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 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 4People
Calories 304kcal
Author Bon Appeteach
Ingredients
1.5-3lb.Tri Tip
2tsp.Olive Oil
Santa Maria Dry Rub
1tbsp.Sea Salt
1tsp.Black Pepper
1 tsp.Paprika
1 tsp.Garlic Powder
1tsp.Onion Powder
1/2tsp. Rosemary
1/4tsp.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.
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.