Smoked Tri-tip Recipe
With chimichurri
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Ingredients
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Beef
Chimichurri
Smoking & Finishing
Method
Beef
- 1
Trim and dry
Pat the tri-tip dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat or silver skin if present, leaving a thin fat cap for flavor (about 1/8 inch).
- 2
Season
Rub the roast with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Combine 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Rub the dry seasoning evenly over all surfaces of the tri-tip. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate covered for up to 4 hours (bring to room temp before smoking).
Chimichurri
- 3
Prepare herbs and aromatics
Finely chop the parsley, cilantro and oregano leaves. Mince the garlic cloves.
- 4
Combine and emulsify
In a bowl, combine 1 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 teaspoons oregano, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Add 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until combined. Taste and adjust salt, acid or oil as needed. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20–30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Store in fridge if making more than 2 hours ahead; bring to room temperature before serving.
Smoking & Finishing
- 5
Prepare smoker
Preheat your smoker to a steady 225°F (107°C). Add 2 cups of soaked (or dry, per your smoker's recommendations) wood chips or chunks—oak, hickory or fruitwoods like apple/cherry all work. Position a drip pan with 1 cup beef broth or water under where the tri-tip will sit to catch drippings and promote humidity.
- 6
Smoke the tri-tip
Place the seasoned tri-tip on the smoker grate fat-side up and insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 115–120°F (46–49°C) for medium-rare when planning to rest and reverse-sear, or 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare without reverse sear—this typically takes 60–90 minutes depending on size and smoker temperature. Target an internal temp of about 10–15°F below your desired final temperature.
- 7
Optional reverse sear / finish
For a crisped exterior, preheat a grill or a cast-iron skillet to high heat. Remove tri-tip when it hits the target pre-sear temp (115–120°F for reverse sear). If using a skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter to the hot pan and sear the tri-tip 1–2 minutes per side, including edges, until a deep brown crust forms and internal temperature reaches 125–130°F for medium-rare to medium. If finishing on the grill, sear over direct high heat 1–2 minutes per side.
- 8
Rest and slice
Transfer the tri-tip to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 10–15 minutes (rest will raise the internal temp a few degrees). Slice thinly across the grain: note tri-tip has two grain directions — identify them and slice each portion perpendicular to its grain for maximum tenderness.
- 9
Serve
Plate slices and spoon chimichurri over the beef or serve chimichurri on the side. Optionally, drizzle any resting juices over the slices or finish with a small pat of butter.