The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

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By Hey Grill Hey

On February 17, 2021 (Updated April 15, 2022)

5 reviews

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This Smoked Tri Tip Chili is the perfect, hearty chili when you have leftover tri tip to use up, or you’re simply looking for a tasty meal on a cool day. Packed full with all the good stuff, this chili will leave you full and satisfied.

The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (2)

Tri Tip Chili

Stop the search for a smoky beef chili! You’ve found it! With a great tomato base as the flavor, and a kick of spice from the blend of chilis and peppers in the seasoning mix, this is the best chili ever. Not only that, but you’ll find the tri tip is tender as well with a robust beef flavor profile.

I like to go big with my chili – which means I pack it full of tons of good ingredients. Not only is it full of tender tri tip, but you’ll also find bell pepper, beans, onion, diced tomatoes, and lots of seasoning as well. Feel free to alter this chili to your liking, and add or substitute ingredients to fit your family’s preferences.

The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (3)

Tri Tip Chili Seasoning

The seasoning in this chili makes for some tasty magic. Here’s what you’ll need to make this chili the perfect combo of savory with a bit of heat. (Full ingredient amounts can be found in the printable recipe card below):

  • Sea salt
  • Smoked paprika
  • Chili powder
  • Black pepper
  • Cumin
  • Mexican oregano
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Crushed red pepper

You can adjust the amount of cayenne and crushed red pepper to make your chili more or less spicy.

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Leftover Tri Tip Chili Recipe

The instructions for this chili call for you to make your tri tip fresh before you add it to the chili, but feel free to use up any leftover tri tip in this recipe as well. Some of my favorite methods for making tri tip are linked at the bottom of this post, but I think you’ll be pleased if you make the tri tip from the recipe card for this particular chili.

The tri tip in this recipe is fall apart tender. And while many will scoff at cooking this tri tip to this texture, trust me when I say it makes all the difference in this chili!

The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (5)

Tips for Making Tri Tip Chili

Ready to dive in to this recipe? Take a quick pause and check out these tips first. They’ll help you make the most out of your meal.

  • Cook that steak! Tri Tip is typically cooked to medium rare, but it has amazing flavor and texture when cooked until it falls apart. The meat in this recipe becomes decadent and so rich!
  • Don’t forget toppings! I love a loaded chili. Top this batch with sour cream, cheese, chopped raw onions, avocados, candied jalapenos, and even crumbled up corn chips for some added texture and flavor.
  • Change up your method. If you have time to smoke the tri tip and veggies earlier in the day, you can add them to a crock pot or dutch oven with the rest of the ingredients and let it all simmer on low heat for hours until you’re ready to serve.

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More Tri Tip Recipes

Tri tip is an amazingly flavorful and juicy steak that is just as delicious smoked as it is grilled. Eat it as-is, or enjoy it on a sandwich, and check out some of these popular tri tip recipes from Hey Grill Hey!

  • Smoked Tri Tip
  • Tri Tip Cooked Like a Brisket
  • Grilled Tri Tip

Tri Tip Chili Recipe

The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (7)

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Smoked Tri Tip Chili

By: Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)

5 from 5 votes

This Smoked Tri Tip Chili is the perfect, hearty chili when you have leftover tri tip to use up, or you’re simply looking for a tasty meal on a cool day. Packed full with all the good stuff, this chili will leave you full and satisfied.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 2-3 pound tri tip roast
  • 1 large sweet onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 14-ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 14-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Chili Seasoning Spice Blend

  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat the smoker. Preheat your grill or smoker to 225 degrees F using your favorite hardwood. I recommend oak for this recipe.

  • Prep the veggies and steak. While your grill preheats, prepare your meat and vegetables for smoking. Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Evenly spread the onions, peppers, and garlic across the foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Set an elevated cooling rack over the vegetables and place the tri tip on the rack.

  • Make the seasoning. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the chili seasoning spice blend. Sprinkle the rub on all sides of the tri tip and sprinkle any remaining rub over the vegetables on the sheet pan.

  • Smoke the meat and vegetables. Set the baking pan on the grate of your smoker, close the lid and smoke the veggies and meat at 225 degrees F for about two hours.

  • Make the chili base. When your tri tip and vegetables are almost done smoking, prepare the base of your chili. Pour the tomatoes, beef broth, and beans into a large pot. Remove the vegetables and meat from the grill. Carefully pour the smoked vegetables into the pot with the tomatoes and beans. Slice the tri tip into small pieces and stir that into the chili pot as well.

  • Finish cooking the chili. Finally, stir in the tomato paste. Cover the pot and simmer over very low heat for 2 more hours. This time simmering is crucial to a chili that is well balanced and tri tip that will melt in your mouth. Stir the pot regularly while simmering to prevent burning. You can also do this step in a crock pot on low heat.

