How long to smoke tri-tip
tri-tip at 225°F takes
2h 5min to 2h 10min
- Pull at
- 130°F
- FDA safe minimum
- 145°F
Your cook
At each smoker temperature
| Smoker | Time |
|---|---|
| 225°F answer | 2 h 5 min |
| 250°F answer | 1 h 45 min |
| 275°F answer | 1 h 25 min |
| 300°F answer | 1 h 5 min |
When it is done
- Take it off at
- 130°FPull temperature: the internal temperature at which the meat comes off the smoker, read with a food thermometer whose tip sits at the center of the meat.
- Safe from
- 145°FFDA safe minimum: the internal temperature the FDA gives for Beef, pork, veal and lamb (chops, roasts, steaks), as measured with a food thermometer. The meat must reach it before it is served.
- Rest
- 3 minRest: the minutes the meat stands off the heat before it is cut. The FDA gives Beef, pork, veal and lamb (chops, roasts, steaks) a 3-minute rest at 145°F.
Below the safe minimum
Cited guides pull this cut at 130°F (Smoking-Meat.com). The FDA safe minimum for Beef, pork, veal and lamb (chops, roasts, steaks) is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, and reaching it takes longer than the time shown.
Other cuts
- Smoking brisket 10 h 50 min
- Smoking prime rib 3 h 30 min – 5 h 15 min
- Smoking burgers 1 h
- beef back ribs 4 h 10 min – 5 h 20 min
- chuck roast 8 h 25 min – 10 h 35 min
- steak 40 min – 1 h
Sources
Figures built September 2026.
Where these figures come from (2)
- Cook times: Smoking-Meat.com, “Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart”, retrieved from https://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-times-and-temperatures-chart on 2026-09-23. Restated as numbers and normalised to 225°F by the formula on this site; no text or table is reproduced.
- Safe minimum internal temperatures: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures”, August 2017, retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/media/107000/download on 2026-09-23.
Times are estimates for planning. Meat is done when a food thermometer reads the safe minimum internal temperature, not when a timer ends.