Individual Beef Wellingtons
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Look no further for your next decadent dinner idea! My Individual Beef Wellington recipe features beef tenderloin, caramelized onions, rosemary butter, and bleu cheese all wrapped up in a buttery puff pastry package.
Whether it is graduation day, Father’s Day, or simply Friday, this recipe is a great way to impress your friends and family. There is something about everyone getting their own individual Beef Wellington that makes this recipe extra special. Plus it means everyone gets more of that flaky pastry goodness!
Serve it up with a nice crisp salad such as Thunderbird Salad or your favorite vegetable. I personally love this dish with blanched asparagus.
This recipe definitely has a lot of steps and prep, but don’t let that intimidate you. You can assemble and freeze your Wellingtons up to 5 days ahead of time. No stress required! See the video below on how to make this.
INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Butter – Enhances flavor and forms the base for compound butter.
- Gorgonzola – Adds a rich creamy flavor. Goat cheese would be a good substitute.
- Rosemary – This aromatic herb is key to a great compound butter.
- Beef Tenderloin Filets – Choose this cut for the most tender and juicy results possible.
- Bacon Fat – This fat is stable at high temperatures and adds an incomparable richness of flavor to any dish.
- Salt – Kosher salt is my go-to, but any high quality salt will do. Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt are also great options.
- Pepper – Choose freshly cracked peppercorns for ultimate flavor.
- Onion – Caramelized onions add a sweet, umami flavor that is unmatched. I can’t get enough.
- Puff Pastry Sheets – Flaky, buttery goodness to wrap everything in. Thaw before starting this recipe.
- Eggs – The egg wash gives each individual Beef Wellington that lovely golden color and shine.
HOW TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTON
1. Make Compound Butter. Mix together room temperature butter, Gorgonzola crumbles, and chopped rosemary in a bowl. Fold the mixture onto plastic wrap or wax paper, then use it to work butter into a cylinder shape. Twist the ends and place in the refrigerator to firm.
2. Prepare Filets. Trim any excess fat from your filets (tie with twine if needed) and season with salt and pepper. Add bacon fat, olive oil, or butter to a heated pan. Sear filets for 2 minutes per side to brown and caramelize the outside while sealing in the juices. Set the meat aside to rest and cool.
3. Caramelize The Onions. Turn heat down to low, then add sliced onions and 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pan. Stirring often, allow onions to gently caramelize for about 45 minutes. Set aside.
4. Prepare For Assembly. Bring the puff pastry dough to room temperature. Cut two ¼-inch thick slice of the compound butter to each of your filets. Line a tray that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper. Roll the pastry dough into a rectangle and slice to make even squares.
5. Assemble Wellingtons. In the center of each dough square, place 2 slices of compound butter, ¼ of the caramelized onions, and a seared filet. Remove any twine from filets.
6. Wrap Wellingtons. Gently fold the dough around each stack of ingredients. Smooth as much as possible, trimming any excess. Place each pastry seam down on the tray and brush with egg wash. Place the tray in the freezer and wait one hour before covering with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
7. Bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a heavy rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer the frozen Wellingtons (do not thaw) to the baking pan and give each a fresh coat of egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes. Once cooked to your liking (rosy filet, 120°F, for medium rare, 130°F), remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes. Serve immediately after cutting each Wellington in half. Enjoy!
What Temperature Should Beef Wellington Reach?
I recommend using a meat thermometer to get your individual Beef Wellington just the way you like it. For a moist, rosy filet, aim for an internal temperature of 120 degrees F. If medium rare is more to your liking, shoot for 130 degrees F.
What To Serve With Beef Wellington?
This rich and decadent dish pairs beautifully with a fresh, crisp side dish such as Thunderbird Salad or this Flat Wedge Salad. Truth be told, both of these fresh salads are still quite decadent and are perfect if you are a huge fan of blue cheese like me. If not, try your favorite green vegetable dish instead.
What Is The Best Cut Of Meat For Beef Wellington?
