Love perfectly cooked steaks? Try my grilled bavette steak, flat iron steak, New York steak, and air fryer steak next. A well-seasoned steak is one of my favorite meals to serve to family and friends, and thanks to this recipe for tri-tip steak, I don’t have to break the bank doing it! After soaking in an easy steak marinade, I like to grill the rich and beefy tri-tip to bring out its amazing flavors. Sliced thin and served with tangy chimichurri on top, every bite is just plain impressive.
Why I love this recipe
Mega-beefy flavors. Just thinking about tri-tip makes my mouth water! I can’t get enough of its naturally beefy and buttery taste. Perfect for high-heat cooking. Fire up the grill because the tri-tip was made for high-heat cooking! But if it’s too cold to grill, you can pan-roast it instead. Budget-friendly. Like picanha steak, despite its steakhouse-quality flavor and presentation, tri-tip is an affordable cut of meat.
Ingredients needed
Tri-tip steak. Look for a triangular cut with even fat marbling. I like to pick up high-quality steaks from my local butcher, but you should also be able to find them at well-stocked grocery stores. Vinegar. I like to use white vinegar in the steak marinade. Olive oil. The oil keeps the steak from sticking to the grill grates and yields a gorgeous golden crust around the outside. Soy sauce. This is one of my go-to ingredients in steak marinade recipes because it adds a layer of umami flavor and caramelizes around the outside of the steak. If you don’t have soy sauce, use tamari, coconut aminos, or Worcestershire sauce instead. Balsamic vinegar. To help tenderize the steak. Garlic cloves. I prefer fresh minced garlic cloves, but you can use garlic powder in a pinch. Herbs and spices. All you need is a simple blend of salt, black pepper, cayenne, dried thyme, and paprika Mustard. Yellow or Dijon mustard adds a nice tangy element.
How to grill tri-tip steak
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Also called a Santa Maria steak because of its California roots, tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin steak subprimal (bottom cut). It’s a thick steak that’s naturally lean and tender thanks to its fat marbling. Step 1 – Marinate the steak. Stir the tri-tip marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the meat in the bowl, then transfer it to the fridge and leave the steak to marinate. Step 2 – Grill. Grill the marinated tri-tip, occasionally brushing it with the reserved marinade. Flip every few minutes until it’s browned on all sides. Step 3 – Rest, slice, and serve. Set the steak aside for 10 minutes to rest. Afterward, slice it and serve with chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!
Arman’s recipe tips
Let it rest! I can’t recommend taking the time to rest the steak enough. During these 10 to 15 minutes after grilling, the meaty juices settle back into the fibers of the meat, giving you moist and juicy meat. Marinate for at least 4 hours. During testing, I found that this is the sweet spot for infusing the steak with balanced, mouthwatering flavors. Of course, 10 minutes is plenty. Room temperature meat. Remember to take the marinated steak from the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. This is enough time for it to come back down to room temperature. Take the time to preheat the grill. You want that meat to sizzle when it hits the grill! Cook to medium-rare. I love medium-rare steak because that’s when it’s the most tender and flavorful. For medium-rare, the steak’s internal temperature will be between 130ºF to 135ºF (use a meat thermometer to check!). Slice against the grain. Learning how to slice tri-tip isn’t hard! All you need to do is slice the steak against the grain with a sharp knife. This way, you shorten the meat fibers and have more tender slices.
Storage instructions
To store: You can store leftover tri-tip in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I stick to the pan-roasting method when it’s too cold or rainy to grill outdoors. To cook tri tip in the oven: I mention it below, but always use a meat thermometer to check its doneness. To freeze: Transfer the cooked and cooled steak and/or slices to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat: You can quickly reheat the sliced steak in the microwave or heat them in a skillet over medium heat. Feel free to add a splash of beef broth to prevent the steak from drying out. Add the steak to a steak salad or steak bowl.
Frequently asked questions
More easy beef dinners
Picanha Steak Round Steak Sirloin tip roast Beef tips and gravy Meatballs and gravy Or any of these beef recipes
