Learn How to Grill Filet Mignon to perfection in about 10 minutes. With these simple step-by-step photo instructions, you can easily cook the best grilled filet mignon.
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Grilled filet mignon is a very special meal for any special occasion or as an everyday surprise. An extraordinary cut of beef that is naturally tender and flavorful.
Grilling filets is simple with these easy step-by-step photo instructions. But you can get equally excellent results inside with a brief pan sear and finishing in the oven.
For other easy grilled steak recipes: Grilled Ribeye Steak, Grilled Strip Steak, Grilled Sirloin Steak, and Grilled T-bone or Porterhouse Steaks.
👨🍳How to Grill Filet Mignon
- Preheat the grill to 450° surface temperature and let the filets rest at room temperature for 30 minutes if you have time.
- Season to your taste.
- Grill over direct heat, flipping every 4-5 minutes until you reach your desired temperature.
- Remove and lightly tent with foil.
⏰How long to grill filet mignon
A 1-inch thick filet mignon takes about 12 minutes on a 450° grill to reach 140°-145° internal temperature, which is medium with a little pink but firm.
Approximate times are given for planning only and will vary by thickness, grill temp, and rest time.
- Rare—cold red center(120°-125°) about 6-8 minutes total grill time. Please see the caution below.
- Medium-Rare—warm red center(130°-135°) about 10-11 minutes total grill time.
- Medium—pink and firm (140°-145°) about 12-14 minutes total grill time.
- Medium-Well—minimal pink(150°-155°) about 14-16 minutes total grill time.
- Well-Done—firm and brown(160°+ ) about 16 or more minutes total grill time.
NEVER COOK BY TIME ALONE. Use a meat thermometer. Cook to the internal temperature you want, allowing for a 2°-4° temperature rise after removal from the grill.
WARNING FOR RARE DONENESS: It is hard to get the temperature you want to have a rare filet, so watch carefully and remove it early if unsure. You can always cook it a bit more later.
✔️Tips
- The timing of the seasoning is essential. 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 fibers and not allow enough time to reabsorb back into them.
- Try to not skip the rest to room temperature before cooking, or the cooking time goes way up, and the outside will be overcooked before you reach the temperature you want. This is very important as the thickness increases.
- Filets should be cooked with medium-high heat —a surface temperature of about 450° with direct heat.
- To get those nice crossed grill marks, rotate the meat 90 degrees halfway through the grilling on each side.
- See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more details on grill surface temperature.
- To use a charcoal grill, you must be very careful about surface temperature; otherwise, times and temperature recommendations are unchanged. On most charcoal grills, you will need to adjust the venting. And having a cooler area for indirect heat is a good idea.
- Do not skip the rest after cooking. It allows the meat fibers to reabsorb fluid, making the steak tender and moist.
🧂 Seasoning
You can use any seasoning you like, but a good shake of Kosher salt and black pepper is enough. We use my Homemade Seasoning, which adds garlic. Do not overdo the seasoning. You can always add more later, but it is impossible to remove.
Steak sauce and marinades are not recommended for filets. But you can easily add some rosemary, thyme, or other seasonings you love.
🐄What is Filet Mignon?
Filet mignon steaks are an expensive cut of meat from whole beef tenderloin. It is frequently referred to as beef tenderloin steaks or filets. The tenderloin muscle does very little work, so it will usually be very tender.
Results are all about the quality of the cut of beef. Prime is the top 2%; it is harder to find but worth the extra cost for special meals. Choice grade is the most common and will also gives excellent results. Do not buy lower grades.
🍽️What to serve with filet
Filet mignon goes with almost anything you like with a nice meal, like a simple salad it another vegetable like Grilled Asparagus, green beans, or broccoli that matches nicely. Our favorites are crusty bread and baked potatoes, and vegetables.
Topping the filet with a pat of butter, herb butter, or garlic butter is a beautiful final enhancement. We love Blue Cheese and Garlic Compound Butter.
❓FAQs
This recipe works great for 1 to 1 ½ inch thick filets. Resting the meat at room temperature is critical for getting the best results for thick steaks.
Resist the temptation to turn up the grill temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the surface will overcook before you get your desired internal temperature.
Choose a red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet for a wine pairing. But really, any wine goes well with filets, especially sparkly wines for special occasions.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with quality filets—1 to 1 ½ inches thick, which will be 6-8 oz. each. Rest the filets at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
While it is resting the meat, get your grill surface temperature to about 450°—medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Use the seasoning of your choice just before grilling. Just a nice sprinkle of Kosher salt and black pepper will do. We use All-Purpose Seasoning Recipe with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place the filets on the grill. Close the lid—grill on the first side for about 5 minutes (less for rare). Rotate half the way through for these nice crossed grill marks. Flip and grill until you reach the correct internal temperature for your taste—about 5 more minutes for medium rare.
Remove and rest for 5 minutes minimum. A light foil tent is a good idea here. The internal temperature will rise a few degrees.
📖 Recipe
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Ingredients
- 2 Filet Mignon - about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch thick. They will be about 6-8 oz each.
- coarse salt and pepper - Or other seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Start with quality filets—1 to 1 ½ inches thick, which will be 6-8 oz. each. Rest the filets at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- While it is resting the meat, get your grill surface temperature to about 450°—medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Use the seasoning of your choice just before grilling. A nice sprinkle of Kosher salt and black pepper will do.
- Place the filets on the grill. Close the lid—grill on the first side for about 5 minutes (less for rare). Rotate half the way through for these nice crossed grill marks. Flip and grill until you reach the correct internal temperature for your taste—about 5 more minutes for medium rare.
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes minimum. A light foil tent is a good idea here. The internal temperature will rise a few degrees.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The quality of the meat matters a lot here. Prime or choice only, please.
- Medium to medium-high grill with a surface temperature of about 450°. Maximum of 500°. Never use the thermometer in the hood of the grill.
- Be sure the grill surface temperature is correct. This is the most common source of problems. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for details.
- Rest at room temperature first if you have time—about 30 minutes.
- Season 1 hour before cooking or just before cooking. Not between.
- It is always good to check your internal temperature a bit earlier than you think.
- Do not over-season. You can always add more at serving.
- Your endpoint is the internal temperature you want minus a few degrees. DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE.
- Rest tented with foil for at least 5 minutes before serving. The meat will rise a few degrees during the rest, and fluid will reabsorb into the meat fibers for moist and tender meat.
- If you want rare, you must watch the internal temperature closely and remove it a bit early. Take into account the rise in temperature with the rest. Remember, you can always cook it a bit more later, but it is impossible to uncook something.
- You can not do this with frozen meat, it must be fully thawed.
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 June 1, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ken Crass
You state that you should be careful about seasoning and do it right before you grill. Seasoning with salt up to 24 hours before cooking makes a huge difference in the texture and flavor of a steak . Salt dissolves protein strands into gel which allows them to retain water better as they cook .Water makes meat more tender and juicy. I suggest salting as early as possible before cooking-up to 24 hours before but not less than 1 hour. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results! Read Salt,Fat,Acid,Heat by Samin Nosrat.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Yes, you can salt long before cooking. You just should not do it between 0 to 60 minutes or it will pull water out and not allow time to reabsorb. If you can't do more than an hour then do it immediately before cooking.
Dan
Kathy Howarth
Have you ever grilled a whole filet?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kathy,
Welcome to the blog.
The answer is no and probably never will, we just don't host that sort of meal anymore. It would require a large grill and probably indirect cooking but not in the low and slow range. So look around, I'm sure others have.
I do have a whole tenderloin recipe, it was one of the first on the blog, the photos were lost and it is by no means up to my current post standards but it was very delicious. I keep it for reference for my family. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/beef-tenderloin-part-4-tenderloin-roast/
Dan
edward weinstein
not a grill master , but someone that likes alcohol , poured shots of every thing i had and put it on the steaks ,everyone loved the taste .did it while the filet mignon were grilling ! cant remember what i did but they were unbeleivable in taste ! just a note the alcohol burned off !
T. Goersuch Winfield III
This is the most bizarre thing I have ever read.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Welcome to the blog.
I have no idea why I let that be posted.
Dan
Unduescallywag
I guess if your drunk enough pretty much everything tastes good.
Walter "Woody" Hope
The thermometer you want has a shaft of about 7" long by about 3/16" diameter. Do not use one of those meat thermometers with a glass shaft about 1/4" diameter. Those are for roasts, if for anything at all. The former minimizes juice leakage.
In one swift fluid motion: One at a time, grab the sides of the filet with sturdy but lightweight metal tongs, pull it off the grill and land it on a stable solid plate on a flat surface, poke the thermometer so the tip ends up in the center of the thickest part (the thermocouple is in the TIP), read the high point and either pull to rest or tong it back on the grill ASAP. BTW Dr. Dan, this recipe is how I have always done my filets...same page we are, sir!
Patrick Martin
Great instructions. I had stopped cooking steaks at home but I cooked three filets tonight following your directions and they came out perfectly!
Jess
Perfect! Thank you so much. Our entire family devoured the steaks!
Alan Lamb
My wife was smiling from ear-to-ear upon eating our two filet mignon cuts this evening! Your directions were perfect and you definitely helped make my evening!
Cristian
Breaking in a new grill with this recipe and the steaks came out 👌🏽 perfect!
Thank you!
George Pattakos
DrDan, you are the man! Just barbecued 3 fillet mignons for my birthday and followed your instructions to a tee. Best tasting and juiciest we've had in a long time. I almost feel like a master chef now. Wish I could do it with a roast now.
Barbara Smith
I’ve been trying to sign up for your email letters, and I can’t access the Captcha pictures. It’s off to the side and very small.
Can you help me?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Barbara,
Welcome to the blog. I signed you up. It is not much of a newsletter, just a notification when something is published. You should get an email to confirm you want it. Also, very easy to unsubscribe.
Thanks for the notes and glad your steaks came out well
Dan