Since we are going for the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience with this recipe, I recommend choosing the highest quality meat available. Beef tenderloin filets (about 2 inches thick) are perfect for this recipe. They are lean, juicy, and will bring your Wellingtons to the next level!
This recipe post, originally published on Kevin Is Cooking October, 2014, and was updated with new content, photos and/or video in October, 2022.
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Individual Beef Wellingtons
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 4 oz Gorgonzola crumbles
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (leaves chopped)
- 3 lbs beef tenderloin filets (4 filet – 2 inches thick)
- 3 tbsp bacon fat (or olive oil, or butter)
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 yellow onion (large, thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 2 eggs beaten (separated)
- 2 tsp of water separated
Instructions
Compound Butter
- Let butter come to room temperature and place in a bowl with the Gorgonzola crumbles.
- Chop the rosemary and mix in with butter and Gorgonzola cheese. With a spatula incorporate all the ingredients and fold onto a sheet of wax paper. Roll the butter mixture into a cylindrical shape working with the wax paper. Twist the edges and refrigerate until firm.
Wellingtons
- Trim the fat off the filet and use kitchen twine to tie in a circle to hold it’s shape if needed. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sear both sides to seal in juices quickly in a hot pan with bacon fat, olive oil or butter (about 2 minutes a side). You want the outside caramelized and browned (not grey, that means your pan is not hot enough) and the inside pink. Allow meat to rest and cool.
- In the same pan add the sliced onions and 2 tablespoons of butter and slowly brown and caramelize. This takes about 45 minutes on low. Do not burn and stir often. Set aside and cool.
- Allow puff pastry sheets to come to room temperature.
- Remove compound butter from refrigerator, unroll from plastic wrap and slice two 1/4 inch rounds per filet. Roll up and refrigerate the remaining compound butter.
Assembly
- Assemble with puff pastry sheets rolled in a rectangle. Slice in half to make 2 squares. In the center of each sheet top with 2 slices of the bleu cheese rosemary compound butter, a quarter of the caramelized onions, then the seared filet. BE SURE TO CUT AND REMOVE THE KITCHEN TWINE if you've tied your filet.
- Gently fold the puff pastry up and around the Wellington stack of ingredients, trimming the excess and keeping things as smooth as possible. Set each one seam side down on a tray lined with parchment paper that will fit in your freezer easily. Put any cut out puff pastry decorations on top and brush with egg wash and repeat the entire process with other filet.
- Place the dish with the Wellingtons in the freezer and after 1 hour cover with plastic wrap and continue to freeze for 4 hours or up to five days. (See Note 1)
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the other egg in a small bowl and set aside. Remove the Wellingtons from the freezer (do not thaw) and brush each with a fresh coat of egg wash. Put them on a lightly greased heavy rimmed baking sheet OR with a Silpat silicone sheet OR parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake another 30 to 35 minutes. Using a meat thermometer – the internal temperature should be 120°F for a rosy, moist filet and 130°F for medium rare. Remove from oven, set aside and rest for 10 minutes. Cut each Wellington in half, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- This is one of those recipes with a lot of steps and prep, so it’s great for making ahead of time and then when ready, bring it out and cook it.
The freezing assists in keeping the center of these from getting well done since these are individually cut.
You do not have to freeze, but it’s recommended. If you go ahead and cook right away, just be sure the internal temperature should be 120°F for a rosy, moist filet and 130°F for medium rare.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi my son came across this recipe. It’s perfect since I detest mushrooms. We have them in the oven now, we are so excited to finally be able to sit down to eat. I’m am reading all of the great reviews while I wait and know this won’t be the last time we make this. Many thanks!
A perfect special occasion dinner for sure. Thanks Lizette!
This looks great. I will be making four individual wellingtons, and I don’t want to mess up the cooking time. My wife likes her filet well done, but luckily my son has come around to enjoying it medium. So if I wanted to make these four medium/medium well without burning/overcooking the pastry portion, what would you suggest? Thank you.
