This Reverse Seared Smoked Tomahawk Steak is slow smoked to perfection and then reverse seared over a hot griddle and served with a delicious garlic and herb butter compound. The result is an incredibly juicy and tender steak with a crisp outer crust that is packed with smoky flavor!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The reverse sear method - Reverse searing is the process of cooking (or in this case smoking) steak slowly and at a low temperature before searing on a hot griddle to finish it off. This results in an incredibly tender and delicious piece of meat with a nice crust on the outside. A Blackstone and pellet grill works great for this recipe, but additional searing options are listed below.
- Great for special occasions - A tomahawk steak is a rather expensive cut of beef but the next level flavor and all around presentation make it a fantastic cut of meat for a special occasion. For a quick weeknight meal, this Smoked Flank Steak is a great option!
- Garlic and herb butter compound - This tomahawk steak recipe is served with a delicious butter compound made up of fresh herbs and garlic that adds even more flavor to this cut of meat.
Tomahawk Steak vs Ribeye Steak
A tomahawk steak is essentially a fancy bone-in ribeye steak. This thick cut of meat is butchered leaving at least 5 inches of rib bone in tact on the steak. A cowboy steak, also a bone-in ribeye, has a shorter bone than the tomahawk.
A tomahawk ribeye typically has great marbling (meaning more fat throughout the meat muscle). In addition, it's an extremely tender cut of beef. Because the rib bone of the tomahawk is left in tact, much of the juices are preserved helping to give it its fantastic flavor!
Ingredients Needed
For Smoked Tomahawk
For Butter Compound
Ingredient Notes
- Tomahawk Ribeye Steak - You’ll often find this cut of meat at your local butcher rather than the regular grocery store. Look for thick steaks (approximately 2 inches) with good marbling.
- Avocado oil - this helps the dry rub spices adhere to the steak. You can also use olive oil.
- Butter or Ghee - Sear the steak in butter or ghee for even more flavor! Ghee is a fantastic paleo alternative to butter.
How To Smoke A Tomahawk Steak
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels and apply a thin layer of the avocado oil over the entire surface of the steak.
- In a small bowl mix the sea salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and dried thyme. Rub dry rub all over the outside of the steak including the sides of the steak, and press it in.
- Set your tomahawk steak aside and allow it to come to room temperature for approximately two hours prior to beginning the cooking process. This will ensure a more even cook.
- Preheat the Traeger or other pellet smoker to 250 degrees F when ready to cook.
- Insert the temperature probe of the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Place the steak directly on the hot grill grates and smoke at 250F until the internal temperature reaches 115 degrees F and then remove the steak from the smoker. (The time will vary based on the size and thickness of the steak).
- While the meat smokes, mix all ingredients for the herbed compound butter in a small bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When the steak is nearing the end of the cook, add the ghee (or butter) to a preheated cast iron skillet or a preheated blackstone griddle and allow it to melt (being careful not to let it burn).
- Add the steak to the hot griddle and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135F or your desired doneness.
- Let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before serving topped with the compound butter.
How To Reverse Sear
- Blackstone or other outdoor griddle - My favorite way to reverse sear is to use a Blackstone griddle. While the steak is finishing it’s smoke, preheat the griddle over high heat. Drop the butter or ghee onto the griddle and allow it to melt and start to boil. Immediately add the steak and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes or until it has reached your desired temperature of doneness.
- Reverse sear in a cast iron pan - Reverse searing on a cast iron is very similar to searing on a griddle. Preheat the pan over high heat while the steak is finishing it’s smoke. Add butter to the hot pan and allow it to melt before adding the steak and searing for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Reverse sear on the Traeger - To reverse sear on the traeger (or other pellet grill) simply remove the ribeye after smoking and set it aside. Increase the temperature of the Traeger to the highest temperature setting (an effective sear can take place between 350 degrees F and 500 degrees F) and allow the grill to preheat completely. Brush each side of the steak with the melted butter and once heated thoroughly, place the steak onto the grill grates. Sear each side until it has reached your desired internal temperature.
Best Way To Serve Tomahawk Steak
This is the perfect steak to serve with this Traeger Asparagus or Roasted Butternut and Beetroot Salad, Traeger Baked Potatoes, and Cast Iron Peach Cobbler for dessert to really wow your guests!
Here are some other great sides to go with this steak:
Mashed Potatoes
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Paleo Broccoli Salad
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
Recipe FAQ’s
Resting steak after cooking makes a big difference as it allows the juices in the steak to redistribute throughout the meat rather than drain out upon cutting immediately.
The internal temperature will continue to rise as your steak rests which is why it’s important to remove steak from the heat source prior to it reaching the internal temperature you desire.
The USDA suggests an internal temperate of 145 degrees F plus a 3 minute rest for steak. However, cooking times and temperatures will vary based on your desired degree of doneness. I always recommend using a meat thermometer, like the meater+.
In addition, steak should be removed from the heat source when the internal temp is about 5 degrees lower than your desired level of doneness to prevent it from overcooking as it rests.
Rare - 125 degrees F
Medium Rare - 135 degrees F
Medium - 145 degrees F
Medium Well - 150 degrees F
Well Done - 160 degrees F
Source: certifiedangusbeef.com
Yes! While the process differs slightly, you'll still get a great charcoal smoke flavor on a grill without an electric smoker. The process involves cooking the steak over indirect heat before a hot sear with more airflow. This is a great article on How to Reverse Sear a Tomahawk Steak on a charcoal grill.
More Smoker Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Reverse Sear Smoked Tomahawk Steak
Equipment
- Traeger or other pellet smoker
- Blackstone Griddle or cast iron pan
Ingredients
- three pound tomahawk steak
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tbsp course sea salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee for searing
Garlic and Herb Butter Compound
- 4 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels and apply a thin layer of the avocado oil over the entire surface of the steak.
- In a small bowl mix the sea salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and dried thyme. Rub dry rub all over the outside of the steak including the sides of the steak, and press it in.
- Set your tomahawk steak aside and allow it to come to room temperature for approximately two hours prior to beginning the cooking process. This will ensure a more even cook.
- Preheat the Traeger or other pellet smoker to 250 degrees F when ready to cook.
- Insert the temperature probe of the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Place the steak directly on the hot grill grates and smoke at 250F until the internal temperature reaches 115 degrees F and then remove the steak from the smoker. (The time will vary based on the size and thickness of the steak).
- While the meat smokes, mix all ingredients for the herb compound butter in a small bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When the steak is nearing the end of the cook, add the ghee (or butter) to a preheated cast iron skillet or a preheated blackstone griddle and allow to melt (being careful not to let it burn).
- Add the steak to the hot griddle and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135F or your desired doneness.
- Let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before serving topped with the compound butter.
Notes
- Tomahawk Ribeye Steak - You’ll often find this cut of meat at your local butcher rather than the regular grocery store. Look for thick steaks (approximately 2 inches) with good marbling.
- Avocado oil - this helps the dry rub spices adhere to the steak.
- Butter or Ghee - Sear the steak in butter or ghee for even more flavor! Ghee is a fantastic paleo alternative to butter.
- Steak should be removed from the heat source when the internal temp is about 5 degrees lower than your desired level of doneness to prevent it from overcooking as it rests.
- Rare - 125 degrees F
- Medium Rare - 135 degrees F
- Medium - 145 degrees F
- Medium Well - 150 degrees F
- Well Done - 160 degrees F
- Reverse sear on the Traeger - To reverse sear on the traeger (or other pellet grill) simply remove the ribeye after smoking and set it aside. Increase the temperature of the Traeger to the highest temperature setting (an effective sear can take place between 350 degrees F and 500 degrees F) and allow the grill to preheat completely.
- Brush each side of the steak with the melted butter and once heated thoroughly, place the steak onto the grill grates. Sear each side until it has reached your desired internal temperature.
Nutrition
Love this recipe? Consider leaving a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. We LOVE to hear from you!
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