Chef Tom demonstrates the reverse sear method with the Yoder Smokers Flat-top Charcoal Grill for delicious and smoky Tri-Tip Tacos.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- The reverse sear method for the tri-tip: Smoking the roast slowly to 110°F on the indirect side, then finishing with a hard sear on the griddle, builds a smoky interior first and saves the crust-building step for last — the opposite order of just throwing the roast straight onto high heat.
- Smoking and steaming the poblanos alongside the tri-tip: Cooking the peppers on the same indirect side as the roast, then bagging them to steam, loosens the skin for easy peeling while adding smoke flavor to the pepper flesh itself.
- Cooking the onions in the tri-tip's own fond: Sautéing the onions directly in the beef tallow and drippings left behind from searing the roast ties their flavor back to the meat, instead of using a clean pan.
- Double-stacking cheesy tortillas before adding the filling: Melting pepper jack between two stacked tortillas first creates a sturdier, gooier base that holds up to the beef and toppings better than a single tortilla would.
Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.8 stars by 4 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
15
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
553
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers Flat-top Charcoal Grill for Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos using the reverse sear method.
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5 -3 lb) Creekstone Farms Prime Tri-Tip Roast
-
1 (16 oz) bottle Sweetwater Spice Tres Chiles Fajita Bath
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
-
Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning
- 2 large poblanos
- 4 jalapeños
-
Beef tallow, as needed for cooking
- 2 large yellow onion, sliced 1/2” pole-to-pole
-
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste
- 30 corn tortillas
- 1 lb pepper jack, grated
- 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 2 large avocados, diced
- 1 cup cilantro, minced
- 15 lime wedges
Directions
- Trim excess fat and any silver skin from the surface of the tri-tip roast. Place in a vacuum sealed bag with Sweetwater Spice Tres Chiles Fajita Bath. Vacuum seal the bag and let marinate for one hour. Remove from brine bath. Remove excess moisture from the surface with paper towels. Season the tri-tip with Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning and Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning.
- Set up the Yoder Smokers Adjustable Flattop Charcoal Grill with a regular grate on one side and a Yoder Griddle on the other half.
- Light a chimney of lump charcoal. When the charcoal is hot, dump under the griddle. Add a couple of chunks of hickory for smoking.
- Place the tri-tip roast and peppers on the indirect side of the grill. Cook until the roast reaches 110ºF, about one hour. Smoke the peppers until the skin is loosened and flesh is softened, about 30 minutes.
- Place the peppers in a zip top bag to steam. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skins and discard the seeds and stems. Dice the flesh of the pepper.
- When the tri-tip reaches 110ºF, transfer to the griddle to sear on both sides. Remove from the griddle when the internal temperature reaches 120ºF.
- Remove the roast from the griddle. Rest 10 minutes. Slice and chop the beef into small pieces. Combine the diced smoked pepper with the chopped tri-tip.
- Cook the onions in beef tallow over the fond from the seared tri-tip. Season with a few Worcestershire sauce and kosher salt, to taste. Cook until softened and browned. Remove from grill.
- Warm the chopped beef and peppers on griddle. Move off to the side of the griddle.
Lay out tortillas on the griddle. Flip then melt pepper jack cheese on tortillas. Stack the cheesy tortillas double, then add the beef and peppers on top. Top with the griddled onions. Remove from the griddle.
- Top with queso fresco, avocado, cilantro and serve with fresh squeezed lime juice.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why smoke the tri-tip low and slow before searing it on the griddle?
Smoking to 110°F first on the indirect side builds smoky flavor through the interior of the roast. Searing afterward on the hot griddle builds the crust last, giving you both smoke and char instead of just one or the other.
Why smoke and steam the poblanos instead of just roasting them?
Smoking them alongside the tri-tip picks up flavor from the same fire, and bagging them afterward to steam loosens the skin so it peels away easily, leaving tender, smoky pepper flesh behind.
Why cook the onions in the tri-tip's leftover fond instead of a clean pan?
Sautéing the onions directly in the beef tallow and drippings left behind from searing the roast ties their flavor back to the meat, building more cohesive flavor than starting fresh in an empty pan.
Why double-stack the tortillas with melted cheese before adding the filling?
Melting pepper jack between two stacked tortillas first creates a sturdier, gooier base that holds up to the beef, onions, and toppings better than a single tortilla would on its own.
What internal temperature should the tri-tip actually reach?
This recipe pulls it at 120°F after searing, a rare-to-medium-rare finish. As a whole-muscle cut of beef, this is safe and standard practice — there's no minimum cook temperature requirement the way there is for ground meat.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — a hot cast iron skillet or griddle on the stovetop can handle the sear, onions, and tortilla assembly; a broiler can char the poblanos in place of the grill, though you'll lose some smoke flavor on the roast itself.
Recipe Highlights
Reverse-seared tri-tip: Smoke builds interior flavor first, then a hard sear finishes the crust.
Smoked-and-steamed poblanos: Loosens the skin for easy peeling while adding smoke flavor.
Fond-cooked onions: Ties their flavor directly back to the seared tri-tip.
Double-stacked cheesy tortillas: Creates a sturdier base than a single tortilla.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 9.57 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 553
- Carbs
- 37 grams
- Protein
- 47 grams
- Fat
- 26 grams
- Sodium
- 729 milligrams
