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Filet Mignon seared in garlic herb butter on the stove top and then finished in the oven is the absolute best way to cook a tender steak. This recipe turns out perfect every time! I have never made, nor have I ever enjoyed, a more delicious steak than this one.
I’ve made filet mignon this way more times than I can count. Below you’ll find the oven temperature, how long to cook it, a doneness chart and the tips I’ve picked up over the years, so your expensive steaks come out exactly the way you like them.
Table of Contents
- Filet Mignon at a Glance
- Why This Filet Mignon Recipe Works
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Cook the Best Filet Mignon
- Step 1: Prepare tools and ingredients
- Step 2: Add the Butter and Steaks to a Hot Pan
- Step 3: Sear the Steaks
- Step 4: Finish in the Oven
- What Oven Temperature for Filet Mignon?
- Filet Mignon Cooking Time
- Internal Temperature Guide for Filet Mignon
- More Recipe Tips for Perfect Results
- Common Filet Mignon Problems (and How to Fix Them)
- Why Filet Mignon Steaks Are Best
- Garlic Butter Filet Mignon Steak Bites
- Side Dish Recommendations
- Filet Mignon FAQs
- Any workarounds if you don’t have an oven safe pan?
- I don’t have fresh herbs. Can I use dried herbs or do you recommend leaving the rosemary and thyme out altogether?
- What is the best process for searing 8 steaks if I want to cook for a large group?
- Can you make bacon wrapped filets in this way?
- Is this better than grilling filet mignon?
- More Special Occasion Dinners
- Perfect Filet Mignon Recipe
Filet Mignon at a Glance
- The recipe: two thick filet mignon steaks seared in garlic herb butter on the stove, then finished in a 400°F oven.
- Why you’ll love it: steakhouse-quality filet mignon at home, for a fraction of what a steakhouse charges.
- Time: about 30 minutes, plus about an hour on the counter first so the centers aren’t cold.
- Main ingredients: filet mignon, butter, garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme, kosher salt and pepper.
- Method: get the pan really hot, add the butter and steaks together, baste while they sear, then into the oven.
- When to pull it: 125 to 130°F for medium rare. It climbs about 5°F while it rests.
- Quick tip: an instant-read thermometer is the one tool you can’t skip.
Why This Filet Mignon Recipe Works
This is quite possibly my favorite dinner. Ever. That’s a pretty bold statement from a girl who lives and breathes recipes.
- Perfectly cooked: Each bite will deliver a crisp browned flavorful outside with a moist and tender middle.
- Best flavor: Fresh garlic and herbs infuse into the butter and all that flavor gets cooked into the steak.
- Accurate doneness: You can cook each steak exactly how you want: rare, medium rare, medium, or (gasp) medium well and well done. This is completely controlled by using an accurate meat thermometer.
- Better than a restaurant: Because filet mignon is expensive, it is most often enjoyed for a special occasion like date night or Valentine’s day. Even though the price of filet steaks at your local butcher is still very expensive, the cost will pale in comparison to what high-quality steakhouse filet mignons will cost.
Ingredients Needed
To make these tender juicy steaks, you will need a couple of filet mignon steaks, butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, as well as salt and pepper.
- Filet mignon: two steaks about 2 inches thick and close to the same size. I’ve bought both Prime and Choice, and honestly, it usually comes down to which ones look best that day. I often buy them at Costco, but my favorite place is The Meating Place in Hillsboro, Oregon, a local butcher that raises and sources local, sustainable cattle.
- Trim Choice steaks: Choice filets are cheaper, but they often come with a thicker strip of fat around the edge that can be tough to chew. I take a minute to trim it away before seasoning.
- Butter: the steaks cook in it, so use a good one. I use Kerrygold.
- Garlic and fresh herbs: smashed garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Cook the Best Filet Mignon
The absolute best way to cook this tender cut of meat is to sear 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 400°F oven until they’ve reached the desired internal temperature.
Step 1: Prepare tools and ingredients
Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Generously coat both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Step 2: Add the Butter and Steaks to a Hot Pan
Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until it’s really hot. Nothing goes in until it is, or you won’t get that nice sear. Then add the butter, smashed garlic, rosemary, thyme and the steaks all at the same time.
Step 3: Sear the Steaks
Baste while they sear. While the steaks are searing, use a spoon to continually pour the melted garlic and herb-infused butter onto the top and sides of the steak. You want to infuse all of that flavor into the meat. Give each side 2-3 minutes and turn them only once, after they’re nicely browned.
Step 4: Finish in the Oven
Move the pan to the oven. Once you’ve seared both sides to perfection, finish cooking the Filet Mignon steaks in the preheated oven. Start checking with an instant-read thermometer after about 5 minutes, then rest the steaks on a plate, loosely tented with foil, for 5 minutes.
What Oven Temperature for Filet Mignon?
Finish filet mignon in a 400°F oven. It’s the question I get asked most in the comments, so here it is right up top. Preheat the oven while the steaks sit out, and it’s ready by the time they come out of the pan.
The oven bakes; it doesn’t broil. The stove gives you the crust, and the oven’s only job is to gently finish the center without burning the butter or overcooking the outside.
Filet Mignon Cooking Time
If you’re wondering how long it takes to cook a Filet Mignon, the total amount of time depends on a few factors:
- How thick are your steaks?
- 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)?
- 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, the total cook time is about 15 to 20 minutes, start to finish, including the 2-3 minutes it takes to give each side a good sear and about 5 to 10 minutes to finish 2-inch steaks in the oven. Steaks that are still cold in the center need the longer end of that range. Add 5 minutes to rest before you cut in. It truly is an easy dinner recipe.
Internal Temperature Guide for Filet Mignon
Remove the filet mignon steaks from the oven when the internal temperature is about 5°F below your desired doneness. Place steaks on a plate and loosely tent with foil.
| Doneness | Color | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | Cool red center | 120-130°F |
| Medium Rare | Warm red center | 130-135°F |
| Medium | Warm pink center | 135-145°F |
| Medium Well | Slightly pink center | 145-155°F |
| Well Done | Little or no pink | 155°F and up |
Although the USDA recommends cooking beef steaks to 145°F with a rest of at least 3 minutes, I prefer my steaks medium rare.
More Recipe Tips for Perfect Results
- Bring steaks to room temperature: Prior to cooking, take the steaks out of the refrigerator about 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 overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. Just don’t leave raw steak out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if your kitchen is above 90°F), per USDA food safety guidelines.
- Choose the right pan: A high-quality stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet will give you the best sear. I’ve found that stainless steel works just as well as cast iron. Just be sure it’s oven-safe.
- Cook according to temperature, not time: Be sure to test with an accurate thermometer to guarantee that the steaks are cooked to your liking.
- Thickness matters: For best results, buy steaks that are the same size and thickness. This will ensure they cook at the same rate. Otherwise, check the thinnest or smallest steak first. As soon as it’s done, pull it out to rest, then keep checking the others in order of size.
Common Filet Mignon Problems (and How to Fix Them)
These are the problems readers tell me about most in the comments, and how I fix them.
- The butter burns: butter burns fast in a really hot pan, especially in cast iron and on electric stoves. That’s why I now put the steaks in at the same time as the butter. The steaks immediately cool the pan just enough that the butter doesn’t burn. Keep it moving with your spoon, and if it still browns too fast, turn the heat down a notch.
- The kitchen fills with smoke: a hot pan and butter will smoke a little. Turn the vent fan on before the steaks go in.
- You took them too far: if you accidentally cook them too long and take 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. Resting in the hot pan keeps cooking them, and the temperature can climb well over 5°F.
PRO TIP: If you have the time, infuse the butter first. Put the butter, garlic and herbs in the pan over the lowest heat and leave it there, burner on, for an hour or even a few hours. The longer it infuses, the more flavorful it gets, and the results are phenomenal. When you’re ready, pour the butter into a bowl and pull out the garlic and herbs (they make a great garnish), get the pan screaming hot, add the steaks, then spoon the infused butter back in.
★★★★★
“This was my most successful Christmas fillet mignon ever! Thank you for the easily followed plan, and your wise side tips that eased me through the most enjoyable cooking experience I’ve had.”
Diane, reader review
Why Filet Mignon Steaks Are Best
Beef tenderloin steaks are expensive.
But they are absolutely worth the cost every so often for a special treat or for a holiday dinner. If you really want to go above and beyond, pair these steaks with some broiled lobster tails for the ultimate Surf and Turf dinner. Or you can make my recipe for lobster bisque and serve that with the meal.
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.
Garlic Butter Filet Mignon Steak Bites
When I’m craving filet mignon but don’t have much time, or we really want that garlic butter in every single bite, I cut the steaks into bite-size pieces and skip the oven completely.
Season the pieces the same way, get the pan really hot over medium-high heat, then add the butter, garlic, herbs and steak bites together. Sear them for just a few minutes, turning to brown the sides and spooning the butter over them. Small pieces cook so fast that they never need to go in the oven.
Poke one of the bigger pieces with an instant-read thermometer to see how close they are, and pull them before they reach your preferred doneness. They keep climbing a few degrees even after they come out of the pan.
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 a kale Caesar salad alongside your steak.
Filet Mignon FAQs
Here are a few questions asked below in the comments section that you might find helpful.
Any workarounds if you don’t have an oven safe pan?
You can put a metal baking pan in the oven while it preheats and then transfer everything in the skillet to the metal pan.
I don’t have fresh herbs. Can I use dried herbs or do you recommend leaving the rosemary and thyme out altogether?
Dried herbs are better than no herbs. Just don’t use as much as fresh!
What is the best process for searing 8 steaks if I want to cook for a large group?
A large 12″ skillet might fit all 8 steaks. If you need to cook them in batches, I would use the same pan to sear all of them in batches and then finish all of them off in the oven at the same time. Just be sure not to crowd when you sear but it’s probably okay to have them a bit closer in the oven.
Can you make bacon wrapped filets in this way?
You can! I would actually parcook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet with parchment. Once the fat starts to render but it’s still very floppy, I would wrap the filets in the bacon and cook them right away. That way it will turn out nice and crisp without having to overcook the steak.
Is this better than grilling filet mignon?
I think so. I recently made steaks on the grill and regretted it, and a lot of readers who always grilled their filets have told me they’ve switched. The grill can’t give you the garlic herb butter bath.
More Special Occasion Dinners
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces filet mignon about 8 ounces each, about 2 inches thick, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons butter Kerrygold recommended
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Prepare steaks: Take 16 ounces filet mignon out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to cook them. Trim away any thick strip of fat. Coat both sides with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat the pan, then add everything: Heat an oven-safe stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until it’s really hot. Add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh thyme and the steaks all at the same time.
- Sear steaks: Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, constantly spooning the hot butter onto the steaks, and only turn them once after they get nicely browned. Keep the butter moving so it doesn’t burn.
- Finish in the oven: Transfer the pan to the oven. After about 5 minutes, start checking with an instant-read meat thermometer, beginning with the thinnest steak. Remove each steak when it reaches 115-120°F for rare, 125-130°F for medium rare or 130-135°F for medium. 2-inch steaks usually take 5 to 10 minutes. Rest on a plate, loosely tented with foil, for 5 minutes (temperature should rise another 5 degrees).
Notes
- I can’t stress enough how important it is to let your steaks come to room temperature. They’re thick cut, and if they’re super cold in the middle, you risk overcooking the outside before the middle is done. Take them out about an hour ahead, but no longer than 2 hours (1 hour if your kitchen is above 90°F).
- Optional infused butter: for even more flavor, warm the butter, garlic and herbs over the lowest heat for an hour or more before cooking, burner on the whole time. When you’re ready, pour the butter into a bowl, remove the garlic and herbs (they make a great garnish), heat the pan over medium-high until really hot, add the steaks and spoon the butter back in.
- The steaks cool the pan just enough to keep the butter from burning. Keep it moving with your spoon.
- Steaks of different sizes won’t finish at the same time. Check the smallest one first and pull each one as soon as it’s done.
- If you accidentally take one too far, get it out of the hot pan right away to rest on a plate. Resting in the pan keeps cooking it.
- The best type of pan is either cast iron or a high quality stainless steel. Just be sure it is oven safe.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in January 2019. I’ve added more tips since then, and the steps now heat the pan first and add the butter and steaks together, which is how I make it now. The ingredients haven’t changed.
Made a few adjustments with this recipe because I didn’t have fresh herbs, but all in all my family agreed it was the best steak I have ever cooked hands down.
I just wanted to say that I shop for my filet at a meat market. I usually pay about $10.00 a pound for it because I buy the whole filet and cut my own steaks. We eat filet frequently because this steak has no waste. We are not paying for bone or fat just all meat. I usually cook mine on the grill but am going to try this method. Please check out a butcher shop to buy your filet whole and cut it yourself. It is so much cheaper.
This does look great and I’ve cooked beef tenderloin this way with fantastic results. That said I’m now a huge fan of using sous vide to cook beef tenderloins and here’s why. Perfect;y cooked-down to the degree doneness and something you can’t get by cooking the steaks in a pan/oven…perfect edge-to-edge doneness with no grey area at the top and bottom, which is really overdone steak. After the steaks are done in the sous vide, simply finish them in a ripping hot pan with the butter and herbs for 30 seconds a side. You’ll get a perfect crust with no grey area on the top and bottom of your expensive steak. BTW as steaks are graded in the USA by the marbling of the fat and since beef tenderloin has very little or no marbling per se, spending extra on a prime grade beef tenderloin is pretty much a waste of money. Choice is your best choice with a this cut of beef. Just my 2 cents!
Great feedback and advice! I always buy the choice… but mostly because it’s cheaper! I agree about sous vide as well… the technique just isn’t super popular yet.
Nowhere did I see the oven temp.
In the recipe it states 400 degrees F
I would love to know how much better and how long in the oven
How long in the oven completely depends on how thick your steaks are and how close to room temperature they were when you started cooking them. For 2-inch steaks in a 400°F oven, it’s usually about 5 to 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer is the only way to know for sure.
I followed it and didn’t have the herbs or garlic just encrusted filet with salt and very coarse fresh pepper.
bathing in the melted butter 3 min each side
And into oven as directed and came out perfect medium rare !!
Best steak I ever cooked!!
How long in oven for med rare?
It totally depends on the thickness of your steaks and how cold they were when you started cooking them. You definitely need a good thermometer, but for 2-inch steaks in a 400°F oven, it’s usually about 5 to 10 minutes. Pull them at 125-130°F for medium rare; they’ll climb to about 130-135°F while they rest.
Amazing! I have been struggling to make a prefect medium rare filet for ages. With your notes and recipe, I was able to make the prefect birthday steak for my husband. He and I thank you.
Delicious!!! Cooked for my dear husband tonight and he loved it!!! And yes the cast iron definitely cooked hotter and was hard to keep the butter from burning! Steaks were still amazing though!
Thanks so much for you recipe!
This recipe was spot on. I usually mess things like this up, no matter how simple they are! But this worked perfectly. I haven’t cooked a steak in 10 years, so I was nervous about preparing a $10 steak. Everything went off without a hitch!