Tri Tip Steak Tacos Recipe

The Best Steak for Making Steak Tacos

Tri Tip is an affordable cut for steak tacos. We slow cook it, then reverse sear before slicing and serving on cheesy grilled corn tortillas.

Grilling Steak for Tacos

Grilling steak for tacos is probably one of our favorite ways to eat tacos. Not only are the tacos delicious, but they are a lot of fun to make, especially on a warm summer evening with an ice-cold margarita.

We coat the tri-tip in our homemade taco seasoning, then smoke it for about 45 minutes over indirect heat with cherry wood. Then we stoke up the grill to reverse sear. As the meat sears, the chili powder in the dry rub becomes sweet and infused with the smoke of the cherry wood.

The steak rests for about 10-20 minutes, wrapped in foil before it is sliced and placed on a grilled corn tortilla with melted cheese, guacamole, charred poblano peppers, some pico de gallo, cojita cheese, and cilantro. There’s an explosion of flavor and texture in every bite.

What is the Best Cut of Beef for Steak Tacos?

You can use any cut of steak you like for grilling to make tacos. Many recipes call for flank steak, but unless you marinate it and prepare it correctly, the meat can be dry and tough.

For this recipe, we use tri-tip, an inexpensive cut of beef with fine-line marbling, which adds great flavor. There’s not a lot of connective tissue, so it cooks quickly and easily.

Other cuts of beef that work well for steak tacos include flank steak, skirt steak, or sirloin steak. If choosing flank or skirt steak, remember they need an acidic marinade with lime juice to help tenderize them so they will not be tough.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Steak Tacos

When it comes to steak tacos, the ingredient list is short, just meat, seasoning, and tortillas. The ingredient list gets longer with additional toppings. A detailed list of ingredients is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

For The Tacos

• MEAT: We use a Tri Tip between 1 ½ – 2 pounds for this recipe.
• TACO SEASONING: We make our seasoning with chili, onion and garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can find our recipe HERE.
• TORTILLAS: You’ll need either corn or flour tortillas. We recommend corn because they are delicious when grilled over an open fire.

  

Suggested Toppings

All toppings listed are suggestions, and all are optional. Use your favorite toppings!

• Shredded Cheese – for melting on the tortilla
• Cotija Cheese – for savory, salty flavor. Perfect for topping!
• Avocado
• Guacamole – use a topping or serve as a side.
• Sour Cream
• Pico de Gallo
• Chopped Cilantro
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Charred and diced Poblano Peppers – Learn how to prepare them HERE.
• Sauces: chimichurri, enchilada sauce, or hot sauce.

How to Make Steak Tacos

Tri-tip doesn’t take endless hours of smoking and grilling. You can cook this cut of meat in under an hour. The steak takes on flavor from the cherry smoke, while ancho chilies within the rub sweeten and crisp up on the bark. We have not grilled meat using this seasoning before, and it sure won’t be the last time. It tastes great!

Prep the Tri Tip for Smoking

1. Rinse: Start with a tri-tip within a 2-pound range. Rinse it under cold running water and blot it dry with paper towels.
2. Trimming: If untrimmed, use a sharp knife to trim off excess silver skin and deep fat pockets. Trim the fat cap to ¼-inch thick. If it’s any thicker, it will not render and may cause flare-ups.
3. Score: Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts approximately 1 to 2 inches apart across the fat cap of the roast. Allow the blade to penetrate the fat without slicing it into the meat below. Next, turn the meat 90 degrees and make a crosshatch score across the fat in the opposite direction.
4. Rub: Rub the spice rub onto all sides of the beef. Let it cure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight if you have time. Smoking the roast right away is okay, but sitting in the fridge for several hours allows the rub to penetrate the meat.

