1/2-inch slices, yielding around 50 crostinis. Organize the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet (you may need more than one) and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more if desired). Bake for about 7-8 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. Note: For extra crunchy crostinis, reduce heat to 350F and bake, rotating baking sheet(s) halfway through, for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Once they have reached your ideal texture, remove the crostinis from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
4. While the meat and crostinis are cooling, make the homemade horseradish sauce. Combine the sour cream, horseradish, and minced chives in a medium bowl and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the tented foil from the beef tenderloin, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and thinly slice. Spoon a dime-sized dollop of homemade horseradish sauce onto each toasted crostini, followed by a thin slice of beef tenderloin. Top each crostini off with another dime-sized dollop of horseradish sauce and add some microgreens on top for garnish. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Tips

For the beef tenderloin- Remove the tenderloin from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 40-45 minutes before roasting. Also, to make the beef tenderloin easiest to slice, use your sharpest slicing knife. If the meat is cooked rare to medium-rare, the blade will cut through like butter.

For the crostinis- For extra crunchy crostinis, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake, rotating baking sheet(s) halfway through, for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Also, depending on the width of your slices, you may only need 1 baguette to yield 50 crostinis.

For the horseradish sauce- If the horseradish sauce is too runny, add in 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. If the horseradish sauce is too strong, add in 1-2 tablespoons of applesauce. 

Substitutions

• Alternative cuts of beef- If beef tenderloin isn't in your party budget, you can also use London Broil or flank steak trimmed of excess fat.
• Store-bought horseradish sauce- I absolutely love this homemade horseradish sauce, but if you're looking to save a little bit of time/energy before a big party, store-bought horseradish sauce, such as Zatarain’s or Inglehoffer, will work just fine.
• Store-bought crostinis- Most grocery store cheese departments and bakeries sell pre-made crostinis! They're typically ultra crispy, though, with a similar texture to crackers. So, if you prefer yours lightly toasted (like I personally do), it's worth making your own.

Storage

• Beef tenderloin- Place leftover beef tenderloin into a shallow airtight container (you can also wrap the leftover tenderloin tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh) and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
• Crostinis- Once crostinis are fully cooked and cooled, store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature, preferably in a cool dark spot.
• Homemade horseradish sauce- Transfer homemade horseradish sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5-6 days.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network and updated on 6/28/2022 to reflect more accurate prep and cook time estimates.

Nutrition Information

Yield 25Serving Size 2 Pieces
Amount Per ServingCalories 117Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 18mgSodium 72mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 5g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.

More Easy Holiday Appetizers for a Crowd

If you need more easy holiday appetizers for a crowd, here are some recipes I think you’ll love as much as I do–

• Mini Beef Wellington Bites– If you love beef Wellington, you can’t go wrong with these! Also made with delicious beef tenderloin, these warm and flaky beef Wellington bites are the perfect holiday appetizer.
• Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostinis– These tomato and goat cheese crostinis are budget-friendly, take less than ten minutes to prepare, and are as tasty as they are colorful!
• Raspberry Baked Brie– Made with warm and flaky puff pastry dough and flavorful raspberry jam, this “gift-wrapped” raspberry baked brie is the perfect appetizer– and it’s so easy to make, too. Enjoy it by itself or serve with crackers, apples, or pear slices!

 
Well, that’s it– that’s my go-to beef tenderloin crostini recipe! I’m not exaggerating when I say these are guaranteed to be a hit. From experience, and depending on the size of your party, be prepared to make a second round. Fortunately, you’ll probably have some beef tenderloin left over, and trust me, you will not want it to go to waste. I recommend picking up an extra baguette (or four) just in case!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions about this easy holiday appetizer or any of my others. I love hearing from y’all, and I’m happy to help. Thanks for reading, y’all!

Today’s post is sponsored by the Missouri Beef Industry Council. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Diary of a Debutante possible!

Photography by Catherine Rhodes.