Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon is a decadent, butter-tender, juicy steak that rivals any restaurant meal. In this no-fail recipe, the filets are first pan-seared in a cast-iron skillet, topped with a flavorful blue cheese topping, and then finished up in the oven. No grill needed!
The crowning glory on these delicious filet mignons is the unforgettable crust made from blue cheese, bread crumbs, and herbs and then cooked to perfection.
Why you will love this recipe:
- You don’t need a grill, so it doesn’t matter how bad the weather is outside. The steak is pan-seared on top of the stove and finished in the oven.
- Save money! This same blue-cheese crusted steak would cost $35 to $40 in a fancy restaurant. You can make it at home for a fraction of the cost.
- It’s simple to make, and you can have this steakhouuse classic recipe on the table in less than 25 minutes.
Here’s what you need:
- Filet mignons – are the guests of honor at this party. For best results, choose filets that are at least two inches thick.
- Vegetable oil and olive oil – are used to keep the steak from sticking and hold the blue cheese crust together.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper – are a classic seasoning blend for steaks and enhances their flavor.
- Blue cheese – is the main ingredient of the blue cheese crust. You can use either blue cheese crumbles or buy a block and crumble it yourself.
- Panko – is nothing more than flakes of white bread that have been lightly baked or dried to make them crunchy.
- Herbs de Provence – is a French blend of dried herbs that usually includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, and fennel. You can purchase it at most grocery stores, or you can make it yourself. Any blend of dried herbs you happen to have on hand can be substituted.
- *You will also need a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe skillet and a good digital meat thermometer.
How to make it:
- Before cooking the steaks, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or oven-safe skillet on your stove over high heat for five minutes.
- While the skillet heats up, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with the vegetable oil—season on all sides with kosher salt and pepper.
- To make the blue cheese topping, combine the blue cheese, panko, herbs de Provence, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the filets and sear on the top, bottom, and sides when the skillet is hot. This will take about one to two minutes per side. Be sure to have your exhaust fan on high because the steaks and pan will produce smoke.
- When all sides of the filets have been seared, top with the blue cheese mixture and place in the oven.
- Cook the steaks in the oven for an additional eight minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the filet registers 125 ° F for rare (cool red center), 135 ° F for medium-rare (warm red center), or 145° F for medium (warm pink center).
- Carefully, using a heavy-duty pot holder, remove the steaks from the oven. Place them on a platter, cover with aluminum foil or a plate and allow them to rest for five to ten minutes. Serve immediately.
Frequently asked questions:
Filet mignon is a boneless, lean, and tender steak with a delicate buttery texture. According to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, “it’s cut from the area below the backbone that is also home to other tender cuts of beef, such as the Tenderloin, Strip Steak, T-Bone, and Porterhouse Steaks.”
Filets are cut from the smaller end of the tenderloin, which is the least exercised part of beef, and it’s the most tender and compact cut.
I like to serve this dish with either Romaine Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, or Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Pecans and Twice Baked Potatoes or Easy Rustic Mashed Potatoes for Two. I like to keep it simple for dessert, and my favorites are either Raspberries and Cream or Chocolate Pudding.
If you need more dessert ideas, check out all of my desserts here, or check out my roundup post, 32 Best Decadent and Romantic Valentine’s Desserts. For more ideas for sides or mains for Valentine’s Day, check out this roundup post: Ultimate Valentine’s Day Romantic Dinner Menus and Recipes.
In the USA, the US Department of Agriculture has established a grading system for beef. Therefore, when you purchase a package of meat, it will have a shield or sticker from the USDA, which signifies the grade.
When I buy filets, I always look for either prime or choice. Steaks labeled prime or choice are high quality, and they will be tender, juicy, and flavorful. The main difference is in the amount of marbling they have. Choice has less marbling than prime and, consequently, may not be quite as juicy or tender.
Because filet mignon is so expensive, ask your butcher if you are still unsure how to pick out a steak. They are usually happy to help and can keep you from making an expensive mistake.
Sharon’s tips:
- Your filets will cook more evenly if you let them come to room temperature before cooking.
- Cooking times for the filets will vary depending on the size and thickness of the steaks. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that they are cooked to your preferred degree of doneness.
- Be sure to turn your kitchen exhaust fan to high because this recipe produces a lot of smoke. If you are like me and don’t have a good exhaust fan, open a window, or your smoke alarm might go off.
- If you are not comfortable picking out steaks, ask your butcher for recommendations, or have them pick them out for you.
- You can substitute any dried herb blend that you like for the herbs de Provence.
- I highly recommend making this dish in a cast-iron skillet because you will get a better sear. However, if you don’t have one, you can use an oven-safe skillet.
- Try and purchase filets labeled “prime” if you can. They cost a little more, but I think they are more tender and have a better flavor.
More beef tenderloin and steak recipes:
If you like this recipe, I know you will also enjoy my easy Filet Mignon with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Whole Beef Tenderloin with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce, and Perfect Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce.
Other popular steak recipes on my blog include The Ultimate Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak, Skillet New York Strip Roast, The Ultimate Grilled Flank Steak, and my all-time favorite, Chili Rubbed Ribeye Steak with Maple-Bourbon Butter.
You can find all of my beef recipes at this link.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon Steak Recipe
Ingredients
Filet Mignons Ingredients
- 2 filet mignon steaks 8 ounces each, at least 2-inches thick
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
Blue Cheese Crust Ingredients
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or another blend of dried herbs
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or oven-safe skillet on your stove over high heat for five minutes.
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with the vegetable oil. Season on all sides with the kosher salt and pepper.
- While the skillet is heating, combine the ingredients for the blue cheese topping in a small bowl. Set aside.
- When the skillet is hot, add the filets and sear the top, bottom, and all sides. This will take about one minute per side. Be sure to have your exhaust fan on high because the steaks and pan will produce smoke.
- When all sides of the filets have been seared, top with the blue cheese mixture and place in the oven.
- Cook the steaks in the oven for an additional eight minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the filet registers 125 ° F for rare (cool red center), 135 ° F for medium-rare (warm red center), or 145° F for medium (warm pink center).
- Carefully, using a heavy-duty pot holder, remove the steaks from the oven. Place them on a platter, cover with aluminum foil or a plate and allow them to rest for five to ten minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Your filets will cook more evenly if you let them come to room temperature before cooking.
- Cooking times for the filets will vary depending on the size and thickness of the steaks. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that they are cooked to your preferred degree of doneness.
- Be sure to turn your kitchen exhaust fan to high because this recipe produces a lot of smoke. If you are like me and don’t have a good exhaust fan, open a window, or your smoke alarm might go off.
- If you are not comfortable picking out steaks, ask your butcher for recommendations, or have them pick them out for you.
- You can substitute any dried herb blend that you like for the herbs de Provence.
- I highly recommend making this dish in a cast-iron skillet because you will get a better sear. However, if you don’t have one, you can use an oven-safe skillet.
- Try and purchase filets labeled “prime” if you can. They cost a little more, but I think they are more tender and have a better flavor.
Nutrition
**This post was originally published on February 21, 2017. It was republished on February 14, 2020, with additional information, expanded tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions. And, it was republished again on September 20, 2021, with new photos.
made these tonight . Easy and fantastic,!! Our new favorite steak recipe.! Who need to go to a steak house when you can coke these!
Question, while your recipe calls for Panko, your photo shows fresh bread crumbs. Which are you suggesting?
Hi Annie,
Actually, those are panko breadcrumbs in the photo. When I combined them with the blue cheese crumbles, they clumped together a little which makes them look like fresh breadcrumbs. Either fresh breadcrumbs or panko would be fine.
All my best,
Sharon