Tri-tip Steak is a cut of beef that is often overlooked when we think about stepping up to the grill to cook a steak. But it shouldn’t be! This recipe for a grilled tri-tip steak is fantastic! It will have you adding this great cut of meat to your regular BBQ grilling menu rotation.
The tri-tip is a cut from the bottom of the sirloin. It is one of the great cuts of beef for grilling! Although you can marinate the steak, it is best and traditionally served with a Santa Maria-style rub.
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What do you need to make a grilled Tri-tip Steak?
This recipe for grilled tri-tip steak is excellent! The “Santa Maria” spice blend really makes the wonderful flavor of the tri-tip cut shine through. All you need is a few pantry spices and herbs to make it happen!
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound tri-tip steak
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
HOW to grill tri-tip steak
As with all meat that you are going to grill, you should remove it from the refrigerator before you start cooking. You should remove your tri-tip steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to allow it to come up to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Stir to combine. As the steak comes up to room temperature, generously cover the steak with the prepared rub. Make sure that all sides of the steak are well coated. You can wrap it in plastic wrap if you like. This helps the meat absorb the flavors of the rub.
Preheat your grill. You will want to set it up for indirect cooking. One side of your grill should be high heat, and the other side of the grill should be low or no heat.
Once you have your grill preheated, place the steak on the hot side of the grill. I start cooking it with the fat cap side up. Grill for 3-5 minutes and then turn it over and sear the other side. You want the steak to have nice char marks.
Be careful when you sear the fat side as it may flare up, so you will need to move it around to prevent it from charring. Another solution is to have a spray bottle filled with water handy. Spray under the steak when you see a flare-up. This helps to prevent that burnt taste on your steak.
Once you have your steak nicely seared on both sides, move it to the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and continue to cook your streak using the indirect method. For rare, you are looking for an internal temperature of 118 – 120 degrees F, for medium-rare 128 – 130 degrees F., for medium 138 – 140 degrees F.
Thermapen
I use my trusty Thermoworks Thermapen instant-read meat thermometer. It is quick, easy to use, and gives me an exact temperature in a second every time!
When your steak has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Loosely cover the steak with foil and allow it to rest for 5 -10 minutes before slicing.
The steak will continue to cook while it is resting, so you need to take it off a bit early. For example, if you allow it to cook until 135 degrees F for medium-rare, it will be overdone when you are ready to serve it.
Is tri tip steak good for grilling?
I think that tri-tip is one of the best cuts of meat to grill! Because it comes from the same area as the sirloin steak, it has much of the same flavor and features of a sirloin. I mean, really, look at that juicy steak!
One thing you need to be aware of when slicing is the triangle steak shape. The grain of the meat changes, and because you always want to cut across the grain, you will have to adjust how you slice the beef.
The great thing is when you cook tri-tip on the grill, in a cast-iron skillet, or even oven roast it, you can serve the gang! A 3-4 pound tri-tip steak will easily serve 6 people!
Tri-tip is such a beautiful cut of meat for grilling but maybe doesn’t get enough love. It is triangle-shaped and is very much like a great sirloin cut. Spiced up with a classic Santa Maria rub and grilled to a perfect medium-rare, it will rival the best steak available!
You need to get down to your butcher and pick up a tri-tip steak today!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Grilled Tri-Tip Steak
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 pound tri-tip steak
Santa Maria Rub
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- ½ Tbsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano or fresh oregano finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary or fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 Tsp dried thyme or fresh thyme finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried sage or fresh sage finely chopped
Instructions
- Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you are planning to start cooking. It must come up to room temperature before you put it on the grill.
- Generously cover the meat with the prepared rub, making sure to cover all sides of the meat. You can cover it in plastic wrap if you like.
- Preheat your grill; you want very high heat on one side of the grill and very low or no heat on the other (set it up for cooking using the indirect method).
- Once your grill is set up and preheated, place the tri-tip on the hot side of the grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes on both sides. You want to sear the outside of the meat; you should have nice char marks. Be careful as the tri-tip can be fatty. Watch it closely; you may have to move it around the hot side of the grill to prevent flare-ups.
- Once you have a good sear on both sides, move the tri-tip to the cool side of the grill.
- Continue to grill with the lid closed using the indirect method until your meat reaches the desired internal temperature; 118 – 120 degrees F. for rare, 128-130 degrees for medium-rare, 138 – 140 degrees F. for medium. (Please don’t cook your tri-tip past medium).
- Once your desired temperature is reached, place it on a cutting board and loosely cover with foil for 5 -10 minutes before slicing. The meat will continue to cook, so you do need to take it off the grill a little early.
- Slice your tri-tip against the grain (as with all meats). One thing to be aware of when slicing your tri-tip is that the direction of the grain changes, so you need to adjust the direction you are slicing.
What happened to “reverse sear”?
You can definitely reverse sear your Tri-tip, I would closely watch the internal temp when you sear it so that you don’t overcook it.
Excellent seasoning and great instructions Ken!
Indirect is the way to go as it sure can flare up!
Thank you we all loved this bbq’d tri tip!