Prep the Grill

1. Soak Chips: Soak a few handfuls of wood chips for about 30 minutes in water before placing them on the hot coals.
2. Fire Up the Grill: Set up the grill for 3-Zone Fire and preheat the grill to 225 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half charcoal chimney full.) When the coals are hot and covered in white ash, pour half into each charcoal basket (or small pile) on both sides of the grill.

Smoke the Tri-Tip

1. When the coals are ready, oil the grill grates using a paper towel dipped in oil. Place the prepared tri-tip onto the center of the hot grate. Insert the temperature probe (if using). Toss a handful of soaked wood chips onto the hot coals; cover and allow the beef to smoke.
2. Bring the temperature up to 225 degrees F, using the vents to regulate the temperature.
3. Make sure the grill stays as close to 225 degrees F as possible.
4. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or soaked wood chips to maintain temperature and smoke.

Test for Doneness

1. Smoke the tri-tip until a golden brown “bark” (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the meat is about 125 to 130 degrees F (we shoot for medium-rare temps), about 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness throughout the roast. Remember, the internal temperature of the meat will increase slightly after it has been removed from the grill, so keep that in mind.

Reverse Sear the Smoked Tri Tip Roast

1. When the trip tip roast reaches the desired internal temperature, remove it and stoke up the grill to reverse sear it.
2. Prepare the grill for direct high-heat grilling. Spread out the already hot charcoals and light up fresh hot charcoal.
3. When the charcoal is ready and the grill is hot, place the roast back onto the hot grate. Grill the beef directly for about 3 minutes on each side. Check the meat temperature with an instant-read thermometer often.
4. When the meat is about 135-140 degrees F (medium), immediately remove it from the grill. The carry-over heat will bring the meat to the perfect doneness of 140-145 degrees F. A perfectly cooked tri-tip will have a dark red center and be light pink on the outside.
5. Wrap the meat in foil and allow it to rest for at least 10-20 minutes before carving. The foil captures the natural au jus, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.

Slicing a Tri-Tip

1. Carefully unwrap the foil and transfer the meat to a cutting board to slice. The key to tender bites is to carve the tri-tip against the grain. It’s important to know that the direction can change within this cut of beef. You want to check out the direction of the grain before rubbing and grilling so you understand the grain of your meat. It may help to carve the roast into where the grain changes and slice each piece separately.

Resting & Slicing Steak for Tacos

1. Wrap the meat in foil and allow it to rest for at least 10-20 minutes before carving. The foil captures the natural au jus, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.
2. The key to tender steak bites is to carve the tri-tip against the grain. It’s important to know that the direction can change within this cut of beef. You want to check out the direction of the grain before rubbing and grilling so you understand the grain of your meat. It may help to carve the roast into where the grain changes and slice each piece separately.

Build the Tacos

1. Build the tacos with your toppings of choice and serve immediately.
2. We like to grill the tortillas and melt the cheese on the grill. To do this, place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 1-2 minutes. Flip them over and sprinkle them with cheese. Put the top on the grill and grill for an additional minute or until the cheese melts.

   

 FAQs

How long does it take to smoke the tri-tip?

Time is not as important as internal temperature. Many variables determine how long it will take to cook your tri-tip. Meat size and weight is a variable that greatly affects cook time.

What can I make ahead?

Prepare the taco seasoning dry rub and any toppings you want for the tacos.

What do I serve with Steak Tacos?

Serve the tacos with chips and salsa, Guacamole, Mexican rice, grilled corn black bean salad, or refried beans.

Can I sear a steak in a pan instead of grilling?

Absolutely; if the weather turns bad or you just don’t feel like grilling the steak, rub the steak place it inside a cast iron skillet, and bake in a 300-degree F oven until it reaches the desired doneness (use the temperature chart above). Then place the skillet over high heat on the stove and sear on both sides.

Conclusion:

Celebrate with this steak taco recipe the next time Taco Tuesday rolls around! The combination of slow-smoked tri-tip, char-grilled tortillas, and fresh toppings creates a truly delicious and memorable meal.