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This pan-seared filet mignon recipe is so easy to master and renders perfect filet mignon every single time! While there are plenty of ways to cook tenderloin steak, this technique is the easiest and most repeatable. If you go out to a nice steakhouse then this is most likely the method they are using to cook your steak.
The secret to cooking the perfect steak is combining pan searing with an oven finish. This gives you a nicely seared exterior (high heat) with a juicy and evenly cooked interior (indirect lower heat). A cast iron skillet allows you to easily transfer your steak from the stovetop to the oven, making this a simple recipe to master.
The overall consistency and predictability of this cooking technique give this recipe a very high success rate on the very first try. I’ve followed it to the T with great success with hundreds of steaks. If this is your first time preparing filet mignon or if you’re struggling to get it right, then this recipe is for you.
I highly recommend you also check out my blueberry glazed filet mignon, balsamic glazed filet mignon, and bacon-wrapped filet mignon. If you’re looking for a good steak to share with a crowd, look no further than my porterhouse steak recipe with dipping sauces or my surf and turf recipe for two! Also, see reverse searing or grilling filet mignon.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- 10-12 ounce tenderloin beef filets (roughly 1.5- 2 inches thick): look for steaks that are about 2 inches thick and appear plump and deep red in color. Avoid steaks with signs of browning or slimy texture.
- Salt and pepper: for seasoning and optional dry brining.
- Vegetable or canola oil: these oils are best for searing because they have a higher smoke point than butter or olive oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Dry Brining Steak
Dry brining is the process of drying the exterior of the steak with salt before cooking, locking in the juices, and enhancing the flavor. To dry brine steak, place the steaks on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and season liberally with coarse sea salt or kosher salt, and pepper.
Place the steaks in the fridge uncovered for a few hours at a minimum but preferably overnight. The drier steak exterior will improve the sear and make for a better-textured crust. Steak should always rest on the counter for at least 30-45 minutes before cooking to climatize. No additional salt or seasoning is required.
Expert Tips
- Precisely timing your cooking time for steak always yields consistent results. Use a timer for each side on the skillet and then in the oven.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can sear your filets on the stovetop and then transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Just note, that this will likely add additional baking time.
- If cooking more than 4 steaks on a standard skillet, you may need to adjust the cooking times to account for heat loss.
- Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.
- The most important aspect of cooking any steak is the rest period after you take it off the heat. Letting a steak rest for 5-7 minutes redistributes the juices and ensures you hit your final cooking temp.
- Always remove your steak below your final desired serving temp by 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit. Your steak will continue to cook after it’s been removed from the heat.
Steak Temperature Chart
The timing/temperature chart below corresponds to the pan sear/oven method in this recipe. It’s a great guide assuming you choose a steak of similar size and thickness as listed in the recipe. I recommend a digital thermometer to verify your steak’s internal temperature for the desired level of doneness.
| Doneness | Internal Temp | Oven Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Very Rare/rare | 120°F to 125°F | 4 minutes |
| Medium rare | 125°F to 130°F | 5-6 minutes |
| Medium | 135°F to 140°F | 6-7 minutes |
| Medium well | 145°F to 150°F | 8-9 minutes |
| Well done | 160°F and above | 10+ minutes |
More Steak Recipes
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Filet Mignon
Ingredients
- 4, 10 ounce thick tenderloin beef filets, roughly 1.5- 2 inches thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, can use 1 tbsp butter but it has a lower smoke point
Garlic & Herb Butter
- 1/2 stick of butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
For the herb butter
- Leave the butter on the counter to soften or place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until malleable, 10-15 seconds. Use a fork to mash in the herbs and garlic until fully mixed. Store in the refrigerator and remove 10 minutes before adding to the filet.
For the filets
- Preheat the oven to 415°F. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season all sides liberally with salt and pepper. This can be done while your steak comes to room temp.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil (all you need is a very light coating) to an oven-safe cast iron skillet and turn the heat up high, allowing the skillet to become very hot. Twirl the pan to distribute oil as it heats. Once the oil starts to smoke, place the filets face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the filets and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your filets a nice seared edge.
- Optionally add some herb butter and a whole garlic clove/herbs to the pan before transferring it to the oven. The butter will melt and the herbs will season the pan drippings for a later step. Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] skillet may be hot, handle it with oven mitts. For rare, bake for 4 minutes. Medium rare, 5-6 minutes. Medium, 6-7 minutes. Medium well, 8-9 minutes. Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. This recipe is ideal for an 8-10 ounce portion, roughly 1.5-2 inches thick.
