This pan-seared Filet Mignon recipe really and truly is an excellent way to make filet mignon. Searing the beef makes it melt-in-your mouth tender and every bite is so flavorful in that mushroom wine cream sauce.
Make this filet mignon steak, served with creamy mashed potatoes and asparagus for your next special occasion and you will get rave reviews.
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Filet Mignon Recipe:
Beef tenderloin steak is probably the MOST expensive cut of beef so it can be intimidating, but honestly it’s difficult to mess this up following the recipe. To give you an extra nudge of confidence, watch the video tutorial below on how to cook the best filet mignon.
What is Filet Mignon?
“Filet Mignon” is often labeled as “beef tenderloin”. It is the most tender cut of steak you’ll have. So tender, you could cut through it with a fork.
Beef tenderloin is sold either pre-sliced or as a whole or partial tenderloin. I prefer to purchase the whole tenderloin when I can so I can ensure even 1 1/2″ thickness and portions when sliced. The price per pound is often less when purchasing a whole tenderloin.
What is the Best Red Wine for Cooking?
Any drinkable red wine will work. DO NOT USE “cooking wine.” Even an inexpensive $7 bottle of Merlot like what we used here is a way better option. Using wine really enhances depth of flavor here.
If you are looking for an alcohol free substitute; you could use more beef broth and it will still taste great but more like a mushroom gravy.
This Filet mignon recipe is perfect for special occasions like Christmas, New Years or a date night in. My husband and I celebrated Valentines day with this one and we kept saying to each other, “This is so much better than anything we would eat going out!”
It is ‘fancy restaurant’ quality without the insane price tag. We spent $40 to make an amazing filet mignon dinner for 4.
More Special Occassion Dinner Ideas:
- Broiled Lobster Tails with lemon garlic butter sauce
- Beet Salad with Feta (easy Cheesecake Factory copycat)
- Salmon Patties – easy salmon cakes with homemade tartar sauce
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta – loaded with juicy shrimp in alfredo sauce
Watch How to Cook Filet Mignon Recipe:
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Filet Mignon Recipe in Mushroom Sauce (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (or 1 tsp dry thyme)
- 24 oz filet mignon (beef tenderloin) steaks , 6-8 oz each, about 1 1/2" thick
- 1/2 cup Merlot wine, or any dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 1/4 tsp sea salt, we use sea salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
Instructions
How to Cook Filet Mignon Recipe:
- Place a large heavy-bottomed pan over med/high heat and melt in 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. Add sliced mushrooms and cook 6 min or until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add diced onion and cook 3 min, stirring often.
- Add minced garlic, 1 Tbsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 min or until garlic is fragrant. Transfer mushrooms to a large plate. Wipe pan clean with a wet paper towel.
- Season steaks all over with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place the same pan over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. When the butter is hot and finished foaming, add seasoned steaks and sear 3-5 min per side for medium-rare (5-6 min for medium doneness*), turning once. When steaks reach desired doneness, transfer them to the plate with mushrooms.
- In the same pan over med/high heat, add 1/2 cup red wine and boil down until reduced by half (3 min), scraping the bottom to deglaze. Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth and boil until 2/3 cup of liquid remains in the pan (5-7 min). Stir in 1/2 cup cream and boil 2 min or until slightly thickened. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper if desired.
- Add steaks and mushrooms back to pan, spooning some of the sauce over steaks. Once steaks are just heated through, remove from heat and serve garnished with fresh sprigs of thyme if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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MOUTH IS WATERING just thinking about it because I know just how completely amazing it tastes!! I hope you fall in love with this pan-seared filet mignon. It is a meal to remember!
This is the best recipe! I’ve always wanted to try making filet mignon. This recipe is so delicious! Thank you so much, Natasha!
You’re so very welcome! I’m happy you loved it!
Excellent!!!
How much beef should we get if we buy a whole beef tenderloin? Do you know the lb?
Thanks
Hi Maria! This recipe makes 4 servings, 6-8oz each. There are 16oz in one pound.
For those of us who are muslims and we do not use red wine for our cooking, is there anything else that will be a close sub?
Hi Sumera! You could use broth in its place.
Natasha you are the best! You are always my to go person and I love all the recipes I have used. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Fariba! I’m happy you loved it!
I have no heavy cream, but I have cream cheese, milk and sour cream. Will any of these work?
Hi Jacky, for this recipe, I wouldn’t try cream cheese or sour cream substitutions since would be more likely to curdle the sauce and milk wouldn’t be thick enough. If you must substitute, I would suggest using 1/4 cup milk and maybe 2 Tbsp butter and then let it simmer down to a thicker consistency.
I made this recipe 3 times and each time it is a success. Thank you very much. It is practical not too complicated.
You’re very welcome!
Could I substitute coconut cream for the whipping cream?
My husband cannot have dairy products.
Hi Mary! I haven’t personally tested that. But I assume it could work. Some of my viewers have replaced heavy cream in my recipes with dairy free heavy cream which I believe contains coconut milk. You’ll have to experiment with it. Let us know how it turns out.
Hi Natasha, i have read the comments and reviews, you mention it might be a little more difficult to make the sauce for this in a regular cast iron pan as opposed to an enameled cast iron pan. Just wondering why. Thanks in advance.
Hi Dave, we used an enamel coated cast iron pan. If you use cast iron, it should be coated since the wine can react with uncoated cast iron.
Thanks Natasha, learn something every day, im buying an enamel coated pan right now.
Can I make this for a large party? About 15-20 people and keep warm in chafing dish?
Hi Sarah, That should be fine. You’ll want to reheat it at a low temperature in the oven or keep it warm in the chafing dish like you mentioned. I hope you love this recipe.
Incredible recipe, made it for the first time tonight. Other than me being a messy cook, it was great. My wife ate every bit and went back for seconds which very unusual. Once again thanks for the awesome recipe.
Hi Rj! You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Can I use flank steak in a crockpot instead of filet mignon ?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried that, but flank steak tends to be nice and tender, like filet mignon so that may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hey Natasha 😀
I just have to tell ya this
Is about the fourth time I am making this recipe. But don’t laugh, tonight I made it with Salisbury steak..yes ground beef ! I only had filet mignon steak frozen, but had a lb of grass fed ground beef (not frozen) So…what the heck ,why not. It came out amazing. Oh yes I will continue to make it with the fillet as that that is my fav. I may even try with pork at some point. But I just wanted to let y’all know you can use ground beef just as well and have an amazing meal. Made it with creamy mashed potatoes and french green beans with mushrooms. And of course a glass of bold red wine. Umm umm good.
Thanks for sharing such well written recipes.
Diane
That’s awesome, Diane! Good to know that the substitions that you used well well too. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Hi!
I was wondering if I can make this dish ahead of time? Say 3-4 hours and then heat it up in the oven. Do you think it will dry out/ toughen the meat?
Thanks!
Hi Solangy. That should be fine. You’ll want to reheat it at a low temperature in the oven. You can look up instructions on google.
Hi natasha , can I substitute the red wine with something else?
If you’re looking for an alcohol-free version. you could use more beef broth and it will still taste great but more like a mushroom gravy.
I made this last night & it was delicious! Before I started cooking, my husband asked where I got the recipe. When I told him, “Natasha,” he knew it would be amazing!
Aaaw, thank you for sharing that with us. It is inspiring to see some good comments like this.
I just made this tonight ! I’m still learning and kind of undercooked meat the first time around, however the mushroom sauce was truly awesome and I’ll be making another run at this very soon. (… yes I added more wine, and herbs .. yes it was lovely) Knew I wanted to try something different with the cuts tonight and just came straight to your site as it’s one of my favorites on FB . Very happy, rave reviews.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience trying out this recipe. I’m glad you enjoyed it!