Brandy Cream Sauce for Pan-Fried Filet Mignon (2024)

This brandy cream sauce for steak never ever disappoints. It’s so packed with flavor and the creamy texture makes a delightful sauce for filet mignon or any steak. I’m also sharing my foolproof way to make pan-fried filet mignon that comes out perfectly cooked on the stovetop.

Filet mignon with sauce is one of my favorite meals. It’s easy to make for a special occasion or holiday meal but can also be a simply nice dinner any day of the week.

What makes this recipe for filet mignon in a pan so amazing is the sauce. Who knew that combining a few simple ingredients makes a savory, umami-packed brandy sauce that tastes great with a perfectly cooked steak.

If you enjoy cooking up beef using some other cooking methods, try this air fryer ribeye steak, my favorite smoked steak recipe, or this no-fuss, slow cooker roast beef.

Need some side dish inspiration for your steak with brandy sauce? Try these over-the-top volcano potatoes for special occasions or some steak fries for a laid-back dinner.

Ingredients

There are three different components for making this dish. The potatoes, the filet mignon sauce, and the steak in a pan.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can mix and match as you prefer and really use each component alone when desired.

Potatoes

• Potatoes: I prefer using mini potatoes for making this recipe. They don’t require any peeling and all you need to do is simply cut them in half to help them cook a little faster.
• Vegetable oil: Excess oil on your baking sheet at high temperatures can cause your oven to possibly smoke. Use a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point to avoid this potential problem such as canola, peanut, grapeseed or safflower oil.
• Herbs: For the best flavor use fresh thyme or you can use one teaspoon of dried thyme instead.

Pan-Fried Steak

• Salt: A coarse ground sea salt or kosher salt is the best for making pan-fried steak.
• Pepper: Use freshly ground if possible for the best flavor.
• Steaks: Choose similar-sized filet mignons in both thickness and weight. You can also buy a beef tenderloin and cut your own steaks.

Brandy Cream Sauce

• Shallots and garlic: These delicate aromatics provide the foundation for the flavors in this sauce.
• Mushrooms: Simple button mushrooms work fine or you can opt for cremini, or brown mushrooms, which have a bit more flavor.
• Heavy cream: The higher fat content in heavy cream makes the brandy mushroom sauce rich and creamy.
• Brandy: This distilled liquor is made from white or fermented fruit juices.

What is Filet Mignon?

It's an expensive, boneless cut of beef that is usually sold in one to two-inch thick cuts. It’s known for being super tender, but because it’s boneless and contains less fat, it is often not as flavorful as bone-in steaks or other cuts of beef with more marbling.

To add more flavor, the filets are commonly wrapped in bacon or served with a special filet mignon sauce, like the one in this recipe, or a compound or herbed butter such as this Bacon Butter.

What Part of the Cow is Filet Mignon?

This cut is usually taken from a heifer or steer and from the smaller end of the tenderloin located alongside the spine, backbone, and ribs.

Is Beef Tenderloin the Same as Filet Mignon?

Yes, it is commonly referred to as beef tenderloin and it's the same thing.

Beef tenderloin can be purchased whole or already cut up into steaks and labeled as filet mignon. If you can afford to buy the whole tenderloin, freezing the unused steaks in portions can be a money saver since you will likely pay less per pound.

Given that beef tenderloin is so expensive, it’s also a good idea to watch for it to go on sale and stock up then.

Substitutions

• Brandy: If you don’t have brandy, you can always substitute an equal amount of rum, cognac, or bourbon.
• Herbs: Swap out the thyme with basil, rosemary, tarragon or even parsley.
• Steaks: Any steak with work so you can choose your favorite. You will need to adjust the cooking depending on the thickness of the steak you choose.
• Heavy cream: You can also use half and half or whole milk but the sauce will be less creamy.

How to Cook Filet Mignon in a Pan

If you want to make the best filet steaks, one of the most simple and important techniques is to pan fry it on your stove.

Pan-fried filet mignon cooks so fast, it not only makes a wonderful weeknight meal, it's fancy enough for entertaining.

Before we get to the steak, the first step in making this dish is to get the potatoes cooking.

1. Place the potatoes in a large bowl, add the oil and fresh thyme. Toss until they are completely coated.
2. Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are well browned and tender in the middle.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, pat dry steaks with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until they are browned and have an internal temperature of 125 degrees (medium-rare).

5. Transfer to platter and tent loosely with foil. Move on with making the sauce.

How Do You Use the Touch Method to Tell If Your Steak is Done?

Using the "touch" method to tell if your filet mignon or any steak is cooked is done by simply pressing the top of the meat.

• Rare: The steak feels soft, mushy and leaves a finger imprint that stays.
• Medium rare: It will be soft and when pressed, will slightly recoil or spring back when you remove your finger.
• Medium well: It feels firm to the touch.

Another simple way of telling how well your steak is cooked is by pressing the palm of your hand just below your thumb.

• Raw: With your hand held with all the fingers open, it will feel fleshy and soft. That's what a raw steak feels like.
• Rare: Press your thumb and pointer finger together and with your other hand, feel the same spot again. Notice it feels a little firmer than it did when your fingers weren't touching? That's what a rare steak feels like to the touch.
• Medium rare: With your thumb and middle finger touching, feel that spot on your hand becoming firmer. That's what a medium rare steak feels like.
• Medium: Try touching your thumb to your ring finger and notice the same spot is firmer again. You guessed it! That's how a medium steak feels.
• Well done: Touch your thumb to your baby finger and the same spot will feel firm. That, my friend, is what well done feels like.

It is shocking how accurate this test really is. When the opportunity arises, I urge you to check it out.

How to Make Brandy Steak Sauce

While it may cost a little more to make than other sauces, consider it a treat as brandy cream is truly the secret sauce of this filet mignon recipe.

The brandy cream sauce is flavored with mushroom and shallots and is perfect poured over the potatoes and steak for one classy, sassy meal!

1. Use the same pan you used to cook the steaks. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots.
2. As they begin to soften add mushrooms, garlic and one teaspoon of thyme.
3. Cook until softened and lightly browned; 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat add the brandy to the pan followed by the cream.
5. Return the sauce to the heat, stir to pick up any bits stuck to the pan from cooking the steak and veggies.

6. Add the veggies back to the skillet and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes on medium until the sauce is slightly thickened.
7. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

8. When the sauce is ready, serve it up with the cooked potatoes and steaks.

Variations

• Non-alcoholic: If you prefer to cook without alcohol, apple juice and white grape juice make a good swap.
• Don't like mushrooms? Skip them and make the sauce following the same instructions.

What to Serve With Filet Mignon

There are so many filet mignon sides that would make this pan-fried steak recipe with brandy cream sauce shine.

One of my favorites are the delightful potatoes in the recipe. They cook up so crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and can be made in less than 30 minutes.

• Other Potato Recipes: Try it with my famous volcano potatoes, mashed potato casserole, or smashed potatoes.
• Other Side Dishes: While steak and potatoes are a match made in heaven, you can also serve it up with rice or a lower carb option such as cauliflower casserole.
• Vegetables: Make other vegetables of your choosing like carrots, green beans, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, fried onions, mushrooms.
• Salad: Add on a salad such as a simple Caesar, garden salad, coleslaw, or cucumber and onion.

How to Use Brandy Cream Sauce

You're going to love this sauce so much, you will want to put it on everything!

• Top your veggies: Drizzle brandy cream or cognac steak sauce over everything from asparagus to brussels sprouts to beans to broccoli!
• Pasta sauce: Turn it into a pasta sauce by adding to your favorite shaped cooked pasta.
• Other meats: It works with skillet pork chops, air fryer chicken and so other simple main course preparations.

Perfect Steak Temperature Guide

Since the temperature of the beef will continue to rise even after the steak is removed from the heat, you could end up with a slightly overcooked steak.

Here’s a guideline for what temperature you should use to remove from the heat to get the correct final internal temperature.

If you are looking for a more detailed guide for what the different levels of doneness look like visually and their corresponding doneness, I’ve adapted a chart from What's Cooking America which is a terrific for explaining internal beef temperatures.

If you would like a copy of this chart feel free to save print a copy right here. Beef Temperature Chart.

Expert Tips

• Don't overcook the meat. As the meat rests, the temperature will climb by 5 to 15 degrees so it's a good idea to stop cooking when the temperature is within this range so it doesn't overcook.
• Use the same skillet. While the filets are resting, make this brandy cream sauce in the same skillet you cooked the meat in so none of the flavors are missed.
• Get the potatoes cooking first. That way your steak doesn't end up sitting around for them to finish cooking.
• Remove filets from your fridge and let them come to room temperature on your counter for 30 minutes to an hour.

FAQ

More Steak Recipes You'll Love

This post was originally published in December 2019, it has been updated for content and new photos.