Tri-tip is great for grilling. A easy flavorful marinade and quick cooking time make this delicious beef perfect for date night, family dinner or a party. It is also wonderful for toasted sandwiches or in hearty salads.
The Tri-Tip is a wonderful cut of meat. When properly prepared, it is wonderfully juicy and tender. Fortunately, it is extremely easy to make.
The first Tri-Tip I ever prepared was a disaster. I failed to marinate the meat and overcooked it, which resulted in a large, tough piece of what could have been very wonderful meat. At the time, I was a college student with a small food budget so I choked down every last piece. I knew that I could do better. I learned from my mistakes and after years of cooking, I’ve learned to marinate meat and use a thermometer… What a crazy concept.
This is my best Tri-Tip recipe so far. We shared the last one we cooked with friends… but only one of them got to have any: she ate every tender morsel before her husband got home. Afterward, the husband told me that he heard it was good. Apparently, we need to make another one and ensure that he gets some.
A great thermometer is essential for cooking meat. This is one of my favorites by Thermoworks.
If you like the Grilled Tri-Tip, you’ll love this Perfect Prime Rib Roast recipe.
More Great Dinners To Try:
Easy Grilled Tri -Tip
Ingredients
- 4 lb Tri-Tip
Marinade
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup black pepper coarsely ground
- 1/4 cup seasoning salt
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1/4 cup dehydrated onions
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a zip lock gallon freezer bag.
- Close and shake to combine.
- If you bought an "untrimmed tri-tip" than carefully remove most of the fat cap before cooking. Don't remove all of it or cut into the meat itself in the process of removing it.
- Open bag and add tri-tip, closing carefully and removing as much air as possible.
- Marinate for 4 hours.
- Pre-heat grill to Medium heat, then place the tri-tip on the grill.
- After 5 minutes, flip the tri-tip.
- Check the meat every 10 minutes, watching the temperature.
- Remove from grill when the meat reaches approximately 5 degrees from the desired temperature, making sure to get your readings from the thickest part of the meat. The meat will continue to rise in temperature for a few minutes even after being removed from heat.
- Let the meat sit for about 10 minutes, then slice against the grain in thin slices.
- Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Recipe Notes
125 F - Rare, cool red center
135 - Medium Rare, warm red center
145 - Medium, warm pink center
150 - Medium Well, slightly pink center - not recommended
160 - well done, little or no pink - not recommended
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. - Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
Gail Barber says
Great recipe, ,marinade strong left on for 2 hours. Winner.
Mirlandra says
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was in the hospital having our daughter and I’m just now catching up on comments! I’m so glad you liked the marinade! We just made this a few weeks back when family was in town. It remains a favorite of mine!