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reverse searing a smoked tomahawk steak on a grill

Smoked Tomahawk Steak - Reverse Seared

Mads Martigan
Smoked Tomahawk Ribeye Steaks simply seasoned and then slow smoked on a grill or smoker to add maximum flavor.
We then finish them with a blazing hot reverse sear in a cast iron pan to get a perfect, sizzling, crispy crust before serving.
These delicious smoked tomahawk steaks can be made on ANY grill or smoker, whether its a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, a Masterbuilt electric smoker, or just a simple Weber kettle!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Reverse Searing 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Holiday, Keto, Smoked
Servings 2 people
Calories 800 kcal

Equipment

  • Propane, Charcoal, or Pellet Smoker -OR-
  • a Gas or charcoal grill with a smoker box or pellet tube smoker.
  • Hickory or Mesquite Wood chips, chunks, or pellets
  • Large Cast Iron Skillet
  • Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 32-40 oz Tomahawk Ribeye Steak bone-in and frenched, roughly 2 inches thick
  • 3 tablespoon Cooking oil preferably avocado or grapeseed
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Black Pepper

Reverse Sear

  • 4 tablespoon Butter
  • 2 tablespoon Cooking oil preferably avocado or grapeseed

Instructions
 

Prepare the Tomahawk Steak

  • Trim any excess fat from the edges of the tomahawk steak.
  • Coat your steak in oil and a generous amount of kosher salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Wrap the steak in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Setup the Smoker or Grill

  • Set up your smoker (or grill with indirect heating) to 225°F
    setting the traeger pellet grill to 225 degrees F
  • Remove your steak from the refrigerator and unwrap.
  • When the smoker or grill is up to 225°F, add your wood chunks to the coals, or wood chips to the electric smoker tray or smoker box. Alternatively, you can add wood pellets to a pellet tube smoker. Place the smoker box or pellet tube smoker over the hot coals or burners.
    pellets in the hopper of a pit boss pellet grill
  • When smoke begins to come out, place your steak on the grates, away from the direct heat if using a grill.
    a tomahawk steak smoking on a smoker

Smoking the Steaks

  • While the steak is smoking heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and warm up 1 tablespoon cooking oil and 2 tablespoon of butter in the skillet.
  • Monitor your steaks internal temperature. After about 45-60 minutes your steak should reach an internal temperature of 100-110°F, but it may reach this sooner.
    checking the doneness with a thermometer on a smoked tomahawk steak

Reverse Searing the Steaks

  • Once the steak reaches 100-110°F internally, remove the smoked tomahawk steak from the smoker onto a platter and bring over to the preheated cast iron skillet.
  • Turn the heat on the skillet up to HIGH and when the oil begins to smoke put the steak in the skillet.
  • Let the steak sear for about 2 minutes on one side and then flip to the other side.
    reverse searing a smoked tomahawk steak
  • Check the internal temperature of the steak, continue to flip in the skillet to cook evenly and when it is about 5°F shy of your desired doneness (see notes below), remove it from the skillet.
  • Let all the steak rest 10 minutes before serving. Do not cover in foil as it will overcook.
  • If sharing, slice against the grain in ¼ thick slices and serve immediately.
    a cut into medium rare smoked tomahawk steak

Notes

Use the following internal temperature guide to determine when to pull your steaks from the grill.
Rare: 125℉ (very red center)Medium Rare: 130 – 135℉ (red center)Medium – 140 – 145℉ (pink center)Medium Well Done – 150℉ (slight pink center)Well Done – 160℉ (no pink, cooked throughout).

Nutrition

Calories: 800kcal
Keyword barbecue, bbq, Beef, Butter, Camp Chef, cast iron, Pellet Grill Steak, Pit Boss, reverse seared, Ribeye, smoked steak, smoked tomahawk steaks, tomahawk steaks, traeger, traeger smoked tomahawk ribeye
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