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This grilled Tri Tip Roast is perfectly tender and delicious. The marinade gives the tri-tip so much flavor, there is no need for steak sauce.
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This Tri Tip Roast is the most tender, flavorful cut of meat. Tender, lean and rich in beefy flavor, a tri tip roast can be cooked over a charcoal grill, in a smoker, a cast-iron skillet, just about anywhere. Grill, roast it whole, cut it into individual steaks, the possibilities are endless. Tri tip roast fork tender and perfect for a Sunday supper, holiday soiree, or weekend backyard meal. And all you need are a few simple seasonings for unbelievable flavor.
Ingredients in Tri Tip Roast
Start with two pounds of tri tip roast. One roast should be about one to one and a half inches thick. You can find good cuts of meat at your local butcher counter or at your grocery store. Then stir together marinade ingredients:
- Whole grain mustard – two tablespoons
- Steak sauce – We like Lea and Perrins or A-1, but you can use your favorite steak sauce for this recipe.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – two tablespoons
- Balsamic vinegar – one tablespoon rich, dark balsamic tastes so delicious with this meat!
- Fresh rosemary – about one tablespoon, finely chopped
What is Tri Tip Roast?
A tri-tip roast is a lean and tender cut of beef from the bottom sirloin of a steer. It has a triangular shape, which is where it gets its name. The same cut can also be called tri-tip steak, bottom sirloin roast or triangle roast. It is a small roast usually weighing 1 ½ to 2 pounds.
How to Cook Tri Tip
Tri tip is a versatile cut of beef with great flavor. Rubs, seasonings, and marinades all enhance the tenderness and the flavor of the roast. A tri-tip roast is delicious pan seared, roasted in an oven on medium high heat, broiled in the oven, or cooked on the grill as in this recipe. The smoke from the grill gives the roast an extra smoky flavor and slightly crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
Optional Seasonings
From fresh herbs to savory seasonings, there are all sorts of ways you can add more flavor to a tri-tip recipe, roast, tip steaks, London broil, etc. Try some of these seasonings:
- Simple black pepper and kosher salt
- Thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
How to Cut Tri Tip Roast
- Start with a very sharp knife and cutting board.
- Notice the shape of the tri tip. Close to the center of the cut, or the boomerang shape, there is a seam of fat. On each side of the seam, the grain of the meat runs a different direction. The “grain” is the direction that the muscle fibers run. It looks like lines or stripes in the meat.
- The first cut of the tri tip should be along the seam at the center of the meat. This is the point where you can see that the grain of the meat goes one direction on one side, and another direction on the other side.
- Look at both halves and determine which way the grain is going. Slice the meat in thin slices that go against (across or perpendicular to) the grain. Slicing meat against the grain cuts through the muscle fibers and makes the meat more tender and easier to chew.
- Layer the slices on a serving platter.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tri Tip Roast
Yes! This cut of meat is lean, juicy, tender and has a rich flavor that’s hard to beat.
We love cooking this roast on an outdoor charcoal or gas grill. Place the roast on the grill over a drip pan to catch any liquid. Cover and grill as directed below. Perfection!
While the tri tip roast has quite a bit of marbling, it’s actually pretty lean and doesn’t have any fat caps. So it can be tough if not cooked properly. This roast is best grilled and served medium rare to medium.
READ MORE: 25+ Traditional and Easy Sunday Dinner Ideas
More Beef Recipes
There are so many great recipes and options when it comes to cooking a roast. If you have an Instant Pot, try our Instant Pot Sunday Pot Roast or our Instant Pot Beef Goulash. For a delicious slow cooker roast, try our Slow Cooker Roast Beef and Vegetables or our Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef.
How To Make Tri Tip Roast
Tri Tip Roast
Video
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Tri-tip roast 1 roast, 1 ½ inches thick
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons Whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons Steak sauce A-1 is our favorite
- 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Fresh rosemary finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together marinade ingredients.
- Spread the marinade on the roast, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6-12 hours. Allow roast to stand at room temp for 20 minutes before grilling.
- Lightly season both sides of the roast with salt.
- Sear over direct medium heat for about 10 minutes turning once halfway through searing time.
- Continue grilling over indirect medium heat for 10-20 minutes longer.
- Remove from grill and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut across the grain into thin slices. Serve warm.
Notes
- Start with a very sharp knife and cutting board.
- Notice the shape of the tri tip. Close to the center of the cut, or the boomerang shape, there is a seam of fat. On each side of the seam, the grain of the meat runs a different direction. The “grain” is the direction that the muscle fibers run. It looks like lines or stripes in the meat.
- The first cut of the tri tip should be along the seam at the center of the meat. This is the point where you can see that the grain of the meat goes one direction on one side, and another direction on the other side.
- Look at both halves and determine which way the grain is going. Slice the meat in thin slices that go against (across or perpendicular to) the grain. Slicing meat against the grain cuts through the muscle fibers and makes the meat more tender and easier to chew.
- Layer the slices on a serving platter.
My local grocery stores don’t carry tri-tip. Is there a good substitution?
You can use a chuck arm, bottom round, or rump roast!
I’m drooling!! Such a delicious, tender cut of meat! This is on our Father’s Day menu!
We love tri-tip at our house. I always turns out so tender and juicy. And, the flavor is amazing too! Thank you for the great tips and recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing this very helpful and delicious recipe! Will make it again!
We grill all year long and I found this recipe when I was searching for a new marinade! So flavorful and delicious, I’ll be making this again for sure!!
This was so juicy and delicious.
Could you brown this on top of stove and finish in oven?
You could try, we have only made it on the grill so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
What is whole grain mustard? Mustard seeds or a type of liquid mustard?
Looks great! I love your blog 🙂
This looks incredibly delicious. My husband would do flips for this. Sounds fantastic with rosemary!!
Tri tip is the BEST! My mouth is watering….
Oh man! This looks so good. Thanks for sharing.