Lettuce Wrapped Tacos with Beef Tenderloin!

Lettuce Wrapped Tacos

My friend over at Melissa’s Produce sent me their new book “the great pepper cookbook” The Ultimate Guide To Choosing And Cooking With Peppers. I was so excited when I opened the box and saw this book filled with unique yet user friendly recipes, each one screaming out my name to try them. 

If you’re like me, oftentimes while browsing the produce isles I’m not certain which pepper is hot and which one is mild, let alone what type of recipe to use them in.  Now with “the great pepper cookbook” all the guess work is taken out of shopping at the market.

This book is broken down into segments:

  • the scoville scale
  • guide to peppers and chile peppers
  • fresh pepper prep
  • dried pepper prep
  • appetizers, snacks, and drinks
  • breakfast and brunch
  • soups and salads
  • sandwiches
  • main dishes
  • side dishes
  • desserts

I literally had trouble deciding which recipe to make first.  Every recipe I looked at was incredibly healthy, full of flavor and so vibrant.  Not to mention almost every recipe had a photo to match, so I know just how the dish is suppose to look.

The Grilled Salsa Salad is one I’m sure will become a staple in my home, along with these Lettuce Wrapped Tacos.  The Chicken and Cherry Bell Chow Mein, and Margarita Chile-Cheesecake Bars I’ve yet to try. but look mouthwatering.  With BBQ season here I’m sure I’ll be trying the Chipotle-Maple Baked Beans  and Couscous with Chiles & Grilled Vegetables.  The list goes on and on………….

While the recipe for the Lettuce Wrapped Tacos calls for Beef Tri-Tip, I opted for the alternative selection of Beef Tenderloin, making these wraps melt in your mouth.

You can serve these as an entree or appetizer.  Feel free to add in sour cream, greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and black beans to add more texture and flavor.  Follow the recipe as is  and it’s delightfully light, healthy, and packed with flavor.  You’ll want to be certain to include this in your recipe collection.

Here’s a fun video on this book you won’t want to miss.

For everything you want to know about peppers, plus recipes to use them in, order your copy of “the great pepper cookbook” here.

I hope you enjoy these Lettuce Wrapped Tacos……………….

Lettuce Wrapped Tacos with Beef Tenderloin

East meet West in this fusion of Vietnamese-style lettuce wraps and tacos.

Ingredients:

  • ¾  cup packed brown sugar
  • ½  cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • garlic cloves, minced (about ½ cup), divided
  • 4 fresh Serrano chile peppers, stems and seeds removed, finely diced (about 3 tablespoons), divided
  • 1¼ cups lime juice, divided (about 8 limes)
  • 1½ pounds beef tri-tip or beef tenderloin
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 6  green onions, trimmed and sliced
  • Roma tomatoes, diced
  • red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • butter lettuce leaves
  • 2  cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces, optional)

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, half of garlic, half of chile, and 1 cup juice. In a large zip-top plastic bag, combine beef and brown sugar mixture. Seal bag; turn bag several times to mix well and coat beef. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Oil grill rack. Remove beef from zip-top plastic bag; discard marinade. Place beef on grill rack; grill until both sides are marked, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Turn off all but one burner; move beef to cool side of grill rack and partially cover. Grill until desired doneness (125°F for rare, 135°F for medium, or 145°F for well done), about 15 to 25 minutes. Let meat rest 15 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
  3. In a bowl, combine remaining half of garlic, remaining half of chile, remaining ¼ cup juice, cilantro, green onions, tomato, and onion.
  4. Top lettuce leaves evenly with beef and chile mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, if desired. Serve.
Simple Swap: Tri-tip comes from the bottom side of the sirloin and can sometimes be hard to find; you can easily substitute beef tenderloin.

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16 comments

  1. I love fresh, delicious dinners like this Vicki, it looks WONDERFUL!

  2. After over indulging during the holidays, this recipe is quite appealing! Seriously healthy and tasty…love it!

  3. What a nice, healthy dish! And a great way to use tri-tips, something I don’t often cook with. Loads of flavor in this — thanks so much.

  4. The beef tenderloin looks so succulent and beautiful. Love these wraps.
    Gosh..that poor guy in the video..

  5. The wraps look fantastic and so the beef you prepared…perfection! Yeah…what’s up with the guy in the video..? 🙂 ela

    • Isn’t he a riot. He’s fine but that’s what happens when you don’t know what peppers you’re eating. The book is great. I hope you’ll check it out.

      Yes the dish was fantastic. My family gobbled it up.

  6. What a great dish – so healthy and FULL of flavor – love it!
    Mary x

  7. I love lettuce wraps, healthier without compromising flavour! Delicious tacos 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    • They are and so easy to prepare. I used tenderloin which was outstanding but you could definitely use a less expensive cut of meat and still get a superior dish.

  8. Great posting Vicki! Keep them coming!

  9. Sounds like a cookbook I would love!!! Love these lettuce wraps!! Tri tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef believe it our not. I really need to try these. Beautiful job Vicki!

    • When I got this book believe it or not you were the first person I thought of. I knew you would love this book and recipe. You really need to check the book out, the recipes are so unique and each one looks outstanding.

      I hope you’ll try this recipe. I think you and your hubby will like it.

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