Easy Tri-Tip (Oven or BBQ)

The best Easy Tri-Tip recipe for juicy flavorful Tri-Tip Roast made on the grill or oven-roasted! Marinated overnight in steak seasonings and olive oil rub.

Classic Prime Rib is a great classic Dinner Recipe for special occasions during the winter and fall, but this Tri-Tip Beef Roast is the easy summer crowd pleasing meal you need!

EASY TRI-TIP ROAST

From how to buy Tri-Tip to how to carve Tri-Top, we have all the tips and tricks you need to easily make the most flavorful Tri-Tip Roast you’ve ever had. The best news it that Tri-Tip is a very forgiving cut of meat. Rest easy (while your steak is resting) knowing your roast will be crowd pleasing perfection whether it’s oven-roasted or grilled, even if you missed a tip or two.

If this is your first time making Tri-Tip, the most important thing to know is where and how to buy Tri-Tip. You aren’t likely to find a whole Tri-Tip sirloin on a grocery store case. Some grocery butchers will have it in the back, but your best bet is to go to a local butcher. We included a buying guide in this post so you can buy Tri-Tip with confidence!

Tri-Tip Roast is an easy to prepare cut of meat with no need to trim or cut it down. You want to leave the fat as-is to lock in the natural juices and flavor while it slow roasts. The marinade also keeps this roast tender allows the seasoning and oil to absorb in the the fat. Along with flavor, the fat from the olive oil melds with the natural fat to give you extra juicy, melt-in-your-mouth steak.

Another popular way to cook Beef Tri-Tip Roast is to use a dry rub, like they do in Santa Maria, CA. Santa Maria style Tri-Tip is what really brought this steak to the mainstream and its a great way to prepare Tri-Tip if you don’t have time to marinate it overnight. Check out our Santa Maria dry rub in variations.

No matter how you prepare this Tri-Tip Roast, it’s sure to be juicy and tender, the perfect summer barbecue dinner. Serve sliced Tri-Tip with your favorite BBQ sides like Baked Beans and Mac and Cheese. Leftovers make great sandwiches, especially smothered with Homemade BBQ Sauce and topped with Coleslaw!

SIDE DISH RECIPES FOR EASY TRI-TIP

Baked Mac and Cheese

Southern Baked Beans

KFC Coleslaw (Copycat)

Easy Macaroni Salad

How To Carve a Tri-Tip Roast 

You want to slice Tri-Tip against the grain. The easiest way to determine the “grain” of the meat is the direction the fat and cut opposite to the fat. Your roast may have fat that changes direction near the middle. To make slicing easier, cut roast in half where fat changes direction and cut each half in thin slices against the grain.

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VARIATIONS ON TRI-TIP

• Santa Maria Rub: Use the spices and brown sugar in this recipe along with dried rosemary and oregano to make a Santa Maria dry rub. Leave out the oil and rub the dry mixture all over the roast before allowing to rest for 30 minutes.
• Chimichurri: Serve Tri-Tip with Chimichurri Sauce or use it as a marinade! This garlicky cilantro-parsley sauce is a staple in South and Central America, and one bite of it on any steak will make you a true believer in it.
• Meat: If you are having trouble finding Tri-Tip Roast, you can use London broil or a thick, well-marbled sirloin steak. The cooking times will be similar, just be sure to check for the internal temperature of 145 degrees.

How To Buy Tri-Tip Roast

• Ask For It – The most important thing in buying a Tri-Tip Roast is to ask for it! Ask the butcher for a “well-marbled Tri-Tip Roast”. They may also call it bottom sirloin, triangle roast, triangle tip roast, triangle steak, or California cut.
• Inspect It – The roast should be triangle-shaped, about the same thickness end to end. A prime cut will have a thick fat membrane on one end and fat ribboned through both sides. 
• Shop Local – Visit a local butcher, if possible, for a “prime cut” of beef. Local butcher cuts of meat have more fat and are well-marbled, meaning your roast is going to be packed with natural flavor.
• Grocery Stores – The better the grocery store, the better the cut of Tri-Tip  you are going to get. Discount grocery stores, if they have it, are going to have lean cut Tri-Tip that will cook much faster and shrink. Stick to the high end grocery stores for a better marbled roast.

MORE MOUTHWATERING BEEF MAIN DISHES

Easiest Brisket with Caramelized Onions

Italian Beef

Perfect Garlic Prime Rib

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches

HOW TO STORE EASY TRI-TIP

• Serve: Allow Tri-Tip to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Cooked Tri-Tip Roast can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it should be cooled and stored. 
• Store: Place sliced Tri-Tip in a plastic storage bag or airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat in the microwave in 30 seconds bursts so it doesn’t overcook.
• Freeze: Once cooled, place Tri-Tip slices in a sealed container or freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or serving cold.

5 from 3 votes

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Easy Tri-Tip Roast

The best Easy Tri-Tip recipe for juicy flavorful Tri-Tip Roast made on the grill or oven-roasted! Marinated overnight in steak seasonings and olive oil rub.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Easy Tri-Tip Roast

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Marinate 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 447 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 pounds tri tip roast

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate:

1. In a large bowl mix together the garlic salt, black pepper, brown sugar, dried minced garlic, onion powder, cayenne pepper and vegetable oil.

2. Add the tri-tip roast, coat well and cover with saran wrap.

3. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Oven-Roasted Tri-Tip

1. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add roast to a large skillet on high heat.

3. Sear the beef on both sides until browned.
4. Move beef to roasting pan.

5. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes per pound.

6. Remove and tent roast with foil.

7. Let meat rest 10 minutes (covered with foil), before slicing against the grain to serve.

Grilled Tri-Tip

1. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Preheat grill to high heat and season with an oiled brush.

3. Sear well on each side for 3-4 minutes.

4. Turn off heat on half the grill and leave meat on the side the heat is off (you'll be cooking on indirect heat).

5. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes per pound.

6. Transfer meat to a large foil pan, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Tri-Tip Roast

Amount Per Serving

Calories 447 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 147mg49%

Sodium 1284mg56%

Potassium 735mg21%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 47g94%

Vitamin A 69IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.