Reverse-seared tri-tip is one of my favorites when it comes to a good meal. After many tries, I have perfected the way I grill one. Here is my recipe.
What Do You Need
- Any type of grill that can be set up for 2-zone grilling
- Seasoned Tri-Tip
- Aluminum foil
- Thermometer
- Pair of tongs
Optional: Food-grade gloves and gloves for handling hot meats.
Tri-Tip Seasoning
Although this depends on your personal taste I prefer just a simple salt, pepper, garlic mix.
Tri-Tip Step By Step
Here is my step-by-step routine on reverse sear tri tips on my charcoal grill. I bought this tri-tip at Crowd Cow and was impressed with the quality.
Seaoning
Start with seasoning the tri-tip with your favorite seasoning. I like to keep it simple and use a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
I let this sit for about 5 minutes and then place the meat in a ziploc bag and pour some Worcestershire sauce in it.
A tri-tip does not take a long time to absorb the seasoning, and I usually let it sit for about 2 hours.
Eddie’s Tip! Have a good look at how the grain of the meat runs. You need to know this later for slicing!
Grill Set Up
For any reverse cook, I set up my grill for two-zone cooking. This means that the fire is on one side and the meat is on the other side of the grill, also known as indirect cooking zones.
Tri Tip Indirect
After my charcoal is ready, I place the tri tip on the cool side of the grill.
After my internal temperature reads about 125°F, I take my tri tip of the grill and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This relaxes the meat, and it stops the cooking process.
Tri Tip Over Hot Coals
In the meantime, I let the coals heat up as high as I can get them.
After that, I place the meat directy over the hot coals
Tri Tip Temperatures
This part of cooking a tri-tip is a little personal and depends if you like your steak medium rare, medium, or even well done.
I prefer mine a little on the medium side. However, if you like to know more, you can read my internal safe meat temperatures article, and decide on your prefered doneness.
Resting
This is part that many people skip, but I know it is a very important part of any reverse sear cook you do.
Resting stops the cooking process and relaxes the fibres in the meat. It also let the juices draw back in the meat.
Eddie’s Tip! My rest time for tri tip is at least 10 – 15 minutes
Reverse Seared Tri-Tip on the Grill (Juicy and Tender)
Equipment
- 1 Grill Suitable for a 2-zone setup
- 1 Thermometer Instant read or leave in.
- 1 A pair of tongs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Pepper
- 2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Season the Tri-Tip and let it rest
- Place in a Ziploc bag with the Worcestershire sauce
- Set up the grill for indirect cooking
- Place the tri-tip on the cool side of the grill
- Cook till 125°F internal
- Take the meat off the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Place the meat back on the grill direct over the hot coals.
- Cook to your preferred internal temperature
- Pull off the grill and let it rest for about 10 minutes
- Slice and serve
Notes
Reverse-seared tri-tip is one of my favorites when it comes to a good meal. After many tries, I have perfected the way I grill one. Here is my recipe.
What Do You Need
- Any type of grill that can be set up for 2-zone grilling
- Seasoned Tri-Tip
- Aluminum foil
- Thermometer
- Pair of tongs
Tri-Tip Seasoning
Although this depends on your personal taste, I prefer just a simple salt, pepper, garlic mix.Tri-Tip Step By Step
Here is my step-by-step routine on reverse sear tri tips on my charcoal grill. I bought this tri-tip at Crowd Cow and was impressed with the quality.Seaoning
Start with seasoning the tri-tip with your favorite seasoning. I like to keep it simple and use a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.Grill Set Up
For any reverse cook I set up my grill for two-zone cooking. This means that the fire is on one side and the meat is on the other side of the grill, also known as indirect cooking zones.Tri Tip Indirect
After my charcoal is ready, I place the tri tip on the cool side of the grill.Tri Tip Over Hot Coals
In the mean time, I let the coals heat up as high as I can get them. After that I place the meat directly over the hot coalsTri Tip Temperatures
This part of cooking a tri-tip is a little personal and depends if you like your steak medium rare, medium or even well done. I prefer mine a little on the medium side. However, if you like to know more, you can read my internal safe meat temperatures article, and decide on your prefered doneness.Resting
This is part that many people skip, but I know it is a very important part of any reverse sear cook you do. Resting stops the cooking process and relax the fibres in the meat. It also let the juices draw back in the meat. Eddie’s Tip! My rest time for tri-tip is at least 10 – 15 minutesSlicing Tri-Tip
Slicing a tri tip can be tricky if you have not paid attention before the seasoning. As you know, meats must be sliced against the grain. Doing this wrong will make the meat tough to chew. Ask me how I know that! A tri tip has 2 grains and most of the time the pointy part has a different direction of the grain than the thicker part. I like to slice my tri tips a little thin. Thicker slices might be a little harder to chew. Eddie van AkenNutrition
Slicing Tri Tip
Slicing a tri tip can be tricky if you have not paid attention before the seasoning. As you know, meats must be sliced against the grain. Doing this wrong will make the meat tough to chew. Ask me how I know that!
Eddie’s Tip! Remember that a tri tip swells up on the grill and that can make it harde to find the grain.
A tri tip has 2 grains, and most of the time the pointy part has a different direction of the grain than the thicker part.
I like to slice my tri tips a little thin. Thicker slices might be a little harder to chew.
Reverse Sear Tri Tip – My Experience
I have ruined a few tri tips before I found the, for me, perfect way of cooking one. The first mistake I made was cooking it direct over the fire. The crust was great, but the inside was still about raw.
After changing over to my two-step cooking method using a cold and a hot side of my grill, my tri tips came out a lot better.
Now I have experience, and know the internal temperatures I like they come out perfect time after time.
This recipe can also be cooked on gas grills, Kamado grills, and every other grill that can be set up for 2-zone indirect cooking.
Use this method as a baseline and develop your own way of cooking a tri tip. Let me know in the comments how yours turned out.
You can find more beef recipes here, and the exact way how I cook them
Eddie van Aken – The Grilling Dutchman
Eddie van Aken is the founder of The Grilling Dutchman, where he shares practical BBQ tips, smoking techniques, recipes, and grill reviews based on real-world experience. After years of cooking on pellet grills, charcoal grills, smokers, and kamado cookers, he focuses on helping backyard cooks get better results with less guesswork. Learn more about Eddie van Aken. Learn more about Eddie van Aken.