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!
Wow this is a super yummy sauce! I happened to buy the worst, most chewy piece of meat possible that tasted like cows tongue..but even then my pro meat-grilling guy said it was really good.
We had it with mashed potatoes.
I do not like thyme so I used half dry thyme half basil.
Awesome, I’m glad to hear the recipe was still a great success! Thanks for sharing your outstanding review!
This was excellent! However, next time I do think I’ll cut the thyme back a bit and skip the added salt. Those two things were a bit over powering and took away from the mushroom. Will definitely make again though. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! I’m not sure if you used dried or fresh thyme, you would definitely want to use just 1 tsp instead of the full Tbsp of fresh thyme. Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I have used at least 10 and my family enjoyed every single one of them.
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear how much you and your family are enjoying the recipe. Thanks for following and sharing your positive comments!
Do you have to use the wine and how much do you think it would effect the recipe? Want it to be delicious. Can you use other beef choices and still have tender meat. Can you cook it in a crock-pot?
Hi Karen, it really won’t taste the same without it so I can’t recommend anything else. You could always use more beef broth if wine is out of the question but again, the flavor won’t be the same. You can definitely use a different cut of steak. The tenderloin is the most tender and most expensive but a less expensive but well marbled and good quality steak would still work well. I would not recommend a crockpot for this particular recipe.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you for the incredible recipe.
Just wondering what kind of olive oil do you use for frying? Refined one? Can i get it from Costco?
Hi Irina, I use the Extra LIGHT olive oil and it is sold in the big jugs in Costco. It is perfect for sautéing and I even use it to deep fry sometimes. It’s an all-around great oil.
I am planning to make this tonight. This will be my first time using my pressure cooker.
I hope you love it Fani, please let me know what you think!
Natasha, this recipe was our family main dish yesterday Sunday. Another HIT. Now, when I wish to cook something, your page is a MUST. Thank you very much.
I’m happy to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes Valentin! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
Looks wonderful…gonna be trying this recipe for sure. What kind of red wine is good for this recipe???
Hi Cindy, just about any dry red wine will work well. I used a very inexpensive merlot wine by barefoot brand and the flavor was excellent 🙂
This was so amazingly delicious, made this last night for our Valentine’s dinner for two, tweaked for the reduced number of servings, along with the Baked Asparagus, wow! Your recipes do not disappoint Natasha, this meal was perfection!
I’m glad you’re loving the recipes Kathryn! Thanks for following and sharing your fantastic review!
Mushroom sauce. Lol! In the southeastern USA, we would call it/make it gravy, and it would be over the mashed potatoes too! Excellent recipe.
I’m glad you love the gravy Thomas, lol! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha, can’t wait to try this it looks so good! Quick question, where do you get most of your knives? Looking to get some good new ones!
Hi Ilona, both sets that I have tried I really really loved. The first is <http://amzn.to/2Hlp8wa“>this set by Zwilling (my Mom has a set of these also and since we live with my parents still as we build our home, I use them often in videos). The second is Wusthoff Classic Ikon (these feel nice in your hand and are also great knives). Links are Amazon affiliate links.
My husband and I made this together last night for Valentine’s Day. Fabulous! So much better than going out to dinner, and a lot more fun!
I’m glad you both enjoy the recipe and I hope you two had a great Valentine’s day! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Love your recipies…….so simple to make & delicious.
Love the video’s as tutorials.
I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying my site, thanks for following Pauline!
Also I have a question can i substitute thyme for something? Or omit it? Really don’t like it
Hi Olya, I’m not a super fan of thyme either but it is so subtle in this recipe that someone who really disliked thyme probably wouldn’t realize it was in there. You could try a little parsley instead if you need to substitute.
Oh awesome! Ill give it a try then. Thanks
This is one of the greatest meals I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes!
You’re welcome Vincent! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe so much. Thanks for sharing!
Where did u get ur steak?
Hi Ana, I purchased it at Fred Meyer. Sometimes they go on sale right before Valentine’s Day. 🙂
Hi Natasha~are there other substitutes for the heavy cream that could be used? Thanks Sue
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried this, but I think it would work with the thicker canned coconut milk. If you experiment, let me know how you like it.
You seriously found fresh thyme in Idaho??? The stuff I have seen always looks pretty bad.
Hi David, yes! I found it in the little cartons near the salad section in Fred Meyer. It lasted for over a week in the refrigerator 🙂
I buy it growing in a little square cup, here in South Carolina. Keep it in my kitchen window and chop off what I need, when I need it.
You guys are so cute! ❤️ Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely make it for my husband and I.
My pleasure Natasha! Please let me know what you both think! 🙂
Wowww Lady!! You did it again!!! Amazzzzing! My diet going down the drain for a good/acceptable reason!!! Looks yummy! on my to do list!
It’s seriously so good and surprisingly easy. Please let me know what you think when you decide to try it!
This looks amazing! I cannot have dairy though. Could I substitute the heavy cream for coconut milk? Or what would you suggest?
Hi Kathryn, I haven’t tried that substitution, but I think it would work with the thicker canned coconut milk. If you experiment, let me know how you like it 🙂
I’d love to know how the coconut milk version comes out as well, as I really should not have dairy either.