How to Cook Tri Tip Roast (Grilled or Oven-Roasted)
If you’ve never had tri tip, you haven’t lived! I will show you how to cook tri tip on the grill or in the oven. It’s SO easy and the flavor is unbeatable! We always had tri tip for Christmas dinner growing up; it’s an impressive holiday meal! Or make it in the summer with these Santa Maria Pinquito Beans! Originally posted November 9, 2018.
Tri Tip – Cooked 2 Ways
Sometimes I start to make a list of things to buy at Home Depot, and I get totally overwhelmed. Does this ever happen to you?? It’s basically impossible to stop at a home improvement store for just one item because there are always SO many projects on the to-do list when you’re a homeowner.
Like yesterday, I was going to head to the store to grab a new broom. Then I remembered that I also needed to shop for a new meat thermometer (for grilling this tri tip). I asked Eric if we needed anything else.
“Yeah. Get a wall patching kit, the kind with the mesh screen. Oh, and get some more ducting for the air conditioning, I need to patch some of it. And some new ceiling tile, the entry to the attic is getting worn down. And grab some nails, I’m running low, oh and some sand paper and wood oil so that I can refinish that bench on the porch.”
I can see future Karen, standing in the aisles of Home Depot, paralyzed with choices. But WHICH ducting should I get?? And nails, do you KNOW how many kinds of nails there are at Home Depot?? Like, 10,000, at least.
I ended up just not going at all. Home improvement, schome improvement. Instead let’s get down to business: It’s tri tip time. Are you ready??
What is a Tri Tip cut?
Tri tip is a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, with 3 tips. Grilling it became a thing in the 50s in Santa Maria, California, and it’s getting more popular nationwide, but some still haven’t heard of it. Sometimes outside of California it’s called a triangle roast. If you ask your butcher for a tri tip roast and he gives you a blank stare, try calling it the “California cut.”
It’s a unique cut that is part steak, part roast. When grilled, you get that perfectly tender, pink center with a browned-to-a-crisp, caramelized exterior, but it doesn’t take as long to cook as a full roast. It’s also cheaper than if you were to buy an equivalent amount of steak.
Is Tri Tip Roast the Same as Tri Tip Steak?
I guess, technically, what I call “tri tip” could be called tri tip roast, meaning that the cut of meat is all together. A tri tip steak is an individual slice of tri tip roast—but don’t you dare cut your tri tip into strips before cooking so it has the fancy word “steak” in it! Just say no!! After you’ve grilled or baked your tri tip, you’ll be slicing it. If you want to call those slices “tri tip steak,” knock yourself out. But I’m Californian. So, to me, the meat is simply “tri tip” before and after cooking, and before and after cutting.
(I wish you could see the juice pour out of this as I sliced it.)
Tri tip is HUGE in my family. We’ve eaten it for every Christmas dinner for as long as I can remember. My family was born and bred in California, so I had no idea it was a regional thing until I moved out of state as an adult, and realized people didn’t know what cut of meat I was talking about.
Tri Tip – Cooked 2 Ways
Is tri tip a thing where you are from?? If you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out! Today I will show you how to cook tri tip on the grill (which is the best way to do it) or in the oven.
Although I grew up eating tri tip at every holiday meal, we actually never made it ourselves. There is a locally famous butcher shop and deli in Manteca, my hometown. It’s called Fagundes Meats. We would always order a huge tray of grilled tri tip to be picked up on Christmas Eve, and then we would warm it in the oven the next day for Christmas dinner.
But I live in Sacramento now, an hour away, and I can’t just stop by anytime I want a delicious tri tip. So I called them up and asked about their process for how to cook tri tip. I’m so glad I did, because it’s different from what I thought! (it’s a shorter process than I imagined, which is good news for everyone.)
How to cook Tri Tip in Oven or on a Grill
Here’s a simple overview of what to do and what to watch out for. (Step-by-step instructions given in recipe below.)
- Prepare the marinade by combining all the spices: garlic salt, seasoning salt, kosher salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, and parsley.
- If you are grilling, trim the fat cap from the roast.
- If you are oven roasting, leave the fat cap on.
- Rub the spice mixture over the roast with your hands. Place in a large ziplock bag with 1/4 cup olive oil and seal the bag. Massage the oil into the meat.
- Marinate in the fridge, turning a couple times, for about 8 hours. (This is ideal. If you only have an hour or even 15 minutes, guess what, you’re still going to get a great roast. But the longer you marinate, the more flavor there will be. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
Grilling the Tri Tip
- Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it.
- Preheat your grill to high heat.
- Place the roast on a plate and discard the marinade (or save it to add to a pan sauce if you plan to make one).
- Grease the grill (or brush oil directly on the meat).
- Sear the roast over high heat for about 2-3 minutes, until it is nicely browned. Flip over (grease again if necessary) and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes. Keep the lid shut as much as you can.
- Turn off the heat on the side of the grill that your meat is on and lower the other side of the grill to low heat. We are cooking it over INDIRECT heat.
- Grill without opening the lid for about 20-25 minutes, or about 10-15 minutes per pound. Rare is when the center of the roast reaches 135 degrees F. Medium rare is 145 degrees F.
- Remove the roast from the grill, and place on a rimmed serving platter. Cover well with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve. (See tips below for how to slice a tri tip.)
Roasting the Tri Tip in an Oven
- Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe cooling rack on top, and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Place the roast in the pan, fat side down. Sear the roast for about 3-4 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Flip and sear the other side.
- Place the roast on the cooling rack. Save the marinade and oil from searing for a pan sauce, if you choose to make one.
