Juicy Smoked Tri Tip

The smoked tri tip on a wooden cutting board with fresh cilantro surrounding it and the spice mixture sprinkled around it.

Put this ultra juicy smoked tri tip on the dinner menu when you need a meal that's sure to impress! In just 90 minutes with only a handful of simple ingredients and very little hands-on preparation, you can put the most flavorful, tender tri-tip steak on the table after smoking to absolute perfection. Bring your appetite because you and your guests will savor every succulent bite.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 35

Servings people

Calories 240kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

Smoker any type
Wood chips or wood pellets preferably red oak or mesquite
Meat thermometer preferably a leave-in digital thermometer
12-inch cast-iron skillet

Ingredients

1 tri tip
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
½ tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
4 tablespoons salted butter

Instructions

If the tri tip is untrimmed, use a sharp knife to cut off the large fat cap. Flip the tri tip and trim off any excessive pieces of fat and silver skin. Even if your tri tip was trimmed, make sure it doesn't need any additional trimming and remove those spots if necessary.
Rub the olive oil all over the tri tip.
Stir together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika and rub all over the meat so that it's well-coated. If desired, you can wrap the meat in plastic wrap and allow it to dry brine in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. However, this step is optional, and you can move straight to smoking if you'd like.
Place the tri tip directly on the grates of a 225-degree F smoker with a water pan. Insert the leave-in meat thermometer, close the lid and smoke until it reaches 5-10 degrees below your desired final internal temperature (see notes for temperatures).
As the meat nears your desired temperature, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it's blazingly hot. Right before searing the meat, add the butter, which will melt almost instantly. Place the tri tip in the hot skillet. You might need to curl the small end to help it fully fit. Sear until browned, about two to three minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Remove the tri tip from the skillet and place on a cutting board. Allow it to rest for five to 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices against the grain, rotating the meat as needed when the grain direction changes. If desired, spoon remaining melted butter on meat and serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Remove the meat when it's 5-10 degrees below these final temperatures: 125 degrees for rare, 135 degrees for medium rare, 140 degrees for medium, 155 degrees for medium well and 160 degrees for well.
I highly recommend not cooking above medium rare with medium being the absolute highest for the most tender, juicy meat.
Don’t skip trimming. The fat cap on top will not break down during the cooking process. It absolutely needs to be removed. Also, trim the meat right after removing it from the refrigerator. Cold meat is stiffer and much easier to trim.
Don't skip the rest stage either. This allows the juice to redistribute in the meat. Otherwise, you'll be left with a dry piece of tri tip.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition