• by Teresa Buyikian , July 18, 2023

Image above: the Pho King, winner of last year's recipe contest.

Dallas-based chain Velvet Taco has opened admissions for its second annual WTF (Weekly Taco Feature) Recipe Contest, where guests submit their own recipes for a chance to be included on the chain’s menu.

The winner, judged by Velvet Taco’s Chef and Director of Culinary Innovation Venecia Willis among others, will also receive a private prep session with Willis, $250 Velvet Taco gift card, and a featured spot on the chain’s WTF menu to run during National Taco Day in October.

Last year the contest saw over 800 entries, with the winning recipe created by Mark Jansen and named The Pho King WTF. It featured rotisserie chicken, bok choy, herb salad, pickled onions, pickled fresno peppers, crispy garlic, rice noodles, hoisin, bean sprouts, and lime in a flour tortilla, served with a pho broth on the side.

“We hope to inspire our audience with our culinary vision to constantly transform the simplest of ingredients and offer it as something you can’t get anywhere else,” said Willis.

The WTF Recipe Contest is currently featured on the brand’s website and social media. Guest entries not selected as the winning menu item will also be eligible to win other prizes. Entries will be accepted through July 24.

The brand also recently featured a taco developed through ChatGPT on its menu. According to FoodonDemand.com, Chef Willis entered the chain’s core ingredient list into Chat CPT4, then selected the winning combination of flank steak, blackened shrimp, red chile aioli, chimichurri, crispy potatoes, grilled onion, queso fresco, jalapeno and cilantro on a corn tortilla.

The privately held Velvet Taco chain, with over 40 locations in Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Oklahoma, was founded in 2011. The company says it’s founded on the idea that tacos don’t have to be associated with Tex-Mex cuisine and can be made with the same care and quality ingredients as fine dining dishes.