- Put the roast in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or about 10-15 minutes per pound, depending on how rare you want it. Rare is when the center of the roast is 130-135 degrees F. Medium rare is 135-145 degrees F. Don’t cook it past 145; the meat doesn’t have enough fat for medium well or well. Use a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast to check the temperature.
- Remove the roast from the oven, and cover well with foil. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve. (See tips below for how to slice a tri tip.)
Fagundes is famous for their Santa Maria style dry rub seasoning. I know it’s a secret recipe, so I didn’t bother asking for it, but after lots of research, I’ve come up with something that tastes just right to me! It’s so simple. Just a little salt and pepper and garlic, plus some other spices to enhance that garlicky combo. It’s so good! And you don’t even have to chop anything.
I’ve provided both of these methods for cooking tri tip because I know not everyone has a grill, but I have to tell you that they are not equal. Tri tip is MADE for grilling, and it just tastes better than oven roasting. You are going to get an amazingly tender tri tip either way,, but you are only going to get that ultra-crispy black exterior from the grill. The smoke also adds flavor. The original Santa Maria tri tip is traditionally grilled over red oak wood, but I don’t have any and I’m guessing you don’t either. I promise, a regular gas grill will work just fine! Charcoal would be great too if you have that.
Do You Cook a Tri Tip Fat Side Up or Down?
The tri tip in the photos is trimmed, meaning the fatty layers surrounding it have already been removed by the butcher. If your cut of meat is untrimmed on one or both sides, here’s what I recommend:
For grilling: I prefer trimming so there are no fatty layers before cooking. Use a very sharp knife and pull the fat up, away from the meat, as you trim.
For oven baking: Make sure to trim so that at least one side has no fatty layer. Place the meat in the oven fat-side up for baking. The fatty juices will keep your meat moist and tender!
Once the meat is cooked, pull the fat away from the meat. It will separate fairly easily. Use a sharp knife to complete the separation. Do this before you slice up the meat for serving.
How to slice a tri tip roast
Tri tip is kind of weird because the grain runs in two different directions. You can’t slice it in the same direction all the way across. Use the above photo as a guide. The black lines are where you should cut. (Only once it is cooked! Don’t slice while raw. I just took the photo before cooking so you could see the grain of the meat.)
Tri tip (and all meat) should be cut against the grain, and that means your knife should be perpendicular to the lines you can see (called the grain) in the meat. The thick black line that I’ve drawn above, where you see that thicker fat, is where you can cut the roast in half. Then slice each section of the tri tip against the grain. That’s why some of the photos on this post show small pieces of meat, and some show super long and thin slices, like this:
Why is my Tri Tip Chewy?
No one wants chewy tri tip, so don’t let it happen to you!
The biggest keys to tender tri tip are to:
- Massage the oil into the meat. Don’t skip this part! You can tenderize your roast now with oil and a free massage, or tenderize it later via chewing.
- Marinate. 8 hours is ideal. 3 days is great too (but not longer!) If you only have an hour or even 15 minutes, guess what, you’re still going to get a great roast–as long as you massage the oil into the meat! However, the longer you marinate, the more flavor and tenderness there will be.
- Remove meat from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before cooking, so that it starts cooking at room temperature.
- Use a meat thermometer! Don’t overcook! Remember, the temperature climbs for about 5 minutes after the meat is off the grill. Take the tri tip off the heat once it reaches 135 degrees for a medium rare tri tip, or 5 degrees below your preferred doneness.
Follow the slicing instructions! Much of the toughness of a slice of meat comes from cutting it incorrectly. Follow the slicing instructions above.
Should I wrap my Tri Tip in foil?
Definitely don’t wrap your tri tip in foil for grilling, let’s just put that out there right now. You want those crispy, smokey edges. If you’re a big foil-fan, I’m begging you. At least take the foil off for the last minutes of cooking!
For baking in the oven, the baking time in this recipe is designed for having no foil. If however, toward the end of the baking time, the internal temperature is lower than 135 degrees, but the meat is already getting crispy and black, protect against overcooking by folding aluminum foil into a tent shape and placing it over the tri tip.
So, now you know how to cook tri tip! If your family is not into turkey, this would be an AWESOME main dish to serve at Thanksgiving. And as I already mentioned, we always have it for Christmas dinner, with all the regular fixings: mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, etc. It’s so good.
The traditional way to serve tri tip is in sandwiches though. Slice it up, put it on a soft roll, hoagie, ciabatta, whatever you want. Slather with mayo, add in some onions and BBQ sauce and you will be in heaven! UPDATE JULY 2020: I finally tried the traditional Santa Maria side dish that goes along with tri tip: Santa Maria Pinquito Beans. They are SO good and the perfect summer compliment to tri tip! Try it out! I’m obsessed:
P.S. If you are into grilling, I recently posted all about How to Cook Flank Steak. Check it out!
P.P.S. New update (June 2020)! I recently mastered How to Cook Ribeye Steak! You’re going to love it!
More holiday dinner ideas!
- Easy Fall-Apart Pot Roast with Carrots (Slow Cooker) << this is my favorite pot roast ever!
- Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork (Lechon Asado) << my most popular recipe of all time!
- Bacon Blue Cheese Brisket (Slow Cooker!) << how can you go wrong with bacon??
- Oven Roasted Cranberry-Dijon Glazed Ham << this is so great for the holidays!
More steak recipes from blog friends!
- Carne Asada from Foodie with Family
- Grilled Steak and Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread from Valerie’s Kitchen
- Grilled Flat Iron Steak from Savory Sweet Life
More Amazing Recipes
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Tri Tip Recipe (Grilled or Oven-Roasted)
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 pound tri tip roast
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
Choose your tri tip:
- If you can, get your tri tip from a local butcher. They will have what is called “prime” cuts, which has more fat and marbling than you can find at the grocery store. It will take longer to cook because of all the fat. (Fat=flavor)
- If you buy your tri tip at the grocery store, make sure that you go to a high-end grocery store. High-end grocery stores are going to have mid-range cuts of meat. A discount store is going to have discount meat, and it will not be marbled well. Your roast will shrink a lot more and it will take a shorter time to cook.
- Ask the butcher or grocery clerk for a well marbled tri tip roast, or “California cut” or a “triangle roast.” If they still don’t know what you mean, ask for the bottom sirloin butt (subprimal cut).
Prepare the marinade:
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices: galic salt, seasoning salt, kosher salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, and parsley. 1 tablespoons of dried parsley is fine, you can use 2-3 tablespoons if you are using fresh parsley.
- If you are grilling, trim the fat cap from the roast. If you are oven roasting, leave it on.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the roast with your hands. Place in a large ziplock bag and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Seal the bag and massage the oil into the meat. Place in the fridge and marinate, turning a couple times, for about 8 hours. (This is ideal. If you only have an hour or even 15 minutes, guess what, you’re still going to get a great roast. But the longer you marinate, the more flavor there will be. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
How to Grill Tri Tip:
- Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it. It should start cooking at room temperature.
- Preheat your grill to high heat. Make sure you give it a good 15-20 minutes to heat up.
- Place the roast on a plate and discard the marinade (or save it to add to a pan sauce if you plan to make one).
- Grease the grill (or brush oil directly on the meat).
- Sear the roast over high heat for about 2-3 minutes, until it is nicely browned. Flip over (grease again if necessary) and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes. Keep the lid shut as much as you can.
- Turn off the heat on the side of the grill that your meat is on. We are cooking it over INDIRECT heat. Lower the other side of the grill to low heat. If you are cooking over charcoals, arrange the meat and charcoals so that the meat is off to the side, not cooking directly above the charcoal.
- Grill without opening the lid for about 20-25 minutes, or about 10-15 minutes per pound, depending on how rare you want it. Rare is 135 degrees F. Medium rare is 145 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast to check the temperature.
- Remove the roast from the grill, and place on a rimmed serving platter. Cover well with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve (see photos). Try this tri tip with it’s traditional side dish, Santa Maria Pinquito Beans!
How to Roast Tri Tip in the Oven:
- Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it. It should start cooking at room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe cooling rack on top, and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, place the roast in the pan, fat side down. Sear the roast for about 3-4 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Flip and sear the other side.
- Place the roast on the cooling rack. Save the marinade and oil from searing for a pan sauce, if you choose to make one.
- Put the roast in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or about 10-15 minutes per pound, depending on how rare you want it. Rare is 130-135 degrees F. Medium rare is 135-145 degrees F. Don’t cook it past 145; the meat doesn’t have enough fat for medium well or well. Use a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast to check the temperature.
- Remove the roast from the oven, and cover well with foil. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve (see photos). Try this tri tip with it’s traditional side dish, Santa Maria Pinquito Beans!
To make a pan sauce:
- Save all meat drippings* and excess marinade. Add to a small saucepan with 2 cups beef broth.* Bring to a boil. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup cold water and 3 tablespoons flour. Whisk until smooth, and then slowly pour into the boiling broth. Continue simmering for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Add 2 tablespoons butter, season with salt and pepper, and serve with meat.
Notes
Nutrition
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This was a 10+ omg. Delish delish delish! Was super easy and good step by step instructions. I made the oven one. My husband couldn’t say enough how delicious it was. Will be making this frequently. Thanks so much!
tri-tip turned out extremely salty. Unable to eat and very disappointed. using seasoning salt, garlic and kosher salt which overpower the flavor.
My son recently moved to Wisconsin from California. He love tri tip and was surprised that it was not available or even known about in the stores. I sent him a couple of tri tips to get him through. I’ll pass along the suggestion about the California cut. Thanks for the great recipe.
Very informative info and great recipe. I have to admit that I used the Santa Maria marinade from A Sweet Pea Cook because I had everything I needed already. It was so tasty! I stayed to the shorter end of the cooking time and it turned out a nice medium rare.
The meat came out exactly how I like it!! So easy, the crust from searing was perfect!
Thank you!!
I have several mortons of omaha tri trips from Costco to cook for a family event. Could I cook them the day before, and then warm gently in the oven the day of the party? We are planning to put them on rolls with horseradish sauce on the side, so really only need the meat to be slightly warm. Should we slice meat the day before or wait til day of party to slice?
Hi Theresa! Yes, make sure you do not overcook the meat and I might only cook to rare or medium rare, as it will cook more when you reheat it the next day. Heat it in the oven at 250 in a covered casserole dish until warm! Enjoy!
I tried this technique tonight and it was INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you so very much. My whole family (3 kids under 5) and my husband LOVED it!!!
Couldn’t even make it through the first 2 steps. Privilege to shop at butcher or “high end” grocer. Please try to be a little more inclusive to those of us that are trying to feed a group of 8 with a $40 roast from Safeway.
Hi there, if you are looking for a more economical main dish, try my Easy Pot Roast!
