How to Grill Filet Mignon Steaks
on Aug 13, 2023
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This indulgent restaurant-level steak is one of the summer's best dinners. If you want to make it over the top, make the optional Parmesan Butter to melt over the top!
Sumptuously tender filet mignon steak is one of the most lusted-after steaks available. The Parmesan Butter used at the end to top the meat is optional, but if you close your eyes and picture this parsley-flecked flavorful butter melting over the top of the steaks…I hope that will convince you to give it a try!
People love filet mignon because it is both fairly lean but extremely tender at the same time (and in the U.S., tenderness is one of the most sought-after qualities in a beef steak). The flavor is very buttery and mild. It’s a pricy cut of steak, but fans know that it’s well worth it. As for side dishes — there are so many options for a grilled filet mignon! Think about Loaded Spinach Salad, French Potato Salad, Baby Zucchini Gratin, or Spicy Cole Slaw.
Filet mignon may also be called a tenderloin steak, filet steak, tenderloins, or a filet de boeuf, and it is relatively compact and thick. It’s round in shape and comes from the smaller end of the beef tenderloin, and it lends itself perfectly to grilling.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to Buy Filet Mignon
- How Long to Grill Filet Mignon Over Direct High Heat
- Testing Steaks for Doneness Without a Meat Thermometer
- How to Grill Filet Mignon Steaks
- FAQs
- How to Get Perfect Cross-Hatch Grill Marks
- Storage and Leftovers
- What to Serve With Grilled Filet Mignon Steaks
- More Grilled Steak Recipes
- How to Grill Filet Mignon Steaks Recipe
Grilled Filet Mignon Steaks: This indulgent restaurant-level steak is one of the summer’s best dinners (especially with the Parmesan Butter!)
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Ingredients
For the Steaks:
- Filet mignon steaks – One of the most loved steaks ever. See below for everything you need to know about choosing the best filet mignons.
- Olive oil – Adds a bit of flavor and keeps the steak from sticking to the grill.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
For the optional Parmesan Butter:
- Parmesan cheese – It’s worth grating fresh Parm for this special dinner.
- Unsalted butter – So you can control the amount of salt. Again, use the best butter you can find.
- Fresh parsley – I prefer flat-leaf parsley.
- Minced garlic – Mince the garlic finely so it blends well into the butter.
How to Buy Filet Mignon
In all cases, but especially when you are splurging on a pricier cut of steak, go for the best grade of beef available that is within your budget. The grade of meat is determined by a number of factors, including the age of the cow, the amount of marbling, and other characteristics.
Fresh filet mignon will be a vibrant red with no browning. You can (and should) ask the butcher to cut fresh steaks if possible. Obviously, avoid meat with any “off” or unpleasant odor.
If you can find USDA Prime, that’s the top of the line when it comes to meat available to the consumer. You will likely only find Prime grade meat at a good butcher or a very high-end grocery store. About 2% of the beef in the U.S. qualifies as Prime, so it’s not all that easy to find, and it’s quite pricey.
USDA prime filet mignons are a deep red and have some marbling throughout, though not as much as other cuts of steak, like rib-eyes or NY strip steaks. However, despite the lack of notable marbling, these are the tenderest steaks around. If you see some with more pronounced marbling, go for those!
USDA Choice is the second-best grade of meat and the one that you should look for in most markets. It will yield a very tender and flavorful steak. The grade Select is below Choice, which can be quite lean and not all that tender. You should take care not to overcook, which will result in a tougher steak. It’s really not worth buying a Choice filet mignon unless you have no choice.
How Long to Grill Filet Mignon Over Direct High Heat
Meat continues to cook a bit after it is removed from the heat, which is called carryover cooking. It’s very important to let the meat sit before cutting it, or the juices will run out of the meat onto the cutting board, and you will be really sad that your pricey filet mignons are not as juicy and tender as they should be!
These cooking time guidelines and internal temperatures factor in that the temperature of the meat will continue to climb by several degrees once the steak comes off the grill and rests. These are the temperatures that you should use to know when to pull steak from the grill and let them sit for 5 minutes on a cutting board. Buy yourself a good meat thermometer! I like this one from ThermoWorks, which is small, reasonably priced, and terrifically accurate.
Most cooks prefer filet mignons that are between 1 ½ and 2 inches thick, but here are cooking times for filets with varying thicknesses.
| Thickness | Doneness | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ½-inch thick | Rare (125 F) | 1-2 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium Rare (130 F) | 2-3 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium (135 F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| ½-inch thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 4-5 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Rare (125 F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium Rare (130 F) | 4-6 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium (135 F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1-inch thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 8-10 minutes per side |
| 1-½ inches thick | Rare (125 F) | 5-6 minutes per side |
| 1-½ inches thick | Medium Rare (130 F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1-½ inches thick | Medium (135 F) | 8-9 minutes per side |
| 1-½ inches thick | Medium-Well (140-145 F) | 9-11 minutes per side |
Testing Steaks for Doneness Without a Meat Thermometer
- For Rare: Your meat should be red and just warm in the center. It will feel squishy and soft when poked with a finger.
- For Medium-Rare: The meat will still be red in the center, but the steak will be hot throughout. It will be yielding but not squishy when you poke it.
- For Medium: The meat will be pink in the center but not red. It will yield gently when poked but have firmness.
