This delicious smoked tri-tip is paired with fresh, homemade pico de gallo, warmed tortillas, refried beans, and rice.
I’m a tri-tip enthusiast, and I have enjoyed it grilled to perfect medium-rare doneness. However, brisket-style is mind-blowing! The meat becomes fall-apart tender, beefy, and absolutely delicious. You can smoke this tri-tip using a Traeger or another pellet smoker, but I opted to use my Big Green Egg XL for the task. Keep in mind that this tri-tip will need to cook at 250 degrees for 4-6 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature between 195 and 200 degrees.
For pico de gallo, freshness is key. The best part is that it’s very easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make it the day before smoking tri-tip, to allow the flavors to bloom.
Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe Ingredients
- 1 tri-tip roast, about 2-2 1/2 pounds (sub with chuck roast)
- Yellow mustard
- BBQ rub for beef (bottled or your favorite recipe)
- Beef broth
- Limes
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 large jalapeno or serrano pepper
- White onion
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
- Salt and black pepper
Equipment:
- Fuel: You will need enough wood pellets or charcoal to make it through 6-hours of cooking.
- Wood: Cherry or pecan wood for extra smoke flavor
- Spray bottle: You’ll need a small food-safe spray bottle for applying the BBQ spritz.
- Pink butcher paper: This is an essential for wrapping the tri-tip.
- Large tongs: Necessary for moving the tri-tip around. You can also use heat-resistant gloves.
- Reliable meat thermometer or temperature probe to keep track of cooking progress.
Making Smoked Tri-Tip
- Raw meat temp: Remove the tri-tip from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while you tend to the grill.
- Prepare your grill your smoker, kamado, or kettle grill for 250-degree, indirect cooking. Add wood chips 5 minutes before the meat goes on.
- Binder: Apply a thin coating of mustard all over the tri-tip roast. Doing so will help keep the seasonings in place. You can substitute the mustard with Worcestershire sauce.
- Season: Apply the BBQ rub evenly to both sides of the roast.
- Phase 1 cooking: Place the tri-tip on the indirect heat side of the grill, close the lid, and cook it for 90 minutes.
- Make the pico: To prepare the pico de gallo, combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Check temperature and spritz: After 90 minutes, check the internal temperature of the tri-tip. then spritz with warmed beef broth. Close the lid and cook until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Wrap it: Tear off a 16″ piece of pink butcher paper and set it down on a clean, flat surface. Using tongs, remove the tri-tip and place it on the paper, then fold it into a packet. Make sure the sides are folded in.
- Place it back in the smoker, close the lid, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 195 to 200 degrees F.
Finishing Touches
- Rest it: Remove the packet from the grill and place it on a cutting board with a clean kitchen towel over top. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes.
- Char the limes: Grill the halved limes, cut side down, over direct heat for 1-2 minutes until they develop a charred appearance.
- Carve and serve: Unfold and carve the tri-tip into 1/4″ thick slices, and serve with pico de gallo and charred limes for spritzing, refried beans, Mexican rice, tortillas, or your favorite side BBQ dishes.
Store the leftover smoked tri-tip separate from the pico de gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the tri-tip in a skillet or microwave. Chop it up and make quesadillas, burritos, or tacos, or use them as a topping for nachos.
More Recipes to Enjoy!
- Pot Roast (with Root Vegetables)
- Easy Mongolian Beef
- Slow Cooker Refried Beans
- Mexican Rice (Arroz Rojo)
Smoked Tri-Tip (with Pico de Gallo)
This brisket-style smoked tri-tip is topped with fresh pico de gallo and can be served alongside your favorite side dishes or with tortillas, beans, and rice.
Equipment
- Cherry or pecan wood for extra smoke flavor
- 1 Spray bottle (food-safe)
- 16" Pink butcher paper (for wrapping)
- 1 Pair of large tongs
Ingredients
- 1 tri-tip roast about 2-2 1/2 pounds (sub with chuck roast)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons BBQ beef rub of choice
- 1/3 cup warmed beef broth
- 2 limes halved (garnish)
- For pico:
- 2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 large jalapeno seeded and diced (use serranos for spicier pico)
- 1/2 of white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Remove the tri-tip from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while you tend to the grill.
- Prepare your grill your smoker, kamado, or kettle grill for 250-degree, indirect cooking. Add wood chips 5 minutes before the meat goes on.
- Slater the entire tri-tip with mustard to form a thin but even coating.
- Next, apply BBQ rub evenly to both sides of the roast.
- Place the tri-tip on the indirect heat side of the grill, close the lid, and cook it for 90 minutes or so.
- To prepare the pico de gallo, combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- After this time, check the internal temperature, then spritz the tri-tip with warmed beef broth. Close the lid and cook until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Tear off a 16″ piece of pink butcher paper and set it down on a clean, flat surface.
- Using tongs, remove the tri-tip and place it on the paper, then fold it into a packet. Make sure the sides are folded in.
- Place it back in the smoker, close the lid, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 195 to 200 degrees F.
- Remove the packet from the grill and place it on a cutting board with a clean kitchen towel over top. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes.
- Grill the hot halved limes over direct heat for a few minutes until they develop a charred appearance.
- Unfold and carve into 1/4" thick slices, and serve with pico de gallo and charred limes for spritzing, Mexican rice, refried beans, tortillas, or your favorite side BBQ dishes.
- Store the leftover smoked tri-tip separate from the pico de gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the tri-tip in a skillet or microwave.
Leave a Reply