I used this recipe with a pre-marinated tri tip from the store. I patted it dry before searing and followed the recipe. OMG it turned out so good. I was a little impatient and checked the temp at 15 mins(2.25 lb tri tip), and put it back in for 5-10 mins longer. I should have just waited the 20 mins to keep more juices in. It still turned out delicious and was cooked perfectly with pink in the middle. The ends were more done but not grey or well done at all. Thank you so much, better instructions for cooking than what came on the package.
Didn’t this recipe have white wine in it for the marinade previously? I always make it with a sauvignon blanc for some reason but don’t know how much to add and I dont see it anymore 😳 did I totally make that up?? Haha.
Hey Jessica! No this recipe never had white wine in it! Although it sounds delicious :)
Wow! I had never cooked tri tip before, but picked one up on sale this week. I used your recipe with the oven. It turned out perfectly! We like rare/med rare. I seared it for 3 min on one side and 2 min on the other. Then in the oven for 20 min at 400. Perfect rosey red all the way through for my 2.5 lb tri tip. Thank you for a great recipe from a grateful Californian transplanted to Washington State!
Oh my. I live in Stockton and we used to go to Fagundes once a week for lunch. Any who thanks I will be trying this for dinner tonight. I got a great marinated Tri tip from Lockeford Meats last weekend. I already know it’s going to be delicious. Thank you.
Fagundes is the best right!! I hope your Tri tip turns out great! Thanks for chiming in :)
I made this over this labor day weekend. Marinated it for about 7 hrs with a blend of spices I had on hand. Wasn’t sure about the olive oil but tried it. Used a weber gas grill. Tri-tip came from walmart and was choice, I trimmed off silver skin and fatty parts, then followed your recipe.
Left it sit out for about half hour to warm up then grilled each side about 3.5 mins on each side, then transferred to the no flame part of the grill for about 15 min. Temp was around 143 then in thickest part. Covered with foil and put in 150ish oven with the dinner plates to rest for about 10 mins. Final temp on mine was around 145 nice and pink. It was so tender and tasty will be doing again. And I usually never take the time to do this but you need to be congratulated for a winner!
Cannot wait to try this. I am originally from Ripon Ca. We cannot find tritip where we are at in Virginia. I never knew it was a Cali thing either. We just had our steer processed and we requested a tritip and will be grilling with your recipe tomorrow. I will let you know how it turned out.
This was among the best tri tips I have ever eaten. I followed the recipe exactly. I very much enjoyed the rub as well as the method. It was so tender and tasty. I paired with brown rice and a fresh vegetable…delicious.
Fagundes makes the best tri-tip! Moved out of state
to NM and have been trying to find a recipe similar. Thanks for posting it!
I like to reverse sear mine. Have you tried it?
I haven’t Jennifer! Sounds delicious!
So glad I came across this recipe. Had never heard of tri-tip before so I tried it and it was fantastic!!😋😋 Love the marinade too. Just the right amount of seasoning. Thanks again!!
Hey y’all!!! I love reading these comments… in fact i started with the comments before i read the recipe for the “tips” … sounds like everything is on point! Excited to try this tonight for supper!
I’m a Mississippi girl and actually saw the Tri-Tip at my local butcher shop. Never in the history of cooking, have I ever seen this cut of meat here in Mississippi!
My husband and I moved to south Alabama because of his job several years back and were friends with a couple from California. They cooked this all the time, but would have to special order it from the local supermarket!!!
I’ll let y’all know how it turns out!
I used to go to Fagundes Meats also, they also taught me to cook tri tip on the bbq. When the jiggle is gone in tri tip it should be about medium. Use a thermometer to check just in case. Best meat in Calif.
That is so cool Mary, did you work there? Great tips.
The Tri Tip turned out amazing! I used a marinade I found and it soaked in it for probably 6 hours. I seared it according to the recipe in a cast iron skillet and then put the skillet in the oven. When I removed the tri tip from the oven, we put it on the grill for about 5 minutes and I used the skillet to make the sauce. It was delicious with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and asparagus!
I’m a weekend cook and this recipe is right up alley. The only difference is I used garlic powder instead of garlic salt, just my personal preference to keep the sodium a little lower.Very tasty!
when putting it on rack in over is fat side up or down ? thanks !
Hi Barb! I would put the fat side up so that as the fat melts, it runs down into the meat. Enjoy!
Hi there, do you roast it in the oven covered or uncovered?
Hi Tina! Uncovered!
This was absolutely amazing. I did not have dry sage, so I used fresh. Also, I stored it in the fridge with the rub overnight.
This recipe is delicous. I have made it a few times. It is really good.
I usually do the tri tip on the grill – browning the fat side and then moving it to indirect for 10-15 minutes at highest temp. Rainy weather necessitated oven work. Let sit on counter 1 hour. Browned in cast iron then tried roasting at 350 but the temp was too low and after 20 mins it was at 40 degrees F. Upped oven temp to 400 and roasted another ten minutes to 130F. Highly recommend roasting at 400F or above for 15 mins then check temp. 130F was perfect medium rare and juicy!
My family loved this recipe. I did a test run yesterday since I host Christmas Eve dinner. It was very tasty and will be on the menu. The only thing I would change is the salt content but that’s only because I have high blood pressure lol not because of taste (I wanna live lol). It was so delicious though!!!! Thank you once again!!
