If you have ever stared at a restaurant menu or a butcher’s counter and wondered about the other names for filet mignon, you are not alone. Filet mignon is one of the most prized cuts of beef, famous for its tenderness, but it goes by several different names depending on the country, the butcher, and whether it is sold as part of a larger cut or on its own. Knowing the other names for filet mignon helps you shop with confidence, order exactly what you want, compare prices fairly, and follow recipes from American, British, French, and Australian cooks without confusion. This guide lists every common alternative name, explains where each one comes from, and shows how the cut relates to the tenderloin, the chateaubriand, and the various steaks cut from the same muscle.
Before the list, it helps to understand what filet mignon actually is. It is cut from the tenderloin, the long, narrow muscle that runs along the spine of the animal and does very little work, which is why it is so tender. The tenderloin tapers from a thick end to a thin tail, and the thickest, most even central portion is what is normally sold as filet mignon. Once you know that, the other names for filet mignon start to make sense, because most of them are simply different ways of describing the tenderloin, the fillet, or a steak cut from it.
Other Names for Filet Mignon: The Complete List
The single most important entry among the other names for filet mignon is “tenderloin steak”. In the United States, a steak cut from the tenderloin is very often labelled tenderloin steak, and a small, thick, round tenderloin steak is essentially the same thing as a filet mignon. Butchers may also call it a “tenderloin fillet” or simply “beef fillet”. In Britain, the equivalent cut is usually called “fillet steak”, spelled with one “l” in the middle in the French-derived style, and a menu that lists fillet steak is offering you the British cousin of the filet mignon.
French terminology adds two more names you should know. “Filet de boeuf” means beef fillet in general, and the word “filet” itself is French for a small fillet or ribbon of meat. When a French recipe calls for a whole roasted tenderloin, it may use the term “chateaubriand”, which traditionally refers to the thick centre cut of the tenderloin, roasted whole and sliced to serve two or more people. A chateaubriand is therefore not a different muscle; it is a larger piece of the same tenderloin from which individual filets mignons are cut. If a recipe serves a crowd and calls for chateaubriand, while a recipe for two calls for filet mignon, they are drawing on the same prized muscle at different scales.
Other names you may meet include “tournedos”, which are small, round steaks cut from the tenderloin, often wrapped in bacon or served with a rich sauce, and “filet steak”, a shortened form used on many menus. In Australia and New Zealand, “eye fillet” is the standard name for the whole tenderloin muscle, and steaks cut from it are sold as eye fillet steaks. An Australian cook who asks for eye fillet is asking for exactly the cut an American cook calls filet mignon. Similarly, the term “beef tenderloin” on its own usually means the whole muscle before it is portioned, while “tenderloin tips” are the smaller, less even pieces from the tapered tail end.
Other Names for Filet Mignon and How They Differ From Tenderloin
The confusion around the other names for filet mignon mostly comes from the relationship between the whole muscle and the individual steak. Think of it like this: tenderloin is the whole muscle, and filet mignon is a steak cut from the best part of it. Every filet mignon comes from the tenderloin, but not every piece of tenderloin is sold as filet mignon. The tail end, which is thinner and less uniform, is often sold as tenderloin tips, used in stir-fries, or tied and roasted as a smaller roast. The thick centre is portioned into the round, even steaks that command the highest price.
This distinction matters when you compare prices. A whole tenderloin often looks cheaper per kilogram than individual filets mignons, but that is because you are paying for the whole muscle, including the thinner tail, and doing the trimming and portioning yourself. Individual filets cost more per kilogram because the butcher has done that work and because you are buying only the choicest portion. If you are cooking for a special occasion and want perfectly even steaks that cook at the same rate, filets are worth it. If you are feeding a crowd and do not mind a little variation, a whole tenderloin roast gives you more meat for your money.
Porterhouse and T-bone steaks add one more layer of confusion. Both contain a piece of tenderloin on one side of the bone, and the tenderloin side of a porterhouse is sometimes described as a filet. Strictly speaking, though, a porterhouse is a different cut: it is a short loin steak that includes both strip loin and tenderloin separated by a T-shaped bone. The tenderloin portion is smaller than a standalone filet mignon, and the cooking method differs because the bone and the two muscles cook at different rates. Knowing this stops you from paying filet prices for a cut that is only partly filet.
