For football fans looking for hearty make-ahead party food, this Tri-Tip Steak Chili Recipe is the real deal for game day.

You will love how easy it is to make this thick, hearty steak chili with a generous amount of tri-tip steak, three types of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and green chiles to feed a crowd.

tri-tip steak chili in a white bowl topped with cornbread croutons, scallions, and cheddar cheese.

Play fantasy football, but give me real steak chili with meaty tri-tip, spicy chiles, lots of beans, and a homemade chili seasoning perfectly balanced to get my attention but not set my mouth on fire.

Win or lose, spicy or mild, this medium-spiced tri-tip steak chili is a crowd-pleaser any day of the week.

We pack a lot of info in here about selecting the best steak, creating the awesome chili seasoning, and a whole long list of toppings to set a chili bar like a pro—scan this handy table of contents for all the highlights.

What is the best steak for chili?
What exactly is tri-tip?
- What recipes can tri-tip be used for?
Selecting and Prepping Tri-Tip for Chili
Steak Chili Recipe Ingredients (Makes 7 Quarts)
5 Easy Steps to Make Steak Chili
Toppings to Serve with Chili
Recipe Variations
More Ways to Serve Chili as a Main Course
More Football Party Recipes for a Crowd

cubed steak, beans, tomatoes, and onions cooked in a pot

What is the best steak for chili?

Look for beef steak cuts that are well-marbled with little exterior fat and minimal or no connective tissue for superior steak-like texture and flavor.

Tri-Tip Roast or Steaks

(Best choice)
PROS—flavor, marbling, little waste (trimmed), tender steak texture, price (depending on region)
CONS—price and availability varies based on region

Sirloin

(2nd Best choice, but only if well marbled)
PROS—price, flavor, little waste, some are well marbled
CONS—term “sirloin” is used for a wide variety of cuts so the quality and price are very inconsistent; when too lean, sirloin is tough or chewy if cooked beyond med-rare

Stew Meat

PROS—price, flavor (depending on cuts used), little waste
CONS—inconsistent cuts used for stew meat render inconsistent results in texture and flavor

Chuck Roast

PROS—price, beefy flavor
CONS—connective tissue that takes time (hours) to cook to tenderness; more waste (offsets price); stringy texture once tender; more of a roast beef flavor than steak flavor

Round Steak (top/bottom round, London broil, eye of round)

(Also called: top/bottom round, London broil, eye of round)
PROS—price (depending on type), little waste
CONS—lean, tough, or chewy if cooked beyond med-rare (may be tender enough in a pressure cooker)

Ribeye

PROS—flavor, marbling, tender steak texture
CONS—pricier cut without superior benefits (enjoy this cut grilled or pan-seared to med-rare)

The whole point of making steak chili is to feel like your eating steak, not shredded roast, right?!

What exactly is tri-tip?

Also known as Newport steaks and triangle steaks or roasts, tri-tip is an excellent value-cut highly recommend for grilling and ordinarily should only be cooked to medium-rare.

It’s a single, triangular muscle located on each side of the cow just under the bottom sirloin. Using this description may help when requesting one from your butcher.

Depending on regional availability, tri-tip can be an economical cut of steak for a hearty chili. If your local grocery doesn’t offer this cut of beef, Wild Fork offers online shopping and delivery.

This versatile cut of beef makes fantastic steak chili because it stays tender, has great steak flavor, there’s no hassle with connective tissue, and it doesn’t get stringy or fall apart like a chuck roast.

Whether you grill it, smoke it, or simply brown it in a skillet per this recipe, Tri-Tip is always a WIN!

What recipes can tri-tip be used for?

steps to show how to cut up tri-tip roast for chili

changing direction of the cut when the grain of the meat changes — When the grain (line of muscle fibers) of the meat changes, turn and slice to keep the knife going across the “lines” of the muscle.

Selecting and Prepping Tri-Tip for Chili

The prep for this recipe is easier if you can start with tri-tip steak, but tri-tip roast is usually easier to find so we use that as the example. If working with a roast, it is important to cut the roast against the grain into 1/2-inch steaks, then cut into cubes.

Select a roast or steak with a good amount of marbling and very little exterior fat so there is less waste when cutting it up.

Tri-tip roast is sold trimmed or untrimmed. Untrimmed roast, which means a fairly thick layer of exterior fat is left on the muscle on one side, is better for grilling or smoking.

Trimmed roast with the exterior fat removed is better for chili because you’re not paying for the extra fat which is of no benefit and there’s less labor not having to trim it yourself. Closely trimmed roasts make it easy to see the white streaks across the muscle within the grain of the meat (this is marbling).

NOTE: Exterior fat does little to flavor the meat, it is the interior fat, referred to as marbling, in the meat that enhances the flavor.

Trim any excess fat from the outside of the muscle.
Cut roast into 1/2-inch slices across the grain. (Start at the point that allows for the cut to cross the grain of the meat.)
Cut each slice into 1/2-inch strips.
Cut strips into 1/2-inch chunks.

TIP: Slicing the meat against the grain into 1/2-inch cubes shortens the muscle fibers for a more tender bite.

Steak Chili Recipe Ingredients (Makes 7 Quarts)

Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet yellow onions
5 pounds tri-tip steak or roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic
7/8 cup Homemade Chili Seasoning [Second Recipe] (about 4 ounces by weight), or more, to taste
- 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt — or smoked sea salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup red wine
3 cans kidney beans
3 cans pinto beans
2 cans black beans
4 cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 cup fire-roasted diced green chiles
1 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke flavoring
4 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons masa harina flour
Sea salt and ground black pepper

5 Easy Steps to Make Steak Chili

caramelize the onions
brown the steak and garlic with the onions
season the meat with the chili mix then deglaze the pan with wine
transfer meat to soup pot with beans, tomatoes, chiles, beef stock, and liquid smoke; simmer 1 to 2 hours
stir in masa flour paste and simmer 10 minutes

Cornbread croutons, grated cheese, and chopped green onions on a serving tray for chili toppings.

Toppings to Serve with Chili

Keep it simple with a few cornbread croutons, scallions, and cheddar cheese or go all out and set up a chili bar with endless possibilities.

Cornbread or cornbread croutons
Saltine crackers
Chopped red, yellow, or green onions
Chopped green chilies (canned or fresh)
Avocado, or guacamole
Fresh cilantro
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Sliced radishes
Sliced jicama
Lime wedges
Pickled jalapenos
Sour cream
Grated cheese (any favorite)
Fried onions
Corn chips
Macaroni (chili mac)
Fried chickpeas
Air fried corn nuts (hominy)
Chipotle Tabasco

Make easy cornbread croutons: Toss cubed cornbread with a little melted butter to lightly coat the edges and bake in a convection oven at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. Crisp edges and soft centers—so much yum!

Recipe Variations

Make it less spicy by adding more ancho chile powder and less chipotle chile powder
Spice it up with more chipotle chile powder or use chiles like serrano, habanero, or chipotle chiles in adobo
Sub fresh green chiles for canned and cook with onions
Use dried beans instead of canned—one 15 ounce can of beans (drained) is equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans. 1/2 cup of dry beans will yield 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. Only add cooked or canned beans to the chili.
If RO*TEL brand tomatoes are not available, add 3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes and 2 additional tablespoons of chopped roasted green chiles.
Sub nitro stout for the wine
Make it without alcohol—sub more beef stock mixed with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or cocoa powder for the wine

beef and bean chili in a bowl beside a soup pot

More Ways to Serve Chili as a Main Course

Serve steak chili over cooked macaroni for quick and tasty chili-mac
Top a baked potato for an easy entree
Pour it over baked chili cheese dogs
Smother some sweet potato fries

Individual chili seasoning ingredients on a serving tray

More Football Party Recipes for a Crowd

Check out our Chili Story!

Tri-Tip Steak Chili Recipe: Hearty Football Party Food

Table of contents