Smoked Tri-Tip Roast is flavorful, tender, and juicy and is perfect for the Traeger. Great for backyard BBQs, summer gatherings, and more!
Traeger Smoked Tri-Tip Roast is the perfect way to enjoy beef sirloin. This cut of meat is known for its rich flavor, and when smoked, it takes on a delicious smoky taste that will have your mouth watering.
This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a family-style meal with friends and family. Smoked tri-tip beef roast is easy to prepare and loaded with flavor.
If you don’t have a smoker – try our recipe for making tri-tip on the grill.
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For many years we would make a sirloin roast in the oven. But once we got our Traeger – we were absolutely hooked on the amazing flavor it can have when using the smoker.
I mean- you can’t get a beautiful smoke ring like that when baking it in the oven. Nothing compares to making this beef recipe on the Traeger or pellet-style grill.
**Pair these with our Texas BBQ Sauce!
Here are some commonly asked questions
How to store leftover tri-tip roast
We love to have leftovers for sandwiches, salads and dinner the next night. Place them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Can this recipe be doubled?
You bet! I don’t recommend trying to double this on the small camper Traeger as it really can only hold one of these. But we can fit up to 4 of them on our pro-grill Traeger making doubling, tripling, or quadrupling this recipe so easy.
Watch For The Stall
So – if you are using a thermometer throughout the smoking process, (instead of just poking and checking occasionally) you will notice something called the stall.
When the collagen in meat breaks down, the temperature will stop rising for a period of time. It’s aggravating, but every time-consuming cut of meat will have this. Brisket and pork shoulders are notorious for it.
Just continue to let it cook, be patient, and know that it is all worth it when you get to the end and you can enjoy the juiciest and most delicious cut of meat you’ve ever had!
What to serve with smoked tri-tip
We pair tri-tip with so many things. But since we are typically smoking meat in the summer/warmer months – here are some of our absolute favorite BBQ pairings you’ll want to serve alongside this delicious meat!
Sides
- Fruit Salad
- Cherry Fluff
- Sea Salt Garlic Corn
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad
- Slow Cooker Bourbon Baked Beans
- Grilled Asparagus
Drinks
- Italian Cream Soda
- Peach Bourbon Arnold Palmer
- Limonada
- White Peach Sangria
- Instant Pot Iced Tea
- Red White and Blue Daiquiri
- Chocolate Milkshake
Desserts
- One Bowl Brownies
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Banana Pudding
- Lemon Lush Dessert
- No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream
- Jello Jigglers
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
What is Tri-Tip?
A tri-tip is a cut of beef that comes from the bottom sirloin. This particular cut is known for its rich flavor, and when smoked, it takes on a delicious smoky taste that will have your mouth watering.
Because it is a leaner cut of meat, it is important not to overcook it, as it can become tough. When cooked correctly, however, tri-tip is an incredibly flavorful and juicy piece of meat.
DON’T LIFT THE LID
Your smoker is just like your oven – if you open the lid or open the door repeatedly then you are letting the heat out. Each time you do that you add cold air in and the smoker just has to work that much harder to get back up to temp so it can continue to cook at the proper temp.
This just makes the meat cook that much slower. So just leave the lid closed, rely on your thermometer, and be patient!
What Wood Is Best For Smoked Tri-Tip?
Feel free to use any flavor pellets you like. We prefer hickory, applewood, pecan, or cherry wood.
Don’t miss our Smoked Boneless Leg of Lamb for an easy holiday main dish!
Should I wrap the meat?
We aren’t wrapping for this recipe until we get to the middle part of this recipe. I don’t recommend going without the wrap for the entirety of the cooking process for this roast.
Basically wrapping helps to get through the stall faster. Wrapping is sometimes referred to in BBQ circles as the “Texas crutch,” since it helps you get over the stall hump.
So if you forgot to get things going earlier in the day or just have a bit less time to be patient – wrapping is the way to go.
The meat can take longer to cook without being wrapped, as well as lose moisture over time. The moisture in the meat is trapped when it’s wrapped.
Do I need to spritz?
There’s no need to spritz the meat while it’s smoking, but you may if you want to. Spraying the beef with apple juice or apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to an hour will keep it moist and allow for a little more smoke to stick.
Simply fill a clean spray bottle with apple juice or apple cider vinegar and spray the meat every 45 minutes. You can also use bourbon for added flavor.
You can also just place a small heat-safe bowl filled with your liquid of choice inside the smoker while the meat is cooking.
Ingredients for Smoked Tri-Tip Roast
- Sirloin Tri-Tip Roast – excess fat trimmed
- butter or beef tallow
RUB
- ground coffee
- granulated garlic
- coarse salt
- onion powder
- black pepper
- chili powder
What Traeger model is needed for this recipe?
I would say that most standing Traeger models can handle a whole lot of meat. We have the Pro 34 in blue & we take out the swinging rack from the lid when we make large things like a turkey – but I don’t think that is necessary for this beef roast. We have even made this recipe on our portable Ranger model that we use for camping and it had enough space.
How to Make Smoked Tri-Tip Roast
- Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees with the lid closed. Prepare the meat while the smoker is heating.
- Place a heat-safe bowl of bourbon or apple cider vinegar inside the smoker – off to the side so it is out of the way.
- If your butcher hasn’t already – begin by trimming any excess fat and silver skin from the roast. Place on a tray lined with foil for seasoning.
- Rub the butter or tallow all over the outside of the roast.
- In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients – coffee grounds, granulated garlic, coarse salt, onion powder, black pepper, and chili powder. Stir.
- Liberally add the rub to the roast, patting it down onto the butter.
- Place the roast on the preheated smoker. If you just lift it by the foil and set it along with the foil on the smoker – this is the easiest way. Be sure to leave the foil open for now – do not wrap.
- Close the lid and let it smoke until it reaches 165 degrees internal temperature. You should have a beautiful bark that has formed on the outside. This should take about 3-4 hours.
- Once the roast has reached 165 degrees inside, pull the sides of the foil around the roast to cover it. You may need to add another piece on top to completely cover it. You don’t want any steam or heat escaping at this point. Do this carefully as it will be quite hot. Leave the temperature probe sticking out of the foil.
- Cook until the temperature reaches 205 degrees – approximately another 2 hours.
- Remove from the smother and unwrap the roast. Gently tent it with foil and let it rest for another 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Do you flip tri-tip when smoking it?
It is not necessary to flip tri-tip when smoking it, as the meat will cook evenly all the way around.
Products I love when making Smoked Tri-Tip Roast…
This beef recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never cooked on your smoker before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this dinner recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)
If you love this Smoked Tri-Tip Roast recipe, you’re going to love these other treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
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Smoked Tri-Tip Roast
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs Sirloin Tri-Tip Roast – excess fat trimmed
- 1-2 tbsp butter or beef tallow
RUB
- 1 tbsp ground coffee
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees with the lid closed. Prepare the meat while the smoker is heating.
- Place a heat-safe bowl of bourbon or apple cider vinegar inside the smoker – off to the side so it is out of the way.
- If your butcher hasn’t already – begin by trimming any excess fat and silver skin from the roast. Place on a tray lined with foil for seasoning.
- Rub the butter or tallow all over the outside of the roast.
- In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients – coffee grounds, granulated garlic, coarse salt, onion powder, black pepper, and chili powder. Stir.
- Liberally add the rub to the roast, patting it down onto the butter.
- Place the roast on the preheated smoker. If you just lift it by the foil and set it along with the foil on the smoker – this is the easiest way. Be sure to leave the foil open for now – do not wrap.
- Close the lid and let it smoke until it reaches 165 degrees internal temperature. You should have a beautiful bark that has formed on the outside. This should take about 3-4 hours.
- Once the roast has reached 165 degrees inside, pull the sides of the foil around the roast to cover it. You may need to add another piece on top to completely cover it. You don’t want any steam or heat escaping at this point. Do this carefully as it will be quite hot. Leave the temperature probe sticking out of the foil.
- Cook until the temperature reaches 205 degrees – approximately another 2 hours.
- Remove from the smother and unwrap the roast. Gently tent it with foil and let it rest for another 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
- 1 smoker/Traeger/pellet grill
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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