Hey there Sean. I would put your wife’s in first to cook it longer, then you and your son’s for the medium versions. Make sense? Hope you enjoy these, I love these myself. Cheers!
This was absolutely amazing. Made this for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day last year and he STILL raves about it. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for making my morning reading this Sam! Those are some tasty Wellingtons! 🙂
Can this recipe be prepared as a traditional wellington as opposed to individual? if so, at temperature or cooking modifications would you recommend.
Hi there Madeleine! Thanks for asking. For say a 3-pound center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed, I would heat the oven to 400°F and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature is between 110°F (rare) to 125°F then allow to rest. This is my guess-timate! Let me know how it turns out.
Thank you, Kevin. I’m planning this for Christmas dinner. I will keep you updated.
You bet and thanks!
I need to make 12~! Can I just the recipe X6 – same temps, same process?
Yes, I think you’d be fine. Wish I was coming to your house! 😉
Curious, I have to make this for 10 people. Did yours turn out for 12?
Actually this was for 2 servings. I had 2 filets so I am assuming you will be doing an entire tenderloin?
I am going to make 12 individual Wellington’s. I did a trial run last night followed the recipe, took them out when they reached 110, let them sit for 10 mins and they ended up raw. So disappointed. I’m going to try again tonight.
The time does depend also on the thickness of the meat and times may vary. The ones used in this recipe were 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick and I’ve worked with some almost 3 – 31/2 inches thick. Use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 110-120°F for a rare, rosy, moist filet and 130°F for medium rare. Remove from oven, set aside and rest for 10 minutes. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect this clarification.
Hi Kevin, these look amazing so I’m planning on making them for a dinner party for 6 people. Can I make them the day before and just store them in the fridge or do I have to freeze them because it will be about 24 hours?
Thank you,
Tracey
You could give it a try and see. The reason for the freeze is so the puff pastry does not get soggy and wet sitting with the other ingredients over night. You don’t want there to be a tear in the pastry dough and the filling oozes out while baking. Plus the cooking time would be off. It’s just that the investment in time to make these is worth it to freeze. If you do it that way please comment back to let me know how it turned out. I’d update the instructions.
Lol, it’s a bit of a cooking competition with the other couples so no way am I trying something that may not work…I’m going to win this thing! Thank you for the reply, I’ll let you know if we win at the end of November ????
Love it! Best of luck and definitely let me know how it goes Tracey.
I’m making this as a surprise for my fiance and I’m real excited. Would goat cheese be a good substitute for bleu cheese? Also, what do you suggest as a vegetable and potato side? I’ve looked everywhere but can’t find something that sounds good.
Thanks!
Hello there Chana, thanks for stopping by and trying this. Your fiancé is a lucky guy 😉
I think the goat cheese would be, yes. As for a potato side how about this Hassleback beauty? As for a vegetable, this Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar & Honey is a site favorite. Feel free to look under the menu for Recipes/Everyday/Vegetables. I have lots of salads as well. Let me know how it all turns out!
Kevin, WOW by boyfriend and I cooked this for valentines day, ummm today! and it is absolutely AMAZING! just wow. thank you so much. I had come across your blog post months ago, and had been wanting to make this for him, but when he said “hey honey what should we do for valentine’s day” i knew this was the perfect thing! Thanks again, and just WOW!
That makes me so happy Alexandra! Fantastic and thanks for letting me share in your Valentines festivities!
Have a great week and thanks for coming back and letting me know! 🙂
So let’s say that my wife hates bleu cheese with a passion. What could I use instead? Herbed cream cheese maybe?
Hey there Matthew! I’d use a herb cheese, maybe like Boursin. It’s another I use quite often. It would go nicely when making the compound butter, or simply use it on it’s own. Let me know how it turns out.
I made these last year for Christmas and they were the talk of the town! I’m coming back this year to make it again. Thank you so so much for sharing this crazy delicious recipe!
Thank you for making my day! 🙂
Happy Holidays to you and your family Hannah!