This post was originally published here on September 29, 2014. It is THE most popular recipe on my blog (and for a good reason!), so I thought it deserved some updated photographs! Enjoy!
I get a lot of questions about my dietary preferences. Probably the most common one being “are you a vegetarian?”.
To set the record straight, I am not. I just don’t consume a lot of meat. I prefer to follow a plant-based diet about 90% of the time. Because I find that when I do so, not only do I feel better on the inside, but I also look better on the outside.
In short, fruits and vegetables make me a happy person.
But when I do choose to splurge on meat, I choose to go BIG. If I’m out at a restaurant, I’ll order a burger with ALL the toppings (and a side of fries, of course!). And if I’m at home cooking for a special occasion (like Christmas Eve or Valentine’s Day), then I like to make filet mignon.
This recipe for How to Cook the Perfect Filet Mignon has been my go-to method for many years now. It’s simple, straightforward and essentially foolproof. And that’s the most important part. Because let’s be honest with ourselves, filet mignon is an expensive cut of beef. And you don’t want to f*** it up.
So if you want steakhouse quality filet mignon without having to go through all the trouble on putting on real pants, then give this recipe a try.
Before starting, please read over the entire recipe instructions (I mean, you should ALWAYS do this before attempting any new recipe!). You might also want to peruse the comment section. Many readers have made tweaks to the original instructions (for example, in the type of pan or oil used) and have still had amazing success with this recipe. So if you have a common question, chances are pretty good that you’ll find the answer somewhere below!
Here are the points that I think are the most important to achieving success:
(1) Give your filets time to come to room temperature before cooking.
(2) Use a timer! Don’t just guess the cooking times. Things happen quickly here. And in the span of just 1-2 minutes time, your filets can go from exactly the way you want them to overcooked. For reference, the pictures in this post are of two 8-ounce filets cooked in the oven for 6 minutes (see step 4 in the instructions).
(3) Resist the urge to move the filets around in the sauté pan. You want to get that perfect sear on the outside. Let them be!
(4) After the first 4 minutes of cook time, flip the filets over to the second side and IMMEDIATLEY transfer everything to your oven (see step 4 in the instructions). The filets will simultaneously sear on the second side while cooking in the center.
I know a lot of people like sauce(s) and/or topping(s) on their filet mignon. But frankly, I just don’t. I find the flavor and texture of perfectly cooked filet mignon to be wonderful all on its own. It doesn’t need to be dressed up or disguised. A pinch of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and a spoonful of juices from the pan is enough for me. And while I certainly can’t stop you from slathering steak sauce all over your filet mignon, I wouldn’t be doing my duty as a food blogger if I didn’t at least try to encourage you not to do so.
Cheers,
Liz
How to Cook the Perfect Filet Mignon
Ingredients
Instructions
I just cooked my 3 Filet Mignons with your recipe & OMG, they are AMAZING! Thank you.💗
I’m so Happy & so is my Husband. What a Great Recipe you shared. They turned out so Great & Juicy! I’ve NEVER cooked Filet Mignons like this.
You are a GENIUS!🤗👊✌🖒💞
Oh I’m so happy to hear this, Laurie! Yay!
Dear Floating Kitchen, Followed your FM recipe EXACTLY, used stop watch timer ! perfect delicious filet mignon first try ! thanks, big help. was skeptical, thought over cooking but stuck to the 4+7 and was perfect… foil tent rest i believe very important, most people new to cooking dont know that…
Yay! That’s great, Bob! Using an actually timer definitely helps!
Just cooked one and it turned out perfect, melt in your mouth steak.
That’s what I like to hear!
I was terrified to cook filet mignon steaks for the first time on Valentine’s Day but followed your recipe to a “T” and they turned out perfectly! Thank you!!!!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Abby!
Does this method produce a lot of smoke? I don’t have a vent over my oven/stove and the last time (years ago) I tried to cook steak at home it smoked us out!
I haven’t had trouble with excessive smoke when I’ve made this recipe.
WOW!!! This recipe is a Winner: ) I’m always nervous when cooking meat. But I’ve never made steaks this delicious. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe : ) Will continue to use for years to come. YAY!!!
So so happy to hear this, Maria! Yay!
I was planning to grill but the promised warm snap ended up being 38 and rainy so I needed an indoor recipe. Used cast iron skillet and this was superb! I put in some marinated asparagus at the same time as I popped the steaks into the oven. Best meal ever. Thank you!!
