Smoked Tri-Tip (Amazingly Delicious!)

I loooove th​​is recipe! Along with moist chocolate bundt cake, and crunchy chicken parmesan, this smoked tri tip is an all-time favorite. 

It’s such a favorite that I buy several tri-tip roasts when they are on sale, trim them up, put on the rub, and freeze them so that they are ready to go. When it’s time to grill, it’s just thaw and go. So easy!

If you are a fan of tri-tip also buy a couple extra for this slow cooker tri tip recipe. It's a tender cut of meat that is amazing over mashed potatoes!

🏅 Why this smoked tri-tip recipe is great

• It has multi-dimensional flavor. While this tri-tip definitely has a smoked flavor, it also has a tremendous amount of flavor from the rub and basting sauce. 
• This isn’t your standard smoked meat recipe. For cuts like brisket or pork shoulder, the temperature must be kept at a steady, low temperature for many hours whereas this recipe takes under an hour to smoke.  
• It’s great for serving a crowd. The ends get well done while the middle is more rare. Everyone gets what they like!

👨🏻‍🍳 What is Tri-Tip?

Tri-tip is from the bottom of the sirloin, and once trimmed is a relatively lean cut. It became immensely popular on the West Coast after the town of Santa Maria, California became famous for serving up Santa Maria steak with beans, rice, pico de gallo, and tortillas. 

We use inspiration from this recipe, and while it can be served the traditional way, we choose to serve it more as a thinly sliced steak dinner. Our favorite sides are twice-baked potato casserole, chopped salad, pan-fried corn, and easy dinner rolls. Maybe end the meal with these cast iron apple pie dessert biscuits or this buttermilk cake. A feast for sure!

A full list and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:

Tri-tip: It is important to choose a tri-tip beef roast for this recipe and not tri-tip steaks (also known as triangle steak or Newport steak).
Steak Seasoning: We like Montreal Steak Seasoning (affiliate), but your favorite seasoning blend that has salt, black pepper, onion, and garlic will do. We use it in this 2-ingredient pot roast seasoning, as well as on this slow cooker pot roast and this slow cooker tri-tip.
Cayenne pepper: Don’t be afraid to add this. It is just enough to add flavor without heat.
Garlic: For best results, use fresh garlic to infuse the oil/vinegar mixture. Garlic powder will not have the same flavor.

🔥How to smoke tri-tip

This recipe is very easy, but does have several steps that can be completed in different orders. As with all recipes, I recommend that you read through it first so you have an idea of each of the steps.

Getting the components ready

• A tri-tip roast that has been trimmed of the large fat cap (if the butcher didn't remove it) and any other large pieces of fat as well as any silver skin that might be attached.
• The rub ingredients mixed together in a bowl. Just mix together the steak seasoning with the other ingredients and viola, a delicious rub that takes just a couple minutes to throw together. Once the rub is on the meat it needs to sit for at least an hour. I love to do mine the day before whenever possible, but that isn’t necessary. 
• The garlicky basting liquid. Basically we are going to infuse oil with garlic and then whisk in red wine vinegar. As we baste the roast, the liquid infuses more flavor as well as helps to tenderize the meat. You can skip this step, but I highly recommend that you do not. It is amazing!

How to set up the grill

About 30 minutes before smoking the meat, soak the wood chips in water. If you are using wood chunks there is no need to soak them beforehand. For a nice smokey flavor use a couple cups worth of chips or 3-4 medium chunks of wood.

Whether you choose to use a charcoal grill or a gas grill, it needs to be set up with a two zone fire. One side of the grill is in between medium and high heat and the other side has no heat at all. In my grill it takes one chimney worth of coals. Your grill might need more or less depending on the size.

When the hot coals are just ashed over, spread them evenly over ⅓-½ of the grill. Then add the wood chips/chunks as listed below.

• Wood chips - place the chips in a smoke box or tinfoil packet and lay them directly on the coals. They should be smoking by the tie the meat is done searing.
• Wood chunks - these can go directly on the coals.

As soon as the grates are hot, sear the roast for approximately 5 minutes per side, closing the grill lid in between. Once all the sides have been seared, move the meat to the side of the grill without any heat, keeping the thicker portion closest to the fire. 

The smoke should be coming off the wood chips or wood chunks by now and the temperature should be around 250 degrees on the indirect side of the grill. Baste with the oil/vinegar mixture and close the lid allowing the smoke to fill the grill. Continue to flip and baste every 7-8 minutes. Be sure to keep that lid closed in between! You want the smoke to fill the grill throughout the cooking time. 

At the 30 minute mark, begin testing the temperature of the meat. The ends are thinner so they will have a higher temperature than the middle. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of the tri-tip.

The target for a perfect medium is when the internal temperature reaches about 145º in the thickest part of the roast. Using a meat thermometer is the only way to know for sure what the internal temperature is. My favorite is this digital thermometer (affiliate) that gives a very quick and accurate reading. For an end result closer to medium rare pull it off between 135-140º.

Allow the roast to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. During this time the temperature will go up about 10 degrees. I like to lightly cover with a piece of foil so that the nice crust stays crispy and the juices have time to incorporate. 

For the most tender tri-tip it’s important to slice thinly against the grain. See the how to cut tri-tip instructions below.

How to slice tri-tip against the grain

Tri-tip is slightly trickier to cut against the grain than other cuts. Unlike flank steak, which goes in only one direction, the grain changes direction part way through. Don’t worry, once you get the knack for finding it, it’s easy peasy. 

First look at the picture below. Generally speaking the grain changes in the “crook” of the roast.

🍽Leftover tri-tip

Try this juicy tri-tip sandwich if you have any leftovers. Or do what I do and smoke an extra one just so that you can enjoy these sandwiches for lunch or a quick dinner later in the week.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd

In my experience this can be made for a small crowd on a regular size grill. I would say 10-12 people if making two tri-tips. If you want to do 3 or more, you will need to make sure the grill will fit them all.

One strategy I use for making the tri-tip stretch to 20 people is to grill up some chicken breasts at the same time. This best ever chicken marinade is my hands-down favorite for pairing with smoked tri-tip. The easiest way to accomplish both is to grill the chicken while the tri-tip is resting.

🙋 Questions and Answers

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

• For extra flavorful meat, allow the rub to sit overnight or freeze ahead. It isn't necessary but does allow the flavor to go deeper into the meat.
• For adequate smoke flavor, make sure that smoke is pouring out of the sides of the grill. If not, be sure to add more chips or chunks right away.
• For tender meat, slice against the grain. See photo in the post if needed.
• Begin the cooking process with really cold, but not frozen meat. Cold meat accepts the smoke flavor better than room temperature beef.

📖 Other great grill recipes

• 4-Ingredient Chicken Marinade - A go-to recipe all summer long!
• Flank Steak with Pineapple Juice - A little sweet, a little savory, and oh so delicious!
• Grilled Chicken Gyros - One of the best things for meal prep!