Beef Wellington
⏲ ~66 min total · prep 20 · cook 46 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 150 min total🔥 22.8g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast, about 1 1/2 lb, tied with butcher's twine
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 1 small shallot, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 6 slices prosciutto (about 3 oz)
- 8 oz whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup super-fine almond flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten, for the dough and wash
Instructions
- Microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese in a bowl for 60 seconds, stir, then 30 seconds more, until fully melted and stretchy. Work in the almond flour and half the beaten egg with wet hands until a smooth dough forms; wrap and chill while you make the filling.
- Pulse the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic in a food processor to a fine mince. Cook in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 12-15 minutes, until every trace of liquid is gone and it forms a dark, crumbly paste. Stir in the thyme and butter off the heat; cool completely.
- Pat the tenderloin dry and sear it on all four sides in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, 1 minute per side, until browned but raw inside. Cool 10 minutes, brush all over with the Dijon, and chill 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment into a 14x10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Lay the prosciutto over it, spread the cold duxelles in an even layer, and center the beef on top.
- Lift the parchment to wrap the dough up and over the beef, trim excess, pinch the seam shut, and set the roll seam-side down. Brush with the beaten egg, score a crosshatch into the top with a paring knife, and chill 15 minutes so the dough firms.
- Bake at 400°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the beef reads 125°F for medium-rare.
- Rest at least 15 minutes before carving into 1-inch slices — cutting early loses the juices to the board.
Why this recipe works
- The 22.8-carb pastry Mozzarella, cream cheese, and super-fine almond flour wrap this tenderloin instead of puff pastry, which is exactly why a serving lands at 22.8 net carbs. The dough bakes deep golden at the same 400°F as the original.
- Duxelles dried to a paste The mushrooms cook 12-15 minutes until every trace of liquid is gone and the pan mixture turns dark and crumbly. That dryness is structural, because a wet filling steams the dough from underneath and no crust survives it.
- Prosciutto as a raincoat Six slices sit between duxelles and dough. They block moisture from the filling, season the beef from the outside, and slice cleanly against the pastry.
Tips for making this recipe well
Honor the chills
The recipe chills the dough, then the Dijon-brushed beef, then the assembled roll, each for a reason. Cold fat and flour cut cleanly and hold their shape. Rush a chill and the dough tears or the filling slides out the ends.
Sear fast, stay raw inside
One minute per side in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet browns the outside while the center stays raw, and raw is correct at this stage. The oven finishes the interior to 125°F. Longer searing pushes the roast toward gray before it ever bakes.
Score the top
The crosshatch in the egg-washed dough lets steam escape so the pastry puffs evenly instead of splitting at the seam. Cut shallow. Cut through and you expose the filling underneath.
Rest 15 minutes, no fewer
Cutting early loses the juices to the board, exactly as the instructions warn. The fibers relax and reabsorb liquid while it sits, and the pastry slices cleaner once it stops steaming. Use the time to make the salad.
Seam-side down, always
Set the roll with the pinched seam against the pan, where oven heat seals it further. A seam facing up unrolls as the filling softens. Trim excess dough before pinching so the seam stays thin.
Serving suggestions
Carve into 1-inch slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts so each slice shows clean. The cross-section is the show: prosciutto ring, dark duxelles, pink center. We serve this with roasted asparagus or green beans in butter and a spoonful of mustard on the side. At 22.8 net carbs a serving it eats like a holiday plate, and a sharp arugula salad with lemon cuts the richness. Leftover slices, eaten cold from the fridge the next day, might be the best part.
Storage and meal prep
Wellington is at its peak the day it bakes, but leftovers hold well. Wrap slices and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through, roughly 10-15 minutes at 300°F; high heat melts the cheese dough onto the pan, and the microwave turns the pastry soft. Freezing works for 2 to 3 months, though the almond-flour shell loses some snap after thawing. Warm slices from frozen in a low oven with foil over the top for the first half.
Variations worth trying
- Individual Wellingtons Cut the dough into four rectangles and wrap seared tenderloin medallions the same way. Start checking at 20 minutes, since smaller rolls bake faster than one big roast.
- Spinach layer Cook 8 oz of chopped spinach dry, the same way as the mushrooms, until no liquid remains. Squeeze it hard afterward; spinach holds water like a sponge.
- Different mustard Whole-grain or horseradish mustard replaces the Dijon for a sharper edge. Horseradish in particular suits both beef and the richness of the cheese dough.
- Assemble ahead Build the roll through its final 15-minute chill, wrap it well, and hold it in the fridge up to 8 hours. Bake straight from cold, adding a few minutes to the 30-35 minute range.
Frequently asked questions
Why mozzarella dough instead of puff pastry?
Puff pastry is wheat flour and butter, which would push a slice far past the 22.8 net carbs this version carries. The mozzarella and almond-flour dough bakes to a deep golden shell at the same temperature. It slices and supports the filling the way a Wellington needs.
Can I skip the prosciutto?
You can, but you lose the moisture barrier between filling and dough. If pork is off the table, spread the duxelles extra thick and expect the inner pastry to be softer. The prosciutto also seasons the beef as it roasts.
My dough cracked while rolling. How do I fix it?
Press the crack closed with wet fingers and keep rolling. The dough behaves best cool; if it turns greasy or sticky, chill it 10 minutes and start again. Small cracks seal themselves as the cheese remelts in the oven.
How do I know when it's done?
Two signals: deep golden pastry and a beef reading of 125°F through the dough for medium-rare. Slide the thermometer in at an angle through the top. The 15-minute rest is part of the cooking and the temperature climbs a few degrees as it sits.
Can I use dried thyme?
Fresh thyme leaves go in whole and stay fragrant through the long mushroom cook, which is why they're listed. If dried is what you have, use a teaspoon and add it while the mushrooms cook so it blooms in the butter. Fresh is worth keeping on the list.
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