Indirect Grilled Tri-Tip

Great barbecue brings together the best of fire, smoke, and perfectly cooked beef. This Indirect Grilled Tri-Tip recipe from Scott Thomas of The Grillin’ Fools delivers all three, turning a flavorful cut of sirloin into a tender, juicy centerpiece with a beautifully seared crust. Using the American Made Grills Ovation Hybrid Grill, Scott shows how indirect heat and a little wood smoke can deliver steakhouse-worthy results in your backyard.

Tri-tip has deep roots in California's Santa Maria barbecue tradition, where simple seasonings and live-fire cooking bring out the beef's natural richness. Scott builds on that heritage with a reverse-searing technique that combines slow, smoky cooking with a final burst of high heat. The result is a delicious balance of smoky flavor, juicy meat, and caramelized edges.

What makes this recipe especially appealing is how Scott uses the Ovation Hybrid Grill as a smoker. Its multi-fuel design lets him ignite charcoal with gas, add wood chunks for authentic smoke, and maintain steady indirect heat around 250°F. Once the beef approaches its target temperature, a quick sear over hot coals creates that irresistible outer crust. Scott also shares practical advice on managing the fire and slicing tri-tip against its changing grain for tender bites.

At American Made Grills, we believe the best grills made in the USA should inspire creativity and make every outdoor cooking experience more rewarding. Handcrafted in America from premium stainless steel, our hybrid models give backyard cooks the freedom to use gas, charcoal, wood, or a combination of fuels.

We're thrilled to see Scott put that versatility to work, sharing his experience and techniques for a memorable meal. Whether you're hosting friends or enjoying a weekend cookout, this recipe is another reason to fire up the grill and gather around.

Makes 2 tri-tips

Indirect Grilled Tri-Tip Ingredients

• 2 tri-tips, 1.5-2.5 pounds each
• SPG Seasoning (Salt, Pepper, Garlic)
• Paprika, optional

Indirect Grilled Tri-Tip Directions

1. Trim any excessive fat off the sirloin roasts, but don't stress about the "silver" skin; it's not silver skin. Then season the tri-tips, top, bottom, and along the skinny edge, with the SPG seasoning and optional paprika.
2. Prepare the charcoal grill (or gas grill) for two-zone grilling with hot coals (or hot burner) on one side and nothing on the other. Place a chunk of smoke wood over the hot side and the seasoned beef tri-tip over the side with no direct heat. Close the lid and let the steak smoke and slowly rise in temp.
3. When the tri-tips reach about 10F-20F below your desired final doneness, remove them from the grill and crank up the hot side. When the hot side reaches 500F, sear the tri-tip on both sides over the hot coals (hot burner). Once you get a nice flavor crust on the outside and bring the internal temp up that final 10F-15F, remove the roasts from the grill and rest for about 5 minutes.
4. Slice the tri-tip in half where the two muscles meet (dotted line) and then cut perpendicular to the arrow lines.

Pro Tip ~ Serve with chimichurri for an extra blast of flavor

Recipe by grillinfools.com