Bold Blend Grilled Tri-Tip with Chimichurri
Smoked low and slow, finished with a blazing-hot sear, and topped with a bright, herb-packed chimichurri made with The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend.
There are a lot of ways to cook a tri-tip, but the reverse sear might be one of our favorites.
For this recipe, the tri-tip starts in the smoker at 220°F, where it slowly picks up smoke flavor while gently cooking toward the perfect internal temperature. Once it reaches the pull temperature, it gets a short rest before hitting a hot griddle coated with beef tallow.
That final sear is where the magic happens: a deeply browned, flavorful crust on the outside while keeping the center juicy and steak-like.
Then we finish it with a fresh chimichurri loaded with parsley, garlic, shallot, oregano, red chili, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and of course more of The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend.
The result is smoky, savory, and packed with flavor from the first bite to the last.
Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 1–1½ hours, depending on the size of the tri-tip
Resting Time: 10–20 minutes
Smoker Temperature: 220°F
Griddle Temperature: Approximately 450°F
Method: Reverse sear
What Is Tri-Tip?
Tri-tip is a triangular-shaped roast from the bottom sirloin. It's a relatively lean cut with plenty of beefy flavor and is tender enough to be enjoyed much like a steak when cooked properly.
It's also an incredibly versatile cut. You can roast it, grill it, smoke it, reverse sear it, or even slice it into individual steaks.
One thing that makes tri-tip unique is its grain. The muscle fibers don't all run in the same direction, so slicing against the grain is essential for tender bites. The grain changes direction through the roast, so pay attention as you slice and adjust your knife angle when necessary.
Why Reverse Sear a Tri-Tip?
Reverse searing gives you excellent control over the doneness of the meat.
Instead of searing the tri-tip first and then slowly bringing it up to temperature, we smoke it gently at 220°F until it approaches our target internal temperature. Then we finish it over high heat.
The low-temperature smoke gives the beef time to develop smoky flavor without aggressively cooking the outside. The final high-heat sear creates the browned, flavorful exterior we're looking for.
Ingredients
For the Tri-Tip
- 1 beef tri-tip roast
- The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend Seasoning
- Beef tallow
For the Chimichurri
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- ¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 small red chili, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend Seasoning
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Equipment
- Smoker grill
- Tongs
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Cast-iron skillet or griddle
- Instant-read or leave-in meat thermometer
Instructions
1. Bring the Tri-Tip Toward Room Temperature
Remove the tri-tip from the refrigerator and allow it to sit out briefly before cooking.
The goal isn't to leave the meat sitting at room temperature for an extended period. Instead, take the chill off the roast so it can cook more evenly.
While the meat warms slightly, prepare your smoker.
2. Preheat the Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 220°F.
This lower cooking temperature is ideal for the reverse-sear method and gives the tri-tip plenty of opportunity to pick up smoky flavor before the final sear.
3. Season the Tri-Tip
Liberally coat all sides of the tri-tip with The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend Seasoning.
Give the seasoning about 15 minutes to adhere to the surface of the meat before putting it on the smoker.
4. Smoke the Tri-Tip
Place the tri-tip on the smoker's upper rack or in a position away from the hottest part of the smoker.
Insert your meat probe into the thickest part of the roast, positioning the probe so it gives you a reliable reading from the center of the meat.
Close the smoker and let the tri-tip cook until it reaches approximately 110–115°F internal temperature.
The exact cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape of your tri-tip and the smoker you're using. For many tri-tips, this can take around an hour, but temperature, not time, should determine when to pull the meat.
5. Rest While the Griddle Heats
Once the tri-tip reaches your pull temperature, remove it from the smoker.
Tent it loosely with foil while you heat your griddle.
Preheat your cast-iron griddle or skillet to approximately 450°F.
You want a surface hot enough to quickly develop a deeply browned crust without leaving the exterior on the heat so long that it overcooks the center.
6. Sear in Beef Tallow
Add a small amount of beef tallow to the hot griddle.
Immediately place the tri-tip onto the griddle and sear each side until a rich, browned crust develops.
Keep an eye on the internal temperature during the sear. The goal is to develop that beautiful exterior crust while bringing the center toward your desired final temperature.
For a traditional medium-rare texture, many cooking references place the finished beef around 130–135°F.
7. Make the Chimichurri
While the tri-tip is smoking, make the chimichurri.
Add the chopped parsley, minced garlic, shallot, oregano, red chili, red wine vinegar, and Bold Blend Seasoning to a mixing bowl.
Pour in the extra-virgin olive oil and stir everything together until well combined.
Let the chimichurri rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. This gives the herbs, garlic, chili, vinegar, and seasoning time to come together and develop a deeper flavor.
8. Rest the Tri-Tip
Once the tri-tip reaches your desired final temperature, remove it from the griddle and let it rest before slicing.
Resting gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat and allows carryover cooking to finish.
9. Slice Against the Grain
This step is especially important with tri-tip.
Look carefully at the direction of the muscle fibers and slice across the grain, not parallel to it. Because the grain changes direction through the roast, you may need to rotate the tri-tip and change your slicing direction as you move through the meat.
Slice thinly, spoon the chimichurri generously over the top, and serve.
Chef's Note
This tri-tip is fantastic served with smoky roasted potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes.
Looking for something a little more casual?
Slice the tri-tip thinly and turn it into incredible tacos. Add your favorite toppings, a generous spoonful of the Bold Blend chimichurri, and you've got a completely different meal from the same roast.
The Best Part About Tri-Tip?
It's versatility.
Tri-tip can be treated like a roast, grilled like a steak, smoked like barbecue, or cooked using a reverse-sear method like this recipe. You can even cut a tri-tip into individual steaks for another style of preparation.
It's an affordable, flavorful cut that can handle a lot of different cooking methods, and when you pair smoky beef with a bright, garlicky chimichurri, it's hard to go wrong.
Tri-Tip Temperature Guide
Use your thermometer as the final authority, carryover cooking during the sear and rest can raise the internal temperature several degrees.
| Doneness | Pull From Smoker | Final Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 105–110°F | 120–125°F |
| Medium-Rare | 110–115°F | 130–135°F |
| Medium | 120–125°F | 140–145°F |
| Medium-Well | 130–135°F | 150–155°F |
| Well-Done | 140°F+ | 160°F+ |
For this recipe: We recommend pulling the tri-tip from the smoker at 110–115°F, then searing it on the hot griddle until it reaches your desired final temperature. For a juicy medium-rare tri-tip, aim for approximately 130–135°F.
