Whether you’re treating yourself, impressing your date, or sharing with friends or family, a filet mignon is one of the best dishes to prep and serve on special occasions. Many love the steak for its buttery texture and melt-in-your-mouth goodness. If you’re craving for one and want to try it out for yourself at home, how then can you cook filet mignon? Read our guide below.

Finding the Right Cut

Before we further discuss how to cook filet mignon, how can you know if you’re buying the right cut? The filet mignon comes from the small area on the cow’s short loin. According to The Spruce Eats, it’s located inside the rib cage.

The reason why many favor filet mignon over other cuts is because of its location in the cow. Apparently, it’s the muscle that doesn’t get much exercise. That’s why it’s oh so tender!

One other thing to remember when buying a filet mignon is its thickness and roundness. According to Smart Kitchen, it should be 1 to 2 inches thick. Then it should be 2 to 3 inches round.

The Ingredients

You’ll need the following to get started:

• Filet mignon (6 oz.)
• Kosher/coarse or sea salt
• Olive oil
• Pepper

The Procedure

In a few minutes, you can cook one of the most expensive steak cuts ever. Beginners may have difficulty nailing the ideal doneness. That’s why, in cooking filet mignon, you may need to follow the procedure exactly.

Fortunately, there are two known ways to cook a filet mignon. One is to sear it in a pan only. While the other way is to use a pan and then finish it in the oven.

Here’s how the best chefs cook their filet mignon.

Pan-Seared

Once done, heat the oil, then place the filets on a cast-iron skillet. After that, you can sear it in the pan in medium to high heat. 

Season the filet or filets with salt and pepper. Make sure that you do that for both sides. Use tongs when flipping the steak.

If you plan to include other herbs, spices, and butter, add them, and cook the steak for three to five more minutes.

Let the mignon rest for five to seven minutes, then serve.

Oven

Most chefs would agree that you should sear the steak first, then finish it in the oven. That’s a common practice in restaurants as well. 

In case you want to finish the steak in the oven, you should preheat it to 400° to 450° F.

Refer to the procedure above on how to cook the filet mignon pan-seared, but leave the resting time in the end.

After that, place the cast iron inside the oven.

How long should you roast or bake the filet mignon in the oven? It depends on how you want it done. Check the brief guide below on steak doneness for both the skillet and oven.

Once you’ve roasted or baked it to your preferred doneness, you can take the skillet out and let the filet mignon rest for five to seven minutes before serving it.

Steak Doneness

When cooking a filet mignon, you have to remember steak doneness. 

To remind you, here are the five doneness levels you can choose when eating any steak:

• Rare (125° F)
• Medium Rare that ranges from 130 to 135° F
• The 135 to 140° F which is called “Medium”
• The closest to well done but not so much, Medium Well (145 to 150° F)
• Well Done (150 to 160° F)

Different Ways of Cooking Filet Mignon

Now you know how to cook a filet mignon, in what ways can you level up the filet mignon eating experience?

Here are ten recipes from chefs that you might want to try out for yourself.

Natasha’s Kitchen – with Mushroom Sauce

Natasha’s Kitchen adds mushroom sauce in filet mignon, making it a more flavorful dish to try. And if you include mashed potatoes and asparagus, you’ll have a complete steak dinner.

Get the recipe for Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce here.

40 Aprons – with Garlic Herb

For a juicier and more tender filet mignon, 40 Aprons offers this Garlic Herb recipe with Compound Butter. Plus, when you use this recipe, you can share it with four people. Not only that, you can cook this in 40 minutes and serve it to your guests.

Cook the Filet Mignon with Garlic Herb by looking at their recipe here.

Dinner at The Zoo – with Garlic Butter

For something simpler than mushroom sauce or garlic herb, this one by Sara of Dinner at The Zoo will make you crave for more. And in 25 minutes, you can whip up this meal for a simple dinner with family or friends.

Read her recipe here.

Joyful Healthy Eats – with Chimichurri

If you need to whip up a meal in 15 minutes, this one by Joyful Healthy Eats can save you the hassle of preparing a more time-consuming meal. As you cook the filet mignon in the oven, you can blend the chimichurri and serve it atop the steak once it’s done to your liking.

Make this dish at home by following the recipe here.

Carb Manager – with Cauliflower Rice with Herb Parmesan Sauce

Serve this filet mignon recipe on your “cheat day” without making it feel like a “cheat day.” In only six steps, you can have this dish on your plate.

Try the recipe for yourself here.

Clean Keto Lifestyle – with Blue Cheese Sauce

This one’s ideal for those who are doing a keto diet. With only four ingredients, you can get a keto-friendly dish without too many carbs!

Learn how to cook filet mignon with blue cheese sauce here.

Ree Drummond – Bacon-Wrapped

Add some more flavor to your filet mignon by wrapping a strip of bacon to your filet mignon. This recipe requires an oven, but it won’t take more than 30 minutes to cook!

Enjoy this meaty recipe here.

All Recipes – with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Do you want to add cheese to your steak? Well, here’s a recipe by Shawn Alton from All Recipes. This recipe may take you an hour and fifteen minutes to complete and need an outdoor grill. But according to those who tried it say they love the richness of the sauce, and that it’s something out of a five-star restaurant.

Try out the recipe for yourself here.

All Recipes – with Rich Balsamic Glaze

Here’s one recipe on this list that includes red wine. You can cook and immediately serve the filet mignon in three simple steps as if it were from a restaurant.

Get the recipe here.

The Spruce Eats – with Bearnaise Sauce

If you’re a fan of white wine on your food, you can use it on the Bearnaise sauce. Cooking the steak and prepping the sauce will take around 30+ minutes to complete. But it will all be worth it knowing bearnaise pairs well with any steak. It can be good practice, too, if you’re looking to try it with other steaks.

Try this recipe at home by reading it here.