Juicy, flavorful tri-tip steak tender enough to cut with a fork is possible with just a few minutes on the grill. This is a fool-proof method for grilling tri-tip.
What is Tri Tip?
If you aren’t familiar with tri-tip, it is a small triangular piece of beef cut from the sirloin. Tri Tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef for feeding my family, especially when it comes to steaks.
It turns out perfectly on the grill every time we make it. My kids like their steak a little more well done than Sean and I do, so I slice theirs from the narrow tip and I slice ours from the center.
There is only one tri-tip cut on each side of beef so it can sometimes be difficult to find. I make sure to grab one anytime I see it. Tri tip is hands-down the best, most underrated and inexpensive steak for grilling.
The Best Way To Cook Tri Tip Steak
Tri tip can be grilled or roasted. By now you may have surmised that grilling is by far my favorite way to prepare tri tip steak.
Grilled tri tip is the ultimate in juicy steaks. It’s tender enough to cut with the side of your fork and requires no special skills to prepare.
I rub the meat with a spice blend of salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sugar, garlic and granulated onion before cooking and I absolutely love the flavor it adds to the meat. Completely savory with just the very faintest hint of spice, this grilled tri tip is a hit with everyone who tries it.
Last time I made this grilled tri tip receive, I served the steak with sauteed zucchini, buttery steamed green beans, and Salt Potatoes. Even my pickiest eaters ate every bite!
Tri-Tip steak is flavorful but simple and pairs well with just about any side dish you like. We’ve also enjoyed it with Garlic and Paprika Roasted Cauliflower, Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Sweet Potatoes. They’ve all been great pairings and I love how easy this steak makes it to create a delicious meal with whatever sides you have in your fridge.
If you aren’t up for an entire tri-tip you can always reverse-sear a New York strip steak.
There’s no way of eating this steak that my family hasn’t enjoyed!
How to Grill Tri Tip
Grilling tri tip is a fairly easy process when all is said and done. All it takes is keeping an eye on the steaks and monitoring the internal temperature of the meat for doneness.
Before putting your tri tip cut on the grill, make sure to let it come to room temperature. This step helps ensure the steak cooks evenly and achieves the desired tender texture.
Once the meat is room temperature, it’s time to blend the spices. My favorite spice blend for tri-tip includes salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion and just a little sugar to bring it all together.
Preheat your grill then rub your spices all over the steak. When coating the meat in your spice blend, do your best to get as much of the beef covered as you can. I usually end up having a little bit of the spice blend leftover, so don’t worry if you wind up with extra.
You want to place your tri tip on the grill fat side down and let it cook for about 5 minutes on the first side. This may take more or less time; once you see a dark brown crust develop you’re ready to flip the meat.
The second side of the steak will take a little longer, about 8 minutes. After both sides are beautifully brown and crusted, take them off of the grill and let them continue cooking on indirect heat until they reach desired doneness.
When I’m cooking a medium rare steak, I remove it from heat when its internal temperature has reached 130. This is where your meat thermometer will come in handy!
After just 10 minutes of resting to let the steak continue tenderizing in all its delicious juices, it’s ready to enjoy!
I can’t emphasize enough how delicious this grilling method is. I know you’ll love it as much as we do!
Grilled Tri Tip Recipe
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Place the beef on the counter and allow it to warm to room temperature.
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Stir together all of the spices and generously rub over all sides of the meat. (There will be spices remaining, just be sure to thoroughly coat the beef.)
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Preheat the grill to medium-high.
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Grill the tri-tip on each side to develop a dark brown crust, about 5 minutes on the first side, flip the steak and grill about 8 minutes on the second side.
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Remove to indirect heat and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 130-135 degrees. (I pulled ours at 130 degrees for medium rare.)
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Let the meat rest and redistribute the juices for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
When slicing the steak, be sure to slice against the grain of the meat. Check out this quick video for a reminder on how to find the grain of the meat.
How To Grill Tri-Tip
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef tri-tip steak
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons raw sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place the beef on the counter and allow it to warm to room temperature. Stir together all of the spices and generously rub over all sides of the meat. There will be spices remaining, just be sure to thoroughly coat the beef.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the tri-tip on each side to develop a dark brown crust, I did about 5 minutes on the first side, flipped the steak and grilled 8 minutes on the second side. Remove to indirect heat and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 130-135 degrees. I pulled ours at 130 degrees for medium rare. Let the meat rest and redistribute the juices for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 5/27/15 – recipe notes updated 2/7/19}
James says
How about cooking with a charcoal grill? How would you suggest the cooking be done on a charcoal grill? Cause I can’t take it to indirect heat on mine so I’m just curious what you suggest for that. Thanks in advance for your advice.
Mary Younkin says
In the past, (it’s been a while since we used a charcoal grill) we have set up a charcoal grill for indirect heat by lighting a full load of charcoal to one side of the grill leaving an open space on the opposite side. This way you can sear on one side and use indirect heat on the other. I hope that helps, James!
Mike says
I have never tried a tri tip before so I thought I would give it a go. It turned out excellent. The family loved it and I will do it again. Thanks
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear that you loved the tri tip, Mike!