Filet Mignon Recipe
Published November 22, 2019. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Is there anything more delicious than a perfectly cooked steak? This pan-roasted filet mignon recipe is served with roasted mushrooms and a delicious, easy-to-make blue cheese butter.
As a guy, there’s nothing I look forward to more when going out to eat than a well-prepared steak. The incredible flavor, the juiciness, tenderness, and the overall satisfaction it brings me. I think it’s more because I don’t eat it all the time, so when I do, it’s a real treat, just like with my Classic Boeuf Bourguignon or my Steak Frites recipe.
What Cut of Beef Does It Come From?
Filet mignon pronounced “fil-ay min-yon,” is an individual single slice serving from the beef tenderloin cut of the cow. It can range from 2 ounces up to 24 ounces; I don’t think I’ve seen bigger than that before.
Filet Mignon Cost Per Pound
It’s a super lean, tender cut of beef and can range from around $13.99 per pound all the way past $49.99, depending on the grade of beef, per pound.
Cooking Methods
There are quite a few different ways to cook a filet depending on your cooking method preference and availability of equipment like sous vide, but to me, grilling and pan-searing are the most popular.
Grilling is an incredibly popular way to cook steak, and to me should be done at high heat and quickly so that it doesn’t overcook.
In my personal opinion, the best way to cook it is by pan searing it on the stove. Since filets are pretty lean, I like to be able to incorporate as much fat as possible, so cooking it with butter dramatically ups the flavor.
How to Cook a Filet Mignon
We’ll follow the same pan-searing method as my perfectly cooked chicken breast recipe.
- Start by adding some cold oil to a cast-iron skillet or your favorite frying pan, and set to medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. The smoke that comes from the oil, also known as the smoking point, lets you know that it’s time to start pan-searing.
- Add in your seasoned with salt and pepper steaks, followed up by immediately turning the heat down to medium, ensuring you don’t burn your filet.
- The next thing to do is to start pumping some flavor into the pan by adding some garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and of course, some unsalted butter. All of these ingredients are going to deliver a seriously tasty steak.
- I personally prefer a rare to medium-rare internal temperature, so cooking an 8-ounce filet mignon using this exact method will take about 3 to 3 ½ minutes per side of cooking.
- Once you flip the steak over, begin to baste it with a large spoon by tilting the panhandle towards you and scooping up the hot butter/oil mixture, and pour it over top of the filet mignons. Also, feel free to get some garlic and thyme in your spoon as you baste it.
- The last thing you need to do, and it’s so important, is to let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes on a plate once you remove it from the pan. Doing this will allow the juices to soak back in, making it tender and flavorful.
Blue Cheese Butter
Not only is this extremely easy to make, but it’s also fantastic when served over chicken or pork in addition to this recipe. Simply mix softened unsalted butter with blue cheese crumbles, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.
The only thing I ask is that you pick out a good creamy cheese like Point Reyes or Maytag and try to avoid the crumble’s out of a plastic container. Keep the butter cool in the refrigerator until it’s ready to use, or you can actually freeze it for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be served as soon as it is done resting. If you make it ahead of time, the internal temperature may increase past your desire.
How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small sauté or roasting pan and pour in about a ½ cup of beef stock; cover the pan in foil and cook it in the oven at 400° for 5 to 7 minutes. Reheating your steak will 100% cause it to increase in internal temperature, most likely past medium and into medium-well.
How to Store and Freeze: Store this in a plastic container or covered in plastic and refrigerate for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 45 days and covered in plastic. See note above for reheating.
CHEF NOTES + TIPS
- This is best prepared and served at a rare to medium-rare internal temperature to preserve as much flavor as possible.
- If you are unsure of the internal temperature, be safe and use a thermometer.
- You should try serving this with a side of sauteed mushrooms.
- If there is any of the herb and garlic sauce is leftover, it freezes well covered for up to 3 months.
What Do You Serve with Filet Mignon
- Chive and Horseradish Mashed Red Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin
- Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Lemon Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- Roasted Root Vegetables
Video
Filet Mignon Recipe
Ingredients
For the Blue Cheese Butter:
- 2 sticks softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup good crumbled blue cheese
- juice of ½ lemon
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Steak:
- 3 8- ounce filet mignons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Mushrooms:
- 2 cups each prepared and sliced oyster, shiitake and cremini mushrooms
- 1 peeled small diced shallot
- 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup cabernet sauvignon
- ½ cup beef stock
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blue Cheese Butter: Simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined and smooth with small blue cheese chunks. Chill in the refrigerator until it is ready to use.
- Steak: Season the filet mignons on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Add the steak, turn the heat down to medium and then add in the garlic cloves, thyme, and butter.
- After 3 to 3 1/2 minutes flip the steak over and begin to baste them with the hot butter and oil from the pan. Cook for 3 to 3 ½ minutes to achieve a rare to medium-rare internal temperature.
- Take the steaks out of the pan and let them rest on a plate for 5 minutes.
- Mushrooms: Discard the thyme leaves and garlic cloves from the saute pan and turn the heat to high. Add in the mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once they begin to turn brown, scoot them to the top of the pan and place the shallots, garlic, and butter on the other side of the pan where no mushrooms are, and quickly saute them until lightly browned, which takes about 1 minute.
- Combine all of the ingredients and then deglaze with red wine and cook for 1 minute before adding in the beef stock.
- Finish with salt and pepper.
- Serve the filets with the mushrooms and blue cheese butter
I have LOVED every single recipe that I have made of yours and this is no exception, absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
many thanks!
Very Nice. Thanks for the tip on how to slice it!
my pleasure
You make everyone feel like a chef! My family thinks this is better than a restaurant (and it costs a lot less!).
That’s the goal!
We have used this recipe and the Filet came out perfectly! I especially enjoyed the blue cheese butter. Yum!
Awesome!
This was outstanding!! Whenever we have guests for dinner quite often I will make tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce. The sauce which is delicious takes about an hour to make. This time I followed this recipe and Wow!! The steak was perfect and the blue cheese butter was so quick and easy and possibly better tasting then the sauce! Will definitely make this again and again!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Sooooo good’
super tasty.
I am a grill guy when it comes to steak! But I found some Fillets on sale and decided to try this procedure for the first time, and WOW did you make me look good! Thanks Chef!
This was an amazing special night dinner. Truly restaurant quality. The blue cheese butter was the perfect touch. The mushrooms were perfection. My steak was a little larger so we could just share one. It was slightly underdone. I was afraid my sear was burning, a novice’s mistake. Will try the Don Vito style next!!
My family loved this. Definitely have everything measured and set to the side before cooking. Makes it so much easier.
I know this is question is in the “you want to do what? to this great of filet,” but I gotta ask. Got someone in the house who won’t eat steak rare. I know it won’t be the same, but how much longer should I cook the filet for it to be medium?
Really depends on the size. It’s also hard to give you an exact time. Best thing you could do is cook it for 2-4 minutes more per side and stick a thermometer in it if you’re not sure what temp it’s at by touch or feel. When it gets to 135 pull it off and rest it for 4-5 minutes before serving.
Omg! This was absolutely amazing!!!!! My husband couldn’t stop talking about how great this was! I make alot of your recipes but this one has to be one of my favorites!!!!!
The blue cheese butter is amazing! I don’t even like blue cheese and I couldn’t stop tasting it. Love all your recipes. Thank you for being generous with your time and knowledge and reaching everyone how to cook.
I don’t understand why this recipe–and so many others–calls for unsalted butter, and then calls for salt. Unsalted butter, to my mind, is tasteless, like lard; it’s just fat on the tongue. Better, I say, to use salted butter and then reduce the salt in the recipe. The final product is the same! And I must say, this filet mignon tops the charts.
Because I want to control the salt content, not the butter company.
Yum. All my favorites. Thanks Chef.
Thanks a lot chef Billy parisi
You is best!
This is perfection! So amazing!
WOW!! This is such a fantastic filet mignon!! And that blue cheese butter is just AMAZING!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
My husband is going to love this! I can’t wait to make it for him!