Absolutely Perfect Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon seared in garlic herb butter on the stove and finished in the oven is the best steak recipe that turns about perfect every time! I have never made, nor have I ever enjoyed, a better steak than this one.

Why this recipe works so well:

This is quite possibly my favorite dinner. Ever. That's a pretty bold statement from a girl who lives and breathes recipes.

• Each bite will deliver a crisp browned flavorful outside with a moist and tender middle.
• Fresh garlic and herbs infuse into the butter and all that flavor gets cooked into the steak.
• You can cook this steak exactly how you want it: rare, medium rare, medium, or (gasp) medium well and well done. All controlled with an accurate thermometer.

How to cook filet mignon:

The absolute best way to cook this cut of meat is to pan fry the steaks in high quality butter with fresh herbs and garlic. Once the steaks get a nice sear on both sides you will finish them off in a hot oven until they've reached the desired internal temperature.

1. Set your steaks out at room temperature. Preheat your oven. Add the butter, smashed garlic cloves, and sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan (photo 1).
2. Generously coat the both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (photo 2).
3. Heat a saute pan over medium high to high heat. You want the butter to melt and foam but not burn, so continue to move everything around to prevent burning (photo 3). Once the butter reaches this point, add the steaks.
4. While the steaks are searing, use a spoon to continually pour the melted butter to the top of the steak. You want to infuse all of that flavor into the meat (photo 4).
5. Once you've seared both sides to perfection, finish the Filet Mignon off in the oven (photo 5 & 6).

How long do you cook a Filet Mignon?

The total amount of time it takes to cook these steaks depends on a few factors:

1. How thick are your steaks?
2. What is the starting temperature of the meat (i.e. did you pull it straight from the fridge to the pan or did you let it come to room temperature first)?
3. How hot can you get your garlic herb butter and pan without burning the butter? There are a few tips and tricks to this step... keep on reading to find out.

All in all, Filet Mignon cooks up in about 15 minutes, start to finish. It truly is an easy dinner recipe.

Internal temperatures:

Remove the filet mignon steaks from the oven when internal temperature is about 5°F below your desired doneness:

Doneness	Color	Temperature
Rare	Cool red center	125°F
Medium Rare	Warm red center	135°F
Medium	Warm pink center	145°F
Medium Well	Slightly pink center	150°F
Well Done	Little or no pink	160°F

Remember: as long as you let the steaks rest in the hot pan, the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees.

Cooking tips for perfect results:

• Prior to cooking, take the steaks out of the refrigerator at least an hour before they hit the pan. If the steaks are cold when you cook them, the outside will cook much faster than the inside resulting in steaks that are usually over cooked on the outside and under cooked on the inside.
• When the steaks are added to the pan, they will reduce the temperature of the pan and help prevent your butter from burning. You still need to keep an eye on it and move the butter around so that it doesn't burn.
• Be sure to test with an accurate thermometer to guarantee that the steaks are cooked to your liking.
• For best results, buy steaks that are the same size and thickness. This will ensure they cook at the same rate. Otherwise you will need to test the temperature of each steak.
• Pull the filet mignon pan out of the oven a few degrees before they've reached their final temperature and allow them to rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes prior to serving.
• If you accidentally took the temperature too far, you will still need to allow the filet mignon to rest before cutting into them. Take them out of the hot pan to rest and transfer to a cutting board or plate. This will slow further cooking which would result in an overly done filet mignon.

Tenderloin is expensive.

But beef tenderloin steaks are absolutely worth the cost every so often for a special treat or for a holiday dinner.

Filet Mignon is expensive because it is arguably the most tender cut of beef. It is super tender because it is not a weight-bearing muscle and contains less connective tissue, thus making it more tender.

Tender beef is desirable beef.  Desirable beef is expensive beef. The fact that beef tenderloin is a relatively small cut compared to other beef cuts adds to the hefty price as well. If you're looking for a less expensive steak, T-Bone Steaks are another great option.

Worth it. So worth it.

Side dish recommendations:

• You can't go wrong with perfectly cooked Baked Potatoes (hint: they are outstanding when you make them in the Instant Pot)
• Don't want baked potatoes? Go the extra mile and make Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes 
• You can't enjoy Filet Mignon without a dark green vegetable. What's more perfect than Garlic Parmesan Oven Roasted Asparagus?
• You can't go wrong with serving up an every day salad alongside your steak.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below! I love to hear from my readers.

This post was originally published in January 2019 and has been updated with more information and cooking tips. Don't worry - I would never touch the recipe!