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My easy Smoked Tri-Tip recipe is so juicy, tender, and flavorful. Learn how to smoke tri tip with just a handful of ingredients by following my simple instructions! It takes just 1 hour in the smoker and a quick sear in a pan to make the most beautiful tri tip steak.
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Best Tri Tip Steak Recipe
So, I am completely obsessed with my smoker. There is nothing like smoking a juicy cut of beef to tender perfection. It adds so much flavor to any beef cut! It only seemed natural to try smoking tri tip next, and let me tell you... I am going to be making this recipe all the time.
Smoked tri tip has so much flavor and is so lusciously tender and juicy. It makes a gorgeous centerpiece and is one of my absolute favorites to serve with crisp roasted potatoes and herbs.
I cannot even tell you how quickly this smoked steak disappeared after I served it! Everyone at the table was torn between savoring each bite and gobbling it down. It is just so irresistibly tasty.
The best part is, smoking tri tip takes just 1 hour, plus some extra time to prep and sear the steak. It's one of the quickest smoked beef recipes you can make, so you can make it on a whim if you want to. And trust me, you will want to!
FAQs
Tri-tip steak is cut from the tri-tip roast, which is a section of the bottom sirloin cut. It is budget-friendly, but flavorful, with a good amount of marbling (lines of fat running through the beef). You may also hear it referred to as triangle steak for its shape, or Santa Maria steak. When cooked correctly, it is tender and juicy. Tri-tip steak is best grilled, smoked, or cooked in a hot skillet. You can also prepare tri-tip in the oven.
Smoke tri-tip at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure the steak reaches your desired degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef, and refer to our Steak Temperature Chart.
Smoke tri-tip for at least 1 hour for medium-rare (135 degrees Fahrenheit), or until it reaches your desired internal temperature.
For best results, a tri-tip should never be smoked from fully frozen. To smoke a frozen tri-tip, allow it to thaw completely first overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature so it will cook evenly throughout.
Tri-tip steak and brisket are both popular cuts of beef for smoking, and are similar to each other. For a beginner to smoking beef, tri-tip is a better choice, as it is easier and takes less time. However, both are tasty and rewarding options. Try my Smoked Brisket Recipe to compare!
Where to Buy Tri-Tip
Tri-tip steak goes by a few names, including Santa Maria steak, triangle tip, and triangle steak. You can purchase tri-tip steak from most grocery stores, or from a local meat shop. It can also be ordered online.
How to Prepare Tri-Tip
To prepare tri-tip for smoking, first:
- Trim off any excess fat from the steak. This includes any chunks of fat and the silver skin on the beef. You can do this by carefully running your knife under the membrane to cut it away and remove it.
- Season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic in that order. Cover the entire steak front and back. Be generous with your seasoning! If you need more to cover the whole steak, use more.
How to Smoke Tri-Tip
- Preheat your smoker to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After seasoning your beef as instructed above, place the meat on the smoker.
- Add garlic cloves, thyme, and butter to a cast iron skillet. Place it inside the smoker with a little bit of room between it and the steak.
- Smoke for 1 hour or until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. For a different degree of doneness, refer to my Steak Temperature Chart and use a meat thermometer.
How to Sear Tri-Tip after Smoking
- After smoking, immediately remove the pan from the smoker and place it on your stovetop. Heat to medium-high.
- Once hot (about 5 minutes), sear the steak for 2 minutes on each side. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
How to Cut Tri-Tip
- Find the grain of the beef - this is the direction the fibers run through it.
- Slice against the grain to a thickness of your liking using a sharp knife.
Recipe Tips
- Leaving the tri-tip to sit after it’s finished cooking gives it a chance to soak up some of the juices that were released in the cooking process.
- I used hickory pellets for this smoker, but you really can’t go wrong with any wood choice.
- This steak will cook/look differently than your average steak. This means, you won’t see that deep, dark red as a meaty center when it’s rare.
- It’s important you go off of temperature and not by appearance when cooking beef, especially this cut. For a medium-rare cook, it will be an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Go up about 5 degrees or so for each level you want it cooked more. For example, medium would be 145 degrees internal temp. Pull your steak off of the smoker 5 degrees below your desired degree of doneness.
- When heating up your cast iron skillet, it shouldn’t take long since it was already in the smoker heating up for quite a while. Be careful when heating it further on the stove, as you don’t want to burn any of the ingredients.
Smoked Beef Recipes
Try more of my best smoked beef recipes:
My Favorite Kitchen Tools
As an Amazon Associate, I receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes: The most amazing Maldon Salt. If you do nothing else, sprinkle a tiny bit of maldon salt on your recipes. I promise, it will change your recipes!
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven: I have had my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for many years. It is an amazing kitchen staple.
- Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet: I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven so much, I purchased this skillet. It is just amazing.
- Victorinox Swiss Army Slicing Knife: Hands down the best knife for slicing beef! This is a true kitchen staple.
- Yaxell Mon 8" Chef's Knife: I highly recommend everyone own a good chef's knife. It will make your chopping so much easier!
- Presto 16-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet: If you cook for a large family like I do, an electric skillet is an absolute must. It enables you to cook in large batches.
- All-Clad Slow Cooker, 7-Quart: I love slow cooker recipes. This is my current slow cooker and it does a great job.
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📋 Recipe
Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe
Equipment
- 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 5 Pound Tri-Tip Steak
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter ½ cup
- 8 Cloves Garlic peeled
- ¼ Cup Fresh Thyme
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 300 degrees. Trim off any excess fat from the steak. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic (in that specific order) and cover the entire steak, front and back. Be generous, if you need more seasoning to totally cover it, use more.5 Pound Tri-Tip Steak, 2 Tablespoons Coarse Salt, 2 Tablespoons Coarse Black Pepper, 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
- Place the meat on your smoker. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, and butter to the cast iron skillet, and place it inside the smoker, leaving a bit of room between it and the steak.1 Stick Unsalted Butter, 8 Cloves Garlic, ¼ Cup Fresh Thyme
- Smoke for about 1 hour or until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees. Immediately remove the pan from the smoker and place it on your stovetop. Heat to medium/high. Once your pan is hot (no more than 5 minutes), sear the steak for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Let the steak cool for about 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Leaving the tri-tip to sit after it’s finished cooking gives it a chance to soak up some of the juices that were released in the cooking process.
- I used hickory pellets for this smoke, but you really can’t go wrong with any wood choice.
- This steak will cook/look differently than your average steak. This means, you won’t see that deep, dark red as a meaty center when it’s rare.
- It’s important you go off of temperature and not look when cooking meat, especially this cut. For a medium/rare cook, it will be an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Go up about 5 degrees or so for each level you want it cooked more. For example, medium would be 145 degrees internal temp.
- When heating up your cast iron skillet, it shouldn’t take long since it was already in the smoker heating up for quite a while. Be careful when heating it further on the stove, as you don’t want to burn any of the ingredients.
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