Oh love the idea of adding asparagus spears to the pan when you pop it in the oven. I’m going to try that next time. Thanks for the tip! And glad you loved the recipe!
I just tried your approach, and WOW! Perfection Indeed! Seared on the outside, tender and juicy inside. I’m going to start doing my steaks like this too. Thank you!!
That’s great, Aaron! Yahoo!
I used your recipe for the third time yesterday, and couldn’t have been happier with the results. The first two times I used it I was only cooking two filets for my husband and myself, who both like our meat medium rare. Yesterday I prepared a meal for six of us – one who likes her filet extremely well done, two who wanted their’s medium, and three of us who wanted medium rare. With the use of multiple timers, they all turned out PERFECTLY – and everyone said it was the best filet they’d ever had. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for this excellent fool-proof recipe! I will definitely be serving more filet mignon in the future!
Hi Julie! Your comment totally just made my day! And hooray for using timers and getting everyone’s filet done to their liking!
Glad I made YOUR day, too! My son called the next day and said his girlfriend, who’s from New York City, said it was the best meal she’d ever had! *thud*
Hooray! That’s awesome, Julie!
Just tried your recipe and it was bangin !!
Woo hoo! That’s awesome, Brandon!
Followed the directions exactly, this was perfection!
That’s wonderful, Melody!
I assumed filet mignon was a bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin but the recipe didn’t say anything about bacon at all. I’m confused.
Filet mignon is a cut of beef. It can be prepared/served wrapped in bacon.
I found filets for $5 per pound yesterday, and I couldn’t pass them up at that price. I’ve tried to cook filets in the past (it’s been many years), but they turned out just okay–my husband and I both like our meat cooked to medium well, and filets tend to get tough cooked to that level of doneness. I was hopeful that this recipe would get better results, but I wasn’t expecting much. They were perfect! Cooked through, but still very tender. So good that I am going back to buy more for dinner tomorrow.
Hooray! So glad they came out perfect. And what a great price! Hope you went back for seconds!
what do you supposed the difference will be if I used a cast iron skillet instead of stainless sauté pan? I have both pans but always thought cast iron was better for steak.
Cast iron retains heat a bit better, so I would suspect you might need to shave a teeny bit of time off the overall cooking time.
Tonight was the third time we followed your recipe. It works like a charm. So happy I can pull this at home, each time! Love the repeatable process with expected outcome when it comes to fillet 🙂
I am using garlic salt with lemon pepper mix. Tonight, added few extra shakes as the last time it was not salty enough. Prefer it this way as the spicy mix cooked with the meat.
Thank you!
Hi Ivan! Awesome to hear that you have repeated success with this recipe. That totally just made my morning! And love the idea of lemon-pepper seasoning to change things up. I will try that myself next time!
Almost perfect. Mine came out well done. It was still tender. Most likely because it was a 5/8″ thick 6 oz’er. I tried for medium at 7 minutes in the oven. Next time I’ll cut back sear time to 3 min. and bake time to 5 min. Will that do the trick or will I end up with rare? If that’s the case I’ll stick it back in for a bit.
I roasted broccoli as one side and zapped sweat potato for the other.
You can cut back the time in the oven if the filet is a bit smaller.
Can I use a skillet?
I assume you are asking about a cast iron skillet. Yes, several people have made this recipe with a cast iron skillet and have had success. You might need to cut back on the cooking time slightly, as cast iron retains heat very well.
Absooute perfection. I will literally pass this method down to my kids…. and to everyone else that I know.
That’s so fantastic to hear, Maddison!
I have a question. It says to cook them on the stove for 4 minutes. Do you cook for 2 minutes on each side? Thank you.
Nope, 4 minutes on a single side only. Then flip and go directly into the oven.
I’m going to be making two 2” thick 12oz filets. Would I need to adjust timing for medium rare?
I have never cooked filet mignon that size before, so I can’t give you an exact time. I’m guessing it will take longer than the smaller 6-8 ounce filets I typically make.
Delicious! As good as an filet I’ve had at any steakhouse! I did add melted butter that I prepped in the pan after removing the cooked filet to a plate to tent it.
So glad you got perfect steakhouse quality results at home. Yay! And a little butter sounds like a good idea to me! 🙂
Can I use that copper chef pan I recently purchased as advertised on the Internet. Says you don’t need to oil it.
I have never used copper cookware, so I can’t say for certain. Sorry!