  • Add toppings and serve immediately. Serve your finished chili with sour cream, avocados, candied jalapenos, and a sprinkle of your favorite cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 1806mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1592IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About

FOUNDER/BBQ BOSS LADY

Susie is the BBQ Brain behind the Hey Grill Hey website. Her passion for smoked meats and developing fun, new recipes have landed her on the Food Network, cooking turkeys with Shaq, and on a couple of Guinness World Records. When she’s not grilling, she is hanging out with Todd and their three kids, preferably outdoors!

Read More About Me

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The Best Smoked Tri Tip Chili Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to smoke tri tip at 225? ›

The amount of time it takes to cook a tri tip depends on the size and also the level of doneness you're going for. At 225 degrees Fahrenheit, a 2-pound tri tip takes an hour for rare, to an hour and a half for medium-rare. A 3-pound tri tip requires about 90 minutes for rare, and 2 hours for medium-rare.

Should I wrap a tri tip in foil when smoking? ›

Place tri-tip on smoker unwrapped for 60-90 minutes. Cook until internal temperature reaches 125 – 130 degrees F for rare and remove. Wrap tri-tip in foil and let rest for 15 minutes. When slicing any cut of beef, it's important to slice against or perpendicular to the grains.

Is it better to smoke or grill tri tip? ›

Smoking tri-tip and other lean cuts of beef is great because you allow the meat to cook evenly on the inside. Smoking and then searing tri tip gives you perfectly even meat with a beautiful crust.

How to add smoke flavor to chili? ›

The simplest is to add liquid smoke, which will start building a smoky flavor, and is a nice addition to most chili, but doesn't bring the same thing to the party as real smoke does. Another way you can add a smoky flavor to your chili is to add a BBQ or hot sauce to your mixture that already has a smoky flavor to it.

Do I smoke tri tip fat side up or down? ›

Place the tri-tip in the smoker, fat side up, and cook until an internal temperature of 120-125°F for medium-rare. This will typically take 60 - 90 minutes, depending on the size of the tri-tip and the temperature of your smoker. Preheat a skillet over high heat. Remove the tri-tip from the smoker.

Do you sear a tri tip before or after smoking? ›

Need a refresher on temperatures for beef and steak? Check out my post for Internal Temperatures for Meat. After the steak has been slow smoked, sear it in a cast iron skillet for 2-3 minutes per side. I also like to let my tri tip rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

How to make tri tip fall apart? ›

The key to being able to smoke a tri tip like a brisket (low and slow so you get fall-apart meat goodness) is to begin with a Prime cut tri tip. You need enough fat in your steak because tri tip is leaner than a brisket.

Do you flip a tri tip on a smoker? ›

I've done this enough to know about what it needs to look like in order to get a good result. For this tri-tip, I coated one side and then flipped it over to do the other side.

Does tri tip need to be room temp before smoking? ›

If your roast is frozen, we recommend thawing it in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. Once thawed, remove your roast from the refrigerator at least one hour (but not more than two hours) before cooking to allow the roast to come to room temperature. Season your Tri-Tip roast well.

What is the best wood for smoking tri tip? ›

Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. I like to use a strong wood like oak or hickory. Season the meat. Season the tri tip on all sides with the Beef Seasoning or equal parts salt, pepper, or garlic powder.

Why does my tri-tip come out tough? ›

Incorrectly slicing meat can make a perfectly Traegered steak tough and chewy. Within the tri-tip cut, two different grains intersect: approximately half of the steak contains fibers running vertically and the other half contains long muscle fibers coming in at an angle.

Should I trim a tri-tip before smoking? ›

If your tri-tips come with the fat layer intact, you can leave it as-is, or trim it to 1/4″ thick, or trim most of it off as you see here. If you leave the fat on, the only differences will be the length of cooking time and the amount of trimming you'll have to do before slicing.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

What gives chili the best flavor? ›

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

What temperature to pull tri tip off smoker? ›

For the first smoking step, pull off your tri tip roast at the following temperature:
  1. Rare: 115-120 degrees F.
  2. Medium Rare: 125-130 degrees F.
  3. *Medium: 135-140 degrees F.
  4. Medium Well: 145-150 degrees F.
  5. Well Done: 150-155 degrees F.
Jun 27, 2022

Should I trim a tri tip before smoking? ›

If your tri-tips come with the fat layer intact, you can leave it as-is, or trim it to 1/4″ thick, or trim most of it off as you see here. If you leave the fat on, the only differences will be the length of cooking time and the amount of trimming you'll have to do before slicing.

What is the best temperature for tri tip? ›

Tri tip is a steak-like cut with very little connective tissue, and that means it should be cooked to the same doneness as a steak would be: 130°–135°F (54–57°C) for medium-rare or 135°–145°F (57–63°C) for medium. The temperature to cook the tri tip at is kind of up to you.

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