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Smoked tri tip is one of the easiest and tastiest things you can make on a smoker.
What is a Tri Tip Steak ?
Tri-tip steak is a large, tender, triangular muscle cut from the bottom sirloin of a steer. It is also known as a triangle steak, bottom sirloin steak, or Santa Maria steak. Originally popularized in Santa Maria, California, you can find Tri-tip just about everywhere now.
For this smoked tri tip recipe I use a cut that is about 3 lbs. That's more than enough to feed my family of 3, and provide some leftovers for lunches during the week.
In addition to the
Table of Contents
How to Prepare Tri Tip for the Smoker
There isn't a lot of prep work involved here. Earlier I mentioned that this has been a tough cut for me to master, and part of the problem was that I was over complicating things. Using marinades and elaborate rubs to try and make the meat taste good... News flash:
It doesn't take long to get ready. When you're ready to cook the first thing you need to do is get your smoker up to temp. We will be smoking at 180 degrees. I used oak pellets for this cook, but hickory or mesquite works great too.
Once your smoker is ready to go, rub the surface of the meat with olive oil, and then generously apply the rub (recipe in the notes below).
Place the meat on a grill rack, and then put it in your smoker. If you have a wireless meat thermometer to watch the temp, definitely get that in place too. I use a Thermoworks Smoke and love it.
How to Slice a Reverse Seared Tri Tip
Let the
Take a look at the picture below to see the best way to slice a smoked tri-tip. start on the narrow end of the steak, and slice it thin against the grain. When you get to the "knuckle" of the tri tip the grain switches directions. Be sure to rotate your slices with the knuckle to insure every slice is tender.
Make sure your knife is sharp too - I use Dalstrong knives and love them. They hold an edge well, and they're affordable. Use the code "smokedmeatsun" at checkout to save 10%.
Carrot Top Chimichurri on Smoked Tri Tip
Now you can eat this plain, and I promise it will be absolutely delicious, but if you take a few minutes to make this carrot top chimichurri your taste buds will thank you.
Drizzle that chimichurri over top the sliced smoked
Reverse Sear Tri-Tip
Thanks for following along on this recipe. This is truly one of the tastiest cuts of meat I've made on my pellet smoker, and I hope you will give it a try.
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4.32 from 16 votes
Smoked Tri Tip
Some of the best meals I've made on my smoker have been the simple ones. This smoked tri tiprecipe is certainly no exception
Course Beef
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq tri tip, smoked tri tip, Tri Tip
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 429kcal
Author Nick
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Tri Tip trimmed of excess fat
- 1 Tbsp olive oil / avocado oil
Rub Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ Tbsp Chili Powder
- ½ Tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ Tbsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tbsp Kosher Salt Coarse Ground
- 1 tsp Cayenne Optional
Instructions
Combine Rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
Setup smoker to smoke at 180 degrees using oak wood
Rub surface of tri tipwith the oil, and then generously apply the rub to both sides of the meat.
Place the tri tipin smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 110 degrees (approximately 60-75 minutes)
Remove the tri tipfrom the smoker and adjust the temperature of your smoker to cook at 400 degrees.
Return the tri tipto the smoker and let the meat cook until the internal temperature is 130 degrees
Let the tri tiprest for 15 minutes before slicing thin and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 692mg | Fiber: 1g