Sous Vide Filet Mignon (130°F for 90 Minutes)
By Luke Davidson · Modernist Cook · Updated 2026-05-08
8-oz filet mignon sous vide at 130°F for 90 minutes, then seared 60 seconds per side. Edge-to-edge medium-rare. Salt and butter only.
Carnivore sous vide filet mignon is an 8-ounce filet (about 1.5 inches thick) seasoned with salt, vacuum-sealed, cooked in a 130°F water bath for 90 minutes, then seared in cast iron at 500°F for 60 seconds per side with butter. The result is the most uniformly medium-rare interior any cooking method can produce — every bite from edge to center is the same color and temperature. Salt is the only seasoning. An 8-ounce cooked filet delivers 50g protein, 18g fat, and 360 calories. Filet mignon costs $25 to $40 per pound at most grocery stores; a single steak runs $13 to $20 — half the price of the same filet at a steakhouse. The 90-minute cook is the minimum; filets hold at 130°F indefinitely without overcooking, so the timing flexes to your schedule. Skip the sear and the result tastes like boiled steak — the sear is essential. Plan 60 seconds of pan time per side, no longer, or the heat penetrates and overcooks the interior.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz filet mignon cooked (per serving) | 50g | 14g | 320 |
| 1 tbsp butter | 0g | 11g | 100 |
| Coarse salt | 0g | 0g | 0 |
| Per serving | 50g | 18g | 360 |
Macros per serving (after cooking and any fat draining). Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Instructions
- 1
Pat filet dry. Apply ½ tsp coarse salt to both sides.
- 2
Vacuum-seal in a sous vide bag (or use water-displacement zip-loc method).
- 3
Set sous vide circulator to 130°F. Submerge filet and cook for 90 minutes.
- 4
Remove from bag. Pat the surface bone-dry with paper towels — wet surface prevents the crust from forming during the sear.
- 5
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until smoking.
- 6
Add 1 tbsp butter. Once it foams, sear the filet 60 seconds per side. No longer — heat penetrates fast on a thin steak.
- 7
Tilt the pan and spoon butter over the top during the second sear.
- 8
Transfer to a cutting board. No rest needed (sous vide meat is fully tempered). Serve immediately.
Nutrition per Serving
Frequently Asked Questions
Why exactly 60 seconds per side for the sear?
The filet is already at 130°F throughout from the sous vide. Pan searing transfers heat from the iron through the meat surface — 60 seconds gives you a deep crust without the heat penetrating more than ¼-inch. Beyond 60 seconds, heat starts cooking the layer just under the crust, leaving you with a gradient that defeats the purpose of sous vide. This is the most common mistake on sous vide steaks — over-searing.
Sous vide vs reverse sear?
Both produce uniform medium-rare with a crust, but they differ in process and gear. Sous vide requires a $80-150 circulator and a vacuum sealer or zip-loc bags; the cook is set-and-forget. Reverse sear works in any oven, no special gear, but the cook is less precise (oven temperatures vary). For thick steaks (1.5+ inches), sous vide is more reliable; for thinner steaks (1 inch or less), straight pan-sear or grill is faster and the result is identical. Filet mignon at 1.5 inches is the sweet spot for sous vide.
Can I cook frozen filet from the freezer?
Yes — sous vide handles frozen-to-cooked in one step. Set circulator to 130°F, drop the frozen vacuum-sealed filet directly in, and add 30 minutes to the cook time (so 2 hours instead of 90 minutes for an 8-ounce filet). The bag thaws and pasteurizes in the same cycle. This is the workflow cooks use when buying filets in bulk and freezing — no defrost step required, no quality loss.
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