Filet mignon recipes are my go-to whenever a dinner needs to feel special. Here is a fun fact: the tenderloin makes up only a small fraction of a cow’s weight, which explains the filet mignon price at the butcher!
So you want to get it right. The best way to cook filet mignon? Give it a hard sear in a hot pan, then a few minutes in the oven or on the grill. A generous seasoning of salt and pepper is often all it needs.
Below are 7 filet mignon dinner ideas, from silky sauces to a showstopping Wellington. Let’s cook!
Filet Mignon Recipes – Table of Contents
Filet Mignon With a Red Wine Reduction
This easy filet mignon with red wine sauce comes from MeliBug, who made it for her steak-loving boyfriend. He devoured it and even got mad when she gave a piece to the dog!
The steaks rest briefly with balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, get a quick sear, and are basted with a syrupy red wine reduction before finishing at 350°F. She served them with cheddar and bacon mashed potatoes.
Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce – Quick Filet Mignon Sauce Recipe
Nagi says creamy peppercorn sauce was always her first choice at steakhouses back in her corporate days. Now she makes it at home in just 17 minutes, using the steak drippings, brandy or cognac, beef broth and cream.
The recipe calls for strip or porterhouse but works with any steak of choice, so a filet mignon peppercorn sauce is an easy swap. She prefers crushed black peppercorns over canned green ones for real pops of heat.
Traeger Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon – Filet Mignon Grill Recipe
This bacon wrapped filet mignon recipe for the grill keeps things simple on purpose. The filets get rubbed with soft butter, garlic, salt and pepper, then wrapped in a strip of bacon and secured with a toothpick.
They cook over hickory pellets at 450°F until they hit 130°F for medium-rare, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Smoky, buttery and ready in around 20 minutes!
Easy Seared and Baked Filet Mignon
If you have ever wondered how to cook filet mignon in a pan, Beckie’s stove-to-oven method is a great place to start. The filets sear in a cast iron skillet, get a pat of butter, then bake at 400°F for 6 to 7 minutes for medium rare.
Her best tip: undercook if you are unsure, because you can always cook it longer but can never make it rarer. She also suggests tying loose edges so the filets cook evenly.
Beef Wellington for Two – Elegant Filet Mignon Dinner Ideas
This beef Wellington recipe for 2 wraps tender filet mignon in flaky puff pastry with sautéed mushrooms, shallot, prosciutto and fresh thyme, brushed with Dijon mustard.
Making two individual portions simplifies this classic and avoids wasting ingredients. A luxurious brandy cream sauce finishes the plate, making it a fine dining dinner right at home in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce
This easy filet mignon with béarnaise sauce is a lighter take from WeightWatchers. Lean filets cook on a grill pan with just a little cooking spray and rest under foil for juicy, tender results.
The tangy herb sauce comes together over a simple double boiler with egg yolk, melted butter, lemon juice and fresh chives or parsley. Rosemary or thyme work too, and dinner is ready in 36 minutes.
Surf and Turf (Steak and Shrimp) – Easy Surf and Turf Filet Mignon Recipe
Natasha calls this her favorite Valentine’s Day dinner. It was inspired by a steak and shrimp meal she and her husband enjoyed in a cozy cabin after a horse-drawn sleigh ride back in 2006.
The filet mignon sears in a cast iron skillet, then the shrimp sizzle in the same garlic rosemary butter. She says it took her less than 30 minutes and tastes like dining at a fancy steakhouse.
Conclusion
From a quick sear in cast iron to a smoky grill and a golden Wellington, these filet mignon recipes prove that a steakhouse dinner at home is easier than you think. Wondering what else you can do with filet mignon? Wrap it in bacon, pair it with shrimp or tuck it into puff pastry!
My biggest lesson after years of cooking this cut: a simple filet mignon sauce recipe, like a red wine reduction or creamy peppercorn sauce, turns a good steak into a great one. And a meat thermometer saves you from overcooking an expensive cut.
Which of these 7 will you try first? Pick one for your next date night or special occasion and let me know in the comments how it turned out!