Filet mignon and garlic shrimp is an easy gourmet meal to prepare in your own home kitchen. Tender filet mignon is seared in a cast iron pan and topped with buttery garlic shrimp.
Impress a loved one with a fancy filet mignon and garlic shrimp meal for two. Perfect for Valentine's Day or your next celebration, this meal is surprisingly easy to prepare in your own home.
Tender, juicy filet mignon is topped with shrimp and garlic butter sauce. Pair this entrée with a side salad or a baked potato for a complete meal.
This surf and turf dish is perfect for for Valentine's day, a homemade anniversary dinner, or any time you'd like to make an extra special meal.
What is surf and turf?
Surf and turf is an entrée that consists of both seafood and red meat. Surf (sea) is represented by the seafood, and turf (grass) is represented by the red meat.
The term first appeared in the 1960s in the Los Angeles Times.
The most common surf & turf pairing is lobster and any cut of beef steak. Lobster is sometimes substituted with scallops, shrimp, or crab legs.
Ingredients and substitutions
For this recipe, you'll need two 1 inch thick filet mignon. Place your steaks on the counter top to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before beginning.
Large or jumbo shrimp are ideal for this recipe. Any tail on, peeled and deveined shrimp will work for this recipe. Tails can be removed, but add a restaurant quality visual appeal to your finished dish.
Parsley is optional, but adds a nice splash of color to your finished dish.
Best pan for searing steak
To sear your steaks on the stovetop, you'll need a cast-iron pan or stainless steel pan. You'll need a pan that can withstand high heat, which is best for getting a nice sear on your steaks.
I do not recommend non-stick pans for steaks because they can become damaged when sitting on high heat for long periods of time. If you only have non-stick or enamel pans available, opt for a lower heat setting and don't let them sit over high heat with nothing in the pan.
However, a non-stick pan (or any other pan) will work just fine for cooking your shrimp.
Oil for searing steaks
You need an oil with a high smoke point when searing steaks on the stovetop. This means that your oil can withstand higher temperatures without smoking/burning.
I recommend canola oil, peanut oil, or any oil with a smoke point over 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. While I normally use olive oil in my cooking, I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe.
Here's a great article breaking down the smoke points of many popular oils: Cooking Oils and Smoke Points: What to Know and How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil
Meat thermometer
To properly cook a steak at home, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer.
Using a meat thermometer ensures your steak will be cooked perfectly every time.
Here's an excellent meat thermometer on Amazon for less than $15: ThermoPro TP03 Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer
What to serve with surf & turf
Surf and turf pairs well with many side dishes - from a simple side salad, to baked or mashed potatoes. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair with steak and shrimp:
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Winter Chopped Salad
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Zucchini and Squash
Filet Mignon and Garlic Shrimp - Surf and Turf
Ingredients
Filet Mignon
- 2 6-ounce filet mignon 1 inch thick
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Shrimp
- 8 ounces large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Filet Mignon
- Remove filet mignon from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. **If your filet mignon is thicker than one inch, or you'd like your steak prepared to medium or medium-well, also preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper, gently pressing seasoning into the steaks.
- Once pan is hot, add canola oil. When hot and rippling, add steaks to pan, making sure they do not touch each other.
- Set a timer and sear first side for 3 minutes (For a 1 inch filet at medium-rare doneness - see table below for temperatures). Flip steak and cook for 3 minutes on opposite side.
- **If steak is thicker than 1 inch, or you'd like a medium or medium-well done steak: transfer seared steaks in cast iron pan to the oven. Bake until desired doneness is achieved (using temperature chart below). A 1 inch steak will take about 5 minutes for medium doneness.
- Cooking times for a steak will vary based on the thickness, size, and shape of your steak. For best success, I suggest a meat thermometer. You'll want to remove your steak from the pan when the temperature reaches 5 degrees below your desired doneness. The steak will continue to cook slightly while it is resting. Temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit.- Rare: 125 degrees - Medium-rare: 135 degrees- Medium: 145 degrees- Medium-well: 150 degrees- Well done: 160 degrees.
- Once filet mignon is cooked to your desired temperature, remove immediately from pan and transfer to a plate. Rest steaks by covering loosely with foil for five minutes.
Shrimp
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted and hot, add shrimp and spread into a single layer. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip.
- Add minced garlic to pan and continue to cook shrimp for another 1-2 minutes. Cooked shrimp will form a "U" shape and look pink and mostly white when done. (Cooking time will depend entirely on the size of your shrimp - look for visual cues and worry less about cooking time.)
- Remove from heat and add remaining tablespoon of butter and parsley, stirring until melted.
- Pour shrimp and garlic butter sauce over filet mignon and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- I highly suggest using a meat thermometer if you are not familiar or comfortable with pan-searing steaks. Due to the variance in thickness, temperatures of the stove top, size, and shape of your steaks, the cooking times may vary.
- Here is a great resource to visualize the degrees of doneness for your steak: Degree of Doneness - Certified Angus Beef
- Use an oil with a high smoke point for pan-searing steaks. I recommend canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil. I do not recommend butter or olive oil.
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