Making this for Thanksgiving tomorrow, there will only be three of us eating and we aren’t huge turkey lovers. And, i’m reading the entire page (I don’t normally) as I stumbled across the bit where you name off Fagundes in Manteca- and I’m like– “what?! I’M in Manteca!” Lol. So, since I have never ever ever read anything that personally names off the town in which I live- I figured this must be some kind of sign that out of all the recipes on Pinterest and online — THIS is the one I’m supposed to do. Lol. Thank you, in advance! And you’re totally right- Fagundes is the best.. I recently was at the DMV and ended up standing right behind one of the Fagundes guys in line- super nice dude. Happy holidays!
HA! It’s totally a sign Erin. The Fagundes gods are calling you. How fun that you met the guy, they have always been super nice and down to earth! Enjoy making it! Hopefully you can make all your neighbors jealous of the amazing smells coming from your grill!
This works great cooked Sous Vide for 3 hours at 127 and seared on the grill or with a torch. It comes out perfect medium rare every time.
Great idea trying these in the sous vide Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing details! I bet it was delicious and takes all the guesswork out :)
This was perfect! I made 2 one as recipe calls and the other i added some cumin and some chili powder. Will make it again! Soo juicy and flavorful.
Ooh, chili and cumin, I like the sound of that! Thanks for sharing your notes and changes Cristina!
The best Rst. and steak rub ever. Thank you
My house is filled with a delicious smell of meat searing in cast iron skillet. Can’t wait until dinner tonight. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Seems pretty simple.
Today, I made it. unbelievable. I so delicious. I love your recipe. Thanks you.
I barbecued a tri tip roast following the basic recipe (mine was 3.5 lbs) and it was FABULOUS!!!! AND It was barbecued on a cheap ($19.99) Walmart barbecue over charcoal and it came out perfect!!!! Thank you!!!!!
So happy to hear it Rick! Thanks for reviewing!
it was PERFECT….CAME OUT ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! OMG..IT WAS SO GOOD.
Was reading how to cook trip tip in the oven. When you do this, what rack do you put it on?
Hi Donna! Just right in the middle of your oven will work great!
Karen,
Tried it last night and it was wonderful!! However I think I will take it out at 135 rather than 145. One question, How to reheat without over cooking?
Thanks, Frank
Hi Frank! So glad you enjoyed it! I like to warm it in the oven covered at around 350 for about 10 minutes until it is warm. Or just microwave it, but keep an eye on it!
I’m so happy I found this recipe, I cannot wait to try it! Fellow Sacramentan here. We used to get an amazing marinated tri-tip at Costco that was so, so tender and perfectly delicious, but they stopped selling it! So now I need to make my own marinade. Would love to know where you buy your tri-tip here in town. The closest butcher shop to me closed down about 3-4 years ago.
Thanks again!!!!
Oh sad that it’s not available anymore! I actually buy my tri tip at the local Savemart. I’m always really impressed with the quality of their cuts! Thanks for commenting Julie!
Best step by step Tri Tip cooking instructors ever! I’ve never succeeded like I have before I used your directions. You have changed my BBQ life and inspired confidence I never before possessed.
Thank you from the bottom-most tip of my heart )pun intended)
I read this out loud to my family and we all laughed! Puns are the way to my heart apparently ;) So glad you enjoyed the recipe Michael, thank you for commenting with a review!
I recently made this recipe for my family, everything went smoothly in the cooking process. I even did one tri tip in the Oven and one on the grill. When finished it looked like the picture and I was eager to eat. However when I bit into the food I was overwhelmed with the amount of salt. It is extremely overpowering and almost not edible. If you choose to cook this meal I would recommend using lessened amounts of salt to get the best taste.
I followed the recipe to a “t.” Then, I cooked in the oven on a rack something I’ve never done before. Ater the first 25mins I tested the meat every 5 mins with the thermometer. It was 15 mins or so until the thinner part of the cut was at 145 and the thicker middle was 138. Pulled it out and off the rack. Covered on a plate with foil then cut against the grain. Delicious!!! I’ve never been able to make a tri tip that wasn’t bone dry. Thank you for the tips! Best ever!!
Hooray!! It really is magical that first time you get it right, isn’t it?? So glad it worked out for you April! Thank you for commenting!
Used the oven. 400 degreed Fahrenheit. 25 minutes. Still raw.
This was delish! Just got done making it!!!
This recipe looks so good, I am planning to make this for an upcoming event. However I will probably need 2-3 tri tips due to the number of people. Any tips for how to cook multiples at the same time? Or better to cook individually ahead of time and then re heat? Thanks!!
Hi Sydnie! This really just depends on how large your grill is. If you can fit them on, it should be fine! Go by temperature, not times!
This was my first experience preparing this cut of beef. Your recipe was so easy and SO DELICIOUS!! One definitely needs to track roasting time carefully. Our roast was more well done than I would have preferred, but it totally disappeared.
So happy to hear that Laura! Thanks for the review!
I made this for my family’s Christmas dinner. My husband usually cooks, so it was my time to shine. The kids were saying, “ aww no, not roast beef again”, which is my go-to meal and a childhood favorite. I found this marinade last minute and only had the beef marinating for about three hours.
Into the oven it went, and 45 minutes later the most Beautiful smells were coming from my kitchen. It was cooked to perfection and my husband said that was it, I could do the cooking from now on. I dissuaded him from that thought in a hurry but agreed that this would now become a family favorite from now on.
Haha! I’m glad you haven’t been roped into being the full time cook! But so glad you all enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for reviewing!
