If you want to learn how to reverse sear Tomahawk steak on the smoker then you’ll want to read on.

Tomahawk steak is ribeye with the bone left in, and it’s a really great looking piece of meat for any BBQ gathering. Smoking it first low and slow and then reverse searing it at the end at high heat is the ultimate way to cook this fantastic steak cut.

The reverse sear method involves cooking the steak slowly at low temperatures so that it cooks evenly, and then searing the meat at high heat at the end to form a nice crust. This method is particularly suited to thicker steaks such as the Tomahawk steak (also called Cowboy Ribeye Cut, or Tomahawk Ribeye) or a Porterhouse for example.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak Smoker Recipe

1 Rub the Tomahawk steak all over with your favourite BBQ rub (or use a Texas style simple salt & pepper combo) and leave to briefly marinade while you preheat your smoker to 225F or 107F – fill the hopper of your Pit Boss, Z Grill, Traeger etc) with wood of your choice – mesquite or hickory if you like a strong smoke taste or cherry/apple if you like a milder smoke taste – or use an offset smoker

2 Place the tomahawk steak into your smoker to smoke for around 45 minutes to an hour or so until the internal temperature reaches 110-115°F or 43-46°C (larger steak cuts will of course take longer to cook)

3 Get your grills up to high heat 450F+ (232C+) and grill your cowboy ribeye for 1-2 minutes a side directly on the grills – to get nice grill marks rotate the steak at 45° halfway through each side cooking (after 30 seconds or so)

4 Rest your steak for 5-10 minutes tented loosely in foil for a juicy, tender result

Dry Brine For Tomahawk Ribeye Steak

Optionally you can ‘dry brine,’ your steak in the fridge overnight for extra flavour. This involves covering it in your BBQ rub of choice (or just salt and pepper) and placing it in the fridge. If you would like to make your own BBQ rub here’s one you can use:

• 2 tbsps light brown sugar
• 2 tbsps smoked paprika
• 3 tbsps coarse or kosher salt
• 3 tsps freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli powder (a little more if you like it hot)
• 2 tsps ground thyme
• 1 tsp ground rosemary
• 1 tsp mustard powder

Alternatively you could use a ready made steak rub such as Meat Church’s Holy Gospel Rub.

Cowboy Butter For Tomahawk Steak

One great option to accompany your steak is delicious cowboy butter.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice & zest 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

You can watch us make it at home in the video below.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak Smoker Time

Your Tomahawk steak smoker time will depend on the size of your steak and the temperature you choose to smoke at. As a general guide it will take around 1 to 2 hours to smoke a Tomahawk steak at 225F (107C) initially before you reverse sear the steak at high heat to finish.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak Charcoal Grill (E.g. Weber Kettle)

You can reverse sear Tomahawk steak using a charcoal grill if you don’t have a smoker. You will need to set up the grill for indirect cooking – by only filling half of the bottom of the grill with burning coals. You can then place the steak over the half of the grill that doesn’t have burning charcoal in it, so it isn’t directly over the coals.

Place the lid on the grill and open the vents. If you want wood smoke flavour add some chunks or chips to the burning coals as well. Cook the steak indirectly in the charcoal grill for 1-2 hours until the internal temperature is 110-115F. Add more burning charcoal to the bottom of the grill and get it burning as hot as you can.

Sear the steak directly on the grills over the hot coals for 1-2 minutes a side until a crust forms and the internal temperature is 130-140F (54-60C) for medium rare and 140-150F (60-66C) for medium.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak Oven

If you don’t have a smoker or just don’t want to cook outside, you can reverse sear the Tomahawk steak in the oven. This is how to cook a Tomahawk steak in the oven:

• Season the steak with your favourite BBQ rub (or simply salt and pepper Texas style) and leave to marinate while you get your oven up to temperature – 225F or 107C
• Place the steak on tray and cook for 45 minutes or so until the internal temperature comes up to 110-115°F or 43-46°C
• Remove the steak and sear it at high heat to finish – the best way to do this is in a cast iron skillet or pan on the hob with a little butter for 1-2 minutes a side, but if the steak is too big for a pan, you can also do it in the oven. Turn your oven up as high as it can go (usually 450F or 260C) and put the steak back inside until the internal temperature is 130-140F (54-60C) for medium rare and 140-150F (60-66C) for medium to well.

What Temperature is Best to Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak?

The internal temperature to reverse sear tomahawk steak is 110-115F or 43-46C. At this temperature the steak has had enough time for slow, even cooking and can be finished off at high heat according to your desired level of doneness.

How Long to Smoke Tomahawk Steak at 200?

Depending on the size of your steak it will take somewhere between 1-2 hours to smoke at 200F (93C). Although cooking in an oven allows for more precise timings, using a smoker means dealing with more variables which is why the most important thing is to aim for the correct internal temperature which is around 120F (49C).

Once you have reached that temperature it’s time to sear the steak at high heat for 1-2 minutes a side. You can do this on your smoker grills or in a pan on your hob. Medium rare internal temp is 130-140F (54-60C) and medium is 140-150F (60-66C).

How Long to Smoke Tomahawk Steak at 225?

Depending on how big your steak is it will take around 45minutes to 1 1/2 hours to smoke at 225F (107C). Although oven cooking indoors allows for precise timings, using an outside smoker means dealing with environmental changes, which is why target internal temperature is the most important consideration – around 110-115F (43-46C) for the intial smoke before the reverse sear.

Once you have reached the correct internal temperature, sear the steak at high heat for around 1-2 minutes per side. You can do this on your smoker grills or in a pan on your hob. Medium rare internal temperature is 130-140F (54-60C) and medium to well is 140-150F (60-66C).

How Long to Smoke Tomahawk Steak at 250?

It will take somewhere between 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to smoke a tomahawk steak at 225F (107C). Target internal temperature is much more important than timings – you need to aim for around 110-115F (43-46C) for the initial smoke before you sear it at high heat.

At this internal temperature you can now reverse sear the steak at high heat for roughly around 2-3 minutes per side. This can be done on your smoker grills or alternatively in a pan on your hob. Medium rare internal temperature is 130-140F (54-60C) and medium to well is 140-150F (60-66C).

Average Weight of a Tomahawk Steak

On average most tomahawk steaks are around 1.5 pounds or 680g, but sometimes they can be closer to 2 pounds or 907g.

A steak of this size can feed 2-4 people depending on appetite and sides.

How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak

You might enjoy watching this short Youtube video on reverse searing a tomahawk steak on the smoker.

For more on the reverse sear method you could try our pellet grill steaks guide.

You might also enjoy our ‘How Long to Cook Steak on Pit Boss?’ article.