Filet Mignon
On February 12, 2024 (Updated September 24, 2024)
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Rich, savory, melt-in-your-mouth beef seasoned to perfection with a simple homemade steak seasoning, my Filet Mignon is a steakhouse classic with a kiss of char-grilled flavor.
Filet Mignon
Filet mignon is not your everyday steak, it’s special. Served at high-end steakhouses and upscale restaurants, filet mignon is a cut of beef reserved for romantic dinners and special occasions. It’s a rare gem, both because there are only two of these tenderloins per animal, and because they have such unique flavor qualities. They’re tender and juicy like a slow-smoked brisket, but cook quickly like a steak. They’re also expensive, and things can go wrong quickly. That’s where I come in.
With my Filet Mignon recipe, I’ll show you how to grill perfect filets in just 4 easy steps. Skip that expensive restaurant and host the next big anniversary or birthday party. You’ll be able to serve up tender, flavorful filet mignon for your family any time you want.
What’s the difference between filets and steaks?
Filet mignon, or beef tenderloin, is a rare, high-end cut of beef. Because of it’s location near the cow’s backbone, this beef doesn’t have much fat. It’s not a working muscle either, so it doesn’t have much connective tissue like you’d find in roasts. This gives tenderloins a flavor and texture experience unlike any other cut of beef. The meat is already soft and tender, and doesn’t need any rendered fat for a melt-in-your-mouth experience. Oh, and because it’s free of excessive connective tissue in many cuts of beef, it cooks quickly.
It’s also rare in the literal way. You typically get multiple steaks from a single cow, but there are only two filets per animal. Because it’s not a plentiful cut, it’s going to run a few dollars more per pound than a New York strip or sirloin. It’s totally worth it when you want to celebrate something important, but you want to make sure you get it just right. That starts before you even fire up your grill
Rest Your Filets
Filet mignon is not your average steak, and it needs to be treated special. For starters, resting your beef is a must. I talk all the time about resting your meat after grilling, but this is different. I’m talking about resting your filets at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking. Remember how filets are low in fat content? Well, all the flavorful juice is in the middle of that tender meat, and you need to let your filets relax. Letting them rest this way allows the temperature to slowly rise before the cooking process begins. This reduces the overall cooking time, gives you a more even finished doneness, and allows all that flavorful juice to spread throughout the beef. You’ll ensure your guests get that savory, beefy flavor in every bite.
Simple Steak Seasoning Ingredients
Next, let’s cover seasonings. Because filet mignon is more lean than some steaks, the seasoning you use makes all the difference. With a fattier cut like a ribeye, you’ll get a lot of the flavor from rendering down all the fat. With filet mignon, picking the right seasonings to highlight the beef is key. I like to use a few simple ingredients for my simple steak seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
I like to season my filets before letting them rest for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. You can also use any steak seasoning you have on hand, or just an even mix of salt and pepper. I just prefer this blend because it gives a touch of heat to the naturally sweet tenderloins and the coriander creates a light, almost citrus, pop of flavor.
How Long to Grill Filet Steaks
I make these tender filets using two-zone grilling with both indirect and direct heat. This method gives all that beefy flavor even more time to spread back into the meat before I finish it over direct heat. This method works great on either charcoal or gas, but you can use any grill and get perfect and juicy filets. If you need a refresher on two-zone heat, check out How to Cook with Two-Zone Grilling.
First, you’ll use indirect heat. You want to give your beef as much time as possible to let the natural juicy, beef flavor soak back into your entire cut as it warms. This will take around 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until your about 10 degrees below finish temperature. Temperature is as important as time with a pricey cut like filet mignon. Make sure to use a reliable food thermometer, like my Thermapen ONE, and follow the temperature guide here:
- Rare – 115 degrees F
- Medium Rare – 125 degrees F
- Medium – 135 degrees F
- Medium Well – 145 degrees F
- Well – 155 degrees F
Searing Filet Mignon
After you’ve given your filets plenty of time to slowly develop all that tender, beefy flavor, you’re ready to give them a quick sear and lock in all the juicy goodness. Once your steak reaches an internal temperature 10 degrees below your desired doneness, move them over to the direct heat side of your grill to take them up to temp and over the top. Give them 2-3 minutes per side and sear in all that delicious beef flavor.
- Rare – 125 degrees F
- Medium Rare – 135 degrees F
- Medium – 145 degrees F
- Medium Well – 155 degrees F
- Well – 165 degrees F
Once your steaks reach your desired doneness temperature, go ahead and pull them to rest. If you want to, you can learn all about different steak doneness levels in my Perfect Steak Temperature & Doneness Guide.
Rest Your Filets… Again
Once you’ve grilled your filets slowly over low heat to develop all the yummy, beefy flavor, and then locked it in by searing them over high heat, you’re almost there. All that’s left is to rest your filet mignon for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. If you really want to take your filet mignon over the top, finish it with some of my Resting Steak Butter. This is going to give that savory juice time to settle, and make your steaks easier to slice before serving.
How to Cook Filet Mignon
Filet mignon may be a meat for special occasions, but making it doesn’t have to be hard or scary. I’ll show you exactly how to grill this tender and meaty cut so you can savor the juicy beef in every bite.
- Season your filets. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter while you preheat your grill. Combine all ingredients for the steak seasoning in a small bowl until well combined. Season the steaks on all sides with the steak rub. Preheat your preferred grill for two-zone cooking, with an overall temp of 350 degrees F.
- Grill the filets. Place your steaks directly on the grill grates on the indirect heat side of your grill and close the lid. You want to give your steaks a good 30 minutes over indirect heat so all that beefy, juicy goodness is soaked into every bite. Flip them once about halfway through.
- Sear your filet mignon. When your steaks are so close to done you can almost taste them, and they’re about 10 degrees from perfection, get them over to the direct heat side of your grill for 2-3 minutes per side. This is going to give your filet mignon just enough flame to sear in all the savory beef flavor.
- Rest, serve, and enjoy. Finally, once your steaks reach your desired internal temperature, remove them from your grill and place on a serving platter. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes. I know this part is hard, but I promise they’re easier to cut if you let them cool just a little.
More Juicy Steak Recipes
If you can grill savory and delicious filet mignon, then there’s no limit to the tender and juicy steaks you can make to wow your family and friends. Here are few more of my favorite sizzlin’ steak recipes:
- Grilled Filet Mignon
- Porterhouse Steak on the Grill
- Tomahawk Steak on the Grill
- Steak on a Pellet Grill
- Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
Filet Mignon Recipe
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Filet Mignon
Ingredients
- 4 6 ounce filet mignon steaks
Simple Steak Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons black pepper fresh cracked
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rest the steaks. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter while you preheat your grill for two-zone grilling with an overall temperature of 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients for the steak seasoning in a small bowl until well combined. Season the steaks on all sides with the steak rub.4 6 ounce filet mignon steaks, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Grill the filets. Place steaks on grill grates over indirect heat, close lid, and cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the steaks are 10 degrees away from your target temperature, flipping once halfway through. (Rare = 115 degrees F, Medium Rare = 125, Medium = 135, Medium Well = 145, Well = 150 degrees F).
- Sear your filet mignon. Transfer your filets to the direct heat side of your grill to sear for a 2-3 minutes per side, or until the steaks reach your preferred target internal temperature. (Rare = 125 degrees F, Medium Rare = 135, Medium = 145, Medium Well = 155, Well = 160 degrees F).
- Rest, serve, and enjoy. Remove the steaks to the serving platter and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
