Traeger Ribeye Steak Tacos

Elevated steak tacos with smoked and reverse seared ribeye steak, peppers, and onions.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings Tacos

Calories 303kcal

Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

For the Steak

1 ½ pound Ribeye Steak about 1 ½" thick
2 Tablespoons Mexican-Style Beef Seasoning

For the Veggies

1 large White Onion cut into thin strips
3 Poblano Peppers cut into thin strips
6 Fresno Chiles or Mini Sweet Peppers cut into thin strips
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Black Pepper

For Searing and Serving

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
10 Corn Tortillas

Instructions

Season the ribeye on all sides with your choice of rub. For best results, dry brine the steak by refrigerating it on a wire rack with the seasoning for 24-48 hours before cooking.

Smoking the Steak and Veggies

When ready to cook, preheat your Traeger to 200ºF with Super Smoke (if your grill has the capability).
Toss the onion and pepper strips with the olive oil, salt, granulated garlic, and black pepper. Transfer to a grill pan or smoker-safe wire rack and place on the Traeger with the steak.
Cook the steak for 60-75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 115ºF for rare or 120ºF for medium-rare before transferring to a sheet pan and tenting with foil. Transfer the peppers and onions to the sheet pan as well.

Searing the Steaks and Serving

To sear, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. (See notes below for instructions to sear on the Traeger.) Once the oil begins to smoke, use tongs to sear the edges of the steak for about 30 seconds each and both sides of the steak for 60-90 seconds each. Once you're happy with the crust on the steak's exterior, set it aside and tent with foil to rest.
Add the smoked peppers and onion to the skillet with the rendered fat and sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften.
Set the veggies aside and warm the tortillas in the skillet or char the edges of the tortillas while warming over a burner (pictured here).
Slice or dice the reverse seared steak and serve on the tortillas alongside the veggies. Garnish with your choice of salsa, diced onion, chopped cilantro, cotija cheese or queso fresco, and lime wedges (see notes below for my recommendations).

Notes

Steak Notes

Note about the second steak pictured here: I smoked and reverse seared an extra ribeye for Vanessa to make Texas style klobasnek and leftover beef fried rice (instead of brisket). The amount of peppers and tortillas is the right amount for one steak. So if you'd like to make a beaucoup of tacos with two ribeyes, double the veggies and tortillas.

I used H-E-B beef fajita seasoning, which is a blend of salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, cayenne, citric acid, and meat tenderizer. Any Mexican-style beef rub should work fine.

I've used both Choice and Prime ribeyes for these tacos, and I'd recommend Choice to save the money for this application. You can use other cuts like strip steak in place of ribeyes, but you'll want to make sure it's a thicker steak (around 1.5" thick) to work well for reverse searing.

Searing on the Traeger

To sear on the Traeger, transfer the steak to a sheet pan and tent with foil once it reaches the 120ºF internal temperature mark. Increase the grill temperature to 500ºF. (Keep and eye on the peppers and onion. Pull them once they're fully softened and are slightly browning around the edges.) Once the grill reaches 500ºF, place the steaks directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Be sure to place the steak in a different spot on the grill when flipping.

Nutrition