Perfect thank you now I’m not afraid to cook filet Mignon better than a restaurant and a lot cheaper keep up the good work followed the recipe
Definitely much cheaper than going out to eat…and just as delicious! Glad you conquered your fears!
The cast iron skillet makes ALL the difference. A good compound butter also helps to give a great flavor. Thanks for the tips!
Glad you have success with the cast iron. I do prefer stainless steel for this recipe, but I love my cast iron for many other things!
I don’t have a pan that can go in the oven! Can I still do this with transferring it to another oven safe pan?
It will work. But you may not get as nice of a sear on the second side. I would pre-heat the oven safe pan to try and achieve more of a crust. And I can’t recommend cooking times, since I haven’t done this myself. Might need to add an extra minute? Will likely depends on how well you pre-heat your oven safe pan and what type of pan it is.
Trying it tonight! Thank you so much! I’ll update how it goes! 🙂
Ok thanks!
Used copper chef pan. Timing was spot on!!!
That’s great to hear! Thanks for the feedback!
Fabulous recipe! I was a little nervous to cook a filet mignon for the first time, but I am sure glad I followed this recipe! I got that absolutely stunning crust I always struggled to achieve!
The differences I did were:
*I cooked the steak in a cast iron pan
*I cooked the steak in bacon grease instead of Olive oil for flavor
Hi Kristen! So glad you conquered your fear of cooking filet mignon and had great success! Glad the small changes you made worked out!
Amazon Treasure Truck had 28 day aged fillets today so I used your recipe. The fillets were only about 1.5″ thick and we like them rare so I pan fried for 3 minutes, finished them in the oven for 4 minutes and let them rest for 5 minutes. Turned out perfect, thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Dave!
I stumbled across your recipe and gave it a try. Boy oh boy did it come out delicious. I like my steak medium well so decided to leave it 9 minutes in the oven. Also used a cast iron and also wrapped my filets with bacon. It was so good that i will have to make it again tomorrow for dinner lol.
Woo hoo! And the bacon addition sounds very delicious!
What if I don’t have a full size oven? I have a countertop convection oven so I wouldn’t be able to fit a sautee pan inside of it. What would be the best substitute for a sautee pan? The oven is probably about about 2-2 1/2 feet wide and 1 1/2 feet tall
Hi Tyler, I’m sorry I’m not sure what advice to give you. You might want to consider a different way of cooking the filets? Do you have a grill?
Tyler, I have a small cast iron that just fits two filets in it. I use that in my convection oven and it works just as successfully as a regular oven.
These instructions are fantastic. I add a small pat of butter and a little garlic to the oil as well, and it adds a touch more richness. Thank you so much for these great tips. Precision makes all the difference!
Thank you for your precise instructions for making a great Filet Mignon. Made it for my wife for Mother’s Day and it came out perfect! I am not a cook normally and was hesitant with trying my hand at something like this but…nailed it! Thanks again.
So glad you nailed it, Mark! That’s awesome!
Tried the recipe, just added a bit of garlic in the oil befor adding the steak, otherwise followed everything exactly and my steaks came out perfect! My family enjoyed them for dinner:). Thank you for sharing your recipe!
That’s wonderful, Rena! And good about the garlic. Sounds yum!
Tried this with beef tenderloin steaks on 6/2/18. I was skeptical but went ahead anyway. Wow! I was truly surprised and amazed. The best home cooked steak I have ever made. It will be my steak recipe of choice from now on. My compliments to the chef.
Why thank you so much! So glad you tried it out and loved it!
First time cooking a filet and it came out PERFECT! I will definitely be suggesting this method to others. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Yay! That’s awesome, Ryan! And thanks for spreading the news! 🙂
A small horror story. I had a friend pick up some 8 oz filets for me. She had never had FM before so she had the butcher slice them in half length wise. To say the least, I wasn’t happy. They’re now less than 1 inch thick. Any suggestions on cooking them so they don’t turn into shoe leather?
Hi Sam! Sorry I am just seeing this now. What did you end up doing? How did they turn out? I suppose you could just cook them for half the time. But yes, what a shame to have them cut in half – yikes!
I’m cooking just 1 filet. Will all the times and instructions be the same?
Thanks!
Yes, will be the same for just a single filet.
I haven’t cooked them, yet. That’s why I was asking you for advice. Maybe I’ll just pan fry both sides. A minute or two on each side. Don’t know if I’m fast enough for the original recipe. I’ll let you know. Thanks for the help.
