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!
What is your “go to” large heavy bottom pan for this tenderloin dish?
Hi Kim, I have a link to the same Staub pan in our shop here. It is this one HERE.
All I can say is “Oh, my God”!!! I wish I could add a photo! We made surf and turf with Natasha’s recipe broiled lobster and it was best meal of the year! Nobody would have a problem paying allot of money at a restaurant for a meal like this! The mushroom sauce is so amazing that it can compliment to any meal! Thank you so much! I have been a “true” Natasha’s Kitchen girl, but now I know it’s forever! Stay happy and healthy and bring us more of your fantastic recipes!
It truly is restaurant quality! I’m so glad you loved it, Lana!
I’ve made this a few times and it turned out so good../ the last two times, my sauce is really thin and never thickens at all. Not sure what I could be doing wrong all of the sudden. 🙁
Hi Brandi, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! You can try cooking the sauce down a bit more. I would ensure no changes were made to the ingredients or processes.
Unfortunately my sauce ended up tasting like stroganoff instead of a red mushroom sauce, despite following the recipe. 🙁
Hi Sierra, did you substitute any of the ingredients? It should definitely not taste like stroganoff unless you added sour cream.
This was absolutely delicious!! I used all bouillon broth instead of red wine and half and half instead of whipping cream as it was what I had on hand. Sooo good!! Thank you!!
Hi Kristen, great to hear that the substitutions that you used worked well! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
I will give this a shot! Natasha, can I make this without the cream?
Hi Lena, I think it would still work without the cream, but season to taste since the cream does mellow out the flavors and you don’t want it to end up being too salty without the cream.
Hello Natasha … If I don’t wanna to use red wine , then what will I use instead of that ?
Hi Sanjida, 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. I’ve only tried this with red wine.
What kind of pan/ brand & size are you using in this recipe? It looks like a cast iron?
Hi Rebecca, yes, I used this coated cast iron pan. A large heavy-bottomed pan will work great for this recipe. You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times, and it is fabulous! Gets rave reviews from everyone I’ve served it to. I do substitute shallots for the onion occasionally, but I follow the recipe to the letter – it’s perfect! This dish is now a family classic – thank you, Natasha!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Patti!
I made this with a pork tenderloin sliced like it was filet mignon and substituted leeks for the onions and used oyster mushrooms. Served it over a scoop of mashed potatoes on a bed of garlic dill Swiss chard. Absolutely fantastic!! Thanks for posting this.
You’re welcome, Shannon! Sounds like an awesome meal indeed. Thanks for your review.
Hi – can this entire dish be made in a cast iron? Or will it get to be too hot for each step of the process?
Hi Mike, I imagine that should work. It may be a little harder to get the sauce right in a cast iron. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like it.
can you cook the steaks separately? I plan to reverse sear a super thick rib eye and finish it off on the grill. I would love to just add the mushrooms/sauce when i plate everything. thoughts?
Hi Dylan, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
3 inch prime rib eye…reverse seared (only way to cook a thick steak), mushrooms were stellar(times were a little longer, patience is a virtue but not adding needed to thicken up only time), strawberry spinach salad and grilled asparagus….nailed it.
fed a party of 8 with no leftovers(you know you had a good meal when nothing is left). gave 2 different people the mushroom recipe….soooo damn good! thank you-5 stars
I want to make this and I am wondering about cutting the recipe in half. Sometimes things are just not the same when you do that. If I make the full amount how is it as a leftover?
Hi Janine, if you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. For leftovers, I would keep them refrigerated for 2-3 days and be sure to reheat over low heat so the cream doesn’t separate.
This was soooo perfect!!! It reminded of my favorite dish in a fancy restaurant that I was craving to go when it opens after covid lockdown. Now I no longer need to go there. 😛 I paired the filet with mashed potatoes in which I added trufle oil. A truly great recipe, you need to try it!
Thank you so much for your great comments and feedback. Yes, how great is that! You’ll be able to make your favorite dish at home anytime you want to.
Just made this for my family. They all raved about how delicious it was. Tender, flavorful filet mignon steaks smothered in mushrooms, onions, and THIS SAUCE! The perfect balance of creamy and saucy. Served it with buttered pasta, Hasselback potatoes, and roasted cauliflower. The sauce went well with everything! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I always make filet mignon the same way, and this was definitely a welcome change.
That is an awesome review, Anna Maria. Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and feedback!
I found the sauce flavorless and too thin. Tasted like a blan mushroom soup.
Hi Tammy, be sure to follow the recipe as written without substitutions. It’s difficult to say without more information, but normally this is rich in flavor.
Hi Natasha. Love your energy. Could this be made with rosemary instead or is thyme best?
I haven’t tried using rosemary yet but you can also try basil.
I’ve made this about 20times and I’ll never stop. It’s SO good. Hands down the best steak recipe my husband and I have ever had
Wonderful! I’m glad this is now one of your favorites. Thank you, Olga.
My boyfriend and i made this for valentines day and omg! This tasted even netter than any steak I’ve ever had! The mushroom sauce is fantastic. My go to recipe. Thank you!!
That is awesome! Thanks for your wonderful review, Abby. I’m glad you both loved the recipe.
Hello
How can i do it well done?
And can i change the red wine with another thing ? I can t add it in my food
Thank you very much for ur recipes
Hi Fayza, you would need a couple of minutes more. I recommend using a meat thermometer to get your desired doneness temp. 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.
Hello Natasha,
Can i make this using an Instant pot? Can i also use champagne instead of the wine and instead of the whipped cream can i use regular milk? Thank you.
Hi Ria, I haven’t tested this in an Instant pot to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
I made this for my first try of cooking filet mignon and the result was incredible! It reminded me of the dish that I was craving to eat in a fancy restaurant. Now there is no need to go there 😅 This recipe is a keeper! I can’t wait for the next time I’ll do it again. Thank you Natasha ♥️
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me!