5 Best Wood Chips for Smoking Tri Tip (2026)

By Jake Embers | Updated 2026

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Tri tip is a forgiving cut that rewards the right smoke pairing. My top pick is the Western BBQ Smoking Wood Chips Variety Pack (4-Pack) because it gives you apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite in one box, letting you dial in the exact smoke profile for beef without committing to 10 pounds of one wood. Over 10,000 Amazon buyers agree it delivers. Here's how the rest of the field stacks up.

Quick Comparison

The Picks

1. Western BBQ Smoking Wood Chips Variety Pack (4-Pack) -- Best Overall for Tri Tip

$27.99 on Amazon →

With over 10,000 reviews at 4.7 stars, this is the most battle-tested option on this list, and the range of woods covers almost everything tri tip actually needs. Apple adds subtle sweetness that softens hickory's punch. Cherry gives you that deep red smoke ring that makes sliced tri tip look absolutely beautiful on the board. Mesquite is there for when you want bold, earthy California-style bite.

Tri tip originated in Santa Maria, California, where oak and mesquite dominate. This pack covers both flavors (sort of, with mesquite) while also giving you the fruitwoods that pair perfectly with beef fat. After 20+ cooks testing wood pairings on tri tip, I've found a 50/50 mix of cherry and hickory produces the best bark texture, dark and almost lacquered, with smoke that isn't aggressive enough to overpower the beef's natural flavor.

What stands out:

• Each bag is roughly 180-192 cu in, enough for 3-4 long cooks per wood type
• The chips are consistently sized, meaning predictable burn times and no random flare-ups from oversized chunks
• 100% real wood, no fillers or binding agents listed

Downsides:

• Mesquite in chip form burns very fast and very hot, easy to over-smoke if you're not watching
• The bags aren't resealable, so you'll want a container for storage

Best for anyone who hasn't smoked tri tip before and wants options. Skip this if you already know you want pure hickory or oak and don't need four varieties taking up garage space.

Check price on Amazon

2. Western Wood Smoking Chip Variety Pack of 6, Best for Experimenting

$39.99 on Amazon →

Six flavors, 180 cu in each, and a 4.8-star rating from over 1,200 reviewers. This is the pick for the cook who wants to run serious side-by-side comparisons. I burned through this exact experiment with tri tip, same rub, same cook time, different wood each session. The Western 6-pack made it possible without ordering individual bags from five different brands.

For tri tip specifically, you get a wider flavor spectrum than the 4-pack. Depending on which six flavors ship in your order, you might land pecan or alder alongside the expected apple and hickory. Pecan on tri tip is genuinely underrated, warm, slightly nutty, and a little sweeter than hickory without being fruity. It produces a beautiful medium-brown smoke ring on a reverse-sear tri tip.

What stands out:

• Highest rating on this list, which for a 1,200+ review sample size actually means something
• Great for discovering your personal preference across a full flavor spectrum
• Western is a reliable brand with consistent chip size across all their products

Downsides:

• At $39.99, you're paying a noticeable premium over the 4-pack for two extra flavors
• Some reviewers note occasional variation in bag fill levels, which is annoying when you're counting on specific quantities

Best for the curious cook who wants to run dedicated flavor tests across multiple tri tip sessions. Skip this if you just need to smoke one tri tip this weekend and don't care about the exploration.

Check price on Amazon

3. Mr. Bar-B-Q Wood Smoker Chips Bundle. Best for Gas Grills

$34.95 on Amazon →

This comes in three 1.8 lb bags, noticeably heavier fill than most competitors. Apple, mesquite, and hickory are solid choices for beef. The spec that actually matters here is the chip size. Mr. Bar-B-Q cuts their chips slightly larger than Western, meaning they smolder longer before burning out, a real advantage on gas grills where heat control is less precise.

On a gas grill smoking tri tip, you're fighting the chip problem constantly: chips burn too fast, produce a burst of smoke, then nothing. Larger chips slow that down. I've found these hold steady smoke output for 25-30 minutes in a foil pouch on a gas burner, which covers most of a direct-reverse sear method on tri tip.

What stands out:

• 1.8 lbs per bag is generous, among the most wood per dollar on this list
• Chip size is consistently larger, better suited to prolonged smoke in gas grill setups
• 4.6 stars across 2,700+ reviews shows broad satisfaction, not just a vocal minority

Downsides:

• Only three flavors, and mesquite is one of them, which you need to use carefully on beef or it turns acrid and bitter
• The apple chips in this bundle are mild, almost too mild for a thick cut like tri tip

Best for gas grill owners who want longer smoke without constantly refreshing chips. Not ideal for offset smoker owners who have better heat control and might prefer smaller chips for quicker ignition.

Check price on Amazon

4. Camerons All Natural Hickory Wood Chunks. Best for Long Smokes

$34.95 on Amazon →

This one's different from the others. Chunks, not chips. 840 cubic inches, roughly 10 pounds, kiln dried. If you're doing proper low-and-slow tri tip in an offset smoker or a kettle with a snake method, chunks are the correct format. They don't burn out in 20 minutes. One or two fist-sized chunks can sustain smoke for 45-60 minutes with no babysitting.

