A favorite in my household is tri-tip. If I have leftovers, then smoked tri tip chili is on the menu! This chili recipe hits different in the cooler months, but I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve made this in the summertime, too.
One of the challenges I have with great barbecue is what to do with the leftovers. I know, if you have great barbecue then there will be no leftovers, but I have a small family and I tend to make things in bulk so it does tend to happen. But this smoked chili recipe is a good excuse to cook extra!
Video Tutorial
Leftover tri-tip? Is that even a thing?
Sometimes, yes. It happens in my home on occasion. Regarding leftovers, I wanted to mix it up a bit with a recent batch of leftover, reverse seared tri-tip. So I gathered up some chili ingredients (and one crazy awesome ingredient) and started an epic culinary adventure!
For starters…
First off, I took some ground beef and put into a large pot over medium heat. I like 80/20 beef the best because it has more flavor (and it doesn’t hurt that it’s cheaper). I combined it with a chopped yellow onion and four cloves of minced garlic (I like to buy a jar of minced garlic to make my life easier in the kitchen and on the grill).
Cook the beef, stirring the ingredients around occasionally, until brown. Drain the grease by butting into a strainer. Put ingredients back into the pot.
Next off…
Secondly, I mix in my leftover tri-tip. In the recipe below, I recommend that the tri-tip is reverse seared previously because smoking it and then searing it gives it excellent flavor and crust.
However, it is so good that you may not have any leftover. That’s why I recommend reverse searing two: one for now, one for awesome meals later such as this chili recipe. Places like Costco and Sam’s Club sell them in a two pack and at a better price.
Got Pork Steak?
An ingredient that is getting seriously overlooked here in the tri tip chili recipe is the pork steak. For those unfamiliar, the pork steak is a cut from the pork shoulder (aka-Boston butt, pork butt) and has excellent flavor.
I like the taste that pork provides to chili, so if you can’t find pork steaks near you, then I’d recommend substituting some precooked bacon to toss in there. I mean, how can you go wrong with bacon?
When you mix in the tri-tip and pork steak (or bacon), put in the chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, dried oregano, brown sugar, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
That one crazy ingredient
Remember the one crazy awesome ingredient I mentioned earlier? That would be the Dr Pepper! I love drinking Dr Pepper with my tri-tip, as well as pork steaks. So why not mix it in a chili featuring these meats as ingredients?
A 12 oz. can will suffice, or if you’re like me, you prefer the 12 oz glass bottle version made with cane sugar. Pour this drink in, get the pot up to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour, covered. Make sure to stir about every 10 to 15 minutes.
Simmer down now!
After an hour of waiting and occasionally stirring and drooling, remove the lid and add the kidney beans. Make sure to rinse and drain the kidney beans before pouring into the pot. Keep on simmer for 20 minutes, this time uncovered.
Rest, then dive right in!
Now that it is done, I like to let the tri tip chili sit uncovered for 20-30 minutes to thicken a little. While this chili will taste great today, it tastes even better the next day! I think because it thickens even more chilled in the fridge overnight. So try not to eat it all right now because the next day will be even better! Trust me on this.
Looking for Other Chili Recipes?
While this one of my best chili recipes, I also have a brisket chili that is more savory. Looking for a white chili? This white chicken chili recipe is hearty and healthier!
Tasty Tri-tip Chili
Have some BBQ leftovers? This recipe is a great way to put some of that to good use! Good in the fall, winter, or whenever you're craving chili!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup tri-tip, sliced into small cubes (previously reverse seared)
- 1 Cup pork steak, sliced into small cubes (previously reverse seared)
- 1 lb. of 80/20 ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 12 oz Dr Pepper
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Drain.
- Stir in tri-tip, pork steak, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, brown sugar, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Dr Pepper. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, stirring on occasion. Cook like this for an hour.
- Stir in drained kidney beans. Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Stir occasionally.
- Let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving to let thicken
Notes
If you don't have pork steaks, substitute bacon. Because it's bacon!
Tri-tip may not be as easy to find where you live. Since tri-tip is a roast that cooks like a steak, feel free to substitute your favorite cut of steak.
