Learn how to cook filet mignon on a grill. Grill your fillet to perfection with this simple technique in about 10 minutes. You can have the best steaks at your special dinner tonight.
Introduction
Make your home BBQ party special with grilled filet mignon. The best way is the easiest with these step-by-step photo instructions.
I consider filet the king of all meats. If I want something extraordinary, this is it.
My Rating
An absolute 5. The filet is always a five, but this is a great 5. As good as it gets.
🐄Filet Mignon
Since this is a "how-to" post, we will start with how to buy the meat. For those not in the know, a filet mignon is cut from whole beef tenderloin AKA a pismos. It is frequently referred to as tenderloin steaks or filets.
You can buy pre-cut, and it will be a bit more expensive, but I usually buy the whole tenderloin and cut my own. I like about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick. It does freeze great for 2-3 months.
Meat Grade
QUALITY DOES MATTER. It is all about quality here. Prime is the top 2%; it is harder to find but worth the extra cost for special meals.
Next is USDA Choice. About half the beef sold in the USA is choice, which you will usually buy.
USDA Select is next but just say no. And if no grade is given, assume the worse.
♨️The Grill
Filets should be cooked on a medium grill with a surface temperature of 450° up to but not over 500° with direct heat.
You need to know your grill. My gas grill (which is very hot) is just above 50% burner power. On more normal gas grills, it should be about 75% but get a $10 grill surface thermometer and get to know your grill. I always use a surface thermometer.
See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more details on grill surface temperature.
Charcoal Grill Instructions
You need to be very careful about surface temperature otherwise, times and temperature recommendations are unchanged. On most charcoal grills, you will need to adjust the venting.
⏰How Long to Grill
Generally, about 10 minutes to get medium-rare. But, your endpoint is the internal temperature you want minus a few degrees. DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE.
| Doneness | Internal Temperature | Approx. Grill TIme |
|---|---|---|
| Rare-cold red center | 125°-130° | 6-8 |
| Medium Rare-warm red center | 130°-135° | 10-11 |
| Medium-pink and firm | 140°-150° | 12-14 |
| Medium Well-minimal pink | 150°-155° | 15-16 |
| Well Done-firm and brown | 160°+ | 18+ |
There are several variables. The exact grill temperature, the meat temperature when placed on the grill, and the meat's thickness. So cooking by time CAN NOT WORK, and you must use a thermometer.
Once removed from heat, the internal temperature will still rise 2°-4° more. Thinner fillets will be at the low end of that range. Take that into account, please.
WARNING FOR RARE. It is hard to hit exactly what you want, so watch carefully and remove it a bit early. You can always cook it a bit more later.
🧂Seasoning
Just a good shake of salt and pepper is enough. We like to use my All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2. This is a bit salty for some people.
Do not overdo the seasoning. You can always add more later, but it is impossible to remove.
The timing of the seasoning is important. Do not put salt on the meat for more than a few minutes before cooking unless you do 60 minutes or more. Between those times, it will pull water out of the meat and not allow enough time to reabsorb back into the meat.
📖Related Recipes
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
How to Grill a Strip Steak on a Gas Grill
How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak – A Tutorial
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with quality filets. I like a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch thick that will be 6-8 ozs. each.
One of the most important steps is resting the filets at room temperature for 30 or so minutes. This raises the temperature of the meat, making getting your desired internal temperature much easier.
While it is resting, get your grill temperature of about 450°. Just over medium for me but more medium-high on lesser grills. Of course, clean and oil the grill.
Give the filets seasoning of your choice. Do it just before grilling. I use a nice sprinkling of my 7:2:2 seasoning, but just a nice sprinkle of coarse salt and 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. For me, I do another 7-8 minutes (with the rotation) and get 140°-145° internal temperature.
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 on a Gas Grill
Ingredients
- 2 Filet Mignon - about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch thick. They will be about 6-8 oz each.
- 7:2:2 seasoning or just coarse salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start with quality filets. I like a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch thick that will be 6-8 ozs. each.
- One of the most important steps is resting the filets at room temperature. Get at least 10 minutes but better if you can do 30 minutes. This raises the temperature of the meat, making getting your desired internal temperature much easier.
- While the filets are resting, get your grill surface temperature about 450° (500° max). About medium-high on most gas grills. Please be sure the surface temperature is correct. This is the most common source of errors. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for details if you are not sure. Of course, clean and oil the grill.
- Give the filets a light coat of the seasoning of your choice. Do it just before grilling. I use a nice sprinkling of my 7:2:2 seasoning, but just a nice sprinkle of coarse salt and 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. For me, I do another 7-8 minutes (with the rotation) and get 140°-145° internal temperature.
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes minimum. A light foil tent is a good idea here. Remember, the internal temperature will rise a few degrees during the rest.
My 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 to room temperature first if you have time. About 30 minutes if you can.
- 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.
- 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.
Chris
Love filets! My local HEB has USDA Prime and it's nice to get what would otherwise cost upwards of $100 in a premium steak joint.
DrDan
I'm jealous, I only get prime for very special occasions.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Paul
Number 5 Thank you
DrDan
Thanks for the note. Glad it worked well for you.
Dan
Claudette Bostrom
Love this recipe!! This recipe is super easy to follow & make, turns out delicious every time!! I made this a couple months ago & it has become my husbands favorite meal on the grill. Im making it tonight for some friends we are having for dinner. Cant go wrong! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie Miller
Can you update the nutritional information to include serving size?
DrDan
Hi Leslie,
Sorry but the plugin does not pull serving size into the nutrition box. So it is on the recipe card. I can manually place it like I did here.
Dan
Joe
Great suggestions, and simple! Thanks!
Christine
Great instructions! My love and I are becoming experts at filet now...
