Can You Freeze Fillet Steak?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

For many people, fillet steak is the best cut you can buy. It’s free from fat and can be cooked to perfection, whether you like it rare, medium, or well done. But what’s the best way to preserve this delicious cut of meat?

How to Freeze Fillet Steak

Freezing fillet steak is nice and straightforward, and there’s not a lot to it. Your first decision is whether to freeze it before or after cooking.

We’d recommend freezing it before if possible, as this means you can cook your fillet steak to perfection once you have defrosted it.

Here are the steps you need to follow to freeze fillet steak: 

1. Cool
   If you have cooked the fillet steak before freezing it, you will need to allow it sufficient time to cool at room temperature. You can place the steak on a plate and cover it with a paper towel until it has cooled completely. 
2. Wrap
   Whether cooked or uncooked, place the fillet steak on a sheet of tin foil. Then, wrap the steak tightly, ensuring there are no rips or tears in the wrapping. This is a really important step, as freezer burn will cause your fillet steak to spoil. 
3. Bag up
   Once wrapped, place the fillet steak in a freezer-safe bag and press out as much air as possible before sealing. 
4. Label and Freeze
   Write today’s date and the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag and place the fillet steak in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze fillet steak for around three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Fillet Steak

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing fillet steak to have the best results:

Freeze It Before Cooking
Although you can freeze fillet steak once it has been cooked, it’s best to freeze it raw. This allows you to cook it from scratch to perfection once you have defrosted it. When you reheat a fillet steak, it’s unlikely to taste as good as it does when it is freshly cooked. 

Freeze It ASAP
If you’ve picked up several fillet steaks from the butchers or supermarket and only plan to eat one, it’s best to wrap the others up and freeze them as soon as you can. This will ensure the fillet steak is perfect when you come to thaw and cook it. 

Freeze Other Cuts Too
Although we’ve focused on freezing fillet steak in this article, you can actually freeze any type of steak following the same steps listed above. If you have a rump, ribeye or sirloin, for instance, you can freeze your steak in precisely the same way as already introduced.

How Long Can You Freeze Fillet Steak?

You can freeze fillet steak for around three months. While you might be tempted to freeze meat for longer than this, doing so may affect its consistency and taste when you come to freeze it.

This is because the ice crystals that form during the freezing process can influence the quality of the meat the longer you leave it in the freezer.

So, for the best results, make sure you use your frozen fillet steak within three months of adding it to the freezer.

You Can Freeze Fillet Steak for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Fillet Steak?

Defrosting fillet steak is straightforward. The night before you plan to cook or reheat it, transfer your fillet steak from the freezer to the fridge, leaving it in its current wrapping.

This will give it sufficient time to thaw before cooking it. You should never defrost fillet steak at room temperature, as doing so could cause it to spoil.

Equally, you should avoid thawing it in the microwave as it might affect its texture.

Can You Refreeze Fillet Steak?

Although it’s safe to refreeze fillet steak that has been defrosted in the fridge, we wouldn’t recommend doing so.

The best thing about fillet steak is that it’s particularly moist and tender when cooked to perfection, and refreezing it can affect its quality. Therefore, if you want to enjoy a juicy and tender fillet steak in the future, we’d suggest freezing it only once.

Does Fillet Steak Freeze Well?

Fillet steak freezes really well. Although you can freeze cooked fillet steak, it’s much better to freeze it before grilling or frying it.

Provided you follow the steps listed above and protect the fillet steak from freezer burn, it will be good in the freezer for at least three months before you need to use it.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing fillet steak or steak in general, then these may help: