We report on absolute measurements of saturatedabsorption line-center frequencies of room-temperature trifluoromethane using a quantum cascade laser at 8.6 μm and the frequency modulation spectroscopy method. Absolute calibration of the laser frequency is obtained by direct comparison with a mid-infrared optical frequency comb synthesizer referenced to a radio-frequency Rb standard. Several sub-Doppler transitions falling in the υ 5 vibrational band are investigated at around 1158.9 cm −1 with a fractional frequency precision of 8.6 · 10 −12 at 1-s integration time, limited by the Rb-clock stability. The demonstrated frequency uncertainty of 6.6 · 10 −11 is mainly limited by the reproducibility of the frequency measurements.