Pellet Grill Tri Tip

What Is Tri-Tip?

A genuinely lean and tender beef cut with a triangular shape because it’s cut from the bottom sirloin. Sometimes it’s called a triangle or bottom sirloin roast. You can get the whole roast or the roast sliced into triangle-shaped steaks (and so the name tri-tip steaks). Just FYI, it’s also called Santa Maria steak.

Surprisingly, butchers used to grind this amazing cut into hamburger. Then people stopped buying so much ground beef, and meat markets had to figure out an incredible way to use tri-tips. The trick for tender and juicy tri tip is to cook it low and slow without going overboard, or it will get tough.

Using Your Pellet Grill

I love, love, love my pellet grill. Since breaking it in, my charcoal grill has gotten lonely. The beauty is the combination of grilling and smoking for the best of both worlds. While it doesn’t heat up as quickly as a regular grill, it maintains heat longer and provides indirect heat for tender beef. I’ve Immafied Traeger’s instructions, and the results have been absolutely delicious.

Recipe Ingredients

• Tri-Tip Roast – Triangular-shaped beef that stars in this show, and you can get it trimmed or untrimmed. 
• Rub – Garlic and onion powder, paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, rosemary, and S&P create a herby, spicy, and slightly sweet decadence for your tri-tip.
• Marinade – Turn your rub into a marinade with soy sauce and olive oil. Coconut aminos work instead of soy sauce as a soy-free alternative.

How to Pellet Grill Tri Tip

Marinate

1. Make the Marinade – In a bowl, mix onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, rosemary, pepper, soy sauce, and olive oil. (Photos 1-3)
2. Marinate – Place the tri-tip in an aluminum foil pan or resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over it. Seal the bag and massage or rub the marinade into the meat. Tightly seal it with plastic wrap and marinate for around an hour (or up to 24 hours for added flavor) in the fridge. (Photo 4)

Grill

3. Prep – Remove the tri-tip from the marinade and let it come to room temperature before grilling (20-30 minutes).
4. Grill – Set your grill to 225°F (107°C) to slow cook for a tender, juicy, smoky tri-tip. Place the tri-tip directly on the grill’s grates and smoke for 1-2 hours (internal temperature should be about 110-115°F (43-47℃). (Photo 5)
5. Sear – Remove the tri-tip and increase the temperature to medium-high (450°F-500°F/230-260℃). Sear your tri-tip for 2-3 minutes on each side or until it develops good grill marks, and sear on the outside. (Photo 6)
6. Rest – Remove from the grill, cover with foil so it stays warm, and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
7. Serve – Cut against the grain (the direction of the muscle fibers) into thin, pencil-sized slices for deliciously tender meat.

Recipe Variations

• Experiment with different spice mixes or use horseradish or BBQ sauce to add flavor.
• Try the marinade on other meat, such as pork or chicken, for a different experience.
• Would you rather grill it the usual way? Heat your grill to medium-high and sear each side for 5-7 minutes to get a delicious crust. Then move it and finish grilling in indirect heat until it reaches the desired doneness.
• No grill? Heat an oven-proof cast iron skill until almost smoking and sear each side for about three minutes. Then put it all in a 400℉/200℃ oven and bake it for 10-15 minutes, depending on the desired doneness.

Tips and Tricks

• A meat thermometer really does help keep track of the internal temperature to avoid overcooking. 
• Room-temperature beef sears and heats through better than refrigerator-cold beef.
• Don’t skip the rest period, as the juices can reabsorb into the meat for juicier steak.

Make-Ahead Instructions

While steak is usually best straight off the grill, you can start marinating your tri-tip the day before. However, this is an excellent opportunity if you’re making lunches for the next 3-4 days. Just store it in serving-sized packages in the fridge and reheat it for a quick lunch.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Let your tri-tip rest for about 10 minutes so the juices reabsorb into the meat, then slice and serve. You’ll be glad you waited.

Leftover grilled tri-tip wrapped in plastic or airtight container lasts up to 3 days in the fridge. Alternatively, it freezes well for 2 months.

When ready to enjoy it, you can zap it in the microwave until hot or reheat it in a cast-iron skillet.

FAQs

What to Serve With Grilled Tri-Tip

Like any self-respecting steak, it goes great with salad, baked potatoes, and homemade bread. But you also can grill some onions and bread and make a delicious sandwich.

More Mouthwatering Grilling Recipes to Try

• Grilled Ribeye
• Boneless Chicken Thighs
• Grilled Onions
• Smoked Turkey Wings

Conclusion

Grilling tri-tip is a fantastic way to spoil your taste buds with delicious flavors. Have you tried this recipe and fallen in love? Then Pin it!😍