If you want to try to grill Tri Tip on your Big Green Egg, this easy recipe will set you up for success. But first, let’s dig into this cut of meat that is still relatively unheard of on the East Coast.
The Legendary Tri Tip!
Tri-Tip used to be hard to find on the east coast, but it is relatively easier to find these days than it used to be. If you want to try Trip Tip for the first time, do what I did and order it from a high-quality meat purveyor like Snake River Farms to make it worth your while. Tri-Tip is also known as the “Triangle Tip” because it is a triangle shape roast taken from the bottom sirloin area.
The first part of a successful cook is getting the highest quality meat possible, which is why I order from Snake River Farms.
Seasoning and Roasting Tri Tip
The Trip Tip is actually a very lean cut of meat so you don’t want to overcook it. One of the more popular seasonings and styles is a “Santa Maria Style” Tri Tip, which is a simple rub of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Because this is a roast, I recommend cooking this steak using the reverse sear method, which means you first start on indirect and then finish on direct for a quick sear on the outside before pulling off.
With the Big Green Egg in particular, you will need to start cooking indirect via the plate setter first. Then, you’ll need to bring the temp up and get a nice sear cooking on the grates at the end.
For a traditional gas or charcoal grill where there is no place setter involved, you will start via the side not over coals (indirect), and then finish over the coals (direct).
(Note: Some people will say to do the sear on the BGE first and then switch to indirect, but I find it much easier to get the egg up in temp than it is to get it down, hence why I recommend starting on the indirect first.)
I served this with a blue cheese basil butter that was the perfect pairing! Every bite was the perfect combo of succulent meat and blue cheese butter.
Blue Cheese Basil Compound Butter is the perfect pairing for Tri Tip. Ecstasy in Every Bite!
Take a look at the guide below to help you determine what temperature your steak should reach! If you are wondering about what internal temperatures other proteins should meet, check out my BBQ Calculator! To determine what temperature your meat is at, I recommend using an internal read thermometer, such as Thermapen.
This Tri Tip and Blue Cheese Basil Compound Butter are a match made in heaven!
Tri Tip on the Big Green Egg with Blue Cheese Basil Butter
Ingredients
- Freshly grated pepper
- Freshly grate sea salt (I prefer Bourbon Barrel Foods Smoked Salt and Pepper– that is all I use on my steaks!)
- Dash smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 tsp olive oil
Blue Cheese Basil Butter:
- 4 oz blue cheese
- 1 stick softened butter
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 tbsp basil
Combine all in an immersion blender. Reserve for serving with the slice Tri Tip.
Instructions
- Prepare your BGE or Kamado Style smoker for 350 degrees on indirect heat using the place setter. While the grill is heating up, go ahead and prepare your Tri Tip by rubbing it with olive oil and adding the salt and pepper.
- Let the Tri Tip roast on the BGE on indirect for 20 minutes or until the internal temp reaches about 120 degrees.
- Now, get your temp up high to about 500-600 degrees for a nice sear. Then sear the Tri Tip on each side for 2 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 130 for medium rare. Be mindful that the skinniest part of the triptip will cook faster than the thicker part of the meat, and also remember that this is a roast so it is best cooked to a medium rare, not well done. To make sure your steak is perfect – I recommend using a thermapen to check internal temperatures.
- Let rest for 10 minutes under foil, then slice, and enjoy Tri Tip ecstasy!
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When you are bringing temp up in BGE do you remove the plate setter? What do you do with the tri tip when bringing up temp?
Robyn, you are so right about Tri-Tip being hard to find on the East Coast. I live in the Mid-Atlantic area (Central Virginia) and had to go to our local Fresh Market to find someone who actually knew what I was looking for. Fortunately, their head butcher grew up and trained in California, so he was able to give me exactly what I wanted. In the five years he’s been here, I’m the first person to ask him for it. He told me almost no one here even knows what Tri-Tip is, let alone know how to properly prepare it, so there really is no market here for it. All I can say is I’m so glad I was able to find and talk to him, getting some great cooking tips as well. Even though it is expensive, it’s now become my most favorite cut of beef (roast) to grill. Do it right, and it’s like no other you’ve had before… Very Delicious !!!
Tri Tip – yummy. I recently discovered my local butcher has these on a pretty regular basis. I follow the same basic principles but I take mine up a few degrees higher. I pull it at 125 and wrap it as I wait for the lump to reach 500 degrees and then sear it until it hits 142. Most people like it more rare but I like pink not red. For those who have not tried this cut of meat it is a quick cook and fabulous. Hint: Before putting it on the grill make a slice on either (or all) of the ends against the grain… this will help ‘locate’ the slice zones.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!!!
Hi Parkeer, if there are ever leftovers they are great to make little mini french dips on a soft bun. Now that you know about it you’ll start seeing it more often!
Good question Jeff. I remove the plate setter (wearing gloves of course) and let the tri tip rest under foil while I get the grill up to temp. Then I put it back on the grates for that last sear. Thanks for pointing this out I will adjust my recipe instructions so people know what to do! 🙂
I always cook two or three as they make great french dip sandwich.We like to use a meat slicer for making shaved slices.One of our favorite is using fire roasted green chili`s,pepper jack cheese on hoagie roll then broiled to melt the cheese.Make your AU JUS and enjoy fries.
Sounds great!
Hey there, Robyn !
Your idea for mini french dips sounds amazing, and I will try them on my next tri-tip cook. My problem is that there haven’t ever been any leftovers, so I’ll have to cook two of them next time… that should do the trick !
While I’m not an Egg-Head yet, I do have a Pit Barrel Cooker and use that to smoke my tri-tip and I have to say it does a great job for me. I have it set up to run 225` consistently, and after the meat comes up to temp I remove from the heat and wrap in heavy foil, resting for about 30 minutes prior to slicing. I haven’t tried reverse searing using this method yet, but find it comes out delicious just the same. Next time, I’ll finish it off your way and see the difference that makes.
Also, your bleu-cheese basil butter recipe has been a big hit here at my house, not just for the tri-tip but for most everything else as well – Thank You !
so glad you are enjoying Parker! Let me know what you like and what you are enjoying, it is always nice to get feedback. Oh, and feel free to follow my in the moment adventures on instagram @grillgirlrobyn… Happy Holidays!
yes, remove the plate setter and foil the roast while waiting for BGE to heat up
I have made this three times using the GreenEgg. Exactly as you recommend. Indirect first, after resting and bumping up the temp grill 2 minutes a side at high temp. I used the blue cheese basil butter each time (I always make more and keep it ready for a month). It comes out perfect every time. I want to ensure it is medium rare so I take it off indirect at 110-115. I also like the reverse sear as the resting comes after in-direct. It gives us time to grill the vegetables. And for readers, don’t forget to slice cross-grain which is easy to remember on a tri-tip.
When cooking a tri tip, do you recommend using a drip pan or cook it directly on the convEGGtor
I would use the plate setter/conveggtor and then put the grate on top. On my pictures I show putting it right on the conveggtor but I would use a conveggtor with drip pan and then put the grill grate on top to collect the juices.
Obie, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! And the tips on slicing cross grain is great as it can get tricky on a tri-tip! Send me a pic of your next cook @grillgirlrobyn or [email protected] and I will feature on my social media! I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe and the basil butter ! I want to put that butter on all the things!!