If you've ever wondered how to cook filet mignon at home without a grill or fancy tools-this is your new go-to method. We're talking restaurant-quality steak with a gorgeous sear, buttery tenderness, and no stress. All you need is a hot skillet, a quick oven finish, and a little confidence (which you'll have after reading this!).

half eaten filet mignon with potatose and carrots on top of a green linen on a light brown background

My friends are always asking me the best way to cooking steaks. While many people love to grill steaks, I much prefer the sear than oven method. Once we knew we could have perfectly cooked steak at home we definitely stopped going out for a steak dinner as often! You can too have perfect filet mignon at home, it's actually fairly easy and I've taught this method to about 8 friends who have all had success!

So after constantly texting this recipe out I thought it was about time to write a post on how to cook filet mignon.

You can use a meat thermometer if you want, which I personally do, but you can also get pretty great results with timing. You will start to learn as you do this multiple times how much longer you will need for a thicker piece or thinner piece of steak. Please as always feel free to reach out to me via the comments below or you can direct message me on Instagram!

filet mignon with herb butter served with potatoes and vegetables on a white plate on top of a green line with a glass of wine in the background filet mignon with herb butter served with potatoes and vegetables on a white plate on top of a green linen next to a glass of wine on a light brown background

What You Need for Perfect Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is always a special meal. So make sure you use the best ingredients. I prefer to go to a meat counter to pick out my pieces of filet. I live in Southern California and my favorite grocery store meat department is Stater Brothers but a local butcher would be even better for your cuts of meat.

Good Quality Filet Mignon. I usually go for a 6-8oz piece that is 1 ½- 2 inches thick. Try to just buy two that are similar in size so they cook evenly. But if you end up with a much bigger one then cook that first for a bit longer or vice versa if you end up with one smaller than the other.
Salt & Pepper. Do NOT use table salt! I like to use Kosher Salt or Sea Salt. And be generous with the salt and pepper, a good seasoning is a key to a delicious filet mignon dinner!
Oil. I like to use a combination of oil and butter for cooking the steak. Make sure you use a high-smoke point oil. I like to use Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil, or Olive Oil. Extra virgin olive oil does not have that high of a smoke point so I do not suggest using it. You can definitely use only oil but I would not suggest using only butter as the smoke point of butter is not as high as oil.
Salted Butter. Like I said above I like to use both oil and butter. But since butter has a lower smoke point I prefer to get the pan scorching hot and ready to go with the oil then put the butter in at the last minute.

To serve the filet mignon I often choose a jacket potato (baked potato) or my roasted fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots are our current veggies of choice. Next time try my ribeye roast recipe.

For the cooking vessel, you will need an oven-safe skillet. I use cast iron or stainless steel. To achieve a great sear to create nice rust on the steak you will need an extremely hot pan. In a pinch, you can use a non-oven safe skillet then transfer the steaks to a baking pan to finish cooking in the oven.

Let's Cook This Steak

Get your steaks out of the fridge about an hour before you plan on cooking, Searing a room temperature steak is much better than an ice-cold piece of meat.

three pieces of filet mignon and then dried with a paper towel on a light brown background — Pat your steaks dry with a paper towel, you want to dry them completely.

salt and pepper in a small white bowl on a light brown background — In a small bowl whisk together the salt and pepper.

hand pressing salt and pepper into steak on a light brown background — Press salt and pepper on all sides of the steak.

If you don't have an oven safe skillet you can use a normal skillet and then transfer the steaks to a baking pan to finish cooking in the oven.

filet mignon cooking in a metal pan with oil and butter on a light brown background — Sear the filet mignon on each side.

spoon basting steak with butter in pan on a light brown background — Use a spoon to baste the steak, this moistens the steak and really gets the butter flavor in!

how to cook filet mignon in a stainless steel skillet on a light brown background — Sear the steaks on all sides in the pan. Then transfer to the oven.

filet mignon resting on a white plate covered in foil to rest on a light brown background — After cooking let the steak rest on a plate covered in aluminum foil.

filet mignon after resting on a white plate on a light brown background — Let the steak rest, this helps the juices redistribute.

Once the steak has rested serve it immediately with your favorite sides. You can also serve a piece of herb butter on top, you can make your own or Kerry Gold sells a delicious one I use!

I hope this step-by-step post has helped you learn how to cook filet mignon, please let me know if you have any questions!

For another delicious beef dinner, check out my Duch Oven Beef Stew or cottage pie recipe.

filet mignon sliced in half on top of fingerling potatoes with carrots on a plate on a green linen with a fork on a light brown background

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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How to Cook Filet Mignon

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Learn how to cook filet mignon, you can have a restaurant quality steak dinner at home! Just a little bit of patience and some good ingredients are needed! Step-by-step photo show you to make this filet mignon recipe.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 Steaks 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2-(6-8oz 1 ½- 2 inch) Good Quality Filet Mignon
1- ½ Teaspoons Salt
1- ½ Teaspoons Pepper
1 Tablespoon High- Smoke Point Oil; I use Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
Try my Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Roasted Carrots

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Instructions

Get your steaks out of the fridge about an hour before you plan on cooking.
Turn your oven to 400F/204C. Pat your steaks dry with a paper towel, you want to dry them completely.
In a small bowl whisk together the salt and pepper. Use clean hands to salt and pepper on all sides of the steak, I like to use my hand to really press the salt and pepper into the steak.
With a cast-iron skillet or oven-proof stainless steel skillet place it over high heat and add the oil, at this point turn on your vent and/or open your windows! Once the pan has been heating for 5 minutes add the butter, this will smoke up.
Then immediately add the filet mignon and sear the steak on each side for 2 minutes, I set my phone next to the stovetop and press the timer on. Do not move the steak while it is searing, this is creating that nice crust. Then I will sear the edges of the steak for 15-20 seconds or so, I use tongs to hold the steak upright too. At this point I like to stick my thermometer into the side middle of the steak- not from the top down, you will not get an accurate reading. This way you will know how far along your steak is, as sometimes you use a different burner, or different pan they can all affect how far along the steak cooks.
Now carefully as the pan will be hot transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and let cook for 6-8 minutes for medium-rare. Depending on the size, mainly thickness, of your steak this will take more or less time. Keep in mind the steaks will rise in temperature about 5-10 degrees while resting. To check your filet with a digital thermometer stick the probe into the side of the steak and push into the middle, do not take the reading from pressing the probe in on top. I look for around 118F-120F to pull them out of the oven for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a clean plate and cover with foil and let rest for 7-10 minutes, this is critical to continue cooking the steak but more importantly, it helps the juices redistribute.

Equipment

All-Clad D3 Stainless Cookware, 12-Inch Fry Pan

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Black Kitchen Tongs

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Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

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Thermapen One

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Notes

Rare is 120F-125F
Medium Rare is 125F-130F
Medium is 135F-140F
Medium Well is 145-150F
Well Done is 160F +

When measuring the temperature of the steak stick the probe into the side of the filet as opposed to sticking it into the top. Also, make sure you stick it into the side and into the center.

Author: Elizabeth Waterson
Prep Time: 5
Rest Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Sautee and Bake
Cuisine: American

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