Santa Maria Smoked Tri-Tip (Inspired by Chef Tips)

Santa Maria tri-tip is California barbecue royalty – a well-marbled beef roast under a sweet, smoky spice crust, smoked low and then seared hot. This one comes from Chef Tips; below is our own take on the method, with the exact rub from the video and a calculator that schedules the whole cook to your dinner.

Schedule this cook to the minute

Tri-tip smoked at 225°F to an internal 150°F, then seared hot for a crust. Set your serving time and the calculator plans it backward through rub, smoke, sear, and rest.

What you’ll need

For the tri-tip

• 1 tri-tip roast (about 2 to 3 lb)
• Olive oil, as a light binder (optional)

Chef Tips’ Santa Maria rub

The exact rub from the video:

How to make Santa Maria smoked tri-tip

1. Prep. Trim any silverskin. Rub lightly with olive oil if you like, then pack the spice rub firmly onto both sides.
2. Smoke at 225°F. Smoke until the thickest part of the roast reaches 150°F internal.
3. Sear. Finish with a hard sear on both sides over high heat for a dark, savory crust – this is a reverse sear.
4. Rest and slice. Rest 10 minutes, then slice thin against the grain. The grain changes direction in a tri-tip, so cut the roast where the grain turns and slice each piece across its own grain.

Serve it Santa Maria style with pinquito beans and grilled bread, or pile it on a roll for a tri-tip sandwich.

Rubs and gear we’d reach for

The video uses a homemade rub (above). If you would rather grab one, here are beef rubs we like:

• Meat Church Holy Cow – a salt-and-pepper-forward beef rub.
• Kosmos Q Cow Cover – built for beef, big on bark.

Disclosure: some links above may be affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list gear we would actually use.

Frequently asked questions

What internal temperature for tri-tip?

This recipe pulls at 150°F for a medium finish. For medium-rare, pull around 130 to 135°F. Tri-tip climbs a few degrees while it rests, so pull a touch early.

Do you sear before or after smoking?

After – it is a reverse sear. Smoke low to your target, then sear hot for the crust. You get an even pink interior and a great bark.

How do you slice a tri-tip?

Thin, and against the grain. The grain runs in two directions in a tri-tip, so cut the roast in two where the grain turns, then slice each half across its own grain.

Is this the Chef Tips recipe?

The rub and the Santa Maria method come from Chef Tips; you can also reach them at CookingSessions.com; the write-up here is our own. Watch their original video and subscribe.

See our smoked tri-tip guide and the reverse sear guide.

How much tri-tip do I need to buy and cook?

Cooking this for a crowd? Set your headcount and get the raw weight to buy.