Learn to cook filet mignon like the best steakhouses. Start by pan-searing it briefly in a cast iron skillet, then finish cooking it in the oven. Fast and easy, it makes perfectly juicy and tender beef filet steak—our favorite special dinner recipe.
🐄Ingredients
Beef tenderloin filets—6 to 8 ounces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick
Butter—or oil
Seasoning—Kosher salt and black pepper. Or seasoning of your choice.
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Featured Comment from Gary:
"This is my go-to recipe for Filet Mignon. They are always perfect."
The best way to cook beef tenderloin filets combines two time-honored techniques. Pan-searing on the stovetop will create a tasty Maillard reaction for flavor. Then, cook in an oven to your perfect final temperature.
Learn to sear and bake filet mignon at home. My beef tenderloin filet recipe is perfect for a date night recipe; just follow the simple step-by-step photo instructions.
👨🍳How to Cook Filet Mignon—Step-by-Step
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. If you have time, rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
2. Pat dry well with paper towels and season to your taste.
3. In a cast iron or oven-safe skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
4. When hot, sear both sides of the filets for 2-3 minutes.
5. Transfer to the preheated oven. Cook to your desired internal temperature minus about 3°-4°. Medium-rare takes about 9-11 minutes to reach an internal temperature of about 135°- 140°.
6. Remove from pan, tent lightly with foil on a plate, and rest for 5-8 minutes before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to cook filet mignon
The oven time for a medium-rare 1-inch filet in a 400° oven is about 5 to 7 minutes, plus 4 minutes of searing, for a total cooking time of 9 to 11 minutes. Remember to allow an additional 5-8 minutes of rest after cooking.
Approximate cooking times in a 400° oven are estimated for planning only. The estimated times are for 1-inch thick filets; thicker filets take longer.
- Rare—cold red center(125°-130°)—4-minute sear and 4 to 5 minutes oven time for about 8 to 9 minutes total cooking time. Please see the caution below for rare.
- Medium rare—warm red and soft center(130°-135°)—4-minute sear and 5 to 7 minutes oven time for about 9 to 11 minutes total cooking time.
- Medium—pink and firm (140°-150°)—4-minute sear and 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, for about 11 to 13 minutes total cooking time.
- Medium well—minimal pink(150°-155°)—4-minute sear and 12 to 15 minutes oven time for about 16 to 19 minutes total cooking time—not recommended.
- Well done—firm and brown(160°+ )—4-minute sear and 15+ minutes oven time for about 19+ minutes total cooking time—not recommended.
Actual cooking time will vary by thickness, rest time, searing, and oven temperature—NEVER COOK BY TIME ALONE, and use a thermometer.
Pick the internal temperature you want when served. Remove the steak a few degrees less and tent lightly with foil. The filet temperature will rise 2°-4° while resting. You can not uncook meat but can always cook it a bit more. Be sure to check your temperature early,
WARNING FOR RARE: For rare, it may be only a few minutes in the oven. If you did an intense sear with a rest to room temperature or if your filets are thinner, check the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven if you want it to be rare. It is hard to hit what you want, so observe and remove it early. You can always cook it a bit more later.
Tips and options to get it right every time
Quality matters—buy prime grade if you can afford it, or well-marbelized choice grade. If you have questions, talk to your local butcher—they love to discuss their products and have a wealth of knowledge.
The thicker the steak, the more important the precooking rest at room temperature becomes to achieve the final internal temperature you want. If the steak is over 1 ½ inches thick, see the FAQ section for the reverse searing cooking method.
Skipping the rest before cooking will increase the cooking time by as much as 50% and adversely affect the surface.
If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, any oven-safe skillet that can move from stovetop to oven will do. Most skillets will be oven-safe but have a temperature limit set by the manufacturer.
How to season tenderloin filet steaks
A good shake of Kosher or sea salt and black pepper is enough. We like to use my All-Purpose Seasoning Salt, which adds garlic. Other seasoning options include rosemary or a sprig of fresh thyme. Try some homemade Steak Butter with garlic, blue cheese, and herbs of your choice.
Real butter adds some excellent flavor. If you have issues with smoking butter, then in the future, use high-quality vegetable oil.
If you want to use fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary, put them on top of the steaks with a pat of butter as you move them to the oven.
The timing of any salt is important. 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 but not allow enough time to reabsorb back into it.
Other steak recipes
Grilled 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.
Check out some other great steak recipes, such as Grilled New York Strip Steaks, Seared and Baked Strip Steak, and Grilled T-bone Steak.
🍽️What to serve with filet
Filet mignon goes with almost anything you like with a nice meal. Our favorites are crusty bread, Oven Roasted Baby Red Potatoes or Parmesan Baked Potatoes, and a side salad or hot vegetables like Green Beans with Almonds or Roasted Asparagus.
Choose a red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet for a wine pairing.
🍳Why use cast iron
The best choice is a cast-iron skillet. Its flat bottom transfers heat over its surface without hot spots, making cast iron the best option for pan-searing meat. It is cheap, and every cook should have a skillet or two.
❓FAQs
No. You must monitor the temperature correctly, or you will ruin your expensive meat. Please do not try to cook by time alone.
An instant-read meat thermometer will serve you well with this and many other recipes.
Resting before cooking will elevate the internal temperature of the meat before cooking. This helps prevent overcooking and drying of the surface of meat while getting the correct internal temperature.
30 to 60 minutes will do a good job, but even 15 minutes will have some benefits. Without this, cooking will take longer, and you may overcook and dry out the outside of the meat—significantly if cooking a thicker filet.
Resting after cooking is probably the biggest secret to a great filet most people skip. It is essential since it will allow the fluid that escapes the cells during cooking to migrate back into the cells and make for a moist and tender filet.
I like to tent the cooked filets with foil for about 5+ minutes before serving.
For steaks 2 inches thick or more, use a reverse searing method.
1. Rest the steaks at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
2. Oven roast at 250° in a cast iron or other stovetop and oven-safe pan for about 45 to 60 minutes to a target temperature of 10° under your desired final temperature.
3. Move the pan to the stovetop and sear over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side to brown to your preferred color.
🐄About Filet Mignon
Use only prime or choice-grade filet mignon steak. An 8 oz. of filet mignon is a nice serving size. That will usually be between 1 to 1 ¼ inches thick.
Filet Mignon steaks are sometimes called filet steaks or beef tenderloin steaks. It is part of the psoas muscle of the cow. Since the psosis does very little work and is not weight-bearing, it is the most tender cut of beef.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
📖 Recipe
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
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Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 2 beef tenderloin filet mignon - about 1-1 ½ inch thick and about 6-8 oz
- 1 tablespoon butter - or oil
- salt and pepper or other seasonings - to taste or 7:2:2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Start with 1 to 1 ½ inch thick filets, about 6-8 oz each, and trim well. Rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes if you have time.
- Pat dry well with paper towels. Season all sides to taste with the seasoning of your choice. Just kosher salt and black pepper or All-Purpose Seasoning is enough.
- In a cast iron or oven-safe skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
- When hot, sear both sides of the filets for 2-3 minutes—sear, flip, sear, and give them a final flip before putting them into the oven.
- Transfer to the preheated oven. Cook to your desired internal temperature minus about 3°-4°. Medium-rare takes about 9-11 minutes to reach an internal temperature of about 135°- 140°. If you want the meat rare, check the internal temperature when it goes into the oven. Also, check the temperature a few minutes early to prevent overcooking.
- Remove from pan, tent lightly with foil on a plate, and rest for 5-8 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- An 8 oz filet will be about 2-3 inches in diameter and 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick. Quality matters a lot with filets. Use prime if you can, but choice grade will work.
- Resting at room temperature will help you get the final internal temperature you want without drying the surface of the meat.
- Try to season one hour before cooking or just before cooking.
- You may use butter or oil in the pan. Butter has a lower smoke point, but I have never had an issue.
- Pan and butter should be hot, and the meat should dry and seasoned before starting to sear.
- Sear each side to approximately the final color you want and do a final flip just before going in the oven.
- If you want rare, especially if the filet is thinner, check the temperature when it goes in the oven.
- I suggest checking the internal temperature of the filet about 4-5 minutes after going into the oven.
- The time is very variable here, depending on the thickness of the meat, the exact starting temperature, the stovetop, the amount of searing, the exact oven temperatures, and the pan. There are many excellent reasons NOT to go by time. Time estimates are given as guides for time management.
- PLEASE USE AN INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER. DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE; YOU MUST CHECK INTERNAL TEMPERATURE.
- Times are provided to help with planning only. You are responsible if you overcook a filet. You can always cook it a bit more later, but you can not uncook an overcooked filet.
- Remove from the oven a few degrees below your final desired temperature. It will rise a few degrees when tented.
- Let rest tented for 5-8 minutes before serving.
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 March 10, 2012, updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Amanda B. says
This was my first time cooking Filet Mignon and it turned out perfect. My husband said it was the best steak he has ever had. I used a cast iron pan and after searing both sides put it in the oven on Convection roast.
L. Wos says
Been looking for an "inside" steak recipe to use during the dead if winter here in Michigan now that I have a new dual fuel range---- gas cooktop and electric/convection oven. Thought I'd try this one.
Started with a 2" filet removed from the fridge and seasoned 30+ minutes before cooking. Pre-heated regular oven to 425. Used a cast iron 11" skillet and melted butter on Med High. Cooked for exactly 2 1/2 minutes each side then moved to the oven. Set timer for 12 minutes. I like my steaks on the Medium Rare side, meaning a red interior with a rare center.
Removed from oven to plate and covered. Set timer for 4 minutes to rest.
Filet came out 90% of what I had hoped for. It was a little more towards the Medium side. It was red and bloody throughout but did not have a "rare" center. Next time I'll oven roast for 11 minutes or pan sear for 2 minutes a side and oven roast for 12. But for my first try, I'll use this recipe again and again. Using Cast Iron, in my opinion, makes all the difference with this recipe.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. With the thicker steak, a little less searing is where I would start. A thermometer should help straighten it out some for you.
DrDan
Shell says
have used this method many times on not just filet mignon but also sirloin tip steaks....never had a bad steak yet! love this method! even better now I have a cast iron skillet!
RSG says
We prepared this for Thanksgiving and it turned out very nice. Followed the directions to the letter, except that the peppercorns were lightly toasted and then ground them with mortar/pestle. Very good, simple recipe. Thanks.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note
DrDan
laura says
I plan on trying this tonight. I have a whole tenderloin im goung to cut into filets. I buy more chicken than any other meat. I know he's looking forward to this lol it seems super easy...fingers crossed i don't mess it up
Jennifer says
The filet is my favorite and I have always struggled trying to cook it in the oven...I made it tonight and it was perfect and easy to make....Thank you so much!!!!
RG731 says
Dr Dan,
I just today found your website and all i have to say is thank you! The effort and detail you put into every recipe is truly light years beyond any other recipe site i have seen. With that said now my question, I have a glass top electric stove top and there is a huge debate over using cast iron pans on them. I have before but not to sear meat so do you have any idea if this would work or should i just use the side burner of my propane grill then run it to the oven?
Any help is greatly appreciated
DrDan says
Maybe you can't tell but the picture is cast on a glass stove top. I do cast iron on glass and have for 30 plus years. BUT what I don't do on the glass are 'grill pans"... those are the ones with ridges. There are many report of those breaking the glass. That is about a $400 bill.
DrDan
Jamie says
I'm amazed this is pan seared! It looks delicious. I'm wondering if you can get the same results doing sous vide and then doing a light searing afterward. What do you think?
DrDan says
It is excellent. The sous-vide method (for the readers, think plastic bag in hot water usually in a vacuum) followed by searing would certainly work... It seems a little fussy to me and cooking in plastic just doesn't seem good to me if I can avoid it. I don't trust chemicals (plastic) and heat that much.
DrDan
DJ says
I enjoyed this. I'm not a chef by any means, but I love to cook. The seasoning I used was actually the Johnny's seasoning, I love it on any steaks. I also used butter, instead of oil. I cooked 3 extra thick filet's and they were awesome. I've only cooked filet's over a grill. From stove top to oven, this was awesome. It was so delicious. Thank you, I will cook this over and over again.
DrDan says
I do love this technique and I always use butter.
Thanks for the comment and rating.
DrDan
Jamie says
Absolutely wonderful! I got a prime cut filet and seasoned with salt, garlic powder, Al peppercorn seasoning, and regular black peppercorns. Followed your cooking directions exactly with excepting of adding more butter to the top while in oven. It was so juicy and cooked perfectly. Thanks for this easy recipe.
DrDan says
Extra butter is always good taste wise. Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and rating
DrDan
JC Williams says
Tried this recipe tonight. The most delicious steak that I have cooked.
I seared on 4 sides 2 minutes each then 15 minutes in oven. Next time will leave in oven 10 minutes, as I like my steak a little more rare. Was still fork tender and delicious. Thanks!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. Try using a thermometer to get exactly the final results you want.
DrDan
Jack M says
I get off work and look forward to cooking but sometimes am over whelmed by recipes that require too much! I have been cooking since a young age and am continuing to learn. This website is fantastic and you are my hero! I did a version of this but used bigger streaks and different seasonings, but just wanted to say I just found and love your site!
Keep it coming!!
I also just got a crockpot for Christmas so a new level of home cooking is about to commence.
DrDan says
Thanks Jack... I can only deal with a certain amount of complexity in a recipe or I move on to something else.
Now about that hero stuff....
Thanks for the comment and rating
DrDan
PJ Gopher says
Hi Dan! I've been using this recipe for nearly 2 years now and agree with everyone else--it is absolutely the best way to nail a good filet. With my oven (GE Profile), I am finding that 3-3-6 (sear 3 minutes each side, bake for 6) makes a perfect medium-rare for 8 oz. steaks.
The only real issue is having to open the windows in winter and disable the smoke alarm. My cast-iron smokes like the devil with this recipe. It's totally worth it though.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I must admit to cast iron abuse. I have been know to scrub mine when the smoking gets bad. I then spray with some PAM and try to use it again soon. I have never had rust and rarely smoke.
DrDan
Lindsey says
I've tried this, your pan seared chicken breast, and bone in pork chops. I LOVE them all however with this and the chicken, my outsides got very very blackened burned ( I hate that) any ideas what I could be doing wrong?
DrDan says
Turn the temp down a little on the stove top and cook them a little shorter. I take them to the surface being only a little brown then into the oven. Also backing the oven temp down by 25 degrees will help some.
Hope that helps.
DrDan
Norma says
I was wondering if the mignon can be put in a crock pot and slow cooked till it shreds apart at the touch. For Mexican food. Flautas for instance.
DrDan says
Now that is not a question I would predict. Not a lot of people want to use beef tenderloin for Mexican... BUT I have done this... Years ago I would buy cheaper whole beef tenderloins, less than current "choice" grade. Some were just fine but some not so much. Without good marbling, beef tenderloin is a bit stringy and not a lot of taste... great for braising into Mexican.
So back to your question. Yes, you can make Mexican. If it is good beef tenderloin, please don't. But if it marginal or not so good, check out https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-mexican-shredded-beef/ . You don't shred it as much as I show and you might not need to add liquid back...
Good luck with it.
DrDan
jennifer says
how long should i leave it in the oven if i want it to be cooked medium well to well done? i was going to assume 15 minutes but i wanted a few opinions. thanks!
DrDan says
There is no good answer. A meat thermometer is almost require. 15 minutes gets me what I call medium rare (145). I probable would not go over 17 minutes. But variables like thickness of the meat, meat starting temp (I start with mine cold), oven variability and a few more all could change things.
I'm sure that didn't help much.
Best of Luck
DrDan