The Smoked Tri Tip is full of smoky flavor, perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy. Serve it up at your next backyard barbecue and you’re sure to wow your guests with this offering.
Do you love smoked meat? Then you must try these delicious smoked chicken thighs and smoked brisket.

Table of contents
recipe details
Summer is perfect for grilling and smoking delicious meat. I love this Smoked Tri-Tip recipe because it’s plenty for everyone and the meat goes great with other garden party favorites.
- TASTE GOOD: This tri-tip is packed with smoky flavor with a rich, buttery flavor and hints of garlic.
- TEXTURE: Juicy and tender on the inside, this smoked tri tip has a delicious crust on the outside.
- TIME: It takes about 2 hours to make.
- EASE: With simple ingredients and easy preparation, this recipe is a breeze. Most of the work is done by the smoker.
what you will need

Ingredient Notes
- tri tip roast Trim excess fat and silver skin from the meat to brown nicely.
- hickory pellets These pellets give the Tri-Tip a strong smoke flavor.
Add-Ins and Substitutions
- Add more spices. Substitute other spices like smoked paprika, thyme, onion powder, rosemary, or chili powder.
- Use a different smoking pellet. You can change the flavor by using applewood, mesquite, pecan wood, or cherry wood pellets in your smoker.
- make it sharp- Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the spices to make this smoked tri tip spicier.
- Add to rub– Add more flavors with ground coffee, mustard powder or brown sugar.
How to Make Smoked Tri Tip

- Add the rub to the meat. Drizzle the olive oil over the tri-tip and rub the spice mixture over the entire cut of meat.
- Cook. Place the seasoned tri-tip directly onto the smoker’s cooking grates. Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat is 130-135°F (about 1 1/2 hours).
- Sear the Tri Tip. Place butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is sizzling and melted, remove the tri-tip from the smoker and sear in the hot pan for 30 seconds on each side.
- rest Now transfer the cooked Tri Tip to a plate or cutting board and cover with foil. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tip: I recommend checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tri-tip, so keep an eye on it.

recipe tips
- Preheat the smoker. Preheating the smoker achieves the right temperature so the meat is thoroughly cooked and the texture is tender with a nice crust.
- Check the internal temperature for doneness. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your tri-tip has reached the desired doneness, which is 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- let it rest- This resting period allows the meat to soak back into the meat so that when you cut it, it doesn’t leak out and dry out the meat.
- cutting against the grain- When cutting your Tri Tip, be sure to cut against the grain for optimal tenderness.

FAQs
If you weigh 2 pounds. Tri-Tip: Cooking at 225 degrees Fahrenheit takes about 1 1/2 hours to reach medium roast. If the tri-tip weighs 3 pounds, it will take about 2 hours. If you want it infrequently, it takes 30 minutes less.
If you want an even smoking effect on the meat, you can turn it over once an hour while smoking. This creates an even crust. In this recipe, the meat is seared in a cast iron skillet soaked in butter for an even more flavorful crust.

serving suggestions
This Smoked Tri Tip is versatile enough to pair with many classic side dishes. Enjoy it with salads, vegetables, potatoes and dipping sauces.
- sauces: Serve these tri-tip slices with a dipping sauce, like this Homemade BBQ Sauce, Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce, or Yum Yum Sauce.
- salads: Pair this meat with some Baked Salmon Potato Salad, Tri Color Pasta Salad (VIDEO), Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Cabbage Cucumber Salad.
- Vegetables: Enjoy this tri-tip with some bacon-wrapped asparagus, air fryer green beans, air fryer crispy broccoli or air fryer corn on the cob.
- Potatoes: Serve with potato side dishes like these Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Potato Pierogi (Perogies) VIDEO, and Crispy Air Fryer French Fries.
Make this recipe ahead of time
Go onNote: You can pre-smoke this meat and then store it in the fridge. When ready to serve, heat in smoker or oven until heated through.
storage: Store this Smoked Tri Tip covered with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container after cooling. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Once the meat has cooled, you can wrap it in foil and plastic wrap, then place in a freezer ziplock bag. Freeze up to 3 months.
Even more delicious smoked meat!
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Full Recipe Guide

Smoked Tri Tip
This smoked tri-tip is full of smoky flavor, perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy. Impress your guests with it at your next barbecue party in the garden!
Press Pen rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 342kcal
instructions
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Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. And make sure there are enough pellets in it. I used hickory pellets for this recipe.
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In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
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Drizzle the olive oil over the tri-tip and rub the spice mixture over the entire cut of meat.
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Place the seasoned tri-tip directly onto the smoker’s cooking grates.
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Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat is 130°F-135°F (about 1 1/2 hours). I recommend checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tri-tip. So keep a close eye on it.
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Now bring a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is sizzling and melted, sear the Smoked Tri Tip in the hot pan for 30 seconds on each side. This creates an aromatic crust on the outside of the meat.
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Now transfer the cooked Tri Tip to a plate or cutting board and cover with foil. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing. When slicing, make sure to cut against the grain for optimal tenderness.
Remarks
- Preheat the smoker. Preheating the smoker achieves the right temperature so the meat is thoroughly cooked and the texture is tender with a nice crust.
- Check the internal temperature for doneness. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your tri-tip has reached the desired doneness, which is 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- let it rest- This resting period allows the meat to soak back into the meat so that when you cut it, it doesn’t leak out and dry out the meat.
- cutting against the grain- When cutting your Tri Tip, be sure to cut against the grain for optimal tenderness.
Nourishment
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 1G | Protein: 32G | Fat: 23G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 10G | Polyunsaturated fat: 1G | Monounsaturated fatty acids: 10G | trans fats: 0.3G | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 503mg | Fiber: 0.3G | Sugar: 0.03G | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