I tried the Tri-Tip (grilled or oven-roasted) recipe. I did not have a roast but two small pieces of tri-tip about 5 – 6 inches long that seemed a little marbled. I found that leaving the meat out for 30 minutes to warm up was not enough time. It took quite a long time to cook and I took it out when the thermometer reached 145 degrees. When sliced, it looked beautiful. Done around the edges but pink in the middle. The problem was that it was hard to chew. It didn’t look like there was any gristle in the meat but it “chewed” like there was. We were disappointed. We only ate part of the smallest piece and decided to cut the other one in thin slices and cook it longer in gravy to see if that would help. The flavor of the meat was very good, though. And the sear was good – nice and crisp. I bought the meat at a Safeway store, not having a local butcher shop in our small town. We had just had a filet mignon from there a week before – two small pieces – that were so tender, they could have been cut with a fork. Probably the best I’ve ever had. But, I guess all meat is not comparable. I would like to try this recipe again to see if the result is better.
Hi Sonja! I’m so sorry it didn’t work out. Next time I would recommend cooking it for less time, if it was too tough for you. Go for 135 or 140 degrees, keeping in mind that the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you remove it from the grill. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the grafic of where to cut. The best explanation I’ve ever seen.
Oh good Mary, so happy to hear that!
Fagundes Meats is famous up and down the San Joaquin Valley. My Dad would always stop when in Manteca for work and bring home (Lodi where I grew up) a special beef protein to have for dinner in a day or two.
I make my own rub as well, but rely on two packed spices: Pappy’s Seasoning’s from Fresno, and Montreal Steak seasoning available at Costco. I’ll mix 1 cup Pappy’s & 1cup Montreal with 1 tbsp of each Garlic Salt and Paprika. I’ll mix in big bowl and then transfer back into the big 29oz Pappy’s & Montreal shaker bottles.
I fire up my gas grill to 450* and sear both sides, about 4-5 minutes each side. Then I lower the temp to 375* using the two outside burners. I’ll check the temp with a digital thermometer after 15 minutes, flip the meat, and check again in about 10 minutes. I’ll cook to 145*, let rest 10-15 as I grill the garlic bread and veggies. Slick about 1/4″, fan slices out of a platter and serve.
Hey Scott! I’m going to have to try to get my hands on some Pappy’s to try your seasoning combo! It sounds delicious. And that’s so cool that you have Fagundes memories too! It’s such a great place. Good ol central California food!
Only had time to marinate for a half hour. Used my metal cookie cooling racks and watched with my meat thermometer to 140. They were perfect and delicious! The flavor was better than the store-bought marinade!
That’s awesome Suzanne! Good to know that even a short marinade will give good results! Thanks for commenting!
When you put the tri tip in the oven, do you cover it? Does it matter if you use a glass or metal pan?
Hi Michele! No, don’t cover it. And the instructions specify to use a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top. Not sure if you could fit a cooling rack in a glass dish?
Yes, I realized that after I read again. We made this over the weekend and it came out so juicy!!!! Thanks for recipe!!!!!
So happy to hear that Michele! Glad you liked it!
Too salty. Kinda gross
Bought a pre-marinated tri-tip at Stater Bros. – following your cooking instructions, it was great. I made a clear(ish) gravy from the drippings. This morning, I thickened the gravy and served my husband biscuits and gravy … he was one happy camper last night and again this morning! Today’s lunch, tri-tip sandwiches. Yum!
Genius! I’ve seen tri tip marinated at the store but haven’t ever bought one. Huge time saver! Also, tri tip biscuits and gravy?? YES PLEASE. I’m coming to your house for lunch hope that’s okay thanks ;)
OMG sister! …i generally never read the commentary that goes along with a recipe when I “Google” it…but today I did, and i could not believe it!…someone from the Central Valley of California!
I was born and raised in Turlock, CA. We are dairy farmers born and bred! If you ask me, I would tell you that the “Central Valley” consists of only 5 counties: Stanislaus, Merced, San Joaquin, Fresno, & Tulare, but in all actuality it consists of 19 counties. I just love the fact that California is the primary producer for most commodities that feed the Nation, and the world, in most parts!
I recently visited friends in Illinois, that i hadn’t seen since they moved from Turlock, CA 23 years ago, and i was bragging about my boyfriend, who has “Tri-tip Sunday”, every week! He says he works hard all week long, and he deserves to have BBQ’d Tri-tip, (even if we are on a Top Ramen budget)! So, I dont argue, because he is the BBQ King!
But my friends interrupted me and said, “what is Tri-tip”? And I said, “you don’t know what Tri-tip is? You came from the Central Valley, and you don’t know what I’m talking about”?…Nope! They call that cut of meat something different in that part of the country! And it’s really not too popular either. Crazy! They don’t know what they are missing!
I love your recipe for the oven cooked Tri-tip, (as I am not a BBQ Queen)! Lol!
My boyfriend keeps it pretty simple with the seasoning, but what he swears by, is Kingsford Mesquite charcoals, (the regular kind, not match lite), and the small round Weber BBQ. He says that the heat distribution is just perfect, and the mesquite charcoals is what tops off the flavor! We like ours rare, but we do compromise (just a little), with medium rare, when we have company over.
Just thought I’d share! I think I love some of your other recipes, and look forward to trying them!
Hi Lisa! Yes it’s so funny how some people outside of California have never heard of tri tip, although I do think it has been gaining popularity in recent years! My grandpa was also a dairy farmer, and later an almond grower. California sure is a powerhouse for agriculture :) Tri Tip Sunday sounds like a fabulous idea!! We do Cookie Sunday at our house, but maybe we should up the ante! Thanks for sharing all your mesquite charcoal tips, it sounds amazing!
Thank you so much for sharing your talents! I followed your instructions and my first TriTip oven roasted steak came out “perfect”! God bless you!!!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you had tri tip success Marie! Thanks for commenting!
Made this recipe on a smaller tri tip section in the oven in michigan on new years day, im going to make the grilled recipe this weekend after i assemble my new grill. It was amazing the first time, the seasoning portions had me concerned to start as i like my steaks with very little seasoning, but i was impressed, and look forward to a full size roast on the grill this weekend. Thank you
I’m so glad you were pleased with the seasonings Steve! That’s great. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you! I followed your suggestions and recipe, the Tri Tip was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that Tammi! Thank you for reviewing!
Wow! That’s all I can say about this meat. I’ve never tried tri-tip thinking it was hard to do or would be tough, but using the grill method outlined resulted in a tasty, tender, and juicy roast. I served it with french fries and salad, Now it is being requested again as soon as possible.
Thank you for the great information on how to prepare it properly.
That’s awesome Rob! I’m glad it was a success. Love the idea of fries and and salad to go with it. Thanks for the serving suggestion and for leaving a review!
Our family LOVES Fagundes too!!! Luckily for us we live just south of Manteca, so someone can ran over and pick it up! And…they sell their meat seasoning now, 😀
You are so lucky!! Enjoy all that delicious tri tip!
Delicious! So moist and tender! I made mine in the oven. Directions were fantastic!
So happy to hear that Dawn! Good directions is a big compliment for me :) Thanks for reviewing! You’re awesome.
Excited to try in the oven we also bought ours from the butchers in Manteca wow what a small country lol now in WA one of my favorite cuts of meat 😃
Small country indeed Sharlon! That’s awesome!
JACKPOT! It was so, so yummy! And juicy. I cut it up and ended up with juice everywhere and still more in the meat. (I’ll know to use a cutting board that will catch all this flavorful juice.)
I did mine in the oven–as a safety measure for me–but I might actually try the grill next time.
I also substituted sea salt for the kosher salt since I didn’t want to run to the store, and I don’t think it hurt it a bit.
Thanks for giving a recipe which did not take overnight marinating, and had ingredients easily found at home. It’s so nice not to make something my family actually likes!
I am so impressed not only with the recipe, but with the instructions on how to make it. It was so delicious, a complete winner for my family, from a Mom who usually does not get high marks in cooking, frying or grilling meat of any kind.
Thank you for the much needed pictures as well–I couldn’t have done it without those detailed instructions. It makes me want to enter the kitchen again. Win-win.
YAY! I’m so glad the recipe was such a success for you Leslie! I’m so happy that the pictures and details were helpful too. I will be honest, I don’t consider myself a magician when it comes to grilling either, but this one is so easy that it’s really easy to impress people with it ;) Thank you so much for your detailed review Leslie! Comments like this help food bloggers out so much :)
The best! I used the oven method and I followed your recipe to a T- except that I couldn’t find the parsley, so I used oregano as a sub. I have never made as a good a dish as this one. Thank you… from a fellow Californian.
Ooh this would be excellent with oregano! I’m so glad it turned out Loli! Thanks for commenting!
In the words of my family, this is mmmm mmmm good. Loved the slicing tips and picture. I gotta say this is the best and juiciest oven baked tri tip I have ever made. Thank you.
Doesn’t get any better than Mm mm good :) I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe Melinda, and that the slicing tips were helpful! Thanks for commenting!
I’ve made this Tri-Tip recipe 3 times so far; a summer BBQ, for me and my husband personally, and for my husbands work potluck (Haveing 12 men who work in a lumber mill rave about my oven cooked tri tip is pretty bad ass!) and I am going to make it again tomorrow. I wanted to add that when I make this recipe I add some Dry White Wine to the marinade and it is amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Just another option for anyone wanting to try!
Ooh I love the white wine idea Jessica! That sounds really good. I’m so glad the recipe was a success each time!! Thanks for commenting!
Hello and good day. I was reading this recipe and from cook to another, you might want to check your temps on how its cooked. Medium rare is 135 in temp and not 145. 145 is medium. A little tip for ya. Have a wonderful day.
I am a little concerned about the salt… should I be? I used exact recipe.
Hi Lori! I have a lot of season-shy readers, I think :) I stand by this recipe as written. I just made it again last week, exactly as written. If you are worried about it, cut out a little bit of the kosher salt. Enjoy!
Outstanding recipe, easy to make and wonderful tri-tip in the end.
I’m so happy to hear that Jane! Thank you for the review!
I’m a little confused, do I use the rack that’s already in the oven?
Hi Diane! The recipe calls for putting a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. (The kind of cooling rack that you put your cookies on to cool after they come out of the oven.) You put the tri tip on a rack so that the bottom of it can get crispy instead of becoming soggy sitting in it’s own juice. Hope this helps!
Made this last night for dinner and it was the first time I have had this type of roast come out juicy and tender. We loved it. Thanks.
Hey Barbara, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for reviewing the recipe!
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit!!! I did cut out the kosher salt in the marinade because between the seasoning salt and the garlic salt it seemed like a lot to me. And I baked the tri tip and it was definitely still salty. Also I added a half teaspoon of oregano and basil to the marinade. Was so so good!!!
OMG! I have made Tri-Tip steak before, but it was not that interesting, so I decided to try this recipe. I bought the meat at Costco, because in spite of being a discount store, the meat is graded Prime, and is usually very, very good. I made the rub which was super easy and smelled divine! Put it into the plastic bag with the olive oil and left it in the fridge for about 5 hours. I followed the rest of the instructions and the meat turned out absolutely delicious! The very best Tri-Tip steak/roast I have ever made or had anywhere! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe. It will be my “go to” from now on!
