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When you are cooking to impress, Surf and Turf (filet mignon with lobster tails) pulls out all of the stops. The whole meal comes together fast (30 minutes or less!) and my easy techniques ensure perfect results every time.
If Surf and Turf feels like the kind of meal you only order at a restaurant, you’re in the right place. I have all the information you need to nail both the Surf AND the Turf, and it all comes down to technique.
Filet mignon is at it’s best when it’s cooked simply and with just a dollop of compound butter, so the filet’s flavor can really shine (that’s what you paid all that money for!).
Lobster might sound intimidating, but the truth is, it’s easy to work with if you just know how to open the back. Roast it with some butter, and you’re good to go.
This show-stopping centerpiece is suitable for date nights, dinner parties (double, triple, quadruple the recipe), Valentine’s Day, or any day in between. There’s always a reason to celebrate!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Filet mignon: To substitute a different steak such as New York Strip or sirloin, trim as needed, then be sure to sear on all sides (including the edges with the white fat). Always let your steaks come to room temperature before cooking.
- Lobster: Most lobster tails are about 5 ounces and the cooking times in the recipe target that size. Larger tails may take longer to cook. Always ensure lobster tails reach 145 degrees on a digital thermometer. Thaw frozen lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator (never at room temperature).
Step-by-step instructions
For the steaks:
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Place a cast-iron skillet in oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil, set aside. Pat dry steaks thoroughly with a paper towel. Season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Stir until evenly combined and divide into two equal parts.
- Carefully remove skillet from oven and place over medium-high heat. Add half of the butter mixture and allow to melt. Add steaks, and sear until a good crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter occasionally.
- Flip steaks and sear other side, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Using tongs, sear all sides of the steak, about 30 seconds.
- Place steaks in skillet in oven, and cook until desired temperature is reached, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 to 145 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F). Remove steaks from skillet and allow to rest 5 minutes.
For the lobster:
- Meanwhile, butterfly the lobster tails. Using sharp kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, carefully cut down the top center of the shell, avoiding cutting the bottom shell. (It is okay if a little of the meat is cut.)
- Pry open the shell on both sides and gently separate meat from the inside of the shell, taking care to not separate it from the tail. Push together the empty shell underneath lobster meat in a nice row.
- Place on prepared baking sheet. Spread some of the remaining butter mixture over the top of the lobster tails and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake until opaque and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
For serving:
- Serve steak with lobster tail, remaining butter, and lemon wedges.
3 Secrets for a fantastic steak
- Take the edge off: Always bring your steak to room temperature before cooking it. This ensures speedy, even cooking.
- Light a fire: Get your cooking surface (grill, skillet, whatever), HOT. A hot surface equals a beautiful brown crust. Even if you like your steak still rare on the inside, you want that dark crust on the outside.
- Let it rest: Allow cooked steaks to rest before slicing to keep the juices inside the meat, making your dinner extra juicy and mouth-watering.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Surf and Turf recipe feeds for two, but it easily doubles or triples to feed more guests.
- Storage: Lobster is best served immediately. Store leftover steak covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Shrimp: To substitute shrimp for the lobster tails, season 16 ounces of raw, cleaned and peeled jumbo shrimp with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, add the remaining butter mixture and heat until melted. Add shrimp in an even layer. Sauté until opaque and pink, about 1 minute per side, then immediately remove from heat.
- Compound butter: This recipe has a delicious garlic-thyme-rosemary compound butter built in, but you can substitute different flavors that you love. See 6 Compound Butters for more suggestions including blue cheese, shallot-garlic-chives, or the very specific Mâitre d’Hôtel butter which is parsley, lemon juice, and white pepper.
- Favorite sides for Surf and Turf: Since the filet and lobster are the stars here (and you only have so much room on your plate), choose one of your most favorite sides and stick to that. I love Twice-Baked Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans, or Blanched Broccoli.
- Leftover steak: If you are lucky enough to have leftover filet mignon, try a classic Steak and Eggs for breakfast the next day. Or, pile the steak on chewy ciabatta bread with mayonnaise, arugula, and tomato. YUM!
- More surf: Try Shrimp Scampi, Grilled Shrimp Skewers, or Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce.
- More turf: Discover Grilled New York Strip with Air-Fryer Baked Potatoes and Balsamic Mushrooms and Onions. Or, try Hibachi Steak with Wasabi Grilled Potatoes and a side of Roasted Broccoli.
Recipe FAQs
Surf and Turf means a main dish of seafood, usually shellfish (surf), and red meat (turf).
Filet mignon and lobster tailings are the traditional surf and turf pairings, but you can use any red meat and any seafood that you like.
I follow these temperature guidelines for any beef preparation:
Rare: 120 to 125 degrees F
Medium Rare: 130 to 135 degrees F
Medium: 140 to 145 degrees F
Medium Well: 150 degrees F
Well: 160 degrees F
While many chefs (and I) prefer a slightly lower temperature for juicer, more tender beef, the USDA has a more conservative minimum safe cooking temperature of 145 degrees F. Cook to your desired doneness level.
More steak and seafood
Beef Recipes
Grilled New York Strip Steak
Asian Recipes
Hibachi Steak with Grilled Wasabi Potatoes
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Shrimp Scampi
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Surf and Turf
Ingredients
For the steaks:
- 2 (1 1/2-inch thick) filet mignon steaks (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter softened (½ stick)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
For the lobster:
- 2 lobster tails (see note 2)
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
For the steaks:
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Place a cast-iron skillet in oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil, set aside.
- Pat dry steaks thoroughly with a paper towel. Season on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Stir until evenly combined and divide into two equal parts.
- Carefully remove skillet from oven and place over medium-high heat. Add half of the butter mixture and allow to melt. Add steaks, and sear until a good crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter occasionally. Flip steaks and sear other side, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Using tongs, sear all sides of the steak, about 30 seconds.
- Place steaks in skillet in oven, and cook until desired temperature is reached, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 to 145 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F). Remove steaks from skillet and allow to rest 5 minutes.
For the lobster:
- Meanwhile, butterfly the lobster tails. Using sharp kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, carefully cut down the top center of the shell, avoiding cutting the bottom shell. (It is okay if a little of the meat is cut.)
- Pry open the shell on both sides and gently separate meat from the inside of the shell, taking care to not separate it from the tail. Push together the empty shell underneath lobster meat in a nice row. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Spread some of the remaining butter mixture over the top of the lobster tails and sprinkle with salt. Bake until opaque and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
For serving:
- Serve steak with lobster tail, remaining butter, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Filet mignon: To substitute a different steak such as New York Strip or sirloin, trim as needed, then be sure to sear on all sides (including the edges with the white fat). Always let your steaks come to room temperature before cooking.
- Lobster: Most lobster tails are about 5 ounces and the cooking times in the recipe target that size. Larger tails may take longer to cook. Always ensure lobster tails reach 145 degrees on a digital thermometer. Thaw frozen lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator (never at room temperature).
- Yield: This Surf and Turf recipe feeds for two, but it easily doubles or triples to feed more guests.
- Storage: Lobster is best served immediately. Store leftover steak covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
