Beef Tenderloin and Pickled Onion Tacos Recipe

By
Kerry Saretsky
a photograph of Kerry Seretsky, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Kerry Saretsky

Kerry Saretsky interned at Serious Eats in 2008, and wrote the French in a Flash recipe column. She also writes her own blog on modernized French cuisine called French Revolution Food.

Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated May 13, 2019
20121126FiletPickledOnionTacos.jpg
Kerry Saretsky

The perfect punching-above-its-weight weeknight dinner for two. Warm corn tortillas stuffed with Filet mignon, rubbed in spices, seared, and sliced rare. Quick home-pickled red onion. Cilantro. Lime. Queso fresco. A little bit of cooking. A little bit of assembly. A lot of joy.

Recipe Details

Beef Tenderloin and Pickled Onion Tacos Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 2 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 small beef tenderloin steaks, about 4 ounces each

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly

  • 1/4 cup wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola, or olive oil

  • 10 small (4 1/2 inches) corn tortillas, warmed according to these instructions

  • 1 cup diced or grated queso fresco or cotija

  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems

  • 1 lime, cut in small wedges

Directions

  1. Season the filet steaks with cumin, chili powders, and salt. Set aside. Place red onion, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Heat oil in a small cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add steaks and cook without moving until well browned, about, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook second side until brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak and serve with warmed tortillas, onions, cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
761Calories
48gFat
45gCarbs
38gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories761
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g62%
Saturated Fat 20g101%
Cholesterol 132mg44%
Sodium 1440mg63%
Total Carbohydrate 45g16%
Dietary Fiber 6g22%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 13mg64%
Calcium 582mg45%
Iron 5mg27%
Potassium 686mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes