Learn How to Grill Filet Mignon to perfection in about 10 minutes. With these simple step-by-step photo instructions, you can easily cook the best grilled filet mignon.
The perfect meal for any special occasion or an everyday surprise.
🐄Ingredients
Filet Mignon—1 to 1 ½ inch thick, 6-8 oz each.
Seasoning—Kosher salt and pepper. Add some garlic or other seasoning of your choice.
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Featured Comment from Claudette:
"Love this recipe!! This recipe is super easy to follow & make, turns out delicious every time!! "
Grilled filet mignon is an exceptional meal for any special occasion or as an everyday surprise. It is an extraordinary cut of beef that is naturally tender and flavorful.
Grilling filets is simple with these easy step-by-step photo instructions. But you can get equally excellent results inside with a brief pan sear and finishing in the oven.
👨🍳How to Grill Filet Mignon—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Rest the filets to room temperature if you have time.
2. Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°—clean and oil the grates.
3. Use the seasoning you choose just before grilling or 1 hour before grilling.
4. Grill with a closed lid, flipping every 5 minutes to reach your desired internal temperature.
5. Rest tented lightly with foil for 5 minutes before serving—the temperature will rise a few degrees during tenting.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to grill filet mignon
A 1-inch thick filet mignon takes about 10-11 minutes on a 450° grill to reach Medium-Rare (130°-135°), which is a warm red center.
Approximate times are given for planning only and vary by thickness, grill temp, and rest time.
- Rare—cold red center(120°-125°) about 6-8 minutes total grill time. Please see the caution below.
- Medium rare—warm red center(130°-135°) about 10-11 minutes total grill time.
- Medium—pink and firm (140°-145°) about 12-14 minutes total grill time.
- Medium well—minimal pink(150°-155°) about 14-16 minutes total grill time.
- Well done—firm and brown(160°+ ) about 16 or more minutes total grill time. Not recommended.
NEVER COOK BY TIME ALONE. Use a meat thermometer. Cook to the internal temperature you want, allowing for a 2°-4° temperature rise after removal from the grill.
WARNING FOR RARE STEAKS: It is hard to get the temperature you want to have a rare filet, so watch carefully and remove it early if unsure. You can always cook it a bit more later.
The timing of the seasoning is essential. Do not put salt on the meat for more than a few minutes before cooking unless you do it for 60 minutes or more. Between those times, it will pull water out of the meat fibers and not allow enough time to reabsorb back into them.
🧂 Seasoning filets
You can use any seasoning, but a good shake of Kosher salt and black pepper is enough. We use my Homemade Seasoning, which adds garlic. But you can easily add onion powder, rosemary, thyme, or other seasonings you love.
Do not overdo the seasoning. You can always add more later, but it is impossible to remove once added.
Steak sauce and marinades are not recommended for filets. But my Coffee Steak Rub is an excellent enhancement.
✔️Tips to get it right every time
- Try not to skip the rest to room temperature before cooking, or the cooking time goes way up, and the outside will be overcooked before you reach the temperature you want. This is very important as the thickness increases.
- Filets should be cooked with medium-high heat —a surface temperature of about 450° with direct heat.
- To get those nice crossed grill marks, rotate the meat 90 degrees halfway through the grilling on each side.
- See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more details on grill surface temperature.
- To use a charcoal grill, you must be very careful about surface temperature; otherwise, times and temperature recommendations are unchanged. On most charcoal grills, you will need to adjust the venting. And having a cooler area for indirect heat is a good idea.
- Do not skip the rest after cooking. It allows the meat fibers to reabsorb fluid, making the steak tender and moist.
Steak Recipes
Other easy steak recipes for the gas grill are Grilled Ribeyes, Grilled Striploin Steaks, Grilled Sirloin Steaks, and Grilled T-bone Steaks.
Pan Seared Filet Mignon
The perfect Filet Mignon Recipe uses the tried and true sear and oven bake method to get the best filet mignon every time—moist, tender, and flavorful.
🍽️What to serve with filet
Filet mignon goes with almost anything you like with a nice meal, like a simple salad or another vegetable like Grilled Asparagus, green beans, or broccoli that matches nicely. Our favorites are crusty bread, baked potatoes, and vegetables.
Topping the filet with a pat of butter, herb butter, or garlic butter is a beautiful final enhancement. We love Steak Butter, a homemade compound butter with garlic, blue cheese, and your favorite herbs.
Storage leftovers
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
To serve leftovers, they are wonderful cold or on a salad. To reheat, place in a 250° oven for about 15 minutes.
❓FAQs
This recipe works great for 1 to 1 ½ inch thick filets. Resting the meat at room temperature is critical for getting the best results for thick steaks.
Resist the temptation to turn up the grill temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the surface will overcook before you get your desired internal temperature.
Choose a red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet for a wine pairing. But really, any wine goes well with filets, especially sparkly wines for special occasions.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
🐄What is Filet Mignon?
Filet mignon steaks are an expensive cut of meat from whole beef tenderloin. It is frequently referred to as beef tenderloin steaks or filets. The tenderloin muscle does very little work, so it will usually be very tender.
Results are all about the quality of the cut of beef. Prime is the top 2%; it is harder to find but worth the extra cost for special meals. Choice grade is the most common and will also give excellent results. Do not buy lower grades.
📖 Recipe
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 2 Filet Mignon - about 1 to 1 ½ inch thick. They will be about 6-8 oz each.
- coarse salt and pepper - Or other seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Start with quality filets—1 to 1 ½ inches thick, which will be 6-8 oz. each. Rest the filets at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- While it is resting the meat, get your grill surface temperature to about 450°—medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Pat dry with paper towels. Use the seasoning of your choice just before grilling. A nice sprinkle of Kosher salt and black pepper will do.
- Place the filets on the grill. Close the lid—grill on the first side for about 5 minutes (less for rare). Rotate half the way through for these nice crossed grill marks. Flip and grill until you reach the correct internal temperature for your taste—about 5 more minutes for medium rare.
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes minimum. A light foil tent is a good idea here. The internal temperature will rise a few degrees.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The quality of the meat matters a lot here. Prime or choice only, please.
- Medium to medium-high grill with a surface temperature of about 450°. Maximum of 500°. Never use the thermometer in the hood of the grill.
- Be sure the grill surface temperature is correct. This is the most common source of problems. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for details.
- Rest at room temperature first if you have time—about 30 minutes.
- Season 1 hour before cooking or just before cooking. Not between.
- It is always good to check your internal temperature a bit earlier than you think.
- Do not over-season. You can always add more at serving.
- Your endpoint is the internal temperature you want minus a few degrees. DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE.
- Rest tented with foil for at least 5 minutes before serving. The meat will rise a few degrees during the rest, and fluid will reabsorb into the meat fibers for moist and tender meat.
- If you want rare, you must watch the internal temperature closely and remove it a bit early. Take into account the rise in temperature with the rest. Remember, you can always cook it a bit more later, but it is impossible to uncook something.
- You can not do this with frozen meat, it must be fully thawed.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published June 1, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Steve says
Novice question: do you close the grill after turning the steaks over?
DrDan says
Closed. A good general rule is under 1/2 inch thick - open is usually ok. Between 1/2 to 1 inch - usually closed since you can control the temperature better. Over one inch is always closed.
Dan
Carol says
Will it make a big difference if I have to put foil on the grill?
Kashlee says
Thanks so much! Here goes nothing!
ken says
i never rip anybody for their expertise.....your posting should be nothing more than a suggestion---if somebody screws it up, the blame falls on them.....I look at posts like this to make sure I am on the right track....looks like this Sunday it is fillets on the grill...thanks for your effort
Thomas Bailey says
Theodore YOU SIR ARE A ASS .HE WAS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT AND WHAT HE SAID MADE IT VERY EASY AND GOOD. HE'S NOT THERE TO BE YOUR FRIEND IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT GET A DOG. HAVE A NICE DAY
Richard Burns says
Thomas, Why must you SHOUT? It is very rude.
Jerome says
Question from an absolute amateur - best way to gauge internal temperature? I know they make thermometers you insert into the meat, but doesnt that dry it out?
DrDan says
Hi Jerome,
If you poke it 20 times, you might be able to tell the difference. But a few pokes are fine. The whole key to cooking like this is grill temperature (see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/grill-temperature/ ) and the internal temperature of the meat. So a good meat thermometer is really required to get it right. You can get a $10 el-cheapo and it will work fine, it just won't last too long. You can get something at a big box store or I have some links in my shop.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Dan
Andrea Blondell says
Thank you so much for your help!! Your instructions were amazing and very easy to follow!! Tho my family and I grill on a regular basic filet mignon has always been something I was scared to attempt!! Not anymore thanks to you!!
Courtney13 says
Excellent direction, I am decent when it comes to grilling but I would never want to ruin filets, so this definitely helped!!! Thanks
Aimee says
Fabulous,
Thank you, Fantastic advice, and look forward to putting your direction along with herb butters to the test, today.
DrDan says
Hi Aimee,
Hope it works well for you. Thanks for the note.
Dan
Daniel says
OMG. Best I've ever had!
Daniel says
I'm about to use your rules here for the first time. I can't believe you would be criticized from a non paying observer only to help him coon the best piece of meat available. JK. Have a hotdog.
Lucas says
I love this technique! I adapted slightly by using Teresa Major steaks, and they were amazing! The seasoning (7.2.2) was the perfect ratio for my family. I grilled 5 steaks and added a specialty of my own, grilled garlic and herb shrimp. Thank you for such precise direction and including variables to look out for.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jd says
Sam's club sells Prime at a good price.
lilly says
this looks very scrumptious
i will try this out soon
thanks for posting it here
Chris says
Love filets! My local HEB has USDA Prime and it's nice to get what would otherwise cost upwards of $100 in a premium steak joint.
DrDan says
I'm jealous, I only get prime for very special occasions.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Paul says
Number 5 Thank you
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. Glad it worked well for you.
Dan