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

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)
761 Calories
48g Fat
45g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 761
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 20g 101%
Cholesterol 132mg 44%
Sodium 1440mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 13mg 64%
Calcium 582mg 45%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 686mg 15%
*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.)