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.

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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

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.)

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