Sous Vide Filet Mignon with Garlic Butter (Beef Tenderloin)
on Oct 12, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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Learn how to make the perfect sous vide filet mignon – cooked in a warm water bath at the precise temperature and finished with a quick sear in a hot skillet. This sous vide beef tenderloin steak is super tender, juicy, and full of flavor! With a temperature and time chart for different doneness including rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, and well-done.
What is filet mignon?
Filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef. It’s taken from the small end of tenderloin, which is a lean cut without much marbling. Filet mignon is considered the best steak because of its melt-in-your-mouth texture. As a result, this cut is quite expensive.
Why sous vide filet mignon?
Sous vide is a French cooking technique to cook the meat or fish where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked for a long time at a precise temperature in a warm water bath.
For a pricey premium cut like filet mignon, you’ll want to cook it perfectly! When cooking it using traditional methods such as pan-frying, baking, or grilling, the meat can easily turn tough if you miss the small window of the perfect doneness.
Sous vide method guarantees the success by controlling the temperature precisely. You can leave the steak in the water bath for a wide range of time. In addition, it also cooks the steak evenly edge-to-edge. It’s the best way to cook filet mignon.
How to sous vide filet mignon
- Set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 135°F (57°C) for medium rare or other desired doneness.
- Rub the steak with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the seasoned steak in a zip-lock bag, together with butter and herbs. Seal the bag using the “water displacement” technique.
- Place the bag in the warm water bath, and cook for 1 to 4 hours (depending on the thickness, see the recipe below).
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water and transfer it to an ice bath or refrigerator.
- Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a hot skillet, add oil, butter, garlic, and herbs. Sear for about 1-2 minutes per side, just to caramelize the outside. Add more seasoning if needed.
- Serve the steak whole or slice against the grain.
Filet mignon seasoning
A simple seasoning made with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs works great for this recipe. I also like to cook this cut with butter, as butter and steak are such a wonderful combination, yielding incredible flavor.
Pro Tip: Season generously BEFORE sous vide cooking for the best result! With this simple seasoning, this recipe is keto and gluten-free!
Sous vide filet mignon temperature
I like my filet mignon medium-rare, so I set the temperature to 135°F/57°C. Filet mignon is a very tender cut of steak, so you can cook it at higher temperature, and it will still taste amazing.
If you’d like to try other doneness, follow the chart below:
| Doneness | Sous Vide Filet Mignon Temp |
| Rare | 130°F (54°C) |
| Medium Rare | 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | 145°F (63°C) |
| Medium-well | 155°F (68°C) |
| Well Done | 165°F (73°C) |
How long does it take to sous vide filet mignon?
The cooking time depends on the thickness of your steak, and it takes about 1 to 4 hours to cook your tenderloin steak:
- 1-inch thick: 1 hour
- 1.5-inch thick: 2 hours
- 2-inch thick: 2.5 hours
- 2.5-inch thick: 4 hours
Can you overcook tenderloin steak in the sous vide machine?
Although you cannot “overcook” a steak with sous vide method, the texture can become mushy if you sous vide cook it for too long (more than 4 hours).
Tips for the best filet mignon
- Season with salt and pepper generously before sous vide cooking for the best flavor.
- You don’t have to use a vacuum sealer. Just place the steak in a ziplock bag, including seasonings, and seal all but one corner of the bag. Slowly place it into cold water, and make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag. During the sous vide cooking, make sure the meat is completely submerged in the water bath (you can use heavy kitchen items to weigh it down if necessary).
- Pat dry the surface completely before searing. It’s important to wipe off any extra moisture as it inhibits proper searing.
Can I sous vide frozen filet mignon?
Yes, you can sous vide steak straight from frozen. Follow the same instruction and add 1 more hour to the cooking time.
What to serve with filet mignon steak
More Sous Vide Steak Recipes
- Sous Vide Sirloin Steak
- Sous Vide London Broil
- Sous Vide T-bone Steak
- Sous Vide New York Strip Steak
Sous Vide Filet Mignon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Filet mignon, beef tenderloin, 8-oz each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, (divided)
- 1 tablespoon butter, (divided)
- fresh thyme, (or rosemary, optional)
- 1 clove garlic, (minced)
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- Add water to the sous vide container or a large pot, set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to (135°F/57°C) for medium rare doneness. If you’d like to cook it less, see the note below*.
- Rub the filet mignon with 1/2 tablespoon oil on all sides.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the steak to a zip-top bag together with 1/2 tablespoon butter and optional herbs.
- Vacuum seal the bag using water displacement method: seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it into cold water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
- Place the bag into the water bath in the sous vide container. Make sure it is fully submerged. (If your meat is floating, you can use heavy kitchen items such as metal kitchen tongs to weigh it down.)
- Cook for 1 to 4 hours depending on the thickness of your filet mignon. Cook 1-inch thick steak for 1 hour, 1.5-inch thick for 2 hours, 2-inch thick for 2.5 hours, and 2.5-inch for 4 hours.
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and transfer it to the fridge or an ice bath. Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the zip-top bag and wipe off the moisture with paper towels. (Make sure to pat dry the surface completely.)
- Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Place the cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil. Once very hot, add the remaining butter and let it melt. Add minced garlic, herbs, and the steak and sear about 1 minute per side until nicely browned.
- Slice against the grain and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Recipe Tools:
Why do you cool the steaks for 10 minutes?
I have not seen that before with other sous vide recipes
Hi Pat, if you cook your steak immediately after they come out of the warm water bath, any rise in temperature will overcook it. Through chilling the meat slightly, you can cool the outside and a thin gradient of the interior, allowing a proper sear without endangering the sous vide doneness. Hope this helps. Izzy
Hi Izzy if you have guests and some like their steak rare and others medium rare do you put medium rare on first at said temp then after an hour reduce to rare temp for say 2 hours would that work.
Hi Sarah, if you need to cook different pieces to different doneness, you’ll have to cook them separately with sous vide method. It’s different than the traditional methods where you can pull out some pieces sooner. Hope this helps. Izzy
Izzy another question if throughout the day you cooks the steak separately at different doneness. Take out of water bath put straight in ice bath then into fridge. When people arrive do you just takeout of fridge and sear. For say 1 minute per side. Would the middle of the steak be warm enough or do you need to put back in water bath and bring up to lowest temp first and then take out for 10 min then sear Sorry for all the questions.
Does it matter if your steaks are 5ounce or is only the thickness that determines the temp and time?
Does it matter if your steaks are 5ounce or is it only the thickness that determines the temp and time?
Hi Karen, the thickness matters more when it comes to steak. Izzy
Can you freeze after you Sous Vide them? Then defrost and sear when when ready to serve ?
Yes you can, but the flavor and texture won’t be as good as freshly cooked one
I don’t eat steak but hubs said this was the best filet I’ve ever made! Glad I found a way to cook steak for him in the dead of winter when it’s too cold to fire up the grill!
Hi Brittany, great to hear that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.