Smoked Tri Tip

Smoked Tri Tip: This is a delicious game-changing smoked tri-tip steak recipe! Often called the Newport steak, triangle tip, triangle roast with different cuts of meat this wins the prize with the perfect fat content and flavor.

With your favorite side dish, this is hands down the best tri-tip recipe! The good smoke flavor will make you a believer if this is your first time, and the good news is, the amount of time it takes is worth it with just a fraction of the time in meat smoking world!

Why you’ll love this recipe

What a great way to have the perfect cut of beef with a smoky flavor and crusty bark to entertain your family and friends! The level of doneness will be medium rare to medium with this temp. 130 degrees f is the perfect pull-out temp.

I love to smoke beef and with the prices today, this is some of the best cuts of beef for the money. A tender cut of meat with my favorite dry rub will make people rave! Whether you are using a pellet grill, gas grill, or electric smoker the principles are the same. Also, check out the smoked elk recipe on my blog.

Ingredients

Below you will find the list of ingredients you will need with a simple dry rub.

• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Pepper
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• Olive Oil
• Honey

See tri tip recipe card toward the bottom of this post for quantities.

Instructions

Choosing the size of the tri tip is important depending on the quality and how many people you are feeding.

With its triangular shape, it’s easy to spot. Always trim the large fat cap off of the tri tip when your smoking slowly or it will make the meat chewy. Score the meat on one side keeping in mind this will help the dry rub absorb.

Combine all spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly some even call this a dry brine.

Rub olive oil all over the meat.

Then take honey and cover the meat lightly.

Sprinkle the seasoning over the meat and then rub it in.

Place the meat on the pre-heated smoker at 225 degrees F. You can also put a water pan in the smoker to keep moisture in.

Pull the tri tip off when the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F., at the thickest part of the meat.

Wrap in tin foil, butcher paper or plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Next time your family will be knocking the door down for this, so get those side dishes ready! The end result should be absolute bliss!

Check out smoked tri tip video

Substitutions

You can use mustard or light mayo for a binder if you have issues with honey.

Some like to add chili powder, onion powder, and brown sugar this will also achieve some kick with sweetness.

Keep in mind some will use the reverse sear method in a cast iron skillet to give a final finesse. I don’t think this is necessary but worth mentioning. With this cut being the bottom of the sirloin I like the slow cooking process.

Equipment

I am using a Traeger pellet smoker it gives a nice even cook and smoke in a fraction of time. You can use any type of smoker you want the principles will remain the same. A good meat thermometer that I use, is a weber thermometer.

Applewood pellets

Storage

After smoking the meat, you can expect the tri-tip to be good in the fridge for four days. Wrapped and frozen, you can expect 3-4 months.

Pro tip

• It is absolutely critical to make sure the internal temp when pulled is 125-130 degrees and avoid direct high heat.

• It is important you slice the meat against the grain. It runs radially in different directions. Cut the tri tip in two from the corner to the crook. This will make the best smoked tri-tip recipe!

• Pair this smoked tri tip with a big tannic wine for the ultimate pairing for dinner.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 125 °F (51.6 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave smoking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a pellet smoker.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.