Toasted French bread is layered with slices of bbq slathered tri tip, jammy caramelized onions, creamy horseradish sauce, and peppery arugula to make the tri tip sandwich that dreams are made of.
Meet My Favorite Sandwich of the Summer
I’ve made my fair share of steak sandwiches over the years, and while sirloin always gets the job done, tri tip absolutely steals the show. It’s beefier, juicier, and when sliced thinly against the grain it’s perfect for piling onto crusty bread with all the fixings.
These grilled tri tip steak sandwiches start with my favorite tri tip recipe. The steak is rubbed down with a slightly spicy dry rub, slathered in a sticky-sweet homemade BBQ sauce, and grilled until rosy and tender in the middle.
The sliced tri tip is layered onto toasted French bread with sweet caramelized onions, peppery arugula, and a creamy horseradish sauce that adds a nice bite to the sandwich.
I know there are a few moving parts here, but you can prep everything ahead and you’ve got tri tip sandwiches to enjoy for lunch or dinner all week long.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Choose a tri tip roast with uniform thickness. It will grill more evenly if there isn’t a thicker section in the middle.
Don’t grill tri tip past medium-rare. This is one cut of beef that’s best when it’s pink in the middle. The magic number you’re looking for is 140ºF — pull the roast off the grill when it registers 135ºF on a meat thermometer and let the carry-over heat bring it up to 140ºF for the tenderest bite.
Prep your toppings ahead of time. You don’t have to wait until dinnertime to caramelize the onions and make the sauces! Everything keeps for several days in the fridge, so assemble things as far in advance as needed to make mealtimes run more smoothly.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Grilled tri tip — My easy recipe starts with a homemade dry rub and has you grill the steak with wood chips for a richly smoky flavor. You can grill the tri tip a day or two ahead of time and use the leftovers for making sandwiches.
- BBQ sauce — I prefer a a sticky-sweet Kansas City-style bbq sauce for these sandwiches. I make my own using ketchup and steak sauce as the base, which gives it a ever-so-delicious smoky flavor. It takes about 5 minutes altogether. You can swap in your favorite bottled brand if you’re short on time.
- Caramelized onions — This is the most time-intensive part of the entire recipe, but the great thing about caramelized onions is that they require very little babysitting. You only want to stir them every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking, but otherwise you can just let them hang out on the stove while you prep the other ingredients.
- Horseradish sauce — We’re just doctoring up sour cream with prepared horseradish. You can add more or less horseradish depending on how much of kick you want it to have.
- Arugula — You can swap in another leafy green, but I like the peppery bite that arugula adds.
- Bread — Crusty breads are best for tri tip sandwiches. I like using French bread because it’s sturdy enough to hold its own against the sliced tri tip and toppings, but soft enough to bite into without cracking a tooth.
How to Make Tri Tip Steak Sandwiches
- Coat the meat in the dry rub and chill for 3 hours. This gives the dry rub time to flavor and tenderize the meat. 3 hours is the bare minimum you want the tri tip to hang out in the fridge, but you can do this up to 24 hours ahead.
- Meanwhile, make the sauces. The horseradish sauce and bbq sauce taste best after their flavors have had time to mingle, so go ahead and prep them while the tri tip is marinating in the dry rub.
- Caramelize the onions. This is a bit of a Goldilocks situation — slice the onions too thinly and they’ll fall apart as they cook, but slice them too thickly and they’ll take eons to caramelize. Aim for ½-inch thick slices and cook them in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until golden and jammy.
- Grill the tri tip using two zone cooking. My grilled tri tip recipe is packed with helpful tips and step-by-step photos for grilling tri tip. The key thing to remember is that you have to sear the meat first over direct heat and then finish cooking it over indirect heat. This is how we cook tri tip that’s super tender and juicy.
- Toast the bread before building your sandwiches. I prefer slicing the entire loaf in half lengthwise and then toasting it whole before piling on the tri tip and toppings. Then, I slice the loaf into individual sandwiches (as if it’s a party sub sandwich).
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.
Tri Tip Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tri Tip
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds tri-tip roast , about 1 ½ inches thick
- 1 handful oak, mesquite, or hickory wood chips
- 1 batch Tri-Tip Barbecue Sauce , recipe below
For the 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
For the Sandwiches
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup prepared horseradish (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion , sliced into ½-inch strips
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large French bread loaf , halved
- 2 cups arugula
Instructions
- Mix the dry 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, making sure it adheres well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.While the tri-tip chills in the fridge, make the sandwich sauces and onions.
- Make the BBQ sauce. In a small saucepan 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. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Make the horseradish sauce. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup sour cream and ⅓ cup prepared horseradish, or more to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the caramelized onions. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 11 tablespoon canola oil in a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium high. Add 1 large yellow onion and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 5 minutes then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Soak the wood chips. Place 1 handful oak, mesquite, or hickory wood chips in a bowl of water and soak for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- 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 the meat and build the sandwiches. Place the halved loaf of French bread on the grill grates and toast until golden, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. Cut the tri-tip on the diagonal, across the grain, into thin slices. Layer the bottom side of the French bread with a generous portion of sliced meat, a hearty amount of bbq sauce, and top with caramelized onions and a handful of arugula. Spread the horseradish sauce on the cut-side of the top bun. Close, and cut into 4-6 individual servings. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Side Dishes for Tri Tip Sandwiches
More Summer Sandwich Recipes
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