Regional Names at a Glance
In the United States, expect tenderloin steak, filet steak, and tournedos. In Britain and Ireland, expect fillet steak. In France, expect filet de boeuf and chateaubriand for the roast. In Australia and New Zealand, expect eye fillet and eye fillet steak. In many international hotels, menus use filet mignon itself because it is the most widely recognised luxury term, even when the kitchen would call the cut something else. When in doubt, ask the butcher which muscle the steak comes from: if the answer is the tenderloin, you are in filet territory whatever the label says.
| Alternative name | Where it is used | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Tenderloin steak | United States | A steak cut from the tenderloin muscle |
| Fillet steak | Britain and Ireland | The British name for the same tenderloin steak |
| Eye fillet / eye fillet steak | Australia and New Zealand | The whole tenderloin, or steaks cut from it |
| Chateaubriand | France and fine dining | The thick centre of the tenderloin, roasted whole |
| Tournedos | French cooking | Small round tenderloin steaks, often served with sauce |
| Filet de boeuf | France | Beef fillet in general |
| Beef tenderloin | Everywhere | The whole muscle before portioning |
Cooking Filet Mignon, Whatever You Call It
Whatever name is on the label, the cooking principles for this cut are the same, and they follow from its character: extremely tender, but lean, with very little fat to keep it juicy. That leanness is why so many classic preparations wrap filet mignon in bacon, serve it with a butter-based sauce, or finish it with a knob of flavoured butter. The added fat compensates for what the muscle itself lacks, and it also adds flavour to a cut that is prized more for texture than for beefy intensity.
The most reliable home method is a hard sear followed by a short rest. Pat the steaks dry, season generously with salt and pepper, and sear in a very hot pan for two to three minutes per side for a steak about four centimetres thick. If you like your steak medium-rare, that sear plus a few minutes in a hot oven will usually do it, but a meat thermometer removes the guesswork: around 52 degrees Celsius for rare, 57 for medium-rare, and 63 for medium, measured at the centre. Rest the steak for at least five minutes before slicing, so the juices redistribute instead of running out onto the board. Overcooking is the one unforgiving mistake with this cut, because there is no fat to mask dryness.
Because filet mignon is mild in flavour compared with a ribeye or sirloin, it pairs beautifully with bold accompaniments: a red wine reduction, a mushroom sauce, a blue cheese topping, or a simple herb butter. It also suits special-occasion sides that do not compete with it, such as roasted potatoes, buttered green beans, or a crisp salad. If you are following a recipe that calls for one of the other names for filet mignon, check whether it means individual steaks or a whole roast before you start, because the cooking time for a whole chateaubriand is very different from the time for a single filet.
Home cooks looking for more kitchen inspiration can explore our recipe guide from HomeHearted and a healthy snack guide for ideas on building a complete meal around a special main course. You can also browse Cookape on this site for further cooking-related reading.
Shopping Smart With the Other Names for Filet Mignon
Knowing the other names for filet mignon also helps you shop smartly. If fillet steak is on special at one shop and tenderloin steak is full price at another, you may be looking at the same cut under two labels, and the cheaper option is the better buy. Likewise, if a recipe from an Australian author calls for eye fillet and your local butcher sells tenderloin, you can ask confidently for the equivalent without worrying that you have misunderstood the recipe. Always check the thickness and trimming rather than trusting the label alone: a well-trimmed, evenly cut steak will cook better than a poorly trimmed one whatever name it carries, and that practical check matters more than any of the other names for filet mignon printed on the packet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Other Names for Filet Mignon
Is filet mignon the same as tenderloin?
Nearly, but not exactly. Among the other names for filet mignon, tenderloin is the closest, but tenderloin names the whole muscle while filet mignon names steaks cut from its thickest central part. All filet mignon is tenderloin; not all tenderloin is sold as filet mignon.
Is fillet steak the same as filet mignon?
Yes, for practical purposes. Fillet steak is the British name for a steak cut from the tenderloin, which is the same cut an American menu calls filet mignon. Minor differences in trimming exist between butchers, but the muscle and the eating experience are the same.
What is the difference between filet mignon and chateaubriand?
Chateaubriand is the thick centre of the tenderloin roasted whole and sliced at the table, while filet mignon is that same centre portioned into individual steaks before cooking. One serves a group from a single roast; the other gives each diner their own steak.
What is eye fillet?
Eye fillet is the Australian and New Zealand name for the tenderloin muscle. An eye fillet steak is therefore the local equivalent of a filet mignon, and a whole eye fillet is the same muscle sold uncut.
Conclusion
The other names for filet mignon — tenderloin steak, fillet steak, eye fillet, chateaubriand, tournedos, and filet de boeuf — all point back to one remarkable muscle: the tenderloin. Once you understand that single fact, menus, recipes, and butcher counters in any country become far easier to read, and you can shop for tenderness rather than for a brand name. Remember the key distinctions: tenderloin is the whole muscle, filet mignon is the choicest steak cut from it, and chateaubriand is the same centre roasted whole. Cook it gently, respect its leanness, rest it well, and whichever of the other names for filet mignon appears on the label, you will know exactly what you are buying and how to make the most of it.
