Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Tri-Tip

Beef, Pork, Lamb, Grilled, Meat Entrees, Red Chile, Tacos, Tamales, Tostadas

Spicy Beef Tri-Tip slow-cooked to perfection.

Spicy Beef Tri-Tip slowed cooked in the oven or on the grill. Serve with vegetables or in a tacos. #tritip #beeftritip #chipotle #beef @mjskitchen

Beef tri-tip is an extremely tasty cut of beef and one of our favorites. It’s cheaper than most cuts and also leaner; therefore, one has to be careful cooking it. Tri-tip should be cooked hot and fast, or slow cooked to a melt in your mouth tenderness. Anything in between causes the tri-tip to be tough and chewy. By slow cooking in a marinade, tri-tip is taken past the tough stage to a tear apart tender, delicious bite of meat. This Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Tri-Tip recipe accomplishes that.

The spicy tri-tip marinade consists of a few spices, chile powders and beer. The meat marinates for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. It is slow-cooked for 2 – 3 hours, to a melt in mouth tenderness. This particular recipe provides instructions for slow-cooking on the grill during the warmer months and slow-cooking in the oven during cooler months. The recipe can easily be converted to a slow cooker or instant pot. No matter which method you use, it’s a simple process with results that make your mouth very happy.

When I make spicy beef tri-tip, I use 2 pounds of tri-tip. This provides Bobby and I with two complete meals and sometimes, a light lunch. One of the meals we serve is what you see in the pictures. It’s essentially a southwestern meat and vegetable bowl with spicy beef tri-tip, seared vegetables, black beans and avocado. A second meal is normally tacos with the leftover meat and vegetables and a few simple toppings. Instructions for both meals are found in the recipe below.

I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Beef Tri-Tip, Slow-Cooked

Spicy Beef Tri-Tip slowed cooked in the oven or on the grill. Serve with vegetables or in a tacos. #tritip #beeftritip #chipotle #beef @mjskitchen
Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Tri-Tip
Prep
15 mins
Cook
3 hrs
marinate
4 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
 

Chunks of beef tri-tip slow-cooked with spices and beer until it’s pull apart tender.  Serve with seared vegetables and a side of beans or in a warm tortilla and your favorite taco ingredients.


*See Kitchen Notes for more information, substitutions or applicable links.


Course: Beef, Main Course, Meat Entree, Tacos
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: beef, red chile
Recipe Author: MJ of MJ’s Kitchen
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
  • 2 pounds trimmed beef tri tip, cut into 1 ½ – 2” chunks
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp. chipotle paste*
  • 2 tsp. red chile spice mix*
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. minced onion
  • ½ cup dark beer* (Keep the rest of the beer. You many need more later.)
Seared Vegetables
  • 1 medium onion. sliced then halved
  • 1 medium bell pepper. sliced then halved
Suggested Sides and Taco Toppings
  • Seared vegetables
  • Black beans, pintos or bolitas
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Pickled Peppers*, chopped
  • Lime wedges
  • Avocado slices
Instructions
This dish can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. The instructions explain how to cook both ways.
  1. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients under Beef and Marinade.  Mix together to coat the chunks of meat.

  2. If cooking on the grill, transfer meat to a large piece of parchment and fold close.  Place parchment package on a sheet of aluminum foil and seal shut. Wrap in another sheet of aluminum foil.

    If cooking in the oven, transfer to a refrigerator container with a tight seal.

  3. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning at least once.

  4. Preheat the grill or oven for a temperature of 350F.

  5. For the grill, place the package of marinaded beef in a cast iron skillet and place on the grill.

    For the oven, transfer the beef and marinade to a heavy-duty Dutch oven.   Place a piece of parchment on top of the beef and press around the edges. This will prevent the marinade from evaporating too quickly.  Place the cover on the Dutch oven.

    Preparing to slow cook spicy beef tri-tip in the oven for 2-3 hours. @mjskitchen
  6. “Bake” at 350F for 2.5 hours. Remove from grill or oven and check to see if it’s ready.  Using 2 forks, try to separate a chunk of meat   It should be pull apart tender. If it is not, close and bake for another 30 minutes.

  7. On the grill, the meat usually gets crispy on the edges like carnitas.

    In the oven, the marinate mostly evaporates, but the edges usually don’t get crispy.

  8. Transfer cooked beef to a bowl.  Using 2 forks, tear apart the chunks of beef into small bite size pieces. 

  9. (Optional step) If you want the edges crispier, heat a cast iron skillet with a tablespoon oil.  When hot, transfer the beef to the skillet and stir.  When the edges start to get crispy add a couple tablespoons of beer to skillet. After about 30 seconds remove from heat. The beer adds a little moisture and flavor into the beef.

  10. Seared Vegetables – Prepare while the beef is cooking.
  11. If cooking on the grill, wrap cut vegetables in parchment then in aluminum foil.  After the beef has cooked for 2 hours, place the package of vegetables on the grill and let cook as the meat finishes.

    For the oven bake, heat up a cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of oil.  When hot, add the vegetables and sear until soft and browning on the edges.  (You can use the same skillet to sear the beef if you choose.)

  12. To serve,

    place meat on plate with vegetables, and other sides (e.g., avocado and beans).  Squeeze a wedge of lime juice over the meat.

    OR, for tacos,

    wrap some of the meat in a warm tortilla, top with seared vegetables and choice of toppings. End with a squeeze of lime.

Kitchen Notes

Meat – We prefer beef tri-tip because of its flavor, but you can used other cuts of meat. Cheaper cuts of either beef or pork work well. The slow cook breaks down the connective tissue of the cheaper cuts making them tender.  Even though tri-tip is a leaner cut, with the spicy beer marinade and the slow cook process, the result is melt in your mouth tenderness.

 

Chipotle Paste – I make chipotle paste by blending a can of chipotle adobo.  Just remove the seed pod before blending.  Once blended you can pour into an ice tray and freeze. Each “cube” is about 1 Tbsp. of paste. If you don’t want to do this, then minced 1 large adobo chipotle and add to marinade with 1 tablespoon of the sauce.

 

Red Chile Spice Mix – It’s easy to make a quick batch of this spice mix.  What you don’t use can be added to eggs, beans, sprinkled on top of an avocado, salads, sandwiches, and so many other choices.

 

Dark Beer – A dark Mexican beer, like Negro Modelo, works best.

 

Pickled Peppers, Quick & Easy

 

 

 

Spicy Beef Tri-Tip slowed cooked in the oven or on the grill. Serve with vegetables or in a tacos. #tritip #beeftritip #chipotle #beef @mjskitchen

Learn more about beef tri-tip from this very informative article from The Spruce Eats: Beef Tri-Tip Steak or Roast.

Below are some other meat entrees you might enjoy:

46 Comments

  1. This tri-tip is a wonderful cut of beef, and i really enjoyed your recipe..such a mouthwatering dish till now….i will try it, Thanks for sharing…keep shared your new recipes….!

  2. I love spicy things…hot…yummy.
    have a great day

  3. What a beautiful dish, MJ! I had to look up photos of the the trip-tip. It’s always very interesting to learn about new meat cuts. I should cook your dish as a surprise meal for my husband. He’ll love everything about it, especially the beef he doesn’t eat enough of (I am a fan of pork and chicken…). Now that, since my recent experiment, I keep the can of chipotles en adobo, just in case, I won’t have problems making the chipotle paste!

    • YAY! My European friend keeps chipotle adobo in her pantry. Why am I not surprised? 🙂 If anyone would it would be you. What a nice surprise for your husband. The first time I made this I used the grill method so Bobby cooked, but he didn’t know what it was. All he saw a cast iron skillet with a parchment packet. Oh the joy when we opened the packet and caught the smell. Heavenly. Because we don’t eat much beef either, this dish and the grill flank steak have become our beef treats. 🙂 I hope you do get a chance to make it. I think you both will enjoy it. Thanks so much!

  4. Your recipes are always so delicious sounding and full of flavor. Funny but Tri-Tip is a cut of beef that has never been carried in the markets wherever I’ve lived. No problem though as I know I can substitute another cut of beef.

    • Thank you so much Karen! The markets here don’t normally carry it either, but Costco does. That’s where I get mine. Other cuts of meat definitely would work here. I provide some suggestions in the Kitchen Notes

  5. MJ my mouth is watering, and it’s only 8:00 am! This looks so delicious (red chile and beer)! I do love tri-tip, but haven’t had it in ages… We’ve got to give this a try.

    • Thanks Tamara! Tri-tip is the normal cut that people buy, but Costco always has it, so I always buy it. 🙂 I think you’ll like this since you do like it spicy.

  6. I’ve been buying tri-tips for years, as soon as I noticed them at Costco. Cooking them Santa Maria Style and roasting them in the oven for Sunday roast. I love the cut and the beefy flavor. And thank you so much for a new way to flavor them. Looks delicious MJ.

    • Thanks Lea Ann! Yep, same here – I discovered tri-tip through Costco. 🙂 I buy a pack every time we go. Thanks for the tip on the Santa Maria style roasting. I’ll have to try that. I checked your site for it and found your rosemary roasted tri-tip. That looks good as well. Now I have 2 more recipes to try. 🙂 Thanks!

  7. I always love my beef to be lean! I hate fatty pieces. This looks so tasty and delicious!

  8. Do you know that every time we land on your page, we drool. Must be like a pavlov trained response… LOL Can’t wait to try this recipe. Just pinned!

  9. How wonderful, your beef dish is perfectly cooked to tender perfection. Served with these sides, this look sensational. It is also my favourite cut of beef to slow or pressure cook if short on time. Your tip about blending and freezing the chipotle sauce is brilliant, as you never use a whole tin or jar at once, thank you so much.

    • Thanks so much Merryn! It’s a great cut of beef isn’t it? A few years ago, a reader gave me the tip about the chipotle. I’ve used it ever since because I was always getting the leftover chipotle lost in the refrigerator.

  10. Oh delicious recipe, not a cut I buy often but will give this a try. Besides the flavor, love using beer for slow-cooked meats. Great bowl presentation too!

    • Thanks Evelyne! Oh, I’m a big fan of slow-cooking in beer. I’m not a beer drinker, but I do love the flavor it imparts to meats. Good to find another cook with the same tastes. 🙂

  11. A beautiful bowl! I make similar dishes often, so easy to put together and so versatile.

  12. Wonder if I could IP this? I love the combo of the black beans and avocado with this.

    • I don’t have an IP, but from the little I know I don’t see why an IP couldn’t be used. If it has a slow-cooker mode,then that’s perfect. Thanks for your comment.

  13. MJ, I realized today while reading your Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Tri-Tip post why I love your blog. Your visually satisfying my Mexican and Southwestern food cravings and with this one, I can easily find all the ingredients for the dish. Well, almost all, tri-tip is not a recognized beef cut here but not to worry I have an alternate cut of beef to use. I’m thinking this would be good with pork as well.

    • Thanks so much Ron! I’m so glad you like southwestern flavors. It’s funny because the current culinary battle is what is the difference between TexMex, Mex, NuMex and CaMex. It’s all different, but you know me, NuMex is my favorite. 🙂 the tri-tip can be substituted with just about any cut of meet as well as pork. A pork butt would work well.

  14. Tri tip is a cut I don’t come across to often, but I’m going to hunt some down. This slow cooked beef and your presentation look perfectly irresistible!!

  15. What a fabulous dinner! Such a warm and comforting recipe on this cold and stormy winter day. I’ve been making dinner to take to my daughter while she recovers from surgery, this would be perfect.

    • Thanks Deb! Sorry to hear that your daughter has had to have surgery. Hope she is doing good and yes, a meal like this would be a good healthy pick me up. 🙂 Take Care.

  16. This looks absolutely mouthwatering!! Love the spicy flavors paired with beer.

  17. Oh baby—-Let’s hear it for slow cook in the oven.! I have had tri-tip in the past, but I realize that past was long long ago. Thanx for the reminder! I am hungry for some beef—-

    • Well hello Carol! So good to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you find a tri-tip and give this a go. I think you’ll enjoy it.

  18. This sounds really good. I like the way you served it. Very calorie conscious and heart healthy. I can’t remember the last time we had a tri-tip. I’ll have to start looking for them. I am inspired!

    • Thanks Darlin! The meal is a really good meal! Bobby and I are trying to cut back on the white carbs, so we are eating more meals like this. Glad I could inspire you. 🙂

  19. That looks heavenly! I will have to use the oven to make this ASAP.

    • Thanks Angie! My husband as used the grill for this several times, but during the winter, he doesn’t want to stand out in the cold and I can’t blame him. The oven method works just great and perfect for heating the house up in colder months by running the oven.

  20. Tri-tip is a wonderful cut of beef! TONS of flavor. We usually grill it, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Sometimes with a rub. This looks terrific — love the marinade, and such an easy way to prepare the meat. Gotta try this — thanks!

    • Thanks John! You know, I’ve never grilled it. I think I’m going to have to pick a tri-tip roast and have Bob give that a go. Probably as easy to make as this slow-cooked version, just doesn’t take as long. 🙂

  21. Another one to make; beautiful and inviting !

  22. Oh my goodness, that looks delicious! Give me a warm tortilla with that and I would call it bliss!

  23. MJ, I’ve never tried tri-tip before. Thanks for a great explanation on how to cook it. This spicy slow cooked tri-tips looks so tender and flavorful!

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