Mastering Oven Roasted Tri-Tip (5 Expert Top Tips)

It is no secret we love Oven Roasted Tri-Tip for its steak-like texture and perfect blend of tenderness and flavor!

We’ll show you how to master tri-tip with the 5 TOP TIPS perfected over 30 years so you can easily make a juicy, tender steak-like dinner at home in your oven!

Oven-roasting tri-tip delivers a memorable meal without much fuss, but it’s not like the usual Sunday roast—it should not be long-simmered. This cut of beef is best when cooked to medium-rare.

A quality tri-tip roast should be well-marbled (intermuscular fat), contributing to flavor and juiciness, making it an ideal choice for the dry heat of the oven or grill. 

Check out our Grilled Tri-Tip Roast recipe for more info about selecting the perfect tri-tip. In that post, we go into more detail about the different names of this cut of beef, the importance of marbling, grilling tips, and when to use dry rubs or marinade.

TIP: A tri-tip roast can also be sliced into steaks, making it a great economical cut for summer grilling. 

How is tri-tip supposed to be cooked?

A tri-tip roast isn’t a long-simmered fall-apart roast like a chuck. It is a 2-3 pound muscle cut from the Sirloin Primal and is best cooked to medium-rare so it maintains a texture more akin to a steak. 

Its steak-like, medium-rare tenderness makes it ideal for quick-cooking dishes like fajitas, stroganoff, stir-fries, and simple grilling or oven-roasting.

You can easily make a juicy, tender steak-like dinner at home with a few simple steps.

Our Top Tips for the BEST Oven-Roasted Tri-Tip

1. Trim and Season before Cooking

Some tri-tip roasts are sold untrimmed, meaning a fairly thick layer of fat can be left on one side. Trim this layer until slightly less than 1/4″ thick for a little protection in the oven, but it does not contribute to flavor.

Like our grilled tri-tip recipe, we prefer a dry steak rub when oven-roasting! When using a dry rub (like this recipe), it’s important to let the meat sit with the rub on it for at least 40 minutes (up to 24 hours) before cooking. This allows the salt to penetrate and flavor the meat before it ever hits the skillet for searing. 

If you prefer marinade over dry rub, try our Pro Tips for marinating meat outlined in our grilled tri-tip post. Whether you season with marinade or dry rub, do so before roasting.

2. Pan-Sear, Then Roast

Browning the roast before it goes in the oven caramelizes the spices and begins the Millard effect, enhancing the flavor. 

When grilling isn’t an option, we go with the next best choice: a cast iron skillet and a hot oven. 

We love cast iron for browning meat, but any oven-safe frying pan with 2” sides will do. (If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, transfer it to a baking dish before it goes into the oven.)

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3. Cooking Time and Temperature

Cooking tri-tip at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes per pound will get you close to medium-rare doneness. However, for the most accurate doneness, use an instant-read thermometer and test the center of the roast for an internal temperature of 128°F for the perfect medium-rare tri-tip.

I cannot stress enough the importance of not relying on timed doneness and investing in an instant-read thermometer to ensure it is not overcooked. 

Important note: Generally, a tri-tip has a thicker center and two tapered points. The points/tips will cook faster than the center. Cooking the roast so the thicker portion is at 128°F will help ensure the tips do not cook beyond medium doneness. 

4. Resting and Slicing

Once the roast is done cooking, tent loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and retain moisture instead of pouring out onto the cutting board.

To slice the roast, hold it with a fork and position the knife across the grain (long strands/lines) of the meat. Cut 1/4-inch slices across the grain and on a slight bias—this shortens the long strands of the muscle, making it more tender to chew.

TIP: Remember, the tri-tip roast has three points, and the grain may change direction within the roast (each roast is different). Simply turn the roast to keep the knife slicing across the grain.

5. How To Serve Oven Roasted Tri-Tip

Serving tri-tip with a sauce is always a good idea! But what kind? It all depends on the marbling and fat content of the roast or steak.

• If the roast is lean, serve it with a rich sauce like this Mushroom Ragout (in photo) or Tomato-Basil Compound Butter, so the creamy sauce helps compensate for the lack of fat in the meat.

• If the roast is well-marbled, like a ribeye or a Wagyu-type quality, serve it with Santa Maria salsa, gremolata, or chimichurri so the acid can balance the meat’s richness. 

This is true for grilled steaks, too—that’s why filets are served with rich sauces and ribeyes are not.

The Best Side Dishes to Serve with Tri-Tip

• Green Bean Almondine with Crispy Prosciutto (shown in photos)
• Caesar Salad
• Oven Roasted Vegetable Medley
• Arugula Watermelon Salad
• Spinach and Strawberry Salad
• Caprese Salad