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.
Is this recipe meant to only be used with a whole tenderloin that you cut? I would wondering if you bought individual filets 2 inches thick if you still seared them in a pan.
Yes you can Jodi, but I do mention in the ingredients the individual filets. Enjoy!
Would it be ok to freeze these for 8 days? Wanted to prep them today to serve for Easter next Sunday.
I think you’d be fine April, enjoy!
Hello Kevin,
I made your individual beef Wellington recipe and it came out delicious. Unfortunately, I have two family members who do not like beef. (how annoying) Do you have an idea or can you create a boneless chicken recipe with puff pastry on the same idea of the beef Wellington? Is there a way to par cooking the chicken, wrap in puff pastry, freeze and then bake? I’m not sure if it can be done, but I thought, if anyone can do it, you can!
Thanks in advance.
Joyce Petersen
Thanks for the great question and challenge. I’ll have to work on that one using this recipe and when and if its worth posting here, I will Joyce.
one of my favorite recipes– my husband was so impressed and he asks for this now ALL THE TIME
Fantastic! Thanks so much for coming back for the review and kind words Sam.
Thank you so much for posting a wellington recipe without mushrooms! I’m not a fan of them so I’m super excited to make these for Christmas dinner this year. I love your blog, by the way!
You’re very welcome, Tara. I hope everyone enjoyed the Wellingtons!
I just made this and it’s in my freezer for two days from now I added mushrooms to the onions I’m hoping they don’t make it soggy will update when it’s been cooked!
Let me know how it turned out Jessica!
It was amazing the mushrooms didn’t make it soggy at all I got no pictures because everyone devoured theirs!
I have looked at this recipe for a while and been quite dubious about cooking a fillet steak from frozen. I bit the bullet yesterday and did it, I’m so glad I did, it was perfect. Hubby is already asking when we’re having it again! Thank you.
I am glad you decided to try it out! I love making it myself! Glad he enjoyed it as well!
I sooooo look forward to making these as they look and sound phenomenal! Traditional Beef Wellington uses a layer of prosciutto between the duxelles and the pastry to keep the pastry from becoming soggy and to add a bit more depth of flavor to the Wellington. I know that you don’t have this included in your recipe and you obviously don’t have any soggy issues with your pastry. Would this be something that you could add to this recipe to add to the flavor and possibly help keep the pastry drier if that became an issue or would it not work with this style of Wellington?
Thanks again for the AMAZING recipes!!
I know the next time I make this I’m adding prosciutto, great idea Tom. 😉
We made these with garlic butter and Gorgonzola and carmelized onions pairing with green beans w bacon and onions and a hash brown caserole can’tt wait to cook these we will let you know how they turn out
Sounds like an amazing meal to me!
I spent a lot of $$$ for some great filet’s and hoped I didn’t mess these up. OMG. These were as good as they looked. I had traditional Beef Wellington on a cruise once and have always wanted to try making them. I do not particularly like mushrooms, so when I came across this recipe, I had to try it. I made 2 of them and they were FANTASTIC. They were the perfect twist, with the Gorgonzola/Rosemary Butter and sautéed onions.
I wasn’t sure how much puff pastry to use, so ended up using 2 sheets. I ended up using a whole one for each Beef Wellington, when I should have used 1 sheet for both, and just rolled it out thin enough. Even with a full puff pastry sheet, they still turned out beautiful and delicious (although the inside of the pastry was just a little undercooked). This is going in my personal recipe file and will make again.
Only 1 thing I highly recommend. Once they were in the oven, if I had left them in the full cooking time, they were have been overdone. So make sure to use a meat thermometer.
So happy you made these! They are a very special treat indeed!