Sous Vide Filet Mignon Recipe: Tender, Buttery & Flavorful

Today, I want to share my favorite sous vide filet mignon recipe. This is an incredibly tender cut from the center of the beef tenderloin, though it might be a bit bland due to low marbling content. Fortunately, sous vide cooking is the technique that makes this lean cut perfectly tender, buttery, and with edge-to-edge doneness literally every time. It’s basically the kind of steak you’d only taste in a fancy French restaurant, but now you can easily recreate it at home whenever you crave it! Here’s how.

Ingredients:

• 2 filet mignon steaks, 1.5 inches thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons high-smoke-point oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, or refined olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Equipment:

• Sous vide machine - Any brand will do, but I personally use the INKBIRD Sous Vide Cooker.
• Vacuum sealing machine & vacuum bag - Or you can use a Ziploc bag and the water displacement method.
• Sous vide container or large pot for water bath
• Cast iron skillet for final pan searing
• Tongs
• Paper towels
• Spoon

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Why Sous Vide Filet Mignon?

Filet mignon is extremely lean, tender, and doesn’t have much fat, making it prone to drying out quickly, even an extra minute too long on the heat can make it tough and chewy. A sous vide immersion circulator allows you to precisely control the water bath temperature, which is exactly the final temperature of your steak. This means that even after leaving it in the water bath for 4 hours, the steak will still remain at your desired doneness. The result? A tender, buttery, flavorful and melt-in-your mouth filet mignon, comparable to restaurant quality.

More sous vide recipes to check out: Sous Vide Ribeye, Sous Vide Prime Rib, Sous Vide Chicken Breast, and Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin.

Filet Mignon Sous Vide Temperature

Temperature is everything in sous vide. Like all other steaks, I always don’t recommend temperatures exceeding 150°F, as the higher temperature, the more juices squeezing out. Furthermore, the temperature will keep rising during the pan searing, so even if you have a specific doneness in mind, choose a lower temperature within the range listed below. Since filet mignon is lean, cooking it a few degrees lower than fattier cuts like ribeye will help preserve its best tenderness. If you do need to cook filet mignon to medium-well or well-done, check out this Filet Mignon Internal Temperature Guide.

How Long to Sous Vide Filet Mignon?

If temperature is key to doneness, then sous vide time is all about thickness. Most filet mignon steaks are 1-1.5 inches thick, so you can follow these general timeframes:

• Rare: 1.5-2.5 hours
• Medium Rare: 1.5-4 hours
• Medium: 1.5-4 hours

I usually cook filet mignon sous vide for 2 hours, eliminating the need to measure the thickness of the steak. However, never cook it longer than 4 hours, as the steak might become mushy.

How to Sous Vide Filet Mignon?

It’s time to put theory into practice, and following these steps will transform your kitchen into a steakhouse. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Preheat and Season

Attach your sous vide circulator to a container filled with water and set it to your chosen temperature. While it heats, season your steaks generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Bag the Steaks

Place seasoned filet mignon into a vacuum seal bag or a Ziploc bag along with 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, and 1 smashed garlic cloves each. Then, use a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method to squeeze the air out.

Step 3: Cook Filet Mignon Sous Vide

Once the bath is at temperature, submerge the bag, ensuring it is fully underwater, then set the timer based on the guide provided above. Let it cook until the timer goes off.

Step 4: The Sear

Remove the packaged filet mignon from the water bath and let it sit at room temperature or in ice water for 10 minutes to cool down the surface temperature slightly, so you’ll have more time to develop the beautiful Maillard crust.

Heat a cast-iron skillet on high until it smoke, then add some high-smoke-point oil. Sear the steaks for 45-60 seconds per side, and during the final side, add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 smashed garlic clove and 1 sprig of rosemary in, and use a spoon to baste the steaks with melted butter.

Now you have a premium, perfectly cooked, tender, juicy, and flavorful sous vide filet mignon. No need to rest. Serve immediately.

Can You Overcook Filet Mignon in Sous Vide?

Yes, sous vide cooking is quite forgiving. The overcooking window for filet mignon can be extended to up to 4 hours without any risk. But if you go beyond that time frame, the proteins can break down too much, giving the steak an almost mushy texture.

Can You Sous Vide Frozen Filet Mignon?

Absolutely. Simply remove the steak from its original packaging and season it according to the steps above. Then, reseal it in your own vacuum bag and add an extra hour to the base cooking time. This means that if you plan to cook it for 2 hours, you’ll need 3 hours if you cook it from frozen directly.