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.
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