Grilled Tri-Tip

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Grilled Tri-Tip is a flavorful, juicy steak that will be the star of your barbecue! It’s marinated in a simple, yet tasty marinade, then grilled to perfection. Serve with my sweet and savory chimichurri sauce and your favorite sides for an impressive meal that everyone will love!

If you’re looking for what sides to serve alongside this tri-tip, we’ve got you covered! Try our cool and creamy classic potato salad, chilled cucumber tomato salad and the best baked beans. As the temperatures warm up, you’ll want these delicious side dishes at every cookout!

Overhead shot of grilled tri-tip that has a few slices taken off and a small bowl of chimichuri sauce next to it.

Reasons You Will Love This Recipe

Wonderfully Tender and Tasty: This grilled tri-tip is rich with flavor, and will satisfy all of your steak cravings!
Easy Recipe: Grilling a well-seasoned steak is soeasy and doesn’t take too much time either! Once this has time to marinate, it can be on the table in less than 15 minutes.
Perfect for Backyard BBQs: Pair this with a fresh, crisp broccoli salad, a vibrant fruit salad and grilled corn. Don’t forget dessert!

Tri-tip is a delicious cut of beef! It’s less expensive than other steaks such as the rib-eye, but it’s just as flavorful. It has plenty of great marbling (fat running through the meat), which makes it really juicy and tender as long as you don’t overcook it.

Ingredients Needed

This grilled tri-tip is marinated in a mix of simple yet really flavorful ingredients. In fact, you may already have everything you need in your kitchen right now! To get started, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Tri-Tip Steak: Because a tri-tip steak has more fat, it will be much more flavorful than top sirloin. Two to three pounds of tri-tip will feed approximately 4 people.

Marinade

Olive Oil: Adds moisture for maximum juiciness.
Fresh Lime Juice: The acidity that will help to tenderize the meat.
Soy Sauce: Adds a salty, umami flavor.
Brown Sugar: Gives the marinade a hint of sweetness that then balances the more savory ingredients.
Worcestershire Sauce: Has a sweet, tangy, and spiced flavor that really adds something special to the marinade.
Fresh Garlic: A must in any good marinade!
Onion Powder: For savory onion flavor.
Italian Seasoning: I love to make my own Italian seasoning, but you can certainly use store-bought.
Cracked Black Pepper & Kosher Salt: To bring out and enhance all of the flavors.

Overhead shot of labeled ingredients in separate bowls.

How to Make Grilled Tri-Tip Steak

After trying this incredible tri-tip steak, the whole family will be requesting it on repeat. Lucky for you, it takes very little effort to prep! In addition, it only needs 10 minutes on the grill!

Make the Marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.
Marinate the Steak: First, place 2-3 pounds of tri-tip steak in a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag. Next, pour your marinade into the bag. Then, marinate for one hour or up to 24 hours.
Prep: Preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the meat from the bag, place it on the hot grill, then discard the bag and any leftover marinade.
Grill the Steak: Sear the meat on both sides over direct heat, about 5 minutes per side. Next, move the meat to the section of your grill with indirect heat. Cover the grill lid and turn the meat as needed to cook through. Cook until the instant-read meat thermometer reads 130 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted in the thickest part for medium rare. Feel free to cook the tri-tip to reach your preferred doneness.
Rest the Meat: Remove the tri-tip from the grill and allow the meat to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat against the grain and enjoy!

Overhead shot of marinade ingredients in a glass bowl. — Add the marinade ingredients to a bowl.

Overhead shot of whisked together marinade ingredients. — Add the marinade ingredients to a bowl.

Tips and Variations

Follow these tips and variation ideas, so that your steak turns out absolutely perfect!

Change the Juice: Try using lemon juice or orange juice in place of the lime juice!
Soy Sauce Substitutions: Low-sodium soy sauce can also be used in place of soy sauce. For a gluten-free option, use tamari!
Internal Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer to know precisely when the steak has reached your desired temperature. When inserted in the thickest part of the meat, the instant-read thermometer should read 130 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium-rare steak. For medium doneness, you’ll want it to be between 140 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and for medium well, you want your steak to be 150 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let it Rest: It’s important to let your steak rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows time for the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut into it as soon as it comes off the grill, all of the wonderful flavor will end up on your plate instead of inside the meat.
Sauces to Serve With Tri-Tip: Serve with my tasty chimichurri sauce! For a creamy sauce, try my homemade horseradish sauce.

Storing Leftover Tri-Tip

This grilled tri-tip makes fantastic leftovers. You can easily reheat slices for a sandwich or salad the next day.

Refrigerate: Once the steak is completely cool, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: To warm the leftover steak and keep it from becoming dry, heat it low and slow. Use the oven and warm it up at 200 to 250 degrees F, until heated through.

Overhead shot of chimichurri sauce being poured over slices of meat on a plate.

More Grilled Steak Recipes

Grilled steak is on repeat at our house this time of year! We simply cannot get enough! Here are a few more of my favorite tried and true steak recipes that we love.

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In a medium bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together.
Place 2-3 pounds of tri-tip steak in a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag. Pour your marinade into the bag and marinate for one hour or up to 24 hours.
Pre-heat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the meat from the bag, place it on the hot grill, then discard the bag and any leftover marinade.
Sear the meat on both sides over direct heat, about 5 minutes per side. Next, move the meat to the section of your grill with indirect heat. Cover the grill lid and turn the meat as needed to cook through. Cook until the instant-read thermometer reads 130 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted in the thickest part for medium rare. Feel free to cook the tri-tip to reach your preferred doneness.
Remove the tri-tip from the grill and allow the meat to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat against the grain and enjoy!

Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 48gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 2479mgPotassium: 866mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 38IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Grilled Tri-Tip

Reasons You Will Love This Recipe

Grilled Tri-Tip