This my first time ever making a filet Mignon and it was a hit! It was simple and the best recipe, thank you so much 😊
Yay! That’s great to hear, Macey!
I hurt my shoulder trying to pat myself on the back. The steaks were cooked to perfection because I followed the steps without deviation. I had stopped cooking filets because no matter what I did they overlooked. Removing them from the pan to rest was the answer. Thank you for these instructions.
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Can I use this method with a ribeye?
I have not tried, so I can’t be sure about the cooking times, etc.
First time I tried this with two-inch fillets they came out PERFECT. Well, now I have two one inch fillets (had to butterfly a two inch)…..Gonna cut the recipe in about half a hope for best.
Good luck!
Wow. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated finding this recipe. I love filet mignon and MAYBE once a year splurge to get it in a restaurant. A local grocery store had it on sale this week for $9.99/lb and cut to order. Since I have to hold my nose to pay upwards of $5/lb for lean hamburger, this seemed like a deal. In fact, their other steaks were $13.99 a pound!
I picked up a big long package with a pricetag of $66+. I had them cut it to a little over 1 1/4″ thick. (Actually they cut it closer to 2 inches…but that was OK).
The cuts were about 12 ounces each, so we cut them in half. We followed your recipe to the T. We wanted medium rare and followed your suggestion. I CANNOT tell you how good it was!!! (You probably already know…lol). I literally melts in your mouth! BTW, we have a copper pan that is good for stove top AND oven. Thank you!
Hi Cindy! How’s awesome! So glad you got a great deal (yahoo!) and had a delicious dinner. That makes me happy! 🙂
Liz,
Thank you for this recipe – it is such a crowd pleaser! I have cooked steaks at home for several dinner parties since I read this and everyone loves them! Have you ever tried the sous vide cooking method for steaks? Just curious how you would compare the results.
Thanks again!
I haven’t tried sous vide with filet mignon. I love the crust that’s formed on the outside from pan searing. So if I cooked them sous vide, I would probably try and sear them afterwards to attain that same crust.
Fantastic! I never cooked a steak this good in my life. I had just bought a 7 oz. filet for $12/lb and decided to google for the best recipe. Floating Kitcnen was on top and I tried it since it looked so simple. I used an iron skillet and carefully followed each step, and watched the time. Oven time was about 6 minutes and the filet finished between rare and medium rare. Beautiful, tender, and juicy. Thank You! I would have paid $50 for my meal in a restaurant. Even though I’m retired, I’ve decided to become a chef and open and up a steak house. Bon appetit!
So glad to hear you had great success, John! And saved a few bucks, too! That’s always a win in my book!
Made this tonight with your recipe. Absolutely perfect FMs! You’re right. I didn’t need any sauce with it. So incredibly delicious!
That’s wonderful, Michelle!
I followed your directions using a cast iron skillet and it worked perfectly. Thank you!
Yay! You’re welcome! Glad it came out perfect!
Was pretty nervous about overlooking but after reading through the comments I went for it. Followed to a tee and it was the best piece of meat I have ever had. Thank you for bringing this joy to my table!
Woo hoo! That’s awesome, Brian! Cheers!
I don’t have a oven proof pan other than my cast iron fry pan. Would I need to adjust oven temp using a cast iron pan?
Hi Karen. I have not done this particular recipe in a cast iron pan, but many other people here have. Check the other comments to see what they recommend. I know people have done it with success!
So I don’t have a stainless steel pan or a cast iron. I have the Calphalon non-stick pan. My husband has made filet mignon in it all the time but this is the first time I am going to attempt it. I assume it’s okay to use and the result should be about the same as your stainless steel pan?
If your pan is coated with teflon or a similar non-stick agent, then it should NOT go in the oven at these high temperature. That will cause the coating to breakdown and release chemicals. You need to use a non-coated pan.
legit, on point, exactly amazing steaks—
Awesome!
Can I use butter in place of olive oil?
Butter burns more easily then olive oil, so I would stick to the oil if you can.
OMG!!! I have been grilling for years and by monitoring the temperature of my filet mignon
and thought I had it down pat. I followed the directions EXACTLY using about a one inch thick
cut filets and the two filets came out just like the steak house in Boulder Colorado where my
wife and I had our honeymoon! I ran the oven to a full 8 minutes being a thicker cut, and
they were PERFECTION! I can’t thank you enough, brought back some great memories.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
John
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
OMG this makes me so happy, John! Thank you for sharing!