This 30 minute or less Mexican Beef Tenderloin recipe is fantastic for a weeknight dinner. It’s delicious, healthy, tender and packed with flavor!
Hi! Do you ever cook a meal that makes your kitchen smell like heaven? When you sear beef tenderloin covered in spices like this dish, that will do it. I guarantee you will want to devour this dish as you cook it!
It’s packed with lots of flavor, protein and good for you veggies. The tenderloin is covered with a beautiful blend of spices. You’ll love crisped exterior with little edge bits that you will drool for. And all the while it stays nice and juicy on the inside.
The key is not to overcook the meat so that it remains tender on the inside. So make sure to not go too far while you cook it.
This is a restaurant quality meal that you can complete in less than 30 minutes! Seriously, it can’t get better than that!
Ingredients
The list of ingredients are very simple and your biggest expense will be the beef tenderloin. But it’s worth it! I think a little midweek splurge is good here and there.
- Beef tenderloin. Make sure it’s good quality as it will affect the texture of the meat.
- For the spices we’ll use each chili powder, dried oregano and ground cumin, kosher salt and black pepper (more if needed to taste).
- Avocado or vegetable oil for searing the meat and veggies.
- Sliced red bell peppers, yellow bell pepper, red onion & roma tomatoes.
- Minced garlic (fresh or from the jar will work).
- Then we’ll finish it up with fresh cilantro leaves and a fresh lime juice.
How to cook Mexican Beef Tenderloin
- We’ll start by combining the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add beef and toss to coat well.
- In a medium skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet for this since it sears the meat very well!) heat the oil over medium high heat.
- Add the beef and sear 2-3 minutes. Remove beef to a plate and set aside. It’s important not to overcook the beef tenderloin in order to keep it tender and juicy.
- Then we’ll heat the additional 1 tablespoon oil over medium high.
- Add peppers, onion, and garlic and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes until just tender.
- Add tomatoes and beef back to skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
- Serve over cooked rice with lime wedges.
Ana’s Tips and Notes
- Searing: For maximum flavor, sear the tenderloin cubes in a hot skillet. Searing creates a caramelized crust on the outside of the meat, sealing in juices and adding depth of flavor. If you’re doubling the recipe, cook the cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause steaming instead of searing.
- Resting: Allow the beef to rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful dish.
- Storage: If you have leftovers, store the cooked tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently to avoid overcooking.
- Serve: It goes perfectly with this cilantro lime rice or arroz primavera.
More Mexican Beef Recipes
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope you like this recipe! Do you have any questions I can help you with? Or if you made it, I would love it if you leave a comment or rating below.
Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Mexican Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon each chili powder, dried oregano and ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper more if needed to taste
- 2 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil divided
- 1 pound beef tenderloin cut in small cubes
- ½ small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 roma tomatoes thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Combine chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add beef and toss to coat well.1 teaspoon each chili powder, dried oregano and ground cumin, ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper, 1 pound beef tenderloin
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
- Add the beef and sear 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
- Heat additional 1 tablespoon oil over medium high.
- Add peppers, onion, and garlic and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes until just tender.½ small red bell pepper, ½ yellow bell pepper, ½ medium red onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add tomatoes and return beef to skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.3 roma tomatoes, 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- Serve over cooked cilantro lime rice and lime wedges for drizzling.
Muy Delish Notes:
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
**This post was originally published on Sept 2014. It has been updated to be more helpful.
My family loves this Mexican beef tenderloin recipe. The dish is nicely seasoned and the beef is so tender! An added bonus is it takes almost no time to create.
Oh nice flavourings, but I really must try avocado oil. I keep forgetting to pick up a bottle.
Delicious! Packed full of Mexican flavours and didn’t take long to cook either. Loved it!
This looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it. I’m sure it w be a family favorite. Thanks!
I can’t wait to give this a try.
I have no doubt you’ll love it! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks insanely tasty and I love how fast this all comes together. Beautiful and perfect for serving up a delicious quick dinner!
It is so flavorful Heather! It does taste insane. Thanks for stopping by!
This Mexican beef tenderloin sounds fabulous and packed with such great flavours! Beautifully done pictures.
Thank you so much Jagruti! It is a great way to eat good quality beef.
I absolutely love this type of meal and how simple it is to make! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe! I need to add this to my dinner plan for the week!
Thank YOU for stopping by!
This tenderloin looks absolutely amazing and love all of the healthy ingredients in this dish!
Thank YOU for stopping by!
This looks so delicious. I love a simple recipe like this, it’s perfect for weeknights. Even though you use just a few seasonings, they work really well together and add so much flavor to the meat
It does work perfectly! Thank YOU for stopping by!
I love restaurant style beef but I never have been able to recreate it at home in my kitchen. We’d love this recipe with our taco or burrito bowls that we make a few times a month!
Me too! Restaurant style for a fraction of the price! xo!
YUM! This is like all of my favorite flavors in one pan. I love that the whole dish only takes 30 minutes and includes ingredients I almost always have in my refrigerator or freezer. Can’t wait to make this.
That beef looks perfectly cooked! I need more ideas for dinners during this week and this is being added to my to-make list! YUMMM
Ahhh this looks soooo yummy!! I love Mexican dishes and this looks extra delicious! Can’t wait to make this, my husband is going to love it!
My husband is always asking me to make more recipes with meat and I think this one might be the best of both worlds! Enough meat to satisfy him and enough colorful veggies to keep me happy! Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Not only it’s packed with flavor but it is superinviting and colorful! I love when my food looks as good as it tastes, so I am really looking forward to trying your beef tenderloin because it looks amazing!
I made this dish the other night and it was wo delicious! You were right about how fast it is to cook the meat! My hubby loved it and it’s a keeper.
Wow! It looks insanely delicious! I love your recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
You’ll love it! Thanks Marcela 🙂
Wow Ana, my mouth was watering just looking at the pictures and it’s very easy to make! Thanks!
Your family will love it and you’re right, so easy to make!
Holy Cow Ana I just want to chow down on this right now! Looks so delicious, healthy, and completely satisfying! Gorgeous photos too!
I bet the Bat Mitzyah photos turned out great, hope you had fun!
Hi Krista how are you? I’m so lucky to have photographed the Bat Mitzvah….such great people! Thanks so much for your comment and for stopping by!
Wow this mexican beef looks delicious and so beautifully captured too! Pinned!