- Optionally spoon some of the seasoned pan drippings over the steak to infuse it with extra flavor.
- Remove filets from the skillet and set them on a plate and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is important to bring your steak to its final serving temperature.
- Top with a slice of garlic and herb butter and serve.
Notes
Rare: 120°F to 125°F
Medium rare: 125°F to 130°F
Medium: 135°F to 140°F
Medium well: 145°F to 150°F
Well done: 160°F and above
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just butchered out first cow. I have never eaten or cooked fillet mignon. Reading your directions hit home. I new I could grill easy peasy….. Which is why I followed your direction….even used a timer. Which I never use. And they turned out were perfect. So than you.
Awesome!
Shawn, just want to say THANK YOU! I have met cooked filet mignon before and following your recipe was not only easy but out of this world delicious!
Sunday dinner with my husband and 24 year old daughter, no special occasion. Filets were on sale and then with y hubby work discount, we kind of treated ourselves.
So tender and juicy and very flavorful. And we didn’t do the garlic butter!
I signed up to keep up to date with this site. Can’t wait to see what else I can make that I’ve been afraid to cook in the past.
Thanks again!
Awesome! Dad is away for work (helping victims of Hurricane Irma) and i wanted to do something yummy for my 8 and 1 year old. Although my baby can’t chew it she sure liked the flavor! My 8 year old didn’t say a word during dinner…she was focused on the yummy food lol! Thank you!
Awesome Joanne – thank your husband for me for his heroic efforts. Glad this recipe worked out great for your family.
I tried this recipe with 2-inch-thick filets from Alexander’s ($50/piece). I didn’t have a cast iron skillet so I used a preheated baking sheet instead. I cooked the steaks using the 2-2-6 cooking times and they turned out beautifully medium/medium-rare.
Thanks!
Made this for my husband and myself!!! Very great recipe! The butter has a very strong taste but otherwise I will always cook my steak like this!
OMG AMAZING! I was being lazy so I didn’t use the cast iron (I keep them in a cabinet in the garage). So I used one of my heavy stainless pans when I flipped them and saw that amazing crust I thought YES! My husband ALWAYS uses steak sauce but NOT on this one. One day I will try the cast iron method and perhaps a thicker Filet as well. Thank you Thank you Thank you for helping the home cook achieve restaurant quality steak!
Thank you! I’m so happy your website came up in my google search.This was my first time cooking filet mignon at home. I followed your directions, my filet mignon was perfect and delicious! Your directions were clear and easy to follow. I will definately try more of your recipes.
Thanks Paulette – I’m so glad you found me too.
Beef tenderloin was on a great sale this week, so I rolled up my sleeves and butchered the thing into steaks as best I could. Found your recipe, and I must say… This was outrageously good! My husband usually tends toward fattier steaks, but he said this might have been the best steak he’s ever had. He compared it to “steak scallops” since it was so tender and buttery. We were both very impressed, me probably even more so, knowing how little time and effort it took. I had intended on trying several different recipes on our steaks, but this will now be the one we use every time. Thank you for posting this!
It’s the only way to cook a filet!
Wow.. based on all of the amazing reviews, I’m definitely going to be trying this technique. I’ll report back with my results! Super excited!
When you do this, does the butter get dark brown even before the 2 minute turn? I did 2/2/5/5 and ended up with medium well, almost well. The cuts were about and inch and a half thick, pretty much like your pictures. I have a glass electric cooktop and a 10+ year old 12 inch pan.
It can’t be the pan or the oven, I’ve confirmed my oven’s accuracy. So it’s got to be the meat thickness or what High means on my cooktop. I’m thinking the cooktop, because the meat in your pictures is the same thickness as what I just killed. Normally I only use High to boil water and set it to about 8 for a fast sear.
Would you recommend lower stove temp setting or less time on the stove? I have one of those Alton Brown space lasers if you want to geek out on temperature. Didn’t use it tonight because I was expecting perfect medium rare but ended up with a dead hunk of clay. Fortunately the sides kicked ass and a little horseradish can solve any steak fail.
Hi Steve, did you do 10 minutes in the oven? You want 2/2 and then 5 in the oven. That could be your problem. You want the skillet to be very hot. Ideally 9 out of 10 on a 1-10 scale. Also, how many ounces was the filet? This recipe is ideally suited for 10-12 ounces.
Just 5 in the oven, then a 5 minute rest. So it was filet size. They’re the same thickness, but only 6 ounces.
Going to try 1:30/1/3:30/5. 30 seconds less on the flip because that side stays down in the oven.