I’m so happy to hear what a success it was Laura! Thank you so much for the review! And I hadn’t thought to look for tri tip at Costco, I don’t know why. They usually have great quality meat. I’ll look next time I go! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the tip on slicing the Tri Tip. I never know that. Made it tonight and it made the presentation much nicer. BTW it was really tasty too!
I’m so glad the slicing tip was helpful Mely! Thanks for commenting with your feedback!
Hello! I made this last time and it was so delicious! But I didn’t have seasoning, so I replaced it with meat tenderizer. We don’t use seasoning salt, so I don’t have it on hand. Would you recommend I omit it or is there something else I can substitute the seasoning salt for? Thanks in advance!
Hi Briana! If you don’t have seasoning salt on hand, you can easily mix up some of your own. it’s just an ingredient blend. I’m sure a simple google search will give you some recipes you can try. Let me know how it goes!
When I read Manteca, I knew a fellow Californian, you knew your stuff! :)
I’ve made this so many times, using most if not all your seasonings (except sugar, I’ll have to try that) so I know this recipe is awesome. The only difference I do sometimes is crush a few cloves of garlic and bury them in the trip tip.
Kudos on a really well written recipe!
*Foodie Love from a fellow Sac neighbor*
Ahhh yay I’m so happy to hear from another California Tri Tip lover Brandie! Love the idea of adding even MORE garlic, I mean how can you go wrong here :) Thank you so much for commenting!
Whoa. I measured exact and this made my tri tip way too salty. Highly recommend anyone doing this pull back on the salt. Can’t tell if it’s good yet. Rinsed it off and hoping for the best.
Hey Sandy! I’m so confused, how do you know if it’s too salty if you haven’t tasted it yet?
Fugundes! My absolute favorite must have everytime we visit. Not to mention I have your mom or whoever is willing, ship me a container of their seasoning anytime I’m out. I use it for almost everything beef related. I haven’t tried making my own tri tip because I figure there’s no way I could do it justice but now I’m so doing this for Christmas.
I know, Fagundes is just the BEST. I have some of the seasoning too, but wanted to create a homemade version so I could blog it. If you have the seasoning at home you could just use that and then follow the grilling instructions. I’m so glad you will get to have it for Christmas! We’re doing it this year in Utah! We will see how grilling goes in the snow! Some things just have to be done right ;)
I have been working with tri-tips for well over 30 years. And if done right they are the best buy for your money. But I don’t go through all the rim-of moral that you do with all your marinating. The best and easiest way is to to do this is to just set them out on the counter and let them come to room temperature.Then completely cover them in a rub such as Ridy’s or Pappy’s. Both of these can be bought online. Cover them completely with a good covering of the rubs. Then let them sit there for most of the day so that they can absorb all the good flavoring. Start a fire in your grill and get it nice and hot. Oil your grates. Then go back in and once again add another coat of rub to the meat. Set the tri-tip on the grill with the fat side down for 15 minutes. Then turn over and continue cooking it uncovered for 30 minutes more. The meat will be almost black just like when you do a brisket. And have a nice crust to them. Remove from the grill and set on a serving tray for 10 minutes. Cut crosswise for best results. The nice things about the two rubs is that you can use them on just about anything. Eggs, salads,potato salad and even have used it in coleslaw. They are good on just about everything and not just for grilling.
Hey Mark! Thanks for sharing all your tips! The way you describe your method is basically the same as what I have in my recipe, except I add a little olive oil so that it makes the tri tip even juicier (especially because, let’s face it, most people are going to be able to afford a mid-range cut of meat rather than prime.) I will have to check out the Ridy’s and Pappy’s rub! I’m sure they are delicious! Thanks for commenting, it’s great to hear from a tri tip expert!
I grew up in Santa Maria. Every weekend, sun or rain, if there was cover you could see the main drag, Broadway, filled with smoke from all of the bbqs. It was so smokey you couldn’t see a block away downtown in summer. Oh and the smell was very amazing! If you couldn’t afford the prices you would have to stay home with the doors and windows closed because the awesome aroma would make you so hungry. Never mind the Santa Maria beans that you would eat as a side. Yes, true-tip, the best cut of meat out there. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
That is awesome Shari! I’ve never been to Santa Maria, but that sounds amazing and now I want to make a trip just for the smell. You will have to let me know if the seasoning on this tri tip is anything like you remember! It’s pretty close to the butcher I love in Manteca, but I know Santa Maria is where it all started. I just learned in my research for this post that eating them with beans is traditional (my family always served it with potatoes!) Do you have a recipe for the beans? Or any idea what they are like? I’d love to try making them! Thanks so much for commenting!
So excited to try this. One question, you have the oven preheating at 400 and baking at 350; which temperature is correct?
Thanks!
Oops! Thanks for catching that Amy! I changed it, it’s 400. Thanks for letting me know! You will have to let me know how it turns out!
Was watching BBQ Pitmasters and saw them preparing a tri-tip. I’ve smoked briskets, ribs, pork but never cooked a tri-tip. I came across your recipe and decided I’d try grilling one. Followed the recipe and threw it on the grill using indirect heat and it came out pretty good for the first time. Juicy and tender an A+ according to my wife. Thanks for sharing the recipe I will definitely be grilling another one soon in the near future.
I’m so glad your first Tri tip was a success Joey! Sounds like you know what you’re doing on the grill. Thanks for the review!