Filet mignon is the tenderest cut on the steer, and a reverse sear treats it right. Gentle smoke, a hard sear, and a bacon wrap for the fat it lacks. Set your time below.
How long to smoke filet mignon
At 225°F, filets take roughly 45 minutes to an hour to reach about 10°F under target, then a fast sear. Pull off the smoke around 125°F for medium-rare; the sear carries it to 130°F. Lean and tender, it wants gentle heat and a light hand.
The bacon wrap
Filet is lean, so a bacon wrap adds fat and flavor and keeps the edges from drying. Secure it, smoke, then sear to crisp the bacon and crust the beef.
Filet on a pellet grill
Smoke at 225°F, then sear hard over direct heat or cast iron with butter and thyme. A little smoke goes a long way on this delicate cut.
FAQ
What temp to pull a filet mignon? Pull the smoke around 125°F for medium-rare, then sear to 130°F on the plate.
How long does a smoked filet take? About an hour of smoke plus a sear. The calculator times it.
Should I wrap filet in bacon? It helps, since filet is very lean; the bacon adds fat and protects the edges.
Filet mignon prices: retail vs wholesale
Filet Mignon costs about $16.62 a pound at the grocery store this week and $16.32 a pound wholesale (USDA Choice; Prime is $22.35). The lowest advertised price is in the Southwest at $16.27 (77 stores). USDA data: grocery ads running Oct 3-9, wholesale trades through Oct 9.
$16.62/lb national grocery ad average for Tenderloin Steaks (ads running Oct 3-9, 121 stores)
$16.32/lb wholesale, Choice tenderloin, trimmed (IMPS 189A) – USDA boxed-cut trades, Oct 5-Oct 9, 933,554 lb traded. The shelf price also covers cutting, packaging, labor, shrink and the store’s margin, and a supplier quotes above this for their margin, spec and delivery.
Dashed line: national average $16.62
See prices for every cut → · How much should you buy? · Cooking for money? Price the whole job
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (Market News + LMPRS mandatory reporting), tracked daily by MeatSmokingCalculator. Retail = advertised grocery feature prices; wholesale = national boxed primal values. Not a quote – your store and supplier will vary.
Where filet mignon finishes. Pull temperature on one thermometer, against the safety floors; the faint ticks are every other cut on the chart.
Times & temperatures
| Style | Method | Pit temp | Approx time | Pull / done temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse Sear | Slow and Low | 225°F / 107°C | ~35-70 min + ~6 min finish | Rare 115°F · Medium-Rare 125°F · Medium 135°F · Medium-Well 145°F · Well 155°F |
| Direct & Seared – standard (about 2 in) | Grill 350 | 350°F / 177°C | ~8-16 min | Rare 120°F · Medium-Rare 130°F · Medium 140°F · Medium-Well 150°F · Well 160°F |
| Direct & Seared – standard (about 2 in) | Hot and Fast | 300°F / 149°C | ~10-19 min | Rare 120°F · Medium-Rare 130°F · Medium 140°F · Medium-Well 150°F · Well 160°F |
| Direct & Seared – thick (2½ in +) | Grill 350 | 350°F / 177°C | ~11-22 min | Rare 120°F · Medium-Rare 130°F · Medium 140°F · Medium-Well 150°F · Well 160°F |
| Direct & Seared – thick (2½ in +) | Hot and Fast | 300°F / 149°C | ~13-25 min | Rare 120°F · Medium-Rare 130°F · Medium 140°F · Medium-Well 150°F · Well 160°F |
📊 See the full smoking times & temps chart for every cut →
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Written by John Kirker, who built the first meat smoking calculator in 2011. Times come from cooks we have actually run and logged; temperature and feel decide the finish, never the clock alone.
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