BBQ Tri TipRecipes, methods, and where to eat California’s cut.
Cook it Santa Maria styleA California Tradition
One Cut. One State. Every Way to Cook It.
Tri tip is the centerpiece of a California BBQ tradition that goes back to the vaqueros and rancheros of the 1800s. The Santa Maria style pit barbecue they practiced over red oak fires is one of the oldest regional BBQ traditions in North America, and it lives on in backyards, ranches, and roadside grills up and down the Central Coast. Grill it over red oak, smoke it low and slow, reverse sear it, or finish it sous vide. Tri tip rewards the effort every time.
Pick Your Fire.
Santa Maria Style
Red oak fire, simple rub, direct heat. The cooking technique that started it all, and what makes it different from smoking or reverse sear.
Charcoal Grill
Two-zone fire on a Weber kettle or barrel grill. Sear over direct heat, finish over indirect, pull at temp. The method most home cooks will actually use.
Smoked
Low and slow at 225°F over red oak or cherry wood. Two to three hours total. More bark, deeper smoke ring, still unmistakably tri tip.
Reverse Sear
Slow indirect to 115°F internal, then a screaming-hot finish. Edge-to-edge pink with a hard crust. Best method for thick cuts.
Find Tri Tip Near You.
It started on California’s Central Coast and keeps spreading. Restaurants, butchers, and wineries serving real tri tip, mapped across the state.
Explore the tri tip mapNot Sure Where to Start?
- Tri Tip vs BrisketOne cooks in an hour, the other takes a day. When to choose which.
- Tri Tip Price IndexWhat tri tip costs right now, tracked from USDA’s weekly beef report.
- Internal TempsPull at 130°F for medium-rare. The full doneness chart, plus carryover math.
- How to SliceTri tip has two grain directions. Two cuts, never chewy.