At a glance
Season a tri tip with salt, pepper and garlic and cook it indirect on a kamado at 250°F until it reaches 115°F to 120°F, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the heat deflector, open the vents and sear it over the hot coals for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Rest it for 10 minutes and slice it across the grain.
Tri tip is California's favorite barbecue cut, traditionally cooked Santa Maria style over red oak. A kamado handles it beautifully: low, indirect heat with a chunk of oak brings it up evenly, then removing the deflector turns the same grill into a blazing hot searing station. You get an edge to edge pink roast with a peppery, smoky crust.
Why reverse sear on a kamado?
Cooking low first means the tri tip cooks evenly from edge to center with very little gray band. Searing at the end, over open coals with the vents wide open, builds a crust in a minute or two. A kamado heats up quickly when opened, but it cools down slowly, which is why the sear comes last rather than first.
Slicing tri tip
The grain in a tri tip runs in two directions that meet near the bend of the roast. Cut it in two where they change, then slice each piece thinly across its own grain. Our guide on how to cut tri tip shows exactly where to make the cuts, and our guide on how long to rest tri tip covers resting.
Recipe
Kamado Tri Tip
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 4 to 6 servings
- Kamado at 250°F (121°C), indirect
- Pull at 115°F to 120°F (46°C to 49°C)
- Sear at 500°F (260°C) or hotter to finish at 130°F to 135°F (54°C to 57°C)
Ingredients
- 1 tri tip roast, 2 to 3 lb (0.9 to 1.4 kg), trimmed of silverskin
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Equipment
- Kamado grill with heat deflector
- Probe thermometer
- Heat resistant gloves
- A small chunk of red oak or hickory wood
Method
- Mix the salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. Rub the tri tip with oil and season it all over. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Set up the kamado for indirect cooking with the heat deflector, add a chunk of wood and stabilize at 250°F (121°C).
- Put the tri tip on the grate, insert a probe into the thickest part and close the lid.
- Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until it reaches 115°F to 120°F (46°C to 49°C).
- Remove the tri tip and tent it with foil. Wearing gloves, lift out the heat deflector, open the vents fully and let the kamado climb to 500°F (260°C) or more.
- Sear the tri tip over direct heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deeply browned, finishing at 130°F to 135°F (54°C to 57°C).
- Rest for 10 minutes. Slice across the grain, turning the knife where the two grains meet.
Notes
- Tri tip has two grain directions that meet near the middle. Cut the roast in two where they change, then slice each piece across its own grain.
- The USDA recommends 145°F (63°C) with a three minute rest for whole cuts of beef.
Serving ideas
- Santa Maria style with pinquito beans, salsa and garlic bread.
- In sandwiches with horseradish and caramelized onions.
- Leftovers cubed into tri tip burnt ends.
Frequently asked questions
How long does tri tip take on a kamado?
About 45 to 60 minutes at 250°F to reach 115°F to 120°F, plus a few minutes to sear and 10 minutes to rest.
What wood should I use?
Red oak is traditional for Santa Maria tri tip. Hickory or post oak work well too.
Can I cook tri tip hot and fast on a kamado instead?
Yes. Sear it first over direct heat, then finish it indirect at about 350°F. It is quicker but less even.
Sources: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures.