Traeger Tri-Tip

Lately, I’ve been into barbecue. Like, really into bbq.

I’m using my Traeger for everything; from ribs and pork roast, to beef brisket and beef short ribs. My favorite bacon is Traeger bacon. Chicken wings? You’ll always skip the frier now. We’ve even made easy chicken fajitas on the Traeger.

I love BBQ sauce too.

The only trouble with barbecuing every day is the fact that the time it takes to properly barbecue most things is not available to me, and I’m sure most people can relate to the age-old adage; I wish I had more time.

Well, I think I’ve found the cut of meat that satisfies the BBQ craving and solves the crunch for time at the same time. With a prep time of five minutes and a total cook time of one and a half hours, I present to you the Traeger Tri-Tip.

Please don’t think I am presenting this as barbecue, although it might qualify as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Most people agree that barbecue means slow and low. With this recipe, you are getting the wood-fired aspect and the great smoke flavor, but this is cooked relatively fast and at a higher temperature.

I’ll settle for barbecue-ish, but in my eyes, it’s barbecue plus.

Why the plus, you might ask?

Well, you get all the smokey goodness of barbecue, along with the tenderness of the meat, but then to top it off, that tender, smokey meat is served medium rare.

Let’s talk about that medium-rare meat for a minute. Not overcooking this cut is crucial to it turning out tender and juicy, as opposed to tough and dry if you let it go too long on the Traeger.

The Tri-Tip is fickle and if you’re adverse to medium rare meat, then this might not be the cut for you. If you can handle some pink, then you’ll be in heaven when you try this recipe.

Side note on the Traeger grill. Die-hard Traeger users simply refer to them as the T. I want to use that so bad, but I don’t feel quite worthy yet. Some of the guys and gals that use Traeger grills have been doing so for decades.

Now, depending on what part of the country you’re from, you may or may not have had much exposure to the Tri-Tip. Living in Washington state I just assumed everyone liked them and they were popular in most states. However, after having recently visited Amarillo, Texas, I learned that not all cuts of meat are as popular in other states as they are here.

I learned in Texas that the ribeye is king and the Tri-Tip is generally overlooked. Now the state of Texas is great and the people who live there are truly some of the most gracious, humble, and hardworking Americans you will find anywhere, but they need to realize that they’re missing out on this cut of meat.

What’s really strange about it is that Texans are hooked on brisket. I know if they tried this recipe on a Traeger grill I could convert at least a couple million of them.

I hope my personal account of everything heard, saw, and tasted in Amarillo, Texas gives you some insight into the beef cattle industry in the United States. I know I love beef and I know we have one of the safest, cleanest, and tastiest beef supplies anywhere in the world.

If you already love tri-tip, I know you’ll love this on a Traeger grill. If you’re from Texas and you’re a little skeptical of the tri-tip, then this is the recipe to win you over.

Traeger Tri-Tip

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

"Quick" and easy barbecue recipe that you can make for dinner on a weeknight. Delicious cut of beef that is tender and juicy and cooked medium-rare.

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Ingredients

• 3 pound tri-tip
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat your Traeger to 250.
2. Cook for 30 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
3. Turn the grill up to 350 and cook an additional 20-30 minutes. Pull at 140, rest for 10 minutes, slice against the grain and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 484 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 188mg Sodium: 650mg Carbohydrates: 1g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 59g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!