Smoked tri tip may be the most underrated bite in all of BBQ! A cut of steak popularized on the West Coast, we're smoking it low and slow on the Traeger—super simple, super satisfying smoked steak.
How To Make Smoked Tri Tip
Making smoked tri tip truly doesn't get any easier:
First, we're seasoning our tri tip with our homemade coffee rub.
(Optional: if you have the time, you can also dry-brine your Tri-Tip).
Then, we're tossing it on the Traeger until it hits 120F internal, and searing it off on the gas grill to get a nice crust, and let it finish cooking.
Serve with a Ceasar salad or your favorite BBQ side dish!
The Ingredients
- Tri-Tip Steak (1.5-2 pounds). We got our tri-tip at a local butcher, as they can be hard to find in our area.
- Olive oil (1 tbsp). To act as a binder for our rub.
- Rub (1/4 cup). We used our homemade coffee rub. You can also try our homemade steak seasoning.
The Directions
1. Preheat your smoker to 225F degrees. We used apple pellets for this smoker recipe and our smoke tube for extra smoky flavor, but use whichever flavor you like best.
2. Apply the olive oil to all side of the tri tip.
3. Apply your rub to all sides of the tri-tip. Allow the rub to adhere to the meat for 10 minutes on the counter.
4. Place the tri tip directly on your smoker. Insert a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature, then close the grill.
5. Cook your tri tip to 120F internal (for an eventual medium rare), remove it from your smoker, then heat up your gas grill to its highest setting.
6. With your gas grill or GrillGrates heated up, sear the tri tip on both sides, about two minutes each. This will help to give it a nice crust.
7. Allow the tri tip to rest for about 10 minutes, then slice it against the grain, serve with our homemade Peter Luger steak sauce, and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. You can store this smoked tri tip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Steak will start to go bad after that.
- To Reheat. You can reheat this smoked tri tip in a 325F degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Just make sure to cover the pork in foil to prevent it from drying out.
Sides Dishes & Serving Suggestions For Smoked Tri-tip
A flavorful side dish that adds a hearty and savory element to the meal.
A classic comfort food that pairs nicely with the steak.
A summer classic that goes perfectly with steak.
Vibrant, fresh, and pairs perfectly with steak.
Recommended Tools
- Traeger Grill. I love my Traeger 780 for all things smoking!
- Pellets. I've really been digging the pellets from BBQ'ers Delight.
- Meat Thermometer. I use this MEATER to keep an eye on the internal temp during the cook, and then just to be sure, I also check it with this Thermapen One at the end of the cook just to be extra sure.
Things To Know
The tri tip is a triangular cut of meat from the bottom of the sirloin, and has been popularized in California. It's a boneless cut that's tender, juicy, and has lots of marbling, making it perfect for smoking.
It takes about 90 minutes to smoke a tri-tip on a smoker set to 225F degrees.
More Steak Recipes To Try
Best Smoked Tri Tip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 steak tri tip 2 pounds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup BBQ rub
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225F degrees with the pellet flavor of your choice.
- Apply the olive oil to all side of the tri tip.
- Apply the rub to all sides of the tri tip. Allow the rub to adhere to the meat for 10 minutes on the counter.
- Place the tri tip directly on the smoker. Insert a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature, and close the grill.
- Cook your tri tip to 120F internal (for an eventual medium rare), remove it from your smoker, then heat up your gas grill to its highest setting.
- With your gas grill heated up, sear the tri tip on both sides, about two minutes each. This will help to give it a nice crust.
- Allow the tri tip to rest for about 10 minutes, then slice it against the grain and serve.