- For Medium-Well: Medium-well steaks will have a slightly grayish center with some pink right in the middle. It should feel fairly firm when poked but not hard.
- For Well-Done: Most steak lovers aren’t interested in well-done meat, but if you are, you’re looking for meat without any pinkness, that is brownish gray all the way through. It will feel quite firm.
How to Grill Filet Mignon Steaks
Most people who love filet mignon like it on the rarer side. Keep that in mind as you grill the steaks. The thickness of the steak rather than the overall weight is what will impact the grilling timing of the steaks.
- Make the Parmesan butter (if using): In a small bowl, combine the butter, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper. Shape the butter into a log about 1 inch thick using plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm.
- Season the steaks: Rub the steaks with the olive oil, and season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Grill the steaks: Place the steaks on a grill pre-heated to medium-high grill for about 10 to 14 until cooked to your liking (see below for directions on how to get those appealing cross-hatch grill marks).
- Finish with butter, if desired, and serve: Place a slice of the Parmesan Butter on the top of each steak and let it melt as the steak sits for 5 minutes. Serve the steaks whole or sliced.
FAQs
One 7- to 8-ounce filet mignon will amply feed a single person, maybe with some leftovers. Because filets are often served whole, as a single-cut steak, it’s harder to adjust the serving size. Most filets mignons are 1 to 2 inches thick, and the thicker they are, the more narrow they might be in diameter.
You could slice the steaks and let people serve themselves the amount they want, but the dramatic presentation of a single filet on a plate is very impressive.
Use a piece of cooking twine to wrap the filets around the circumference to help them hold their shape. Remove the string before serving after the steaks have sat for a minute or two.
Compound butter is added to the top of steaks right after they come off the grill (or from the heat). The heat from the steaks will melt the butter, and the seasoned butter adds additional flavor and tenderness to the steaks (not that filet mignons need more tenderness — they are plenty tender already!).
How to Get Perfect Cross-Hatch Grill Marks
This is most successful with thicker steaks, as thinner steaks might overcook by the time you get those nice cross-hatch marks. For thinner steaks, one flip in the middle of the cooking time will do.
- First, make sure you have cleaned the grill well. And make sure the grill is hot.
- Place the steaks on the grill. Grill for about 4 minutes. Rotate the steaks a quarter turn (90 degrees). You are looking to create diamond patterns with the grill marks. Cook for 4 more minutes.
- Flip the filets and grill them for another 3 or 4 minutes, then after a few minutes, turn the steaks another quarter turn (90 degrees) so that the grill marks form the same diamond crosshatch pattern on the other side. After another 3 or 4 minutes, or when the steak is done to your liking, remove the steak from the grill.
Storage and Leftovers
Raw filet mignons can be stored in their original packaging in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days if the steaks you have purchased are very fresh.
To freeze steaks, remove them from their packaging immediately after you get them home and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer the steaks into freezer-proof zipper top bags, press out any excess air, then seal the bags. Freeze the meat for 9 months in the bag, labeled with the name of the steaks and the date you purchased them. Defrost in the fridge overnight, not at room temperature.
Leftover cooked steak should be good to go for 3 to 4 days. It would be great on a salad, in a quesadilla, or sliced up in a sandwich.
What to Serve With Grilled Filet Mignon Steaks
More Grilled Steak Recipes
- Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks
- Grilled Sirloin Cap
- Balsamic-Marinated Skirt Steak
- Marinated and Grilled London Broil
- New York Strip Steak with Jalapeño Butter
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How to Grill Filet Mignon Steaks
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Parmesan Butter (optional):
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the steak)
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (plus more for seasoning the steak)
For the Filet Mignon:
- 4 filet mignon steaks (1 ½ to 2 inches thick; 6 to 8 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Make the Parmesan Butter (if using): In a small bowl, combine the butter, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper. Use a fork to mash the mixture until it is well combined. Turn the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to shape the butter into a log about 1 inch thick, and then roll up the log and seal it. Refrigerate until firm.
- Grill the Steaks: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Rub the steaks with the olive oil, and season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steaks on the grill and let sit, without moving for 4 minutes. Rotate the steaks a quarter turn and let them cook for another 3 minutes. Flip the steaks, and repeat: cook the steak for 4 minutes without moving, then rotate the steak a quarter turn and let it grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, until you get those nice cross-hatched marks. Remove the steaks from the grill when the internal temperature is at 120 F for rare, 125 F for medium rare, and 130 F for medium. The temperature will continue to climb for a few degrees as the meat rests before you slice it.
- Meanwhile, slice the chilled butter into 4 slices. Place a slice on the top of each steak, and let it melt as the steak sits for 5 minutes. Give the top of the steak a nice grind of pepper if desired. Serve the steaks whole or sliced.
Notes
- For Medium-Rare: The meat will still be red in the center, but the steak will be hot throughout. It will be yielding but not squishy when you poke it.
- For Medium: The meat will be pink in the center but not red. It will yield gently when poked but have firmness.
- For Medium-Well: Medium-well steaks will have a slightly grayish center with some pink right in the middle. It should feel fairly firm when poked but not hard.
- For Well-Done: Most steak lovers aren’t interested in well-done meat, but if you are, you’re looking for meat without any pinkness, that is brownish gray all the way through. It will feel quite firm.