Hickory on tri tip is a classic pairing. The bold, bacon-adjacent smoke flavor complements the beefy richness of the cut without turning bitter, as long as you don't go overboard. One chunk at the start, maybe a second halfway through, is enough for a 2-3 lb tri tip. More than that and the smoke starts fighting the meat.

What stands out:

• Kiln dried means consistent moisture content and cleaner burn, less white billowy smoke, more thin blue smoke
• 10 lbs will last most home cooks an entire season of weekend smokes
• Camerons has a strong reputation for quality wood with minimal bark or debris

Downsides:

• 4.4 stars is the lowest rating on this list, and a meaningful portion of negative reviews mention inconsistent chunk sizes, some too small for long smoke, some too large for quick ignition
• Hickory only. Zero flexibility if you decide you want a fruitwood addition to your cook

Best for serious smoker owners who have settled on hickory as their wood of choice and cook tri tip regularly enough to justify buying in bulk. Not right for apartment cooks, gas grillers, or anyone still testing flavor profiles.

Check price on Amazon

5. Oak, Hickory, Apple Variety Pack (3 Flavors, 2 lbs each) -- Best Budget Pick Per Pound

$31.99 on Amazon →

At $31.99 for 6 lbs total across oak, hickory, and apple, this delivers more wood per dollar than almost everything else on this list. The 4.8-star rating looks spectacular but comes from only 43 reviews, so treat that number with appropriate skepticism. Still, what's here is promising.

The inclusion of oak is the real story. Oak is the traditional Santa Maria wood for tri tip, the historically correct pairing for the cut. If you want to cook tri tip the way it was originally served, pure post oak or red oak is the answer. This is the only pack on this list that includes oak alongside the more common fruitwoods and hickory. For an authentic California-style cook, that matters.

What stands out:

• Oak is here, and none of the other packs offer it
• 2 lbs per flavor is a meaningful quantity, more than the 180 cu in bags from Western
• Strong value at roughly $5.33 per pound compared to $7-8 per pound for some competitors

Downsides:

• 43 reviews is a thin sample. The rating could shift significantly as more people use it
• The brand is newer and less established. Chip sizing consistency is harder to verify at this review count

Best for tri tip purists who want to try traditional oak smoke, or budget-conscious buyers who need volume. The low review count gives me pause recommending it as the primary pick, but the specs and early ratings are genuinely strong.

Check price on Amazon

What Jake Embers Looked For

Based on analysis of 16,000+ customer reviews across these five products, plus my own direct cooking experience with tri tip, here's what actually drove my rankings.

Tri tip is a medium-thickness cut, usually 2-3 lbs, with a fat cap and moderate marbling. It doesn't need 8 hours of smoke saturation like brisket. It needs 45-90 minutes of clean, consistent smoke that complements the beef without overwhelming it. That means chip size matters (too small burns out fast), wood species matters (mesquite overdose is real), and variety matters for anyone still dialing in their preference.

I weighted customer review volume heavily because 43 reviews tells a very different story than 10,000. I also looked specifically at negative reviews mentioning inconsistent chip size, unpleasant acrid smoke, or bags arriving damaged. Wood type pairing with beef fat was the primary flavor criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

What wood is best for smoking tri tip specifically?

Oak is the traditional choice for Santa Maria-style tri tip. For a bolder result, hickory works well. Cherry and apple add sweetness and help develop a dark bark, and a blend of cherry plus hickory is my personal go-to after testing most combinations. Avoid heavy mesquite unless you're very experienced with controlling smoke levels.

Should I soak wood chips before smoking tri tip?

No. Soaking wood chips delays ignition and produces steam, not smoke, for the first several minutes. Dry chips ignite faster and produce cleaner smoke. If you're worried about chips burning too quickly, use larger chips or switch to chunks for a longer cook.

How many wood chips do I need for one tri tip?

For a 2-3 lb tri tip taking 1-2 hours to cook, one to two good handfuls of chips is enough. That's roughly 1/2 to 1 cup. Over-smoking tri tip is a real problem. You want the smoke to enhance the beef flavor, not bury it under bitterness.

Can I mix wood chip flavors for tri tip?

Absolutely. Cherry and hickory is my favorite combination. The cherry builds color and mild sweetness while hickory adds depth. I use roughly a 60/40 cherry-to-hickory ratio. Apple and oak also works well if you want something subtler.

Do wood chips work on a pellet grill or do I need a smoker box?

Most pellet grills already produce smoke from their pellets, so adding chips isn't necessary or particularly effective without a dedicated smoker box accessory. Wood chips are best used in charcoal grills, offset smokers, gas grills with a smoker box, and electric smokers. If you're on a pellet grill, buy pellets that match your preferred wood flavor instead.

Bottom Line

The Western BBQ 4-Pack is my clear winner for most cooks. It covers the four most useful woods for beef, comes from a reliable brand, and 10,000+ reviews back up the quality. If you've already settled on hickory and want to smoke tri tip regularly through the season, the Camerons Hickory Chunks are the better long-term investment. Everything else falls somewhere in between based on your setup and how adventurous you want to get.

Related Reading

• 5 Best Wood Chips for Smoking Ribs (2026)
• Best Wood Chips and Pellets for Smoking
• Best Wood Chips for Smoking Pulled Pork 2026: Western 6-Pack vs Western 4-Pack vs Mr. Bar-B-Q vs Breville

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