Slow smoked and reverse seared this Tri-Tip Steak is mouthwatering, and filled with deep savory flavor. With beautiful, dense marbling that melts into each and every bite, each cut is fork tender, moist and juicy.

Easy to prepare with just a small handful of ingredients, Tri-Top Steak makes for a wonderful family dinner. A savory dish full of beefy, delicious flavor makes it a main dish fit for any dinner, gathering or holiday.
Simple to make, this beef recipe does well wether cooked on the grill or made up in the oven. And if you are looking for other delicious grilled BBQ dishes you must give these poor man's Burnt Ends a try! They are a sure winner.
If looking for side dishes these foolproof Mashed Potatoes, cheesy homemade Mac N Cheese, quick and easy Corn on the Cob or deliciously soft Dinner Rolls are perfect companions to Tri-Tip Steak.
🥫 Ingredients
With just a small handful of ingredients, this recipe allows the Tri-Tip to be the real star of the show!
- Tri-Tip Steak
- Traeger Rub or Meat Church Holy Gospel Rub (or your personal favorite beef rub)
- Butter or Avocado Oil, optional
- Garlic and Rosemary, optional
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Meat
Firstly, go ahead and set your Traeger grill or oven to 225° F and allow to pre-heat for 15 mins.
Secondly, season your tri-tip steak on all sides generously. We love using Traeger Rub or Meat Church Holy Gospel Rub, but you can use whatever beef rub you prefer.
When it comes to seasoning it’s really an eyeball kind of thing but if I had to guess I would say approximately 2-3 tablespoons per tri-tip.
Grill
There’s no easy way to gauge how much time your steak needs to cook. When grilling meat, it’s more about reaching your desired internal temperature. At 225° F we can say that the rough cook time will be about an hour and a half.
You will know that your steak is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 125° F. To check if the meat is done you will want to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the tri-tip steak.
Reverse Sear
After reaching an internal temperature of 125° F, transfer the steak to a hot pan, cast iron skillet or griddle and allow the Tri-Tip steak to reverse sear on high for about 3 minutes on each side. After searing the internal temperature should rise to around 135° F.
You can get extra fancy when searing your Tri-Tip by adding garlic and rosemary to melted butter or avocado oil and using that to baste your meat throughout the sear.
Cooking to an internal temperature of 125° F and reverse searing to 135° F will give you a medium cook. If wanting more of a medium well to well done cook, you will need to smoke your steak for a little longer.
Rest and Serve
When done with the sear, cover the tri-tip steak allowing it to rest for 10 minutes so the meat has time to let all those juices settle in. When ready to serve be sure to slice your steak against the grain for the most tender and juicy bite. And enjoy!
💭 Top Tips
No Grill - No Worries
If you don’t have a Traeger grill or smoker grill no worries! You can still cook your Tri-Tip Steak using the oven. Instead of placing the meat on the grill, place it on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet in the oven.
Allow the meat to cook in the oven till your tri-tip steak reaches an internal temperature of 125° F. Afterwards you will just want to follow the instructions for reverse searing your meat in a pan over the stove.
Reverse Searing
Reverse searing your meat allows it to cook low and slow to perfection and be finished off with a good sear, creating a dark, flavorful and crisp crust finish.
A reverse sear is ideal for when cooking cuts of meat thicker than 1.5 inches, such as Tri-Tip Steak. This method, though a little more time consuming, is a fantastic way to achieve a foolproof, even cook each and every time.
Allowing all the natural juices to concentrate in the center of your steak, reverse searing prevents the loss of juices. Which allows the meat to retain moisture giving it a more tender and flavorful finish.
📋 FAQ's
What is reverse searing meat?
Reverse searing allows thicker cuts of meat, such as tri-tip steak, to cook low and slow to perfection and then be finished off with a good sear. Giving meat a dark, flavorful and crisp crust finish.
A reverse sear is ideal for when cooking cuts of meat thicker than 1.5 inches. This method, though a little more time consuming, is a fantastic way to achieve a foolproof, even cook each and every time.
Is reverse searing meat worth the effort?
Reverse Searing, though a little more time consuming, is a fantastic method of cooking meat. In fact, it is a great way to achieve a foolproof, even cook every time you grill a thick cut of meat, such as Tri-Tip steak.
Allowing all the natural juices to concentrate in the center of your steak, reverse searing prevents the loss of juices. Which allows the meat to retain moisture giving it a more tender and flavorful finish.
Can you cook Tri-Tip in the oven?
Don’t have a Traeger or smoker grill? That is okay! Tri-Tip Steak can still easily be achieved by cooking it in the oven.
Instead of on a grill, place the meat on a wire rack placed on top of a cookie sheet in the oven. Once the steak reaches an internal temperature of 125° F follow the instructions. Reverse searing the meat in a pan over the stove to finish it off.
Tri-Tip Steak
Slow cooked and reverse seared this beef is tender and juicy. Melt in your mouth, and full of deep savory flavor it is the perfect entree for any gathering or holiday!
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds tri-tip steak
- 2-3 tablespoons Traeger rub (or favorite beef rub)
- 2 tablespoons butter or avocado oil, optional
- garlic and rosemary, optional
Instructions
- Prepare meat by seasoning all sides evenly with desired rub and seasonings. We prefer to use 2-3 tablespoons of Traeger Rub or Meat Church Holy Gospel Rub.
- When covered with seasoning place meat on the grill at 225° F and cover. Allow meat to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 125° F.
- Place meat in a cast iron dish or skillet with butter or avocado oil, garlic and rosemary for basting.
- Allow to reverse sear over high heat for roughly 3 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 135° F.
- When internal temperature reaches 135° F remove from heat and cover to allow meat to rest for 10 minutes.
- Once rested cut meat against the grain for most tender and juicy results, and enjoy!
Notes
If cooking tri-tip in the oven instead of a grill place seasoned meat on a wire rack over a cookie sheet in the oven.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 860Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 326mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 99g