How to Reverse Sear Tri-Tip on a Weber Kettle

Low smoke, high heat, and an edge-to-edge pink center that'll make your crew go quiet.

The reverse sear is one of the most reliable ways to cook tri-tip. You smoke it low and slow first, so the whole roast comes up to temp evenly. Then you sear it over screaming hot coals to build the crust. No gray band, no raw center, and real smoke flavor all the way through.

Here's exactly how we did it on a 26-inch Weber Master Touch kettle with two prime tri-tips, each around 2 to 3 lbs.

TL/DR

Smoke tri-tip indirect at 225°F for about an hour until it hits 118°F internal. Let the coals get ripping hot, then sear it directly until it reaches 130°F. Rest it 10 minutes and then the carryover cooking should take it to 135 to 140°F, a perfect medium rare to medium. Make sure to slice against the grain and then serve.

Recipe Card: Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

Ingredients

• 2 large prime tri-tips, about 2 to 3 lbs each

• Your favorite beef rub, or a simple SPG mix: equal parts kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and granulated garlic (1:1:1)

• Charcoal

• Oak or hickory wood chunks

Gear

• Weber kettle grill (we used the 26-inch Master-Touch, but a 22-inch works fine)

• Instant-read or leave-in meat thermometer

• Wire rack and sheet pan

• Dead Grip Tongs for flipping and moving meat around a hot grate

• Dead Drip Tool Mat to keep your tools off the dirt and out of the ashes

Instructions

Step 1: Season the Tri-Tips

Pat the tri-tips dry and trim any loose silver skin. Season all sides generously with your favorite beef rub or a 1:1:1 SPG mix by volume. Each roast will take about ¼ cup of rub. Let them sit while you get the fire going.

Step 2: Set Up the Kettle for Two-Zone Cooking

Bank your charcoal on one side of the kettle and drop a few oak or hickory chunks on top. Leave the other side empty. That's your indirect zone. Set the lid so the top vent sits directly over the meat, opposite the coals. That pulls smoke from the fire, across the tri-tips, and out the top. Dial the vents to hold 225°F.

Step 3: Wait for Clean Smoke

Don't put the meat on yet. Thick white smoke tastes bitter and sooty. Wait until the smoke coming out of the top vent turns thin and blue. Blue smoke is clean smoke.

Step 4: Smoke at 225°F

Lay the tri-tips on the indirect side, close the lid, and let them ride for about an hour.  Throughout the hour make rotate and flip the meat making sure to keep the thick part of the roast closer to the coals so the thinner tails don't cook faster than the thicker part of the tri tip.

Step 5: Pull at 118°F

Start checking the thickest part around the 45 minute mark. At 118°F, move them to a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the grill. They'll climb a few degrees while they sit.

Step 6: Get the Coals Ripping Hot

Open the vents all the way and let the charcoal get as hot as it'll go. Add more if you need it. You should only be able to hold your hand over the grate for a second or two.

Step 7: Sear Hard

Put the tri-tips directly over the coals. Flip often until you've got a deep, dark crust on every side. Pull at 130°F. This goes fast, so stay at the grill.

Step 8: Rest

Back to the wire rack for about 10 minutes. Carryover cooking should takes them to 135 to 140°F, and the juices settle back into the meat. Always give it one more temp to make sure its what you want.

Step 9: Slice Against the Grain

Tri-tip's grain changes direction near the middle. Cut the roast in half where the grain shifts, then slice each half thin, against the grain.

Pro Tips

• Cook to temp, not time. Every tri-tip is a different size. Your thermometer is the boss.

• Vent over the meat. If the top vent sits over the coals, the smoke takes a shortcut and your meat barely sees it.

• Be patient with the smoke. Five extra minutes waiting for blue smoke is the difference between clean and bitter.

• No grill? Do the low and slow part in a 225°F oven and sear in a ripping hot cast iron pan.

How to Serve It

Slice it thin on a board for the crew, pile it on toasted rolls for sandwiches, or top it with chimichurri. Two tri-tips feed a lot of people, so make extra and have plans to share it.

FAQ

What temp do you pull tri-tip for a reverse sear?

Pull it off the smoke at 118°F, then sear until it hits 130°F. Carryover during the rest finishes it at 135 to 140°F for medium-rare to medium.

How long does it take to reverse sear tri-tip?

For a 2 to 3 lb tri-tip, about an hour of smoking at 225°F, a few minutes of searing, and 10 minutes of rest.

Can you reverse sear tri-tip on a Weber kettle?

Yes. Coals on one side, top vent over the meat, and the kettle works as both a smoker and a searing station.

Grill Hard

Get the fire set, wait on that blue smoke, trust your thermometer, and slice it like you mean it. Cook it this weekend? Post it in the Dead Meat Society Facebook group or tag us.

Flame. Family. Community. Feed Everyone.