Reverse Seared Smoked Tri-Tip - Super Easy to Make (2024)

Reverse Seared Smoked Tri-Tip

Let’s break that down. First, we smoke the Tri-Tip and then we sear it. That’s why it is called a REVERSE SEAR because we sear it at the end of the cooking process. This is by far my favorite way to cook a tri-tip. This cooking method gives the beef that smokey flavor from the pellet grill AND that seared crust that we all love.

Ingredients

• A1 Sauce
• Kinder’s “The Blend” (Salt, Pepper and Garlic seasoning).

How To Season a Tri-Tip

I stick with simple ingredients for this tri-tip recipe. First I coat the tri-tip roast in A1 Sauce. This is used as both a marinade and a binder for the Salt, Pepper and Garlic seasoning. I will put the tri-tip into a ziplock bag with the A1 sauce for about an hour to let it marinade. Next, I dump on the Salt, Pepper, and Garlic seasoning. Don’t be shy… be sure to rub or pat the seasoning onto the meat so it sticks. I told you this tri-tip was simple.

How To Smoke the Tri-Tip

I fired up my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro pellet grill with some Bear Mountain Savory Wood Pellets. I set the temperature to 180 with a smoke level of 8. I am using the temperate probe on my Camp Chef pellet grill to track the internal temperature. I want the internal temp to hit 115 at the meats thickest part. This should take just over an hour for the tri-tip to get to 115 degrees.

Let It Rest For the First Time

Once the internal temperature of your tri-tip hits 115 degrees on your pellet grill or smoker, pull it and let it rest for about 30 minutes. I let it rest so the internal temperature can drop back down before I crank up the heat and sear the outside of that smoked tri-tip.

Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

Now it’s time to put that beautiful crust on the outside of the tri-tip. I am going to do this by turning my gas grill on high heat and letting it get as hot as possible. For my gas grill that temperature is upwards of 500 degrees. Sear both sides of the tri-tip for 2-3 minutes per side and pull them when your temperature hits its target. My target temp is 130. This is cooked, but still pink and juicy in the middle. I used my Thermoworks Termapen ONE instant-read thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the tri-tip.

Let it Rest Again

I typically let my tri-tip rest for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting. This will allow it to cool down a bit and absorb some of the juices back into the meat.

Cutting a Tri-Tip

I always cut my tri-tip against the grain. This makes the meat easier to eat. I start by cutting the meat in half long ways and then I cut thin slices off the end. Here is a photo showing how I cut against the grain on my tri-tips.

Tri-Tip Sandwiches

You guessed it! My favorite way to eat Tri-Tip is to cut it thin and have it on a sandwich. I like my tri-tip sandwich on a toasted ciabatta bun with some of my favorite BBQ sauce.

Tri-Tip with Chimichurri Sauce

If I want to step it up a bit from the tri-tip sandwich, I like to slice my Tri-Tip sliced thin and then drizzle it with some of my homemade chimichurri sauce. This is a great way to elevate your Tri-Tip beef roast!