When cooked right, grilled tri tip has an intensely beefy flavor and the tenderness of a slow-braised roast. Here’s how I grill a tri tip steak perfectly every time, plus the homemade rub and bbq sauce we use to tenderize and flavor the meat.
Two-Zone Cooking Is the Secret to Perfectly Cooked Tri Tip
A juicy ribeye straight from the grill has always been my man’s favorite cut of steak, but I think this bbq tri tip has a fighting chance of winning top spot this summer.
Tri tip is big, meaty, and feeds a crowd without ruining your grocery budget. The Santa Maria Tri Tip is a California classic that comes from the bottom sirloin, so it has the rich beefy flavor of a steak with the tenderness of a roast — when it’s cooked right.
My grilled tri tip gets coated in a homemade dry rub made with garlic salt, paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne for a lightly spicy crust. Wood chips give the tri tip a nice smoky flavor without needing an actual smoker, and my husband’s two-zone grilling method keeps the steak from drying out or going chewy. After a good rest, I sliced the tri tip against the grain and slathered it in a smoky homemade bbq sauce.
Since we’re empty nesters now, we can’t eat the entire tri tip in one sitting (imagine!). We love putting the leftovers to good use the next day by making tri tip sandwiches. Now that’s my kind of meal prep.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Set the steak on your counter for 30 minutes before grilling. You never want to transfer a steak directly from the fridge to the hot grill. That often results in a chewy, overcooked exterior.
140ºF is the perfect medium rare temp for a tri tip. If you don’t own a meat thermometer yet, I strongly suggest getting one. When you’re cooking larger cuts of meat like a tri tip, it’s nearly impossible to test doneness without a thermometer.
Always rest before slicing. Tri tips are a sizable cut of beef, and they need to rest for 5 to 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute before slicing. Cutting the meat across the grain creates the most tender bite.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Tri tip steak — Look for a 2ish pound roast that’s 1 ½ inches thick with a decent amount of marbling. Some tri tips are sold pre-trimmed and others have a big fat cap on them; if you bought the latter, cut off the fat cap before seasoning.
- Dry rub — You can use your favorite steak rub here, or make your own using a blend of garlic salt, mustard powder, paprika, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. The rub is meant to tenderize the steak and complement its beefy flavor, not overpower it.
- BBQ sauce — Again, you can go the bottled route if you want, but I prefer making my own with a little ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, and seasonings. It only takes about 5 minutes! The steak sauce gives it a great smoky flavor, but if you prefer a puckery bbq sauce, try swapping in my North Carolina-style vinegar bbq sauce.
- Wood chips — Oak is the traditional choice for grilling tri tip, but we’ve also made this recipe with mesquite and hickory wood chips. Use your favorite or choose a blend, depending on the flavor you’re going for.
How to Grill a Tri Tip Steak So It Turns Out Super Juicy
- Season with the dry rub. The dry rub seasons the tri tip, yes, but it also helps lock in moisture. When the spices hit the hot grill they caramelize and char a bit to create a crust around the meat.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Tightly wrap the steak in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out, but allow several hours for the salt to penetrate the meat and work its tenderizing magic.
- Meanwhile, soak the wood chips. Not everyone soaks their wood chips before grilling, but since I’m using a regular outdoor grill and not an actual smoker I’ve found it best to do so. Soaked wood chips smoke a little slower than dry wood chips, and they’re less prone to burning on the hot grill.
- Make the tri-tip BBQ sauce. Cook the sauce for just a few minutes to bring out all the flavor.
- Set up your grill for two-zone cooking. We’ll be grilling the tri tip over direct and indirect medium heat (350ºF to 450ºF). If you’re using a charcoal grill, add the drained wood chips to the charcoal. If you’ve got a gas grill, pop them into a smoker box.
- Once you see smoke, get grilling! You’ll start the tri tip over direct heat (lid closed) for about 5 minutes, then it gets transferred to indirect heat where it needs to cook for another 20 or so minutes.
- Rest before topping with bbq sauce. You can slather the steak with sauce or serve it on the side for dipping. Or, choose the secret third option — do both!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Grilled Tri Tip Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds tri-tip roast, about 1½ inches thick
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 handful oak, mesquite, or hickory wood chips
- 1 batch Tri-Tip Barbecue Sauce (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup steak sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Mix the rub, coat the roast, and refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic salt, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Stir until evenly blended. Press the rub firmly into all sides of a 2 to 2 ½ pounds tri-tip roast, ensuring full coverage. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Soak the wood chips. Place 1 handful oak, mesquite, or hickory wood chips in a bowl of water and let soak for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- Make the bbq sauce. Combine ½ cup ketchup, ¼ cup steak sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar , 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar , and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool fully, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes ½ cup.
- Set up the grill for two-zone cooking. Prepare the grill for both direct and indirect cooking over medium heat, targeting 350°F to 450°F. Brush the cooking grates clean. Drain the soaked wood chips and add them to the charcoal or place them in the smoker box of a gas grill. Close the lid and wait for smoke to appear before adding the meat.
- Sear, then slow-cook the tri-tip to temperature. Once smoke appears, place the tri-tip directly over the fire. Close the lid and sear over direct medium heat for about 5 minutes total, turning once. Move the roast to the indirect heat zone, close the lid, and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140°F for medium rare. Pull from the grill and tent loosely with foil to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve with barbecue sauce. Cut the tri-tip on the diagonal, across the grain, into thin slices and arrange on a warm platter. Spoon the Tri-Tip Barbecue Sauce over the top or serve it alongside for dipping. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
FAQs
This cut of steak is best enjoyed medium-rare (140ºF). I typically pull the steak off the grill when it registers 135ºF and let the carry-over heat bring it up to 140ºF.
I don’t recommend cooking tri tip past 140ºF because it tends to become tough and chewy when over cooked.
Cooking tri tip on the grill generally takes 25 to 35 minutes for a 2- to 2.5-pound steak. You start with 5 minutes on direct heat and another 20 to 30 minutes over indirect heat, or until it’s medium rare.
What to Serve With Tri Tip Steak
More Ways to Grill a Steak
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