Juicy Oven Roasted Bison Tenderloin Steaks

Bison tenderloin in cast iron skillet with wood background.

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5 from 1 vote

Juicy Oven Roasted Bison Tenderloin Steaks

These tender, melt in your mouth buttery steaks are seared and finished in the oven for perfect results!

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Resting Time10

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 474kcal

Author: Holly Lee

Cost: $100

Equipment

oven-safe skillet such as cast iron
tongs
Spoon

Ingredients

4 bison tenderloin steaks 1 1/2 inches thick
coarse salt for seasoning
3-4 tbsp butter softened
2-3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tsp fresh, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh, chopped
2-3 tbsp avocado oil for searing

Instructions

One hour prior to cooking, remove bison tenderloin steaks from the refrigerator. Pat them dry & sprinkle them with coarse sea salt on both sides. Let them sit at room temperature for one hour. See notes if house is warm.
4 bison tenderloin steaks, coarse salt
While the steaks are resting, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, and dried herbs. Set this aside until it is time to cook the steaks.
3-4 tbsp butter, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Toward the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place an oven -safe skillet, such as cast iron, on your stove top and heat it to medium-high until nice and hot.
Once the pan is nice and hot, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of avocado oil to the skillet. Once the oil spreads and glistens, add the steaks to the pan and leave them undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes.
2-3 tbsp avocado oil
Flip the steaks over using some tongs. Add the garlic butter to the pan and let it melt. Tip the pan so the butter pools to one end. Using a spoon, scoop the butter mixture over the steaks repeatedly for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down if needed so the garlic and butter don't burn.
Turn off the stove and carefully move the oven-safe skillet into the oven for the bison tenderloin to finish cooking. Cook at 400°F for 3-5 minutes-- 3 minutes for rare, 4 for medium rare, 5 for medium. Check the internal temp with a thermometer--you want to pull them out about 5 degrees cooler than your desired final temp. See notes for final cooking temperature suggestions.
Let steaks rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so the juices can reabsorb.

Video

Notes

If your house is warmer than 75°F, you can salt the steaks and place them back in the fridge uncovered for 30 minutes, then place them on the counter for another 30 minutes.

Salting the steaks an hour ahead of time is important--do not rush this. Salt draws moisture out of the steaks, but with enough time the tenderloin will reabsorb the juices. Salting just before cooking could result in dry steaks.

For medium-rare, pull the steaks at 130°F and let them rest. By the end of the rest, they should be 134-135°F.

For rare, pull the steaks at 125°. For medium, pull at 135°.

Let steaks rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

NOTE ON TIMING: These timings are based on 1 1/2 inch steaks. If your steaks are thinner or thicker, time may need to be slightly adjusted.

Nutrition