DrDan
Thanks for the note Christine. This is one I have done over and over for years but finally got around to pictures.
DrDan
Rick
Where did you get the grill thermometer ?
DrDan
That one I believe came from Amazon for about $8. Also anyplace that sale grills will probably have them for about the same price. The ones that are in the hood are almost aways way off. Just don't pay any attention to them.
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Tina
I've tried for years to cook steak for my husband but never could get it quite right. Followed your recipe and it came out perfect! Thank you so much
DrDan
Thanks for the note and rating. I just finished a dinner party for 8 tonight with grilled filet. Our filet were 2 inch thick so it took about 15 minutes. I adjusted
DrDan
Donna Voisine
What is the 7 2 2 spice made of?
DrDan
7 parts kosher salt
2 parts pepper
2 parts granular garlic powder
See link in post or https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/everyday-spice-mix-721-mix/
DrDan
Don Marino
To my family, McCormick Montreal Steak rub is the chosen spice on expensive steaks. We spray a thin coat of olive oil spray on the meat and then rub the spice generously. Since I prefer my steak rare, 5 minutes a side is sufficient. Enjoy!
Peter
Excellent instructions. I am trying for Saturday with 4 VIP guests. Might have been useful to link with a mushroom or other sauce but I guess I can research that elsewhere.
Many thanks for the help.
Paula Smitherman
I just found your site when I was googling for directions on grilling tenderloin filet steaks (my hubby does a fine job of it but I was just curious about how long on each side). We are about to grill ours (I made two sauces; peppercorn and mushroom, first time I've tried either one and I must say they turned out extremely well, if I do I say so myself). I LOVE your recipes! Simple, full of flavor, very doable and delicious. I am delighted and will be returning to your site weekly to try your recipes. Especially your crock pot recipes look very good; I'm usually disappointed with how bland and "crock-potty" my dishes seem to turn out when I use it, but yours look and sound much tastier. I so want to use it from a time-saving aspect. Thank you for sharing your time and cooking talent with the world, Dr. Dan!
Very sincerely,
Paula Smitherman
Brandon, MS
DrDan
Hi Paula and welcome to the site.
So glad it worked well for you. Look around and let me know if you have questions. About the crock pot recipes, my current favorites are the Ziti and the crock pot pizza... I guess I'm into Italian right now.
Thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Heather
I've been a vegetarian for over 25 years...until last month when I decided to start eating chicken (free range, organic, etc.) for various reasons. It is not a decision I made lightly. My fiancé was also veggie and wanted to try grass fed beef. I bought two filets ($25/lb) that should be top notch and will be trying to cook them tonight according to your instructions. I am both excited and nervous, I've never really eaten beef before and certainly have not cooked it, but I figured what the heck. I just don't want to ruin $30 worth of food by destroying it, haha. Wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes.
Chris
Believe it or not, Trader Joes had some lovely filet mignon steaks and I was craving beef. We have a gas grill that registers temperature well, I have a meat thermometer so I decided to look up a guide for grill technique. I followed the instructions and mixed the 7:2:1 seasoning and the steaks grilled beautifully. Perfect instructions, easy, and absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Phil
The random dog picture was funny. This is a great recipe and guide! You're totally right though, no matter how pro you are, having a thermometer on your grill is a must. A newbie will commit a mistake on relying time to cook. The meat in your picture looks juicy and delicious! I'm starved just by looking at them.
L Hampshire
i was surprised to see you recommend covering with foil. I tried this once, and the meat continued cooking under the foil wrap - not a nice surprise - we had well-done filets
DrDan
I mean to tent them some. They need to rest after cooking to reabsorb fluid. So just a light tenting. Also many times you will get 2-5 degrees increase after removing from the grill.
I think I will reword a little.
DrDan
maurice
Gratitude from the jersey shore. I don't grill much but the instructions made me look like I knew what I was doing. The beach house had a top notch grill so that helped. Most satisfying for me was the happy family.
Mark Johnson
The cook time was perfect.
Mike Louis
I grilled using these instructions and got very very sick. My entire family was vomiting
DrDan
Hi Mike,
Sorry to hear your family is sick but food poisoning from meat is generally ground meat, chicken and seafood. Not generally associated with solid meat like tenderloin.
I have published two articles on food safety:
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/food-safety/
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/thanksgiving-food-safety-and-food-help/
I suggest investigating other foods consumed at the meal to narrow the cause down and not consuming any of those dishes unless you are sure they are safe.
Dan
Bonnie
The instructions were very easy to follow. Since I am not a grill pro.lol. I will be using your site again.
ray
Yes it works, however learn to do it by feel and look. Colors and feel of your quality filet will stand out:-)
Ted (Theodore) Villella
Well i do agree with your approach but the tone of your piece bordered on codesending. People, especialy young people seek your wisdom which may well be lost on many because you call them foolish because they do not have your knowledge and experience. You lack tact iand by in demonstrating that, you greatly diminish an otherwise excellent piece of advice on one of the greatest pleasures one can enjoy. A rewrite demostrating a greater respect and appreciation of your audience is required. I hoped to appaud but i cannot. Technically accurate but lacks joi d'vivvra.
JF
Wow, Theodore. If we were all experts we wouldn't be looking at this to begin with. Didn't find it at all condescending nor lacking in tact.
DrDan
Hi JF,
In Ted’s defense, I had a couple of remarks regarding attempting to cook expensive meat by time alone vs using a thermometer that were a bit “snarky”. I had just had issues with commenters not following instructions and ripping into me on the oven filet recipe for over-cooked filet. Plus, I was having a bad day. He and I communicated after that privately and I did a few minor modifications. This is the version that is on the site now.
Thanks for the note.
Dan