The Best Slow Smoked Tri Tip Recipe

Smoking tri tip has never been easier! Smoked low and slow, this smoked tri tip is full of flavor and is incredibly tender. And it takes less than 2 hours!

Smoked tri tip is incredibly delicious and very easy to make! Similar to this grilled filet mignon and this grilled New York Strip steak, tri tip is an incredibly flavorful cut of meat that is both juicy and tender! Small and triangular in size, it does an amazing job of taking on the flavors of ingredients it's marinated and cooked with. It's a leaner cut of beef that is well marbled like a flank steak cut which helps contribute to the flavor and juiciness.

Butchers used to either discard the tri tip cut or grind it into ground beef. Since there is only one cut per side of beef, butchers felt it was a waste. It's now an incredibly popular cut of meat that tastes amazing when smoked, grilled, or broiled.

Not only is this a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, people really enjoy the beefy flavor. It's sometimes compared to the flavor of a beef sirloin, which I use when making steak roll ups and when I make this teriyaki beef jerky. But tri tip is way more flavorful, tender, and juicy!

Other than smoking a brisket, tri tip is one of the most satisfying smokes you can do. And it's way easier, more affordable, and takes a fraction of the time to smoke. Prime grade tri tip has the best flavor. However, choice grade also tastes amazing thanks to the marbling throughout the meat. It can be found at just about any butcher shop and in any grocery store. And, it's also readily available for purchase in stores like Costco and Sam's Club.

Jump to:

• ✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• 📋 Variations
• 👩‍🍳 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Steak Doneness Chart
• 🔪 Cutting Meat Against The Grain
• 👩‍🍳 How To Serve
• 🙋 Recipe FAQs
• 💭 Expert Tips
• 🍴More Smoker Recipes
• Smoking Meat Made Easy!
• The Best Slow Smoked Tri Tip Recipe

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🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

• Tri Tip - use a whole tri tip roast instead of slices. It averages from 1.5 to 3 pounds after the fat is trimmed.
• Seasonings - Santa Maria is the most popular flavor for tri tip which contains the base ingredients of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Those are the base ingredients I use, but I add several more seasonings. I also add in a small amount of brown sugar. This adds a hint of sweetness and helps balance out the flavors in the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

📋 Variations

• No binder is needed for this recipe. To help create a delectable crust on the outside of the steak, some choose to use a binder, such as olive oil or yellow mustard like I do on this smoked pork butt, before adding the dry rub. You can do that with this recipe, but the dry seasoning ingredients used do a great job forming a flavorful crust.
• If you're in a hurry, you can skip the marinating process and go straight to smoking. But the more the dry rub sits on the meat in the fridge, the more flavorful the steak will be.

👩‍🍳 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Start by making the tri tip seasoning. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Step 2: Put the steak in a large dish. Spread the seasoning over the entire piece of meat, ensuring you press the rub into the steak.

Step 3: Once the steak is completely covered on all sides, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours.

Step 4: After the steak is done marinating, prepare the smoker and preheat it to 225°F. I smoked this on a pellet smoker, but the recipe works great when made on charcoal, propane gas, or electric smoker. Ensure to prep the smoker as needed based on the type of smoker being used.

Step 5: Put the tri tip directly on the smoker rack, fat side down. Insert a digital thermometer into the side of the meat ensuring the tip is all the way in the center. Smoke low and slow.

Step 6: Remove the smoked meat off the smoker when it is within 5-7 degrees of your final target temperature.

Step 7: Wrap the smoked tri tip roast tightly in aluminum foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to increase during the resting period.

Step 8: After the resting period, put the steak on a cutting board and slice against the grain.

The thinner the slices, the more tender every single bite will be!

Slowly smoked to perfection, this is a steak recipe that is great for a family dinner or any special occasion!

🔪 Cutting Meat Against The Grain

In this Mexican flank steak recipe, I go into detail on why cutting steak against the grain is the key to ensuring tenderness. Tri tip steak consists of long muscle fibers that run in the same direction. Those long fibers are referred to as "the grain of the meat".

When slicing, the goal is to cut the grains into shorter pieces so it's more flavorful and easier to chew. You do that by cutting in the opposite direction of the way the grains run.

To cut against the grain on a smoked tri tip, cut the meat with sharp knife at a 45° angle. Don't cut the meat straight up and down because that will increase the surface area of the slices making it too thick and harder to chew.

When cutting at an angle, it helps break down the muscle fibers making it easier to cut the meat into thinner slices. Cut very thin slices, about ¼ inch. The thinner the meat is cut, the easier it will be to chew.

Smoking a tri tip adds an incredibly rich smoke flavor while leaving the roast moist and tender.

👩‍🍳 How To Serve

While delicious on its own, it's great when added to chili. I've substituted diced smoked tri tip in this Southwest Beef Stew. It adds a layer of smokiness that tastes amazing with the other southwestern ingredients. And just like these French Dip Sandwiches, smoked tri tip is amazing served in a sandwich! Especially when you add garlic aioli! It's also great served on top of this Summer Corn Salad. This stand alone roast pairs well with this Smoked Macaroni and Cheese, as well as these Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon!

🍴More Smoker Recipes

And for even more smoker recipes, check out my latest cookbook where you'll find 65 new smoker recipes that anyone can make!