How Long to Smoke a Steak at 225 

Searing a steak in a hot cast-iron skillet is already intimidating. But smoking a steak to perfection can be terrifying. 

Smoking a steak is relatively easy. Once you know how long to smoke it at 225°F, you are a master of smoking steak in no time. 

Smoke your steak for 45 minutes to an hour, and you will have the most flavorful steak you’ve ever tasted.

Can You Smoke a Steak?

Everyone knows about searing, grilling, and even broiling steaks. Unfortunately, smoking steak is a new technique for most people. 

Nevertheless, you can smoke steak. Smoking gives the steak an added depth of flavor that you cannot achieve by searing or grilling the meat. 

Additionally, depending on the wood chips you use, your steak will have a unique flavor. 

Smoking steak is also as easy as searing steak. Unlike brisket or pork loin, you do not need BBQ ribs. All you need to do is season the steak with salt and pepper and smoke it. 

The smoke provides additional flavor. Plus, you get to walk away from your steak instead of standing over the stove waiting for it to cook. 

What Is the Best Steak to Smoke?

Not every steak is suitable for smoking. For example, steaks that are less than one inch cannot be smoked.

Cube steaks, eye of round steaks, and round steaks cannot be smoked. They are too thin to smoke. These steaks will dry out when the cooking time elapses.

You should only smoke these cuts if you are smoking a roast. An eye of round roast can withstand the long smoking process without drying out. 

Ideal steak cuts for smoking include top sirloin, Tomahawk, sirloin, ribeye, and flank steak.

Porterhouse steaks are also a great option for smoking. These steaks are typically an inch or more in thickness, so they will not dry out easily.

Should I Brine My Steak Before Smoking? 

Brining is optional when it comes to steak. There are two types of brine: wet and dry brines. 

A wet brines means submerging meat in a saltwater solution. In contrast, a dry brine means rubbing the meat with salt, sugar, or other spices. Brining can take up to 24 hours. 

Dry brines are better for smoking steaks. Dry brining your steak will add moisture to it.

Dry brining steak is also much easier since you rub salt or other spices on it. Additionally, dry brining takes up less refrigerator space.

Rubbing the steak with salt pulls the steak’s moisture to the surface of the beef. The steak absorbs the moisture pulling the salty liquid toward the center of the steak. 

Brining will not make the meat too salty. It will give the steak the perfect amount of salty steak.   

What Are the Best Woods for Smoking Steak?

The goal of smoking steak is to allow the smoke to amplify the steak’s natural flavor. You cannot use any wood to smoke steak. Some woods can easily overpower the steak’s flavor. 

If you want your smoked steak to have a mildly smoky flavor, cherry wood is the perfect option.

The cherry wood will not overpower the steak’s flavor. It will give the steak a deep undertone. 

If you want your smoked steaks to have a subtly sweet flavor, apple, pecan, and maple woods are perfect. The subtly sweet flavor will contrast beautifully with the salty and peppery flavors of the steak. 

In contrast, if you want to add a bold smoky flavor to your steak, mesquite, hickory, or oak woods are great options. Although these woods have a robust flavor, they will not overpower the steak’s beefy flavor. 

How Long to Smoke a Steak at 225

The general equation for smoking steaks is 45 minutes to an hour. You can also smoke the steak until it’s 5-10 degrees away from your desired doneness.

For example, if you want a medium-rare smoked steak (130°-140°F), remove it from the smoker when it has a temperature between 120°F and 130°F. 

You can let the steak rest, or you can grill it or sear it in a hot cast-iron skillet. 

For Rare steak, you would remove it from the smoker when it has a temperature between 120°F and 125°F. A medium steak ranges between 135°-145°F, and a medium well steak ranges between. 145°F and 155°F. 

A well-done steak has a temperature of 160°F or higher.

How to Smoke a 1-Inch Thick Steak

Generally speaking, it takes 45-60 minutes to smoke a 1-inch steak. However, check the temperature of the steak after 45 minutes. If the steak does not have your desired doneness, cook it for another 15 minutes. 

How Long to Smoke a Ribeye at 225

Ribeye is perfect for steak. It is also perfect for dry brining. It will take about 45-60 minutes to smoke a ribeye steak. It may take less or more time to smoke, depending on its thickness.

How Long To Smoke A 3 Pound Steak Smoke At 225 

A tomahawk steak is a huge steak cut. It varies in thickness. However, it takes 45-60 minutes to smoke a tomahawk steak at 225°F. Again depending on the thickness, the tomahawk steak may take less or more time to cook. 

How Long to Smoke Flank Steak 225

Flank steak takes about 1-2 hours to cook at 225°F. However, the exact timeline depends on the thickness of the flank steak. 

Nevertheless, you should not smoke flank steak above medium rare. The flank steak will be tough and chewy if it is smoked longer.

Therefore remove the flank steak from the smoker at a temperature of 125°F. The Flanks steaks temperature will rise to 135°F-140°F as it rests. 

How Long To Smoke Sirloin Steak At 225 

Sirloin steak is great for smoking. It takes about 40-50 minutes to smoke, which is relatively quick compared to the other cuts of steak. 

Final Thoughts

Smoking steak at 225°F is an excellent choice. The smoke takes the steak’s flavor to the next level. So dust off your smoker and smoke some steaks! 

William Thomas

I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.