One of the best parts about making a good tri tip is figuring out what to do with the leftovers. After making my sous vide tri tip, I had some meat left in the refrigerator and decided nachos sounded like an easy way to use it.

These were simple. Nothing complicated, just good leftover tri tip, plenty of cheese, chips, and a few toppings.

I started by cutting the leftover tri tip into smaller pieces that would work well on nachos. Since the tri tip was already cooked and seasoned, there really wasn't much else I needed to do with the meat.

I spread tortilla chips out on a pan and covered them with sharp cheddar cheese. Then I scattered the chopped tri tip over the chips, trying to get some meat and cheese throughout the pan instead of having everything piled in the middle.

The pan went into the oven just long enough to warm the tri tip and get the cheddar melted over the chips.

Once they came out of the oven, I added chopped red onion, sour cream, and guacamole.

That was it.

The nachos tasted great, and the tri tip worked really well on them. You get the warm beef and melted sharp cheddar underneath, then the cold sour cream and guacamole on top with a little bite and crunch from the red onion.

It was also a good reminder that when I make a larger piece of meat like tri tip, the leftovers do not have to feel like eating the same meal again. The night before it was sliced tri tip. The next time around, it became a completely different meal.

Leftover Tri Tip Nachos Recipe

Prep Time: About 10 minutes

Cook Time: Just long enough to melt the cheese and warm the tri tip

Ingredients

Tortilla chips

Leftover tri tip, cut into small pieces

Sharp cheddar cheese

Red onion, chopped

Sour cream

Guacamole

How I Made Them

Spread the tortilla chips in an even layer on a sheet pan.

Add the sharp cheddar cheese over the chips, then distribute the chopped leftover tri tip over the top.

Place the pan in the oven and heat until the cheese is melted and the tri tip is warmed through. Since the tri tip is already cooked, there is no reason to leave it in the oven any longer than necessary.

Remove the nachos from the oven and finish them with chopped red onion, sour cream, and guacamole.

Serve them right away while the cheese and tri tip are still hot.

Notes From the Cook

These nachos were really more about using what I already had than following a complicated recipe. The leftover tri tip made them much better than basic ground beef nachos, and there was almost no additional work involved.

I would definitely make these again whenever I have leftover tri tip.