Learn how to make steakhouse-quality grilled filet mignon at home. We're using a dry brine and finishing off this filet with a simple garlic compound butter. YUM.
Grilled Filet Mignon Ingredients
- Filet mignon (1.5 to 2 inches thick). Try to get a filet between 6 oz. and 8 oz.
- Kosher salt (1/2 tsp per side). We're going to dry brine the filet to help get a nice crust
- Ground black pepper. Always freshly ground
For the Garlic Butter
- Butter (1-2 tbsp). Softened at room temperature
- Garlic. You can use 1 small clove of fresh garlic, minced, or a teaspoon of garlic paste
- Parsley (1/2 tsp). Finely chopped. You can also use chives, thyme, or rosemary.
- Salt & pepper. To taste
Grilled Filet Mignon Recipe Instructions
1. Dry-Brine the Filet
This is what the filet looked like immediately after dry-brining it and putting it into the fridge. Weight: 8.64 oz.
If you have the time, you should dry-brine your steak. This is when you salt the steak and place it in your fridge.
The dry-brining process allows salt to penetrate throughout your steak (not just on the outside). It also dries out the outer surface of the steak, which is important to getting a nice, hard crust.
To dry-brine your filet, pat it dry first with paper towels. Then add the kosher salt, about 1/2 teaspoon per side.
Then place your filet uncovered on a wire rack in your fridge. Dry brine for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours for the best results. For this recipe, I dry brined the filet a full 24 hours.
2. Make the Compound Butter
Add the softened butter, garlic, parsley, and salt & pepper to a bowl. Mix well with a spoon until all the ingredients and nice and melded together.
If you want, you can add the butter mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a log shape so that it's nice and uniform, but it's not necessary—you can also just leave it in the bowl.
Put the butter mixture in the fridge for an hour so it firms up.
3. Preheat the Grill for Two-Zone Cooking
Turn on one side of your grill to high, and pre-heat to 450F-500F. Leave the other side of your grill off. This is called two-zone cooking. I'm using a gas grill, but you can do the same thing if you're using charcoal.
The idea behind two-zone cooking is that for thicker cuts of steaks like filet, we don't want to just grill it over high heat the entire time. That's because the direct heat alone won't cook the entire steak evenly without burning the outside first.
So two-zone cooking gives us a hot side of the grill to sear the steaks, and a cool side to allow the steaks to finish cooking, kind of like an oven.
4. Season the Filets
This is what the filet looked like after 24 hours of dry-brining. Weight: 8.50 oz.
Take the steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start grilling. This allows the filet to come up to room temperature, which is going to help with your sear and a more even cook.
Dry the filet with a paper towel, and season with fresh black pepper.
5. Grill the Filet
Grill the steak over the high heat part of the grill, for 2-3 minutes per side. Make sure you get a nice crust on each side.
Then, move the steak over to the indirect (cool) side of the grill, close the lid, and let the filet finish cooking until it hits your desired temperature.
Note: when I grilled this filet, it took about 15 minutes for the steak to come up to 130F on the cool side of the grill. So, in total, this recipe took about 20 minutes on the grill.
- Rare: 125°F (Red, cool center. Very soft to touch).
- Medium Rare: 135°F (Red, warm center. Soft and springy to touch.)
- Medium: 145°F (Pink center. Firm and springy to touch).
Use A Meat Thermometer
Use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of your steak. It's the best way be sure you're cooking it to your desired temperature.
6. Rest the Steak
Remove the filet from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes. This is to allow the juices in the steak to redistribute and settle in the steak.
7. Add the Compound Butter
While the steak is resting, add a dollop of the compound butter on top and let it melt all over the filet. Cover with foil to keep the steak warm.
Serve, and enjoy!
Grilled Filet Mignon Pairing Suggestions
This filet mignon goes perfectly with smoked baked potatoes, smoked garlic mashed potatoes, smoked asparagus, and smoked mac & cheese.
Expert Tips for Making Steakhouse-Quality Grilled Filet Mignon at Home
- If you have the time, do the dry-brine. It salts the steak all the way through the meat, and draws out a lot of moisture—which is key to getting a great sear and crust.
- Dry your steak before searing. Speaking of a great sear and crust—moisture is the enemy of searing, so make sure to pat dry your filet thoroughly before tossing it on the screaming hot grill.
- Two-zone heat for even cooking. It may be tempting to save some time and just grill the filet on high heat the entire time, but this will result in an uneven cook. The outside will be overcooked and char, and the inside will not have a consistent doneness like you're going to get with two-zone cooking.
- Always temp your steak. Invest in a good meat thermometer. Temping your steak is the absolute best way to make sure you're cooking it to your desired doneness.
- Let it rest. It's temping to just cut into your steak after pulling it off the grill, but that will release all the juices onto your cutting board. Resting your filet for 5-10 minutes allows those juices to settle into the steak, not on your cutting board.
- Smoked filet mignon is just as good. If you have an hour to cook your filet, I recommend reverse-searing it on the smoker. It takes longer, but it comes out more evenly cooked.
Grilled Filet Mignon
Ingredients
- 1 filet mignon 6-8 oz, 1.5-2 inches thick
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Garlic Herb Butter
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1 clove garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic paste)
- 1 tsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Pat filet dry with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt per side.
- Place filet uncovered on a wire rack in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours to dry brine.
- Mix softened butter with minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat one side of grill to 450-500°F, leaving other side off for two-zone cooking.
- Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
- Pat steak dry and season with fresh ground black pepper.
- Grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until you get a nice crust.
- Move to cool side of grill, close lid, and cook until your desired temperature.
- Top with compound butter and rest for 5-10 minutes under foil.
Notes
- Internal temperature guide:
- Rare: 125°F (red, cool center)
- Medium Rare: 135°F (red, warm center)
- Medium: 145°F (pink center)
- For best results, dry brine for a full 24 hours
- Always use a meat thermometer to ensure desired doneness
- Can also be reverse-seared on a smoker for more even cooking
