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How To Smoke Tri Tip On A Charcoal Grill
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How To Smoke Tri Tip On A Charcoal Grill

Master the perfect reverse seared and smoked tri tip using your charcoal grill. A great way to serve an affordable steak style dinner to friends and family.
Course Grilling
Cuisine American
Keyword how to smoke a tri tip on a charcoal grill, Smoked tri tip, tri tip on the big green egg
Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 304kcal
Author Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

  • 1.5-3 lb. Tri Tip
  • 2 tsp. Olive Oil

Santa Maria Dry Rub

  • 1 tbsp. Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Paprika
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp. Cayenne

Instructions

Prepping the Tri Tip:

  • Remove the tri tip from the packaging and pat it dry to remove moisture off the surface with paper towels.
  • Assess the tri tip and remove any silver skin or hanging fat. Not all tri tips have a fat cap (the butcher may remove it), but leave intact if there is one.
  • Combine all the seasonings together in a bowl to create your traditional Santa Maria style rub.
  • Lightly coat the entire tri tip roast in olive oil then lightly coat with the dry rub.
  • Allow the tri tip to sit with the seasoning for at least 1 hour or for up to 24 hours uncovered in the fridge (dry brining method).

Smoking and Searing:

  • Set the charcoal grill for two zone cooking (indirect and direct heating).
  • Bring the grill to an internal temperature of 225 F.
  • Place the tri tip on the indirect side of the grill and insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the tri tip steak. Let it smoke on indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 110-115 F.
  • Remove it from the charcoal grill temporarily and tent it with foil. Let it rest for a full 15 minutes before searing.
  • While the tri tip is resting, bring the heat of your charcoal grill up to at least 550 F. and have access to the direct side of the grill.
  • Sear the tri tip for 60-90 sec per side over direct heat or until the tri tip hits a final internal temperature of around 120-130 F. I prefer around 125 F. for a solid medium rare (temperature rises a bit more as it rests after searing).
  • Let the tri tip rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Please note that a tri tip has muscle fibers that run two different directions (see photo). Divide your tri tip steak first and slice against the grain and serve with chimichurri.
    A diagram of the lines for where to cut the trip tip with the meat grains.

Notes

Don't have a charcoal grill? You can repeat this process on a pellet smoker or gas grill as well. Use a hot cast iron pan for searing as well if needed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1525mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg