This is only filet mignon recipe you’ll ever need! It makes the best filet you’ll ever eat: tender, moist, and oh so juicy. Topped with a super flavorful garlic herb compound butter, this recipe produces an epic meal, thanks to a reverse sear starting in the oven with a quick finish in a cast-iron skillet on the stove. This recipe is the last word on how to cook a filet mignon!
What Makes This the Best Filet Mignon Recipe?
- The filet mignon is insanely tender and juicy without being the least bit stringy.
- It’s so buttery it nearly melts in your mouth.
- The reverse sear mimics the sous vide method of cooking. In other words, the entire steak is cooked through evenly before a quick, very hot sear. No other approach to cooking filet mignon yields quite a tender or even steak.
- The garlic herb butter is out of this world! With garlic, parsley, shallots, and lemon juice, this garlic butter is perfect on filet mignon. It makes enough to slather on everything from chicken breast to eggs to a loaf of French bread.
What’s the Best Way to Cook Filet Mignon?
This way! So here’s the deal:
We cook this filet mignon in the oven on low heat to start, and then we sear it on the oven in a cast-iron skillet. By doing this, we cook the entire thing through without overcooking the edges, so they never become grey or stringy. The sear in a cast-iron skillet gives you a beautiful crust and rich, buttery flavor. It’s seriously to-die-for.
Dry Brining
This recipe for the best filet mignon of your life starts with a simple but super powerful process of dry brining. All this means is liberally salting both sides of your steaks and letting them sit for at least 30 minutes. This process creates a more flavorful and tender piece of meat than you could imagine, and I do not want you to skip it.
Additionally, this process allows the steak to come up to room temperature which is important in order to cook perfectly. So again, don’t skip it! It makes all the difference.
How Do I Cook Filet Mignon in the Oven?
Here’s what I like to do and how this best-ever filet mignon recipe recommends you cook your steak in the oven: liberally salt and pepper the filet on both sides and let sit about 30 minutes to an hour on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Then, place your steak in the oven at 250º Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 120º (for medium-rare steak). This will take about 25-30 minutes.
How Do I Cook Filet Mignon in a Cast-Iron Skillet?
After you’ve cooked your filet mignon to an internal temperature of 120º Fahrenheit, remove the steak from the oven and let sit while you preheat your cast-iron skillet over high heat for those 5 minutes. Then, very carefully place the filet in the cast iron skillet and cook for 45 seconds. Flip and place pats of your garlic herb butter on top and cook 45 seconds. Then, you’ll flip your steak a couple of times, allowing the browning milk solids in the butter to provide a really rich shade of brown to the surface of your steak, about another 20-30 seconds. Press the sides of the filet mignon briefly against the sides of the cast iron skillet, just until they are no longer red or pink, then remove.
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Best Ever Filet Mignon with Garlic Herb Compound Butter (Reverse Sear)
Equipment
- Wire cooling rack
- Baking sheet
- Food processor (for garlic-herb butter)
- Plastic wrap
- Meat thermometer
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For the Filet Mignon
- 4 filet mignon steaks about 6-8 ounces each, about 2″ thick
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the Garlic Butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 1-1 ½ teaspoon garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons shallot roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Liberally season both sides of each steak with plenty of salt, as well as fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably a couple hours. If letting stand for more than one hour, keep in refrigerator, then let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
- While steaks stand, make garlic-herb compound butter. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape. Chill until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 250º F. Transfer baking sheet to oven. If using oven-safe meat thermometer with probe, insert now. Cook in oven until internal temperature reaches the desired degree based on the time chart in the recipe notes.
- Remove steaks from oven. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes while steaks rest. Pat steaks completely dry in order to get the best crust.
- Carefully place steaks in hot skillet and cook 45 seconds; flip and place a pat of garlic herb compound butter (about 1 tablespoon per steak) on top of the filet. Cook another 45 seconds, then flip once or twice as needed until steaks are a richer brown color, about 20-40 seconds total. Press the sides of the filet up against the sides of the cast iron skillet briefly until no longer red or pink.
- Remove steaks from skillet and serve with more garlic herb compound butter.
Video
Notes
- Rare: Target temperature: 120°-125°F
- Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 110º F.
- Medium Rare: Target temperature: 130°-135°F
- Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 120º F.
- Medium: Target temperature: 140°-145°F
- Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 130º F.
- Medium Well: Target temperature: 150°-155°F
- Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 140º F.Â
- Well Done: Target temperature: 160°-175°F
- Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 160º F. Can I convince you to cook your steak a bit less, though? Please?
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Jill Rizzuti says
I stumbled upon this method for cooking a filet while looking for a compound butter recipe. It is spot on. My oven took longer than the recipe stated but I checked the temps every five minutes. I took the risk of making this for the first time for a dinner party and it was a huge success. I will always cook filet this way going forward. Tender, juicy, perfectly rare , a beautiful crust and magnificent flavor (from a cut of beef that I find bland if left plain) and super easy to prepare. Thank you!
Cheryl Malik says
So so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Bill says
This was my first attempt at a reverse sear steak and by following this recipe, it was amazing! Probably the best steak I’ve ever cooked.
Marc says
Going to make this today!
I don’t have a thermometer though.
Any guesses for how long they should go in the oven for medium rare?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
About 25-30 minutes!
Randy says
Easy recipe producing the best ever filet!
Cameron says
Best steak ever! Had this for Valentine’s dinner and it was amazing! Fully recommend this recipe and will be using it often.
Janet Rumsey says
OMG! This was easy and amazingly delicious. This was the first time I tried to make Filet Mignon and I don’t want to ever make it any other way. The herb butter was delicious….it also makes this scrumptious! My boyfriend and grown son loved this too!
Jeanine Campbell says
I have been cooking for years and stumbled onto your recipe for filet mignon. I have to say that this was by far the best technique I have ever tried! I highly recommend this recipe!!!!!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Audrey says
I had never made filet mignon before & my husband got some as a gift from Kansas City Steaks. So I researched how to make them because I knew they were expensive & I didn’t want to ruin them. They were amazing!! My son’s are adults & raved best steak ever, another said it tasted like on he paid nearly $100 for at a high-end steakhouse!! Everyone is still raving, so grab some at Costco and trying again tonight! Fingers crossed they’re as good as the first time! Awesome instructions, I’ll always make them this way!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for sharing, Audrey! We’re glad your family enjoyed them. 🙂
Miss LM says
Omg!!!! If I could give 10 stars I would!!! My filet mignon has always come out tough but this recipe is hands down THE BEST sooooo delicious and soft and the garlic butter, I cleaned my plate!!! Thank you so much easily better than any of the high end steakhouses!
Erika says
Oh goodness! What an amazing technique! Our filets turned out perfectly – so delicious. Your temperature guide was perfect – I cooked the steaks based on your guidelines, and it worked out brilliantly.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for the kind words!