Smoked American Wagyu Tri-Tip on the Traeger

American Wagyu tri-tip is a different animal from the lean supermarket cut: heavy marbling means it stays juicy through a long smoke, and it rewards a two-phase approach. Phase one smokes it low on the Traeger with Super Smoke, then cranks the grill for a hard sear. Phase two wraps it in foil with beef broth, butter, and garlic, and lets the grill finish it gently — braised in its own steam until it's medium-rare edge to edge. It's the forgiving version: the foil phase buffers your doneness window instead of punishing a few minutes of inattention.

Serves: 4–6 Meat: 2.5–3 lb American Wagyu tri-tip Equipment: Traeger pellet grill (Super Smoke if available), instant-read or probe thermometer, heavy-duty aluminum foil Pellets: Oak or hickory, or an oak/hickory blend. Mesquite works too, but go easy — this is a delicate cut. Time: ~3–3½ hours cook, plus 1–12 hours dry brine

Ingredients

The roast

• 2.5–3 lb American Wagyu tri-tip
• 1 tbsp olive oil (binder, optional but helps the rub cling)
• 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use 1½ tsp if Morton's)
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground coriander (optional, adds a subtle sweet edge)

The braise packet (Phase 2)

• ½ cup beef broth (low sodium)
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 3–4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme (or a pinch of dried)

Serving

• Grilled bread, garlic mashed potatoes, or corn tortillas
• Reserved foil juices for spooning over

Dry Brine (Phase 0)

1. Pat the roast completely dry with paper towels. Wagyu marbling does the fat work, so surface moisture is the only enemy of the crust.
2. Rub lightly with olive oil, then season on all sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and coriander.
3. Rest the roast uncovered on a rack in the fridge for 4–12 hours. One hour is the floor — salt needs contact time to season past the surface.
4. Pull the roast from the fridge 45–60 minutes before cooking so it's not fridge-cold going on the grate.

Phase 1 — Smoke and Grill

Smoke (Traeger set to 180°F, Super Smoke ON)

1. Preheat the Traeger at 180°F with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Super Smoke on (available below 250°F on WiFIRE grills); on older grills, the Smoke setting is the equivalent.
2. Place the tri-tip fat cap up, directly on the grate. Insert a probe into the thickest part if you have one.
3. Smoke until the internal temperature hits 115°F. At 180°F on a 2.5 lb roast, that's roughly 60–90 minutes — trust the thermometer, not the clock.
4. When it hits 115°F, pull the roast and tent it loosely with foil. The smoke phase is about flavor, not doneness — 115°F is the target because the sear and braise still carry it up.

Sear (Traeger set to 450–500°F)

1. Open the lid, turn the dial to 450°F (500°F if your grill goes there), and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
2. Sear the tri-tip 2–3 minutes per side — all four faces if it's thick — until every surface has a deep brown crust. You're looking at roughly 8–10 minutes total.
3. Pull it when the internal temp reads about 125°F. The crust should be mahogany, not black.

Phase 2 — Foil Braise with Beef Broth

1. Drop the Traeger to 225°F and let it come back down while you build the packet.
2. Lay out two stacked sheets of heavy-duty foil, long enough to fully wrap the roast. Set the tri-tip in the center, crust side up.
3. Top the roast with the butter, smashed garlic, and herb sprigs, then pour the beef broth around (not over) the roast.
4. Wrap tightly: fold the long edges together and roll, then crimp both ends. The seal matters — a loose packet steams away the broth and dries the crust. You want a closed pressure chamber.
5. Return it to the grill at 225°F for 30–45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130–132°F for medium-rare. The broth turns to steam, the butter and juices pool under the roast, and the carryover takes it the rest of the way as it rests.

Doneness guide (pull the roast at, final temp after rest)

Note: the foil phase creeps the temperature fast once the packet heats through — start checking every 10 minutes after the 25-minute mark.

Rest and Slice

1. Rest the roast in its foil, tented loosely, for 10–15 minutes. Carryover finishes the climb.
2. Open the packet carefully — the steam is hot and the juices are liquid gold. Pour them into a small saucepan for au jus, or spoon straight over sliced meat.
3. Tri-tip has two grain directions that meet in the middle. Find the seam where the grains diverge and cut the roast in two, then slice each half against its own grain. This is the difference between butter and rubber.
4. Slice ¼–½ inch thick, fan on a platter, and hit it with flaky salt and the reserved juices.

Why Two Phases (and What Each Does)

• The 180°F smoke keeps the fire low so the smoke has time to work without over-cooking the thin end. Super Smoke at this range doubles the visible smoke.
• The hot sear builds the crust a low-and-slow cook alone can't give you.
• The foil braise does two jobs: it gently closes the gap between 125°F and final doneness without more searing, and the broth-butter steam keeps the thin end from drying out while the thick end finishes. It's the same idea as resting a steak in butter — but the grill does the work.

Tips

• Don't over-smoke it. Wagyu is delicate; 60–90 minutes at 180°F is plenty. Two hours of heavy smoke on a 2.5 lb roast reads bitter.
• Thermometer placement beats everything. Probe the thickest lobe, angled toward the center — not touching fat pockets, which read low.
• If the sear runs hot and chars before the crust sets, pull the roast, let the grill settle for 5 minutes with the lid open, then finish the sear.
• Save the packet juices. They're a finished jus already — deglaze with a splash of broth or a knob of butter and reduce 2 minutes.
• Leftovers slice thin for tortas, tacos, or a proper steak sandwich. Reheat gently in a foil packet with a